With the new Animal Archive, I've grown interested in all of the possibilities of having a furry friend. I've just got a basic rules question in terms of how I control them as a player/character.
Up until now, as far as I can tell, our group has been playing it wrong by simply allowing the controlling character to operate the summon/familiar/companion as if it was another PC. Attacking, flanking, etc. As I dig into tricks I realize that more is involved.
So, the way I now understand animal companions work is every time you ask them to do something you make a Handle Animal check. If it falls within the tricks it nows it's a DC 10, and if it is something else it's DC 25. I can train more tricks, but at the very least every time I make that Handle Animal check.
My big question, is how this applies to familiars, eidolons, or any other type of summon. Do I have full control over them, as if it were another PC under my control, or do I have to make some sort of handle check in order to get them to act as well?
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Handle animal should only be used for animals...(Animal Companion).. especially when dealing with tricks.
Familiars, Eidolons, and summon creatures are not treated with the handle animal skill... they are magical beasts, or class abilities, or spells.
Familiars are basically like slaves.. with the masters in total control. You never have to make a handle animal check when dealing with your own Familiar.
The Eidolon is treated the same way.
Summon monsters (or summon animals) are treated by using the spell description... which states that they attack the nearest opponent. If you can communicate or engage in some way you might be able to control the summon creature more expertly (such as a high level archon using an ability,ect).
Handle Animal skill only applies to an Animal companion and animals (also some magical beasts might be tame by the skill)...
If however a Druid puts a +1 into an animal's intelligence, it no longer requires any handle animal skill checks to do basic tasks... it can understand basic verbal commands and speech (although it cannot talk back unless you have magic).
Handle Animal has three main purposes.
The first is to teach tricks.
The second is to get it to use a trick it knows. This takes a move action (free action for Animal Companions)
The third is to Push an animal do something for which it is not trained. This takes a Full-Round Action.
Handle Animal can be used on summoned creatures if that creature is an animal and you wish it to do something that beyond attacking (attacking is the only action covered by most summon spells). This would be the "push an animal" task.
Familiars are intelligent and are not animals so Handle Animal does not apply. Same thing for Eidolons.
However, increasing the animal's intelligence does not negate the requirement to use Handle Animal to get it to perform tricks it knows or tricks it does not know.
The Handle Animal skill functions similarly no matter how intelligent an animal becomes. A character must still make Handle Animal checks to train his animal and get him to perform the appropriate tasks. A GM should, however, make exceptions in the case of how such an intelligent animal might react in absence of instructions. It might not know to unlock a door to escape a burning building—as that's a fact that's learned over time and experience—but a smart animal might have a better chance of finding a way out.
- Gauss