PFS - Animal Ally and Class Levels in animal companion class

[JamesTheDonkey]

Hi, I was reading up on some feats and am looking at a new build for PFS. If I take 4 levels in Weapon Master Fighter, and at level 4 spending the 5 PP to retrain my level 3 feat, I can gain an animal companion from the list. Let's assume I get a wolf. I have an effective druid level (EDL) of 1.

Then from level 5 to 11 I take levels in Hunter, which gains an animal companion at full strength. Animal ally stacks the levels it gives me with the levels I gain from Hunter.

When I hit level 11, which will be my effective druid level? Will it be 8 (7 levels in 1, 4-3 levels in fighter) or will it be 15 (7 levels in hunter, 11-3 levels for animal ally)? I ask because Animal Ally specifically calls out character level, which is the summation of all your levels.

[Melkiador]

They do stack, but I could swear there is a PFS rule where your companion can't ever be at more than 1+ your character level. So your animal companion would be at the level of a level 12 druid.

Also, the animal has to be of a type granted by both sources for them to stack.

[JamesTheDonkey]

I had read in a post that that was the cap, but it had no source for the ruling. I just want confirmation that is the case. Double level value on Companions seems sweet.

[Dave Justus]

I'm pretty sure they don't stack. You would get the 7 from hunter and the one from animal ally for your fighter class (or 8 from animal ally and none from hunter.)

Each of your hunter levels is a single source and can't be counted twice.

[Melkiador]

"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."

I don't see how you can interpret that part of the feat to mean the levels don't stack.

[Dave Justus]

Melkiador wrote:

"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."

I don't see how you can interpret that part of the feat to mean the levels don't stack.

I can interpret it as the levels from fighter stack with the levels from hunter, but not that the levels from hunter stack with themselves.

[Renata Maclean]

It wouldn't make much sense for the feat to keep advancing after you cease to meet its prerequisites, especially since it would allow someone to multiclass and gain a specific class feature at a greater rate than any single class that grants it

[JamesTheDonkey]

Dave Justus wrote:

I can interpret it as the levels from fighter stack with the levels from hunter, but not that the levels from hunter stack with themselves.

My only problem is that you are not getting them from the fighter levels. You are getting them from your character level, which is the sum of all your class levels.

I just want a specific rule that states that it stops growing when you no longer qualify for it. Otherwise, it just keeps adding levels as you gain levels; levels that stack with other sources.

[Dave Justus]

If you were already sure you knew the answer, then why did you ask the question?

Let me try and explain what the wording means.

The animal ally has a prerequisite that you can't have any levels in another class that grants an animal companion. Normally, if you get a feat, and later have something happens that causes you to not meet the prerequisite the feat becomes inactive. i.e. you wouldn't get any animal companion levels at all from your fighter levels.

The feat does have some specific wording, letting you stack these levels even though you no longer meet the prerequisite.

I am not a PFS expert, but I am close to 100% sure that that is how you will see this interpreted if you take this character to a PFS game.

[Melkiador]

You could argue that levels aren't bonuses. And while bonuses from the same source can't stack, maybe levels from the same source can.

[JamesTheDonkey]

I asked because I also not a PFS expert, and also confident but not sure. I am looking for some rules confirmation. I actually can't even remember to find the rule that says you lose access to a feat when you stop meeting the prerequisites.

Since the levels in fighter, which is before the feat disabled, would still stack, would taking levels in fighter later increase that, or would it remain static?

[James Risner]

JamesTheDonkey wrote:

I had read in a post that that was the cap, but it had no source for the ruling. I just want confirmation that is the case. Double level value on Companions seems sweet.

You either won't get Double level on companion or you will meet with heavy table variance.

From the perspective of a PFS GM and the desire to run RAW, this is how I'd rule the RAW:

The way I read that is if you are a Druid 5 and Fighter 5 with Aniaml Ally before you take the Druid levels you would have an animal companion of:
(5-3) for fighter + 5 for druid = 7th level Animal Companion.

The feat doesn't cover what happens after you gain an Animal Companion and take more levels. I'd generally consider it stacking with all levels except your Animal Companion levels.

So if you took 2 more Fighter levels it would be (7-3)+5= 9th level Companion.

[dragonhunterq]

Post for PFS limiting AnCo's HD to your HD+1

Put me down for the camp that you can't double count your levels. It isn't as clear cut as I would like it to be though.

[JamesTheDonkey]

Dragonhunterq, that was the post I had read. I then checked the FAQ and the Additional Resources and saw no inclusion of the note. I know they changed the racial bonus from 1/2 to 1/6, and that would prevent people from going above level+1 of HD. I couldn't find a printed rule to support it though.

I read the CRB last night and its prerequisite note simply says you stop gaining use or benefit from the feat. Animal Ally has a specific case for breaking that prereq, so you keep the benefit. At least up to where you are. Not sure about after that.