Animal Companion tricks confusion

[N N 959]

1. If an animal is ordered to Attack, is the "Down" trick the only trick the animal will obey until "it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect, or the like) or its opponent is defeated" ?

1b. An animal handled to Attack cannot be re-handled to Aid or Flank or Defend without being first given the Down command?

1c. Heel and Come say the animal obeys you "even if it normally would not do so." Can these override the Attack command?

2. At when percentage of hit points does an animal "flee due to injury?"

3. If you have the Heel trick, how/why is the Come trick useful?

4. How does one control where an animal attacks from or defends from or Aids from, etc?

5. Does Aid from a flanking position also provide an Flank bonus?

6. When ordered into combat, does an animal automatically choose a route which avoids AoO's, even if it means taking more then one round to get there? What if you want it to move through AoO's?

7. How do you order an animal to Attack or Aid or Defend defensively?

[Rickmeister]

1a. Yes
1b. Don't know
1c. No, that's why you need "Down"

2. I rule 10-15%. Usually when I think "one more hit is going to kill em".

3. Coz you don't want to be saying "come" every 6 seconds?

4. INT2: Wouldn't. It's like charge, it goes straight in.
INT3: It can understand "turn around the mark" so it can flank.

5. Yes. It is still able to take attacks of opportunity (threaten).

6. Depends on INT. If ordered to attack BBEG behind the minions, it will swarm around, trying to risk as little AOO af possible.

7.See number 4.
"Attack" = command.
Aid or Fight defensively = another trick in my book.
Aid = "Distract" and Fight defensively = "Lure"

[The Great Rinaldo!]

Also, see the new Animal Archive tricks. "Flank" is listed as a specific trick now, for example.