First, I would ask your GM if you can either reskin or modify a Pilo.
Hedgehogs are familiars. Just ask if you can trade your animal companion in got a hedgehog familiar. Or instead, just keep a regular pet hedgehog.
Hmmm. Interesting creature...
Is there any rule or something that says an animal companion must be 1) of Small size or larger and 2) combat-capable? I kind of like the idea of a pocket-sized companion who can't participate in combat. But all the "standard" companions are at least Small in size...
There is no such rule, but being combatants is certainly the intent of animal companions. What you want is a familiar, for which hedgehog is a standard option.
Hmmm. Interesting creature...
Is there any rule or something that says an animal companion must be 1) of Small size or larger and 2) combat-capable? I kind of like the idea of a pocket-sized companion who can't participate in combat. But all the "standard" companions are at least Small in size...
In that case, I would look into the special Druid Domains. There are a number of them that grant familiars. Although, if you are dead set on hedgehog, you will need to ask your GM if you can substitute. Also, you could always just choose a Domain for your Nature Bond and then just have a normal noncombat pet.
Take Iron Will and then Familiar Bond. Now you have a familiar. Since you've given up spellcasting you probably won't want to take Improved Familiar Bond, but it's available if you want it.
(Or take QuidEst's suggestion, ask to trade in your animal companion for a familiar, and save the feats. Or combine the two and ask to trade in Hunter's Bond for Iron Will and Familiar Bond as bonus feats.)
|
I'm building a Ranger for a PbP, and the GM has kindly agreed to let me have a hedgehog as an animal companion. The only problem is, they're not on anyone's list of animal companions, so building one is impossibly difficult to do alone when you have never built a companion before. Does anyone have a step-by-step guide to building an animal companion from the ground up? Or perhaps is willing to help me out with this particular one?
I don't think exact rules exist at present.
As for making a hedgehog, I think the main issue is that they would likely be Diminutive creatures and there really aren't any companions like that.
But, you said you've GM permission, so I suppose I'd find the closest existing animal companion that already exists, then modify that.
I suppose I'd start with the Dire Rat from beastiary 1. Hedgehogs aren't rats, but seems like a good starting point because they are both 4-legged mammals with both familiar and animal companion incarnations.
Rats and Dire Rats
Now, the Hedgehog is a step smaller than the rat, but the above is still a useful comparison.
So if you compare, the Rat is Tiny, the dire rat is small and the hedgehog is diminuative.
Dire Rat: Str 10, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 4
Rat: Str 2, Dex 15, Con 11, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 2
Hedgehog: Str 1, Dex 16, Con 6, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
So, just looking at these, I'd suggest a size adjusted Hedgehog would be something like:
Diminuative: Str 1, Dex 16, Con 6, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Tiny: Str 2, Dex 16, Con 8, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 9
Small: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 11
I'd probably stop at small.
Hedgehog would lack the disease attack and the scent ability of the rats, but I'd add the hedgehog.
Spiny Defense (Ex) As a move action, a hedgehog can roll itself up into a spiny ball. While rolled up, it gains a +1 enhancement bonus to its existing natural armor, and any creature attempting to grapple the hedgehog takes 1d3 damage on making a grapple check. While rolled up, a hedgehog cannot take any action other than leaving this state. The hedgehog can leave this state as a move action.
I think I'd size adjust the damage for this one by 2 steps if the hedgehog is small, so the d3 becomes d6. Looks like the rat speed doubles between the familiar and the companion, so I'd go with 40ft base speed.
So the final companion is something like this:
Hedgehog Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 40 ft.; Attack bite (1d4); Ability Scores Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 11; Special Qualities low-light vision. Spines (ex)
4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2. Special Qualities Spines (1d6).