Hunter class question, can i teach this trick to my companion?


Rules Questions

Liberty's Edge

Hello,

pfsrd on Hunter's Animal Companion wrote:
A hunter may teach her companion hunter's tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype instead of standard tricks.

Can i teach my animal companion the following?

Bolster Companion (Ex): The Ranger can use this trick as an immediate action when his animal companion is hit with an attack or a combat maneuver. The companion’s AC and combat maneuver defense increase by +4 for the purposes of that attack. If the attack still hits, the animal companion only takes half damage (if any). The animal companion must be able to see and hear the Ranger to benefit from this trick.

I'm asking because i can see this go both ways in a discussion.
First as: 'No, it's an ability the skirmisher uses on his animal companion.'
Second as: Yes, it's on the trick list and you taught your AC to behave like that.

Since it's quite a nifty ability to have.


It's on the trick list, so you can teach your AC the trick. Your Animal Companion can then use this trick as an immediate action when his animal companion is hit with an attack... which is problematic to say the least. I don't think "you are your own ally" stretches to "you are your own animal companion".

If it's not PFS talk to your GM, because that line of Hunter Tricks is really, really weird. But the RAW answer is... you can teach it, the companion can't use it.

Liberty's Edge

It is PFS, so too bad to hear that, thank you for the clarification.


This is an issue the devs are aware of, at least, so in the future we may get concrete rules on how it'll work. Buuut... no idea when "in the future" will be.


Use your companion's first attribute point to boost its intelligence.

Creatures with a 3 int or better aren't limited to tricks and can put points into whatever skills they want.

Put a point into linguistics. Give it fluency in a language. Then you can just explain what you want it to do.


Doomed Hero wrote:

Use your companion's first attribute point to boost its intelligence.

Creatures with a 3 int or better aren't limited to tricks and can put points into whatever skills they want.

Put a point into linguistics. Give it fluency in a language. Then you can just explain what you want it to do.

Read the trick we're looking at. That doesn't work, since I can't tell a creature "I want you to take half damage from this attack, okay?"


It can still learn the trick. It just isn't limited to them, or to a number of tricks it can know.

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