Yet another question about druids! (Why are they so complicated?)
For creating an animal companion and leveling that companion, the basic rules for this are spelled out in the core book. But is there any more options from other sources?
Also the Handle Animal skill, says a creature can know 3 or 6 tricks based on its intelligence score. If my animal companion starts the game with a 4 intelligence (from Human Eye for Talent) would she start with 12 tricks?
Also do animal companions get racial modifiers from the beastiary? Ex..Big cats (tigers) Get racial bonus to acrobatics and stealth checks, does this apply to animal companions?
And last I know animal companions with higher INT can take armor prof feats but is it really worth it?
Venture-Captain, Massachusetts—Central & West
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Also the Handle Animal skill, says a creature can know 3 or 6 tricks based on its intelligence score. If my animal companion starts the game with a 4 intelligence (from Human Eye for Talent) would she start with 12 tricks?
It doesn't work like that. You'll have 6 + the bonus tricks from being a Druid.
Also do animal companions get racial modifiers from the beastiary? Ex..Big cats (tigers) Get racial bonus to acrobatics and stealth checks, does this apply to animal companions?
No, they just get the stats from the Druid Companion section of the entry.
And last I know animal companions with higher INT can take armor prof feats but is it really worth it?
If you want them to be durable, it's worth it. At low level, it's not a problem, but soon that AC will make them a liability. Sure, you can get another one after each scenario, but as you get up in level they may be going down more often and using up your resources on healing.
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Also the Handle Animal skill, says a creature can know 3 or 6 tricks based on its intelligence score. If my animal companion starts the game with a 4 intelligence (from Human Eye for Talent) would she start with 12 tricks?It doesn't work like that. You'll have 6 + the bonus tricks from being a Druid.
Actually you get 3 tricks per point of Int.
Also do animal companions get racial modifiers from the beastiary? Ex..Big cats (tigers) Get racial bonus to acrobatics and stealth checks, does this apply to animal companions?No, they just get the stats from the Druid Companion section of the entry.
And last I know animal companions with higher INT can take armor prof feats but is it really worth it?If you want them to be durable, it's worth it. At low level, it's not a problem, but soon that AC will make them a liability. Sure, you can get another one after each scenario, but as you get up in level they may be going down more often and using up your resources on healing.
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Can I improve my companion’s Intelligence to 3 or higher and give it weapon feats?
No. An Intelligence of 3 does not grant animals sentience, the ability to use weapons or tools, speak a language (though they may understand one with a rank in Linguistics; this does not grant literacy), or activate magic devices. Also note that raising an animal companion’s Intelligence to 3 or higher does not eliminate the need to make Handle Animal checks to direct its actions; even semi-intelligent animals still act like animals unless trained not to. An animal with Intelligence of 3 or higher remains a creature of the animal type unless its type is specifically changed by another ability. An animal may learn 3 additional tricks per point of Intelligence above 2.
Oh excellent, thank you! That will make commanding her much easier. Plus with the higher INT she wouldn't be prone to certain animal behavior would she?
Animal companions still need to take armor prof to use barding?
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They do if they don't want to take the armor check penalty to all their attacks and such.
But if you give them Barding that ends up with no armor check penalty, then it doesn't affect them all that much.
I don't recall, there may be a rule in the Core Rulebook that they need the proficiency to wear the Barding at all though.
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They do if they don't want to take the armor check penalty to all their attacks and such.
But if you give them Barding that ends up with no armor check penalty, then it doesn't affect them all that much.
I don't recall, there may be a rule in the Core Rulebook that they need the proficiency to wear the Barding at all though.
If there is one I have not seen it. Just barding without proficiency = penalty to attacks (and others).
What is funny is that AFAIK it is PFS legal to get Additional traits as a feat for a Companion with INT 3+ and select Armor expert, for reduced ACP :-))
Just looked, under the APG it says everything is legal, and it doesn't sat that Eye for Talent is NOT legal so I think that it's ok
And about the Additional traits feat, is this confirmed acceptable?
so I could pick any two traits (one per chart) from combat, social, faith?
That would be really awesome actually
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And last I know animal companions with higher INT can take armor prof feats but is it really worth it?
Not really. Armor proficiency light costs a feat and gets you zero armor, because of the mithral chain shirt barding.
Medium armor prof. might save you some gold on the mithral kiko barding and let you go up to a +6 with breastplate, for a gain of 2 feats for +2 armor
Heavy armor prof. will get you 4 points of armor for 3 feats.. still not very good. Its not much better than taking dodge, especially when you consider you can't buy the armor your pet will wind up in right away, you have to loose gold swapping out armors as he levels up.
And about the Additional traits feat, is this confirmed acceptable?
There's no official confirmation or denial for PFS but it feels a little weird to me putting what are essentially background events growing up as a humanoid onto an animal.
Whats the rule if something is not clearly defined in the additional resources? Just say no?
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Whats the rule if something is not clearly defined in the additional resources? Just say no?
If the question is whether something is legal or not, then the AR is the final word. If it's not stated there as legal (outside the CRB), then it is not legal.
If the question is about any rules (like whether extra traits on an AC is acceptable), then additional resources has nothing there for you. If you can find a source that says it is legal (animal companions with 3+ int are allowed to take any feat they qualify for; additional traits is a feat they qualify for) the the onus would be on the GM to show you something that would make it illegal. "I don't think it should work like that" is not an acceptable answer.
My bonded mount on my paladin was raised by helpful halflings. I paid for my feat and so it went.
Lol should I make 2 character sheets for my companion? one with Add Traits one with a regular feat?
Also on the subject of character sheets for companions, is there a specified PFS one for animals/companions? or should I just use a normal sheet. (Or should I join the masses and get Hero Lab, i'm sure it has something)
Whats the rule if something is not clearly defined in the additional resources? Just say no?If the question is whether something is legal or not, then the AR is the final word. If it's not stated there as legal (outside the CRB), then it is not legal.
If the question is about any rules (like whether extra traits on an AC is acceptable), then additional resources has nothing there for you. If you can find a source that says it is legal (animal companions with 3+ int are allowed to take any feat they qualify for; additional traits is a feat they qualify for) the the onus would be on the GM to show you something that would make it illegal. "I don't think it should work like that" is not an acceptable answer.
My bonded mount on my paladin was raised by helpful halflings. I paid for my feat and so it went.
This makes some sense actually, I suppose having the same animal companion since birth (or since becoming a druid) it could have its own background story.
More questions
Can animal companions gain templates at higher HD? such as Dire or Giant? Or is level 7 the last time Animal Companions will upgrade?
Also if myself and my Animal Companion both have a teamwork feat does it work? It says in the description if another player has a teamwork feat but I would assume an animal companion with the feat would count also.
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More questions
Can animal companions gain templates at higher HD? such as Dire or Giant? Or is level 7 the last time Animal Companions will upgrade?
7 (or 4) is it. Also note it gains strength and con according to the chart.
The only way i know of to give it a template is to be an aasimar with the celestial servant feat to put the celestial archetype on it.
Also if myself and my Animal Companion both have a teamwork feat does it work?
yup. Its about the only way a non cavalier/inquisi is going to get a teamwork feat to work in pfs.