Seriously, who DOESN'T want a pet? (Help me make a guide, please)


Advice


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So... I'm thinking about working on a Guide to Pets.

For it, I'm trying to find out, how many ways are there to get a "pet" in Pathfinder? I'm looking to work with a complete list, including feats/classes/prestige classes, etc. What defines a pet? A familiar, animal companion, or special mount, or the like (and of course, the ultimate pet, the eidolon)!

I also want to include the levels at which you get said pets, so players are aware that their Mounted Fury Barbarian is going to be waiting quite a while for that buddy of theirs to show up, for example.

Here's all I can think of:

*requires Boon Companion to be "at full character level"
-AC = Animal Companion/SpecialMount/Etc. using "druid rules"
-F = Familiar using "wizard rules"
-E = Eidolon
**Antipaladin's pets are special, using rules all their own

Feats:
*Animal Ally (requires Nature Soul) - AC
*Eldrich Heritage - Arcane (requires Skill Focus - Knowledge: Arcana) - F
*Eldrich Heritage - Sylvan (requires Skill Focus - Knowledge: Nature)

Classes: (Choice you must make to get a pet)

Alchemist (using Tumor Familiar discovery) 2+ - F
Antipaladin 5 (using Divine Bond) - **
Arcanist 1+ (using Familiar Exploit or Bloodline Development exploit) - F
Barbarian (using Mad Dog archetype) 1 - AC
*Barbarian (using Mounted Fury archetype) 5 - AC
Bard (using Sea Singer archetype) 2 - F
*Bloodrager (using Bloodrider archetype) 5 - AC
Brawler (using Wild Child archetype) 1 - AC
Cavalier 1 - AC
Cleric (using tiefling-only Fiendish Vessel archetype) 3 - F
*Cleric (using Animal domain) 4 - AC
Druid (using nature bond ability) 1 - AC
Druid (using Crocodile, Eagle, Frog, Monkey, or Serpent domains) - F
*Druid (using Animal Domain) 4 - AC
Hunter 1 - AC
*Inquisitor (using Animal Domain) 4 - AC
Magus (using Magus Arcana) 3+ - F
*Ninja (using Advanced Talent Master Trick, requires minor magic talent and major magic talent) 10 - F
Oracle (using Bonded Mount revelation from Nature mystery) 1 - AC
Paladin (using Divine Bond) 5 - AC
*Ranger (using Hunter's Bond) 4 - AC
Rogue (using Carnivalist archetype) 1 - F
*Rogue (using Familiar advanced talent - requires minor magic talent and major magic talent) 10 - F
Samurai 1 - AC
Shaman 1 - F
Sorcerer (using Arcane Bloodline's Arcane Bond) 1 - F
Sorcerer (using Tattooed Sorcerer archetype) 1 - F
*Sorcerer (using Wildblooded archetype with Sylvan bloodline) 1 - AC
Summoner 1 - E
Warpriest (using Divine Commander archetype) 1 - AC
Witch 1 - F
Wizard (using Arcane Bond) 1 - F

OKAY, so what am I missing? Did I get them all? I know I'm missing some Prestige classes that grant pets. All I can think of for those is Mammoth Rider and Diabolist. I guess Diabolist deserves some special mention, because it seems to be the only way to get your hands on a second "improved familiar".

What's some general tips/must haves for your pets?

I'll be working on rating each of the pets, eventually...right now I'm just working on the "how to get them" aspect.

Oh, question: Does Boon Companion apply to both types of pets if you have both of them? Say you take both eldrich heritage and animal ally to get both types of pets (I dunno, maybe you're a fighter with plenty of feats to burn), if you get Boon Companion, does it bring both of those up to max level?

This is my first guide, so I could use some guide making tips, too.

Thanks, all!

EDIT: Added lots of suggestions!


Eldritch Heritage - Sylvan or Serpentine is a thing too.

You forgot the Wild Child Brawler, Rogues with their Advanced Rogue Talent, Warpriest using the archetype that gets a mount, Sohei Monks, anddddd I think that's it.

(Also, I don't want a pet XD )

Also you need to take Boon Companion once per pet.


Barbarian mad dog lv1 from Pathfinder Player Companion: Animal Archive
Barbarian Burn Rider lv4 from Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Inner Sea Combat
Inquisitor Sacred Huntsmaster lv1 from ACG
Hunter from ACG
Brawler Wild Child lv1
Warpriest Divine Commander lv1 mount ACG

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

I would start with The Union Card Flutter gave me. That's a thread with a ridiculous amount of useful information.

Hmm


Pathfinder Starfinder Maps, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

Carnivalist (Rogue) from Animal Archive.


Fiendish vessel archetype for tiefling clerics.

It gives an improved familiar at level 3 (imp, quasit, or cacaodaemon, depending on patron).

And technically, it works even better then that since it also works as a divine focus and unholy symbol when it is in 30'/line of sight. It also acts as 1/day augury, 1-3/day divination. The only downside it seems is that you can only summon fiendish creatures and evil outsiders with the same alignment as your patron.

It does make your channeling (which would normally only be negative energy, due to the patron restrictions) into something that can heal you and your party though.....if you are all EVIL (...but hey, fiend worshiper. Not going to pal around with pallies, now are you?). Damage dice are smaller...but hey, healing when you are evil.


Okay, I added Eldrich Heritage Sylvan, the Wild Child brawler archetype, the rogue advanced talent familiar for rogues and ninjas, Mad Dog barbarian, Divine Commander Warpriest, Carnavalist Rogue, and Fiendish Vessel Cleric. I already had Hunter in there.

Sohei doesn't get a pet, they just boost whatever they're riding. Not really the same thing. Though a sohei with Animal Ally would be a pretty bad dude, IMO.


Oracle- lunar mystery also provides an AC.


Okay, need to add:

*Sorcerer (Serpentine bloodline) 3 - F

and

*Eldrich Heritage (Serpentine) 5 - F

and

Inquisitor (Sacred Huntsmaster) 1 - AC

and

*Barbarian (Burn Rider archetype) 4 - AC

and

Oracle (Primal Companion revelation from Lunar mystery) - AC


Chivalry Inquisition Inquisitor is a thing too.


Secret Wizard wrote:
Chivalry Inquisition Inquisitor is a thing too.

Noted. Added it to the guide I'm working on. Thanks!

Silver Crusade

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Now that your class list is nearly complete, here are two types of animal companion I've either used or seen used by other players:

* Polearm pet - This pet is mechanically very similar to a humanoid wielding a polearm, with some improvements. It is built to inflict some melee damage on its turn, and to control the battlefield within its 30' diameter reach via threat of AoOs the rest of the time. Unlike a humanoid with a reach weapon, its natural attack has no problem threatening adjacent squares.
Requirements: Must have reach, and works best if it also gets 1.5x STR on a single attack. Combat reflexes and a high DEX are essential. e.g. Axe Beak, Roc, etc.
Enhancements: Ride this pet, also wield a reach weapon, and both take the Paired Opportunists feat.
Cons: Inflicts less damage on its turn than, say, a pouncing pet
Pros: Pronounced battlefield control effect, good vs. DR

* Bodyguard Pet - This pet takes the Combat Reflexes/Bodyguard/In Harm's Way feat line to be a protector. While one can also take the
Bodyguard
archetype, it's not required and perhaps is not worth losing Share Spells. This sort of pet can sometimes save PCs from death.
Requirements: Lots of hit points.
Enhancements: Lifelink from a Life Oracle or Shield Other from a divine caster. It's going to take a lot of HP damage.
Cons: Doesn't inflict much damage
Pros: Takes damage, so you and your other allies don't. Better at high levels.

Some other types of pet:

* Pouncing pet - This pet is all about quickly closing with a foe and tearing it to shreds with many attacks.

* Scout - self explanatory.

* Grappler - self explanatory.


Blight Druid gets a familiar at level 1.


Any barbarian can get (Greater) Ferocious Mount to apply rage/rage powers to their mount, without having to have an AC class feature. With a bought mount it can bridge the gap until you get Animal Ally or Mounted Fury.

Archaeologist bards can get rogue talents and at least in theory get a familiar that way.

The Nature Warden PrC is worth mentioning when you get into those. It doesn't give a pet, but it does boost your AC which most PrCs don't.

Leadership really deserves a mention in the context of pets.

Dark Archive

Dwarf paladin archetype gets an earth elemental pet.


thegreenteagamer wrote:

So... I'm thinking about working on a Guide to Pets.

Just FYI - the Hunter with the right Archetypes selected makes by far the most powerful pets in the game now. It leaves the other pets for dead. By 3rd level, the Hunter's Animal Companion (Big Cat of course) gets all this:

Bite, 2 x claws, 2 x rake; pounce; resist 5 to fire, cold, electricity and acid; smite; dark vision; climb ability; evasion; scent; free action entangle; free action shake; AC24 all at 3rd level.

Grand Lodge

Aberrant tumor feat from the ACG lets anyone with an Aberrant bloodline get a tumor familiar, including an Eldritch Heritage Magus.


Thanks thegreenteagamer!

I had missed that with 2-3 feats (Natures Soul, Animal Ally, Boon Companion) pretty much anyone could have a full strength animal companion.


P. 14 of Animal Archive has rules for buying combat trained pets. For 500 gp, you can buy a combat trained Tiger! The 150 gp Riding Dog in the core rulebook is great investment at low levels as well. You don't even really need many ranks in Handle Animal because you can Take 10 out of combat to issue a Follow Command and combat trained animals will automatically Defend their owner.


Magus - F or AC

Also, your guide should remind that trained animals can take one week per trick. Replacing a trained animal companion is quite a bit different than replacing a "pet" or familiar.


Don't forget to talk about the Beast-bonded WitchArchetype: it can give feats to his familiar and until he or his pet is alive, the other one is functionally immortal


Okay, lots of great suggestions here. This is turning out to be a way bigger project than I expected. That's a good thing, though, I think...

Magda - Gonna have to add a whole section with tips like yours. That's coming later. First I've got to work on "how to get a pet", then "choosing your pet", sections which, choosing your pet in particular, will take a little while to get done. Maybe a "customizing your pet for battle" section?

Sekitou - Thanks for the tip with the Blight Druid. Added it to my in-progress guide!

avr - I am adding a chapter, "People who play well with pets", for characters like the Sohei monk. Barbarian will definitely be there for their ferocious mount chain.

I have also added the archaeologist bard.

Nature Warden will be mentioned when I get to PRCs, thanks!

Will probably have a mention about Leadership at some point, though I don't plan on going into depth with that feat, as there's already an entire guide to leadership out there.

Mergy - Thanks for the tip! Will try to make a mention of the Stonelord's pet and how it's unique...somewhere in there.

c873788 - I don't understand how the Hunter's pet is so much comparatively better than, say, a druid's. Could you enlighten me to that?

Markov - Added Aberrant Tumor route for Bloodrager, Magus and Sorcerer. Great tip!

Gilfalas - Yay, first customer served, and we're not even open for business yet! Glad to be of help!

Jeff W. - Thanks for the tip on buying mundane animals. Will be sure to add a chapter on that.

Cheechako - How does a magus get an AC normally? I found how they get a familiar pretty easily, but not an AC.

Nymor - made special mention of the Beast-Bonded archetype as the only way to get new feats for your familiar


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thegreenteagamer wrote:


c873788 - I don't understand how the Hunter's pet is so much comparatively better than, say, a druid's. Could you enlighten me to that?

1. Hunter's animal companion gets to share a free teamwork with its master at 3rd level and every 3 levels after. While I'm not a huge fan of teamwork feats, there are a couple of really strong ones that could be cherry picked.

2. A hunter may teach her companion hunter’s tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype (Pathfinder RPG Advanced Player’s Guide 128) instead of standard tricks. Some of these are incredibly powerful including automatic Shaken condition or Entangled condition on the enemy as a free action when your animal companion makes a successful attack.

3. Divine Hunter archetype allows the Animal Companion to gain the Celestial template at 3rd level. Celestial template will give you several energy resistances as well as smite and DR. That's amazingly good.

4. Primal Companion archetype allows your Animal Companion to gain an evolution pool which is amazing. That means early entry into pounce, increased natural armour or extra energy damage on your attacks just to name a few of the things you can pick up. Even better, Primal Companion can be combined with the Divine Hunter archetype.

When you combine all these things together, the Hunter's Animal Companion totally dominates the Druid's animal companion. Of course, the Druid itself might be better than the Hunter as it is a 3/4 BAB class with full spell casting. But when looking at the pets alone, nothing is as good as a Hunter AC.


For Aasimar, Ifrit, Sylph, Gnolls, and Elves, the favored class option for Oracles is "Add +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation."

Apply this to the Oracle's revelation that grants an animal companion, and the animal companion's level can be 50% higher than the oracle's level.


@thegreenteagamer - I was wrong about the magus

However, my other point about the RAW time needed to replaced a trick-trained companion still stands. The only rules I found to speed things up apply to PFS.

If your familiar dies, AFAIK, you can be right back where you started in 1 week.

If your multi-level companion with a bunch of tricks and feats and an extra point of INT dies, AFAIK, 24 hours just gives you a normal animal, and you need to start the training and leveling over.

RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32

Eldritch Heritage Arcane


demontroll wrote:

For Aasimar, Ifrit, Sylph, Gnolls, and Elves, the favored class option for Oracles is "Add +1/2 to the oracle's level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation."

Apply this to the Oracle's revelation that grants an animal companion, and the animal companion's level can be 50% higher than the oracle's level.

It's great for like 13 levels, than your animal companion will be maxed out and it won't do anything for the next seven. Still very worthwhile, especially if you're playing PFS as you cap at 12 anyway.


There is a Ranger archetype called Falconer that allows you a bird of prey AC at first level rather than waiting until 4 to get it. It starts out with half HP until level 4 where it gets full HP.

The Sky Stalker archetype (Ranger) give you a Hippogriff mount at 2nd level with an effective druid level of -1.

D&D allowed anyone to have/purchase a pet (not an AC or F), but in order for it to obey you, you had to train it by succeeding on a Handle Animal check. Does Pathfinder have a system like that?

Sovereign Court

Scalykind Domain (or Saurian Subdomain) works too.

There was a debate about Eldrich Heritage: sylvan working for getting a pet...consensus was that it didn't because the wildblood ability replaces not only a bloodline but something else as well.

To modify pets:

Half-orc / orc feat Beast Rider lets you pick from a limited list of animals and treat your druid level as +2 with those as long as it isn't higher than your hit dice.

Aasimar feat Celestial Servant gives your pet a celestial template (scaling resistances, dr/evil, smite 1/day) and count as a magical beast while being treated as an animal (so no better hit die or BAB for you)...still worth it probably.

Dhampir feat Vampiric Companion gives your pet the undead template, your weaknesses, and fast healing 5.


Magda Luckbender wrote:

Now that your class list is nearly complete, here are two types of animal companion I've either used or seen used by other players:

* Polearm pet - This pet is mechanically very similar to a humanoid wielding a polearm, with some improvements. It is built to inflict some melee damage on its turn, and to control the battlefield within its 30' diameter reach via threat of AoOs the rest of the time. Unlike a humanoid with a reach weapon, its natural attack has no problem threatening adjacent squares.
Requirements: Must have reach, and works best if it also gets 1.5x STR on a single attack. Combat reflexes and a high DEX are essential. e.g. Axe Beak, Roc, etc.
Enhancements: Ride this pet, also wield a reach weapon, and both take the Paired Opportunists feat.
Cons: Inflicts less damage on its turn than, say, a pouncing pet
Pros: Pronounced battlefield control effect, good vs. DR

* Bodyguard Pet - This pet takes the Combat Reflexes/Bodyguard/In Harm's Way feat line to be a protector. While one can also take the
Bodyguard
archetype, it's not required and perhaps is not worth losing Share Spells. This sort of pet can sometimes save PCs from death.
Requirements: Lots of hit points.
Enhancements: Lifelink from a Life Oracle or Shield Other from a divine caster. It's going to take a lot of HP damage.
Cons: Doesn't inflict much damage
Pros: Takes damage, so you and your other allies don't. Better at high levels.

Some other types of pet:

* Pouncing pet - This pet is all about quickly closing with a foe and tearing it to shreds with many attacks.

* Scout - self explanatory.

* Grappler - self explanatory.

Are these feats or Archetypes to pick for your animal companion? Where do I find these?


CKorfmann wrote:
D&D allowed anyone to have/purchase a pet (not an AC or F), but in order for it to obey you, you had to train it by succeeding on a Handle Animal check. Does Pathfinder have a system like that?

Yes, anyone can get an animal and train/order it as per HA. Companions gain more tricks, levels, have a plus to the HA, and so on.

Eigengrau wrote:
Are these feats or Archetypes to pick for your animal companion? Where do I find these?

Archetypes for companions. The Animal Archive book has some. I don't think all of them are in the SRD, but they are all Paizo.

Silver Crusade

Eigengrau wrote:
Are these feats or Archetypes to pick for your animal companion? Where do I find these?

Actually these are just design decisions for your pet, not archetypes. E.g. If you get an Axe Beak and give it the Combat Reflexes feat it will perform mechanically like a polearm fighter. Ride it and both take the Paired Opportunists feat and this effect is magnified.

Bodyguard is an archetype, but I suggested one could make a very nice Bodyguard pet without using the Bodyguard archetype.


Magda Luckbender wrote:
Actually these are just design decisions for your pet, not archetypes.

That's why I didn't recognize some of them. However, there are archetypes (like Bodyguard) that swap out traits and abilities for others, and those are in the Animal Archive book.

The archetypes don't give any special tricks, so you could train some other animal with the same set of tricks as the Bodyguard companion archetype.

Sovereign Court

Sacred Servant Paladin can take the Animal domain, which is what one of my current characters is doing. Get lvl 1 AC at 7th level, take Boon Companion and you have an AC -2 your level. Stonelord gets an earth elemental equal to Paladin level but Sacred Servant lets you select from the Druid list albeit you're taking a -2 level penalty compared to Stonelord.

Dark Archive

Lunar Oracle also gets an Animal Companion.

Additionally, if you go Oracle, you can use favored class bonuses for Elf, Aasimar, Ifrit, and Sylph to advance said animal companion at 1.5x Level. This means at level 10 you have a level 15 animal companion.

Sovereign Court

Darkholme wrote:

Lunar Oracle also gets an Animal Companion.

Additionally, if you go Oracle, you can use favored class bonuses for Elf, Aasimar, Ifrit, and Sylph to advance said animal companion at 1.5x Level. This means at level 10 you have a level 15 animal companion.

I believe for PFS this cheese tactic has been been made illegal. Also be warned that most GM's will either ban this at their table or be ultimately frustrated (along with your party as the AC outshines the Fighter and everyone else in the party as it hogs up the main spotlight).

Dark Archive

Interesting.

As a GM, I would allow it, and have done so. I actually pointed it out to the player who was building a Lunar Oracle.

There are plenty of much more potent combinations, and I don't expect it would hog the spotlight in a well built party. Obviously an optimized character in an unoptimized party will outshine the rest. And also obviously, a well built Tier 2 character will outshine a poorly built Tier 4 character.

We had a mounted lance-wielding cavalier, who managed a charge almost every round (not a dungeon crawling campaign, so charging comes up more), and a Synthesist, and an Inquisitor, and a couple other charaters I don't recall at the moment (Party of 5). The one who hit hardest was by far the Cavalier. Admittedly, the game only went up to level 5 (that was when I got Edge of the Empire, and wanted to try running that instead)

I found the Cavalier a little frustrating (he could one-shot most opponents, and was raely in range to get hit back), but the Oracle Tiger wasn't that big of a deal.

Plus, Animal Companions start to lag after level 8-10 or so anyways, and you still cap out at a 15HD AC, you just do so earlier.

And RAW, it works (I don't play PFS, so I won't speak to that, but PFS has all sorts of limitations on top of RAW).


Anything happening with this guide yet?

Grand Lodge

For PFS play, i believe there was an FAQ that said your animal companion could never have more than 1HD more than you. This means that at levels 3, 7 and 11 (i think) when the animal companion would normally lag behind by 1 hd, the favored class bonus can keep it up to speed.

I'm considering a half elf lunar oracle based on this FAQ, as it stop the companion lagging behind, but doesn't allow it to shoot out ahead of the party fighter.

I'm not sure where the FAQ is though, haven't been able to find it again.


Three unique pet options you forgot

Shadow dancer grants a super scaling, shadow companion

Undead lord cleric grants that skeleton........ which is hilariously bad but still....

Also leadership needs mentioning


CKorfmann wrote:

Anything happening with this guide yet?

Thanks for asking.

I got pretty far in it before realizing that I just, frankly, bit off more than I can chew.

A class guide is a huge amount of work, especially with all the options out there, but a guide to something as multi-class applicable feature like pets...well...it's just too large of an undertaking for me right now. I'm putting it on hold indefinitely.

I am thankful for the input from everyone. Sorry to let you down.


thegreenteagamer wrote:
CKorfmann wrote:

Anything happening with this guide yet?

Thanks for asking.

I got pretty far in it before realizing that I just, frankly, bit off more than I can chew.

A class guide is a huge amount of work, especially with all the options out there, but a guide to something as multi-class applicable feature like pets...well...it's just too large of an undertaking for me right now. I'm putting it on hold indefinitely.

I am thankful for the input from everyone. Sorry to let you down.

Would you mind if I actually ate some of the information and attempted a guide of my own with some of your consolidated list?

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Starfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Society Subscriber

I've made and been maintaining a list of Pathfinder Society legal ways of obtaining an animal companion.

List can be found here


Dustyboy wrote:
thegreenteagamer wrote:
CKorfmann wrote:

Anything happening with this guide yet?

Thanks for asking.

I got pretty far in it before realizing that I just, frankly, bit off more than I can chew.

A class guide is a huge amount of work, especially with all the options out there, but a guide to something as multi-class applicable feature like pets...well...it's just too large of an undertaking for me right now. I'm putting it on hold indefinitely.

I am thankful for the input from everyone. Sorry to let you down.

Would you mind if I actually ate some of the information and attempted a guide of my own with some of your consolidated list?

Not at all. I'd be glad to see someone actually put such a guide together. I just can't do it myself right now.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

There is another Google guide that is almost finished for Animal Companions that is based off the Druid's Log: Animal Companions thread.

I'll make the guide public once Flutter (the main force behind the Druid's Log) okays the content. Meanwhile, the Druid's Log thread is highly recommended for anyone playing an animal companion, whether it is for PFS or not.

Hmm


-.. --- - - . -.. .-.-.-

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber
Samuel F. B. Morse wrote:
-.. --- - - . -.. .-.-.-

I will note that this is technically incorrect. You did not just dot the thread, you dashed it too.

Hmm


.-- .... .. .-.. . / .. / -.. --- / .- .--. .--. .-. . -.-. .. .- - . / -.-- --- ..- .-. / .... ..- -- --- .-. --..-- / .. / -.-. .- -. -. --- - / .... . .-.. .--. / ..-. . . .-.. .. -. --. / - .... .- - / .. - / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / .... .- ...- . / -... . . -. / ..-. ..- -. -. .. . .-. / .... .- -.. / .. - / -... . . -. / .-- .-. .. - - . -. / .. -. / -- --- .-. ... . / -.-. --- -.. . / .- ... / .-- . .-.. .-.. .-.-.- / --- .... / .-- . .-.. .-.. --..-- / - .... .- -. -.- ... / ..-. --- .-. / - .... . / .-.. .- ..- --. .... .-.-.-

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure Path, Starfinder Adventure Path Subscriber

Hey Gang --

With Flutter's permission, I have compiled Flutter's posts into a google doc: Druid's Log: Animal Companions.

Please make comments if you would like.

Hmm

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