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Disclaimer: This may sound stupid, but bear with me.
When a high level druid or similar character with the animal companion class feature takes on a new animal companion, is that creature created in one piece, or leveled from the level 1 version?
This actually has a number of implications:
When a level 10 druid calls a large cat animal companion, does it suddenly gain a growth spurt and learn new feats? Can it only take feats that require large size after level 7 or is it large for all feat choices.
It think this is a change from 3.5 where a druid could actually get a dire tiger as companion, these days it is "just" a large cat (which results in the same stats). However a dire tiger companion always have been large.
This has implications on the AC feat choices, since this would allow the animal companion of a level 5+ character to take more of those "funny" feat choices, if the ability increase is applied to Int.
If you have the same animal companion from level 1 to 5 this is a non issue (even if character death poses some interesting questions (does your animal companion turn into a regular animal...)), since we have no retraining rules for animal companions.
Feats: This is the total number of feats possessed
by an animal companion. Animal companions should
select their feats from those listed under Animal Feats.
Animal companions can select other feats, although they
are unable to utilize some feats (such as Martial Weapon
Proficiency). Note that animal companions cannot select a
feat with a requirement of base attack bonus +1 until they
gain their second feat at 3 Hit Dice.
The quoted text above seems to indicate, that the animal companion of a level 1 class can't take weapon focus, since the creature won't have BAB+1 when it takes its first feat at HD1.
Well I am quite likely wrong, but the animal companion is a special case, it doesn't matter for familiars (since they do not gain feats) and eidolons (since they are always the same creature).
Oh well, just wanted to ask if someone can point me to the relevant rules regarding this issue and I am quite likely completely wrong^^
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When a high level druid or similar character with the animal companion class feature takes on a new animal companion, is that creature created in one piece, or leveled from the level 1 version?
It's created in one piece, beginning at 1 HD.
Just like starting a new character at a higher level.
Animal Companions cannot select feats like Weapon Focus or Power Attack for their first feat, as their BAB at that point is only +0.
Can't they just be retrained?
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When a high level druid or similar character with the animal companion class feature takes on a new animal companion, is that creature created in one piece, or leveled from the level 1 version?It's created in one piece, beginning at 1 HD.
Just like starting a new character at a higher level.
Animal Companions cannot select feats like Weapon Focus or Power Attack for their first feat, as their BAB at that point is only +0.
Yeah, that is how I have always played it, but it would be lovely to have some actual rules text that explains this. Oh well.. had to try it.
Can't they just be retrained?
Animals (at least in PFS) can't retrain (and I think even outside PFS it references characters and levels), but a druid could retrain the natures bond choice into domain, and then retrain that back to animal companion.
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Can't they just be retrained?Animals (at least in PFS) can't retrain (and I think even outside PFS it references characters and levels), but a druid could retrain the natures bond choice into domain, and then retrain that back to animal companion.
But even with this you'd still have to naturally progress your "new" pet from level 1. it doesn't just start at lvl 18 with 11 BAB so it can't just pick whatever 8 feats it want that all have a prereq of 11 BAB.
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But even with this you'd still have to naturally progress your "new" pet from level 1. it doesn't just start at lvl 18 with 11 BAB so it can't just pick whatever 8 feats it want that all have a prereq of 11 BAB.Can't they just be retrained?Animals (at least in PFS) can't retrain (and I think even outside PFS it references characters and levels), but a druid could retrain the natures bond choice into domain, and then retrain that back to animal companion.
Yeah, I have accepted that, but by retraining the class feature, you could "lose" weapon finesse once your animal has become large. Of course you could just get a new animal companion, and RP it like it was the old one (so all you lose a a number of trained tricks).
Animal companion retraining rules are pretty high on my wish list^^
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Most animal companions come with 1 or 2 int, thus 3 or 6 tricks. For PFS that means at level 3 (int 1 companion) or at level 6 (int 2 companion) with maxed out ranks in handle animal you can release your companion and train a new one in a single scenario.
So getting a new companion at 7 after their growth spurt and training it in all the tricks the old one had to get one with better feats should not be much of an issue.
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Yeah, I am aware, I guess I am just a little bit gun shy after losing them in combat. Someone mentioned that nasty fire and forget philosphy with animal companions a little two often and now I find myself buffing them (mostly AC) to kingdom come (which just happens to be the other thing he complains about ;( ).
But yeah exchanging a companion isn't all that hard, especially since putting skill points in Handle Animal is a no brainer ^^
Thank you, and everybody else for the advice.
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My hunters companion walks around in fullplate, and I tend to keep both spiderclimb and barkskin running (and now that I'm finally level 7, also greater magic fang) for both protection and mobility in dungeons (it's so easy to have your companion just walking on the ceiling above you).
I don't want to go through the "trouble" of having to train a new one (which with a 4 int companion would take me 2 scenarios).