Hello (and sorry for my bad english, it isn't my native ;)).
I'm using HeroLab to fiddle with my characters, and creating a druid for our next campaign.
I wanted to take a Rhinoceros Animal Companion. At level 7, the Rhino goes Large and gets Powerful Charge.
The problem is, HeroLab tells me I have a 4d6 Powerful Charge, while d20pfsrd says:
7th-Level Advancement
Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack gore (2d6); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4; Special Qualities powerful charge (gore, 2d8).
And this very wesbite doesn't give any damage after Powerful Charge:
7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack gore (2d6); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4; Special Qualities powerful charge.
So:
1) Which one is right ? In what book can I find the real, absolute RAW Rhino animal companion ?
2) I deal 1,5 x STR bonus (and 1,5x Power Attack) with my regular single attack. Do I deal more on a Powerful Charge ?
3) If my Rhino takes "Improved natural attack: gore", does it also affect Powerful Charge in any way ?
Thanks a lot !
Looks like the rhino companion is statted out in the rhino bestiary entry. Sadly, while that gives the powerful charge damage for a normal (non-companion) rhino, it doesn't for the companion.
However! The standard rhino does 2d6+9 (that's 2d6 base damage plus 1.5x Str bonus) on a non-charge gore, 4d6+12 on a powerful charge (i.e. double base damage plus twice Str bonus). The companion rhino's base damage for gore is the same 2d6, and since it has the same Str (at Large) you get the same 2d6+9 total for its regular gore. So I think you should get the same 4d6+12 powerful charge too. You'll have to clear that with your GM, of course.
RAW, Improved Natural Attack doesn't do anything to aid your Powerful Charge because the latter doesn't say what formula it uses in any given case, but if I were the GM I'd certainly keep the "double base damage plus twice Str" formula intact.
Well, the first place to look is the Rules Archive (PRD) here on the Paizo sites.
Next you open Bestiary Monster Index (aka Bestiary I) and look for Rhinoceros.
There you'll find:
Rhinoceros Companions
Starting Statistics: Size Medium; AC +4 natural; Speed 40 ft.; Attack gore (1d8); Ability Scores Str 14, Dex 14, Con 15, Int 2, Wis 13, Cha 5; Special Qualities scent.
7th-Level Advancement: Size Large; AC +3 natural armor; Attack gore (2d6); Ability Scores Str +8, Dex –2, Con +4; Special Qualities powerful charge.
Now, ACs are mechanically different from your standard monster/animal found in the Bestiaries but I'd assume that the attack and damage mechanics for powerful charge do not change, thus your AC shoul do 4d6+(2xSTR modifier) when doing a powerful charge.
If you chose INA:gore than this applies to powerful charge.
Ruyan.
Edit: *sigh*, already answered, I see--that's what you get when it takes you over an hour for reading back and forth...
Thanks for all these answers (and I did look at all those places, hence my confusion :D ).
I know from a mechanical standpoint that Powerful Charge seems to do double dice damage and add 0,5 STR to the regular damage. But that's not RAW.
My DM is really into RAW, which is why I posted this question: is there somewhere, anywhere, a FAQ or errata that specifically states how it works ? Because I already know that the answer "meh, it works this way for the other critters" won't cut it, especially since it's an AC.
Same goes for INA: gore. A level 8 Rhino AC with 30 STR and INA will do 3d6+15 damage on an attack, that's RAW. But saying Powerful Charge would then do 6d6+20, while logical, isn't RAW...
Sadly, there are almost certainly no such faq/errata for something this fine-grained.
Your GM can certainly justify ignoring INA, but they're the one on the hook for the pre-INA powerful charge---RAW definitely says your AC has one at Large, and the damage has to be set somehow, right?
Anyway, good luck!
Bleh. Thanks anyway, hopefully he'll listen to reason ^^