So... I'm taking a shower here and a thought occurred to me.
Say got his Intelligence score to three, through normal advancement, giving him the lowest level of "human-like" intelligence.
Could said Animal Companion then advance in a class level (for example Fighter or Barbarian) in place of him normal HD advancement?
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So... I'm taking a shower here and a thought occurred to me.
Say got his Intelligence score to three, through normal advancement, giving him the lowest level of "human-like" intelligence.
Could said Animal Companion then advance in a class level (for example Fighter or Barbarian) in place of him normal HD advancement?
I don't see how that would work. Its like saying, "My tiger has Intelligence 10, so it can talk". Just because it has the score doesn't make it physically capable of accomplishing the task.
I'd say that it wasn't intended to work that way, but who knows in a campaign where its a popular occurance you may be able to fandangle that.
Greetings, fellow travellers.
Advancing an AC's Int to 3 makes it smarter than an average animal of its species, but not sentient.
To take class levels you need to awaken it and that's where it loses its status as animal companion:
From the PFSRD:
"An awakened animal can't serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount."
Maybe you could make it stay as a cohort?
Ruyan.
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Greetings, fellow travellers.
Advancing an AC's Int to 3 makes it smarter than an average animal of its species, but not sentient.
To take class levels you need to awaken it and that's where it loses its status as animal companion:From the PFSRD:
"An awakened animal can't serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount."
Maybe you could make it stay as a cohort?
Ruyan.
I wonder, if you awakened the average animal companion, what it would really tell you about how it viewed it's druid companion.
"So, would you like to stay as my cohort?"
"You're kidding, right? And take more of 'fluffy, go stand up front and get chewed apart by that giant crab thing'??? No frickin way. And let's not even discuss what you do in your bed late at night while I'm sleeping at your feet (or you think I'm sleeping). Why can't you just lick your balls like a decent creature? And would it hurt you to give me a bath once in a while??? Or take one yourself? I do have a heightened sense of smell, and you ain't no bed of roses. ...."
[stalks off muttering to himself]...
Well, considering by RAW...
PFSRD[/url] (RE: Animal Intelligence)] Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).
It no longer has an animal's intelligence level... It can conceivably understand a spoken language. So why not be able to understand and learn a class as a substitution to its normal progression?
But then, that also begs the question... is it still an animal then if it has an Int above 2?
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Well, considering by RAW...
PFSRD[/url] (RE: Animal Intelligence)] Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).It no longer has an animal's intelligence level... It can conceivably understand a spoken language. So why not be able to understand and learn a class as a substitution to its normal progression?
But then, that also begs the question... is it still an animal then if it has an Int above 2?
Per PRD, an animal companion is always considered an animal for any spell or effect. Well, not exactly. "They remain creatures of the animal type for purposes of determining which spells can affect them."
But yet it is still something more than "just an animal"... Not quite a Magical Beast, but somewhere in between.
In particular if it has an Int of 3 or higher.
Mechanically, it would throw the value of the creature off (most of them have enough wisdom to make a half decent cleric, and and int of 3 makes the overqualified to be an expert: politician)
They're already a strong option, it would be unbalancing to make them stronger.
Actually since Animals can't have Int above 2, you can not raise it's Intelligence above that score.Well, considering by RAW...
PFSRD[/url] (RE: Animal Intelligence)] Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).It no longer has an animal's intelligence level... It can conceivably understand a spoken language. So why not be able to understand and learn a class as a substitution to its normal progression?
But then, that also begs the question... is it still an animal then if it has an Int above 2?
Sure they can.
Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can select any feat they are physically capable of using. GMs might expand this list to include feats from other sources.
They remain creatures of the animal type for purposes of determining which spells can affect them.
Yes you can... The rules even take this into account by their being able to learn skills and feats not on their lists of available options.
Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can put ranks into any skill.
=And=
Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can select any feat they are physically capable of using.
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As folks have said, increasing the intelligence to 3+ only lets you no longer need to rely on handle animal, give it any skill it can physically use, and access to feats it can physically do. It does not gain experience so it cannot gain levels. It is an extension of the druid/ranger.
You could use an ape companion, give him the int boost and then train in disable device and give him some tools
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As folks have said, increasing the intelligence to 3+ only lets you no longer need to rely on handle animal, give it any skill it can physically use, and access to feats it can physically do. It does not gain experience so it cannot gain levels. It is an extension of the druid/ranger.
You could use an ape companion, give him the int boost and then train in disable device and give him some tools
But would you really want to trust your safety on the Int 3 creature?
Those are rolls I really think the Gm should make in secret:
"Your group hears an audible click, and the Ape backs away, satisfied its job is done. The party moves forward confident in the apes skills, and immediately activate the presure plate which send then falling 60 ft into the flaming pit!" Oops!
:)
There is a difference between can and should!
In reality, intelligence is all relative. Animals are not stupid. Some animals are much smarter than people
Now, is that based in Intelligence (reasoning) or Wisdom (common sense)?
There are many animals that show tremendous powers of reason. It is the pure arrogance of humans to think animals are not intelligent.Raw thinking power is not the issue. While many animals show quite a few elements of reason, there are maybe 2 or three that actually show signs of self-conciousness at anything close to our level of development.
I still think its hillarious to think that caligula's horse COULD to well in the senate, given the +1 wisdom bonus
In reality, intelligence is all relative. Animals are not stupid. Some animals are much smarter than people
What? No, no, they really aren't. Some animals have some limited cognitive abilities beyond what humans have, (They can discern some patterns quicker, for instance.) but if you think they are smarter, you have been misinformed.
We have, for centuries, underestimated the cognitive and emotional capacities of animals, but they aren't smarter.
Owner - D20 Hobbies
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Could said Animal Companion then advance in a class level (for example Fighter or Barbarian) in place of him normal HD advancement?
The additional HD rule doesn't account for those coming from class levels, so you have no rule to allow you to take non standard levels. It comes down to DM call and if you change DM's be prepared for the case of the new DM rejecting that interpretation.