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A friend brought this up at last nights game. Instead of advancing his animal companion as the druid stat blocks indicate would it be possible to have it take class levels?
No An animal companion advances as an animal! When you give the animal companion class levels, you give your player the leadership feat for free. I am afraid that this is very unbalacing.
Well thats just the thing, he boosted its int up to 3 so it can take other class skills and make it easier to command
The Rules are clear: Your aniaml advances as you can find in Table 3-8, page 52.
this is done for balancing rules. Think of a Tiger with 5 levels figter in stead of the animal! you create a complete monster. Say no, no and again no!
If my GM would allow it, all players would play a druid or ranger, because they are so much better in that way!
He could do technically that, but as soon as it does it stops being an animal companion and reverts to the base animal for looses everything, including the spiffy new level of fighter.
So no, an animal companion is limited to advancing as an animal companion. Once he stops doing that he stops being an animal companion, and goes back to being a basic animal.
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A chimp with levels of Rogue.
Would that be a trap monkey? LOL
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Well thats just the thing, he boosted its int up to 3 so it can take other class skills and make it easier to command
How was he able to do this and still keep it as his "Animal Companion", if, by definition, animals cannot have and Int higher than 3?
Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal)
How was he able to do this and still keep it as his "Animal Companion", if, by definition, animals cannot have and Int higher than 3?
Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal)
And the sentence right before that is this:
Traits: An animal possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).
And when we look at the Druid's animal companion section, we see the following:
Unlike normal animals of its kind, an animal companion's Hit Dice, abilities, skills, and feats adavance as the druid advances in level.
That, coupled with the fact that numerous times in the companion section it refers to "Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher," and it becomes obvious that this is a perfectly valid scenario.
But back on to the main topic. It would be hilarious if an animal companion could take class levels. Then it could become a ranger/druid and get an animal companion of its own, which could in turn take class levels and get its own companion which in turn...
Eidolons can get Leadership...
He could cast Awaken on it.
If my GM would allow it, all players would play a druid or ranger, because they are so much better in that way!
Really? You must play with some pretty hardcore powergamers...
As to the OP, it depends on the power level of your game and how optimized the other players are. If the player had a really good reason for wanting to do it, I may let him, but it just seems like an odd request.
Thats right. We have a group major excisting with only GM's. We make always powerplay characters. The class levels are unanimious voted away. Because it ruines the other classes.
Once again.
No class levels for animal companions! It really unbalacing. I have made a Lion with 4 levels figher! It is really insane!
I've never actually seen Awaken in game, but 4 lvls of fighter for a Lion wouldn't actually be that overpowered.
BAB doesn't really help with extra attacks, armour training's obviously limited. Upside being weapon training and feats are good definitely.
Also, that 4th lvl fighter lion is like 7th lvl.
But the main thing to keep in mind is the compatibility of classes and creatures (Beastiary p.296-297). Once you leave this in players' hands you can be sure that something unbalanced will come out (whether intended or not).
I don't Care for the bonus BAB. The bonus feats are the big trick.
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He could cast Awaken on it.
The rules are very clear - an Awakened animal ceases to be an animal companion.
A ranger or Druid CAN choose to raise his animal companion's INT up to 3 - it's actually a pretty good idea in fact
The rules are also very clear that animal companions advance per the animal companions chart and may NOT be given class levels. Monsters or animals used as a cohort get class levels when they advance but not animal companions.
He could cast Awaken on it.The rules are very clear - an Awakened animal ceases to be an animal companion.
A ranger or Druid CAN choose to raise his animal companion's INT up to 3 - it's actually a pretty good idea in fact
The rules are also very clear that animal companions advance per the animal companions chart and may NOT be given class levels. Monsters or animals used as a cohort get class levels when they advance but not animal companions.
Thanks! I am not the only one thinks that.
He could cast Awaken on it.The rules are very clear - an Awakened animal ceases to be an animal companion.
What rules
Ah. At least two of those don't make any sense though, but whatever.
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Ah. At least two of those don't make any sense though, but whatever.
I would assume that an awakened animal cannot also be an animal companion, familiar, or special mount because each of those already have their own specific avancement rules which could become needlessly complicated with the addition of the awaken spell on top.
Also, an awakened animal becomes in all ways a fully sentient being with its own personality, goals etc ... things which would seem to go against being an animal or other creature closely bound in all ways to another person. Much in the same way one person cannot become the animal companion, familiar, or special mount for another for instance ...
An awakened animal could certainly remain friendly with the ranger or druid (or paladin or wizard) but it can not remain an animal companion, familiar, or special mount.
Pretty clear actually.
Ah. At least two of those don't make any sense though, but whatever.I would assume that an awakened animal cannot also be an animal companion, familiar, or special mount because each of those already have their own specific avancement rules which could become needlessly complicated with the addition of the awaken spell on top.
Also, an awakened animal becomes in all ways a fully sentient being with its own personality, goals etc ... things which would seem to go against being an animal or other creature closely bound in all ways to another person. Much in the same way one person cannot become the animal companion, familiar, or special mount for another for instance ...
An awakened animal could certainly remain friendly with the ranger or druid (or paladin or wizard) but it can not remain an animal companion, familiar, or special mount.
Pretty clear actually.
Druid casts awaken on his faithful companion of many years:
Awakened animal "Oh thank you for awakening me my old friend."Druid "You're welcome. Now let us fly to battle the orcs destroying the forest!"
Awakened animal "Naw"
Druid "what? Why not?"
Awakened Animal "Well now that you've awakened me, I feel you've just been using me, I just can't be your Companion and mount any more. Better go find a new companion."
Druid cries...
GM Laughs
Ah. At least two of those don't make any sense though, but whatever.I would assume that an awakened animal cannot also be an animal companion, familiar, or special mount because each of those already have their own specific avancement rules which could become needlessly complicated with the addition of the awaken spell on top.
Also, an awakened animal becomes in all ways a fully sentient being with its own personality, goals etc ... things which would seem to go against being an animal or other creature closely bound in all ways to another person. Much in the same way one person cannot become the animal companion, familiar, or special mount for another for instance ...
An awakened animal could certainly remain friendly with the ranger or druid (or paladin or wizard) but it can not remain an animal companion, familiar, or special mount.
Pretty clear actually.
Druid casts awaken on his faithful companion of many years:
Awakened animal "Oh thank you for awakening me my old friend."
Druid "You're welcome. Now let us fly to battle the orcs destroying the forest!"
Awakened animal "Naw"
Druid "what? Why not?"
Awakened Animal "Well now that you've awakened me, I feel you've just been using me, I just can't be your Companion and mount any more. Better go find a new companion."
Druid cries...
GM Laughs
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
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Quotes from the PRD:
1) The awakened animal or tree is friendly toward you (...)An awakened tree or animal can speak one language that you know
Awakened animal companion isn't animal companion anymore, becomes NPC, but can still be friendly with druid/ranger, and you can give him "orders"
2) An awakened animal gets 3d6 Intelligence
Your awakened friend can now be more intelligent than you (and rejects your orders to do something that's more intelligent in his opinion)
3) An awakened animal can't serve as an animal companion, familiar, or special mount
As soon as the animal companion becomes an awakened "friend", the druid can pray for another one.
4) This spell does not function on an animal or plant with an Intelligence greater than 2
Since special mounts and familiars can have intelligence greater than 2, how comes they are listed in (3)?
This also means that you can't cast this spell on a Companion that you evolved so that he gains Int 3.