We have a Druid with a tiger companion and an alchemist who has chosen to buy a riding dog. The riding dog entry says "This Medium dog is bred for carrying Small riders, and is combat trained. Breeders select dogs with strong backs, endurance, and loyal dispositions and train them for riding and combat before sale...." Emphasis mine, unimportant info removed.
The alchemist uses the dog as an additional weapon more than a mount at this point. Additionally, if the animals are attacked, the PCs will likely claim the animals would fight back in turn and will not need to be instructed to do so.
The questions: Do these creatures need to be guided in combat to attack per the handle animal skill check? If the PC can't make the required check, will the animal reciprocate any attack against it, run away or just stand there?
The animal companion can be freely directed by the druid, whereas the riding dog is more like a DM controlled NPC, since it lacks the bond the druid has with it's master. Its up to the DM how loyal the dog is in combat.
Yes, they need to be guided in combat. That's handled (ahahah) by the Handle Animal skill: it's a DC 10 skill check to have the riding dog attack, but remember, that it only attacks humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals.
Ruyan.
Combat Training (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes 6 weeks. You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat by spending 3 weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Many horses and riding dogs are trained in this way.
If the alchemist wants the animal to attack, come, defend, down, guard, or heel he has to use a move action to make a dc 10 handle animal check (which he can do untrained "If you have no ranks in Handle Animal, you can use a Charisma check to handle and push domestic animals)"
If he wants the animal to do anything else he needs a dc 25 handle animal check (so.. not gonna happen)
Note that the attack trick only gets the animal to attack normalish critters: undead abberations and reaaaly scary things will make the dog say "you are not paying me nearly enough to bite THAT"
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The druid should have his animal combat trained, and then use the bonus trick to get the attack trick again. He only needs a free action with his tiger and gets a +4 bonus. Getting that skill up to +9 is important because it means not having to bother with ha checks for trained tricks anymore (or +11) when the animal is hurt.
The players are right. The animals will attack on their own because they have the defend trick
Defend (DC 20): The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command the animal to defend another specific character.
I don't see telling the animal to defend you, then running up to some nasty ooze as an end run around teaching it to attack twice. They're either trained well enough to bite it or they aren't.
Me either.
Thanks all for the replies. I saw the DC 10 check to make it attack after I had posted, and didn't see the free action for Druid companions until Ciaran Barnes post.
Next session should be interesting. they are only fighting goblins currently, but the alchemist will need a 8 or higher to get the dog to attack and it will cost a move action for the try.
War dog was way better in 2nd ed. Hell of a difference 1st-3rd level.