What is the effective level of this animal companion?


Rules Questions


Level 10 Standard Bearer (Cavalier Archetype): Horse Master, Animal Ally, Eldritch Heritage -
L1 Nature Soul
L3 Skill Focus (Knowledge Nature)
L4 Animal Ally (horse)
L5 Eldritch Heritage (Sylvan: horse), Mount (horse)
L7 Boon Companion (horse)

Horse Master: "Use your character level to determine your effective druid level for determining the powers and abilities of your mount."

Animal Ally: "You gain an animal companion as if you were a druid of your character level –3 from the following list: badger, bird, camel, cat (small), dire rat, dog, horse, pony, snake (viper), or wolf. If you later gain an animal companion through another source (such as the Animal domain, divine bond, hunter's bond, mount, or nature bond class features), the effective druid level granted by this feat stacks with that granted by other sources."

Eldritch Heritage: "Select one sorcerer bloodline. You must have Skill focus in the class skill that bloodline grants to a sorcerer at 1st level (for example, Heal for the celestial bloodline). This bloodline cannot be a bloodline you already have. You gain the first-level bloodline power for the selected bloodline. For purposes of using that power, treat your sorcerer level as equal to your character level – 2, even if you have levels in sorcerer. You do not gain any of the other bloodline abilities."

Sylvan Bloodline: " At 1st level, you gain an animal companion. Your effective druid level for this ability is equal to your sorcerer level – 3 (minimum 1st)."

Boon Companion: "The abilities of your animal companion or familiar are calculated as though your class were 4 levels higher, to a maximum effective druid level equal to your character level. If you have more than one animal companion or familiar, choose one to receive this benefit. If you lose or dismiss an animal companion or familiar that has received this benefit, you may apply this feat to the replacement creature."

What is the effective level of the animal companion? Would it cap at 10, because that is the players level? Would it be 14 because the level cap is 10 and the boon companion is 4 (10+4=14)? Would the Animal Ally levels stack with either of those numbers (10+7=17 or 14+7=21)? Would Eldritch Heritage affect any of these numbers to determine the level of the animal companion?


Boon Companion is capped by your character level, per its own language. As for the rest (except Animal Ally), it really depends on how stacking was intended to work. In my opinion, it should probably be capped by character level. I don't see how a 10th level character should have a more power animal companion due to effective Druid levels than a Druid with actual Druid levels that is 7-10 levels higher.

Animal Ally does not work because the prerequisites for Animal Ally state that you "must not have an animal companion or mount that advances as an animal companion" which, as a Cavalier, you do.

So, Boon Companion is a waste, since a Cavalier uses his/her Cavalier level as the effective Druid level, meaning you progress at CL, anyway. You don't qualify for Animal Ally. And, in my opinion, Sylvan Bloodline wouldn't let you exceed your CL to determine your mount's power, even though the levels would ordinarily stack.

Boon Companion and Horse Master are for characters who multiclass. Boon Companion gives you a flat +4 effective Druid level boost, capped by CL (so it's good for characters who dip out of Druid/Cavalier or have an already reduced effective Druid level, like Rangers). Horse Master lets a multiclass Cavalier's mount continue to progress by CL, instead of just Cavalier level. Animal Ally is for characters who do not ordinarily get animal companions.


Animal ally may work because you don't gain a horse until 5th.
Boon companion won't work on the horse because it is already at your level.
Eldritch heritage works at your level -2, plus the -3 level from the bloodline power is -5 levels.
So, I think, you would have a horse at 10, another one at 7, and another one at 5. Plus boon companion one of the lower ones (probably the 5th one bringing it up to 9th).
I think abilities like this only stack if you pick the same animal to gain.
Also, sort of explained here.


Forgot that a Standard Bearer waits until 5th level to get the mount, so you would technically qualify for Animal Ally at 4th level. I think it'd be a waste though because I still do not think it would stack. I do not believe the purpose is to allow for animal companions that exceed character level. But I could be wrong on that intent.


I thought there was an FAQ clarifying you can't get an animal companion with Sylvan for multiple reasons, wild-blooded bloodline not being available for the feat, and even if it was, the feat doesn't give you the bloodline arcana, so, you might want to re-purpose some feat choices.

I could be mis-informed, working on second hand info

Sovereign Court RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32

Yeah, you can't take Eldricth Heritage (Sylvan) because Sylvan isn't a bloodline itself, it's the Fey bloodline with an archetype applied. Enjoy your Laughing Touch.

Animal Ally could get you your horse early, but as soon as you take Horse Master it sets your horse's power level to your character level. Note you get this anyway if you're single classed as the mount ability of the Standard Bearer isn't weaker so at level 5 you get a level 5 mount, without any feat investment at all.

Boon Companion does nothing since the animal is already your character level.

So net result of all your feats?:

A level 10 horse companion
Lauging Touch from Eldritch Heritage
Wasted feat slots on Horse master, and boon companion.

I might give you a +1 level boost from Animal Ally (you have 4 levels of class that don't grant an AC, so you get a 1st level companion that stacks with your 10 level horse for 11 total).

Interestingly, Horse master seems to wipe out any bonuses that boost your AC above your character level.

Sczarni

Say your first five levels were taken as a vanilla Fighter, and you somehow had Animal Ally and Boon Companion by 5th level. You'd have a "level 5" horse.

Imagine your next five levels were Druid. Those 5 Fighter levels will now stack with your 5 levels of Druid, as per the text you bolded from Animal Ally, making your horse effectively "level 10", the same as you.

You don't get to also count your Druid levels for Animal Ally. That would make your horse "level 15", which is definitely not the intent.

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / What is the effective level of this animal companion? All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.
Recent threads in Rules Questions