What happens to an animal companion when a character goes past 20?
I ask this because of Oracle of Nature (Bounded Mount) and the Favored Class Bonus "Add +½ to the oracle’s level for the purpose of determining the effects of one revelation."
This allows a 20th level Oracle to be level 30 for the animal companion. Does the animal companion stop advancing when it reaches 20th level, or how does it advance?
Up to the GM, but the CRB suggests
Scaling Powers: Hit dice, base attack bonuses, and saving throws continue to increase at the same rate beyond 20th level, as appropriate for the class in question. Note that no character can have more than 4 attacks based on its base attack bonus. Note also that, before long, the difference between good saving throws and poor saving throws becomes awkwardly large—the further you get from 20th level, the more noticeable this difference grows, and for high-level characters, bolstering their poor saving throws should become increasingly important. Class abilities that have a set, increasing rate, such as a barbarian's damage reduction, a fighter's bonus feats and weapon training, a paladin's smite evil, or a rogue's sneak attack continue to progress at the appropriate rate.
So, no more stuff in the Special column, but everything else should probably continue upwards in the obvious patterns.
From what I've seen, it's generally accepted that an Animal Companion cannot be of a higher effective level than your own character level.
That said, as most things in the game, there are formulae behind most of the numbers, so it wouldn't be too hard to math it out.
For example, the companion's Natural Armour Bonus increases by two every three levels. Likewise, the bonus to Strength and Dex and the number of bonus tricks known increases by one every three levels.
It would stop gaining any Special Abilities, as none exist past level 15, but its BAB, Saves, Skills, and Feats would progress according to the HD gained. I'm not sure of a formula for HD, but it follows a pattern. If I'm right, its HD for each level after twenty would be, in order, 17, 18, 18, 19, 20, 21, 21, 22, 23, 24.
Finally, it would gain an Ability Score Increase tied to the effective Druid level, rather than its own HD.
Though since there aren't rules for progressing an Animal Companion past 20, this is in the realm of DM permission.
Animal Companions start off at a higher level than your effective character level.
I'll talk to DM about it, wanted to try and get info before things got mixed up. (Currently level 7). I understand how an Animal Companion progresses, I just needed to know its HD.
I understand how an Animal Companion progresses, I just needed to know its HD.
HD = (2 + effective druid level) * 3/4
PFS house rule, but one I'd adopt.
PFS house rule, but one I'd adopt.
I wonder if that particular erratum was specifically aiming at A/Cs? For other revelations +1/2 seems perfectly reasonable. I like the PFS rule better, but I guess it's harder to impose.