Quentin Turner's page

first answer. You add all the tricks into the list of tricks you can teach using handle animal. Like "attack" or "heel". There's no limit in using them. SO just like you could tell your companion to heel, you can tell it to Sic 'Em.

second answer. I think you're best off trying to go of common sense determination.

Second Answer - cool. I think we were going to play it that way, but because some of the most powerful abilities (constrict, pounce, etc) are tied to base form I wasn't sure if it was the intention to makes those off limits.

First Answer - HMM. I'm still perplexed by this. The reason is a lot of them are not things that are like "attack" or "heal". Let me give a couple examples:

So the Hunter could as a free action out of turn allow his AC to do those terrible conditions as many time as possible? Can't you have multiple free actions? If there is no limit to use, why can't you use both at the same time for every attack? It seems way too powerful.

Other ones have different problems:

So .... whenever the AC is hit it gets that as an immediate action?

There would simply need to be a limit. It can't possibly be that you could use those free actions / swift actions / immediate actions indefinitely with no limitation, especially when the archetype they come from has a built in limitation of 1/2 ranger level + wis mod uses.

The problem is it doesn't specify, do you use your hunter's level? Because the AC is the one learning the trick, not you, do you use the AC's hit die? They don't really have levels at all. Also, if you replace 'ranger' with 'animal companion', some of them (like Sic Em' and Bolster Campanion, as well as Heel, etc) don't work because if it's the Animal Companion that learns the trick (not the hunter) they don't HAVE an animal companion. If it is in fact the hunter that learns the trick, They would potential gain those attack benefits which is not the point of teaching a trick to a companion.

I've been interested in the Hunter and have a few questions.

First:

The Hunter gets an animal companion and therefore can teach it tricks. The interesting thing is they apparently can teach the companion the hunters' tricks from the skirmisher archetype from APG.

These tricks generally are really powerful comparitively as they are usually an exchange for spellcasting altogether - but I don't understand how they work when you're training your animal companion to know them.

first off, these are traditionally used by the ranger and the uses per day are based off of the ranger level and wis modifier. Since the animal companion is the one who learns the trick, is it based off of you (as the hunter) or is it based off of the animal companion (meaning often zero uses?)

Secondly, many of these impact an animal companion, but again I don't understand the perspective. Again, if the animal companion has the ability, how would a trick such as this work:

Sic 'Em (Ex): The Ranger can use this trick as a swift action. His animal companion makes one melee attack against an adjacent creature. The animal companion must be able to see and hear the Ranger to make this attack.

Does the Animal companion give herself an attack as a swift action? This seems crazy?

Am I just reading this wrong?

Second Question!

The Primal Hunter gives evolution points to their AC - is the implication that any evolution that requires a base form is off the table because animal companions don't technically have base forms? Or are they assigned via common sense (quadruped, biped, and serpentine is very easy to determine).

Any help would be much appreciated - i've been thinking about this all weekend and have no idea!