Help! My hippo is drowning!

[Halgur]

As I was creating my undine druid I was dismayed to discover that the hippo companion does not have a swim speed. Is there a PFS-legal way to grant a swim speed to an animal companion?

[Cavall]

There's many. A first level spell monkeyfish gives a climb and swim of 10. Touch of the sea gives 30.

[Halgur]

I was hoping for a more permanent solution like a feat or magic item.

[doctor_wu]

Halgur wrote:

I was hoping for a more permanent solution like a feat or magic item.

Well you could have a wand and 50 charges will last a while for swimming.

[Cavall]

Should point out it won't stop drowning.

[avr]

I think permanent magic items would be a problem - PFS restricts magic items on AnCs heavily IIRC.

Of course a hippo has a decent strength and could just put a few skill points in the swim skill easily enough.

[Avoron]

Evolved Companion would be the easiest solution, but is unfortunately not permitted in PFS.

A magic item would be possible, but would be unpleasantly expensive. Enchanted eelskin isn't legal, so the cheapest and most effective option would probably be a pearl of the sirenes - if it can be "held to the breast" by a strap or something for creatures lacking in opposable thumbs. If not, then your companion would have to take the Extra Item Slot feat and you'd have to spring for something a bit more expensive like a helm of underwater action, a jellyfish cape, or a hand of glory with a ring of the sea strider on it.

Your best bet is probably just to have your hippo put ranks in swim the old fashioned way. If they get an intelligence boost and take Skill Focus, they'll eventually qualify for Master Swimmer and can get a swim speed that way, but not until level 12, so I wouldn't (no pun intended) hold your breath.

In the meantime, there are a couple spells that can help out. As early as third level, you can cast the spell sea steed to give your companion a 40 ft. swim speed and the ability to breathe water for 10 minutes/level, in exchange for reducing its land speed to 10 ft. Once you reach level seven, you could start casting ride the waves instead, which works for an hour per level with no drawbacks.

[Wei Ji the Learner]

Play a hunter and get your Beast Aspect on all day? *ducks*

[Ventnor]

Fun fact: hippos actually suck at swimming! It's why they're in the shallows all the time.

[avr]

Ventnor wrote:

Fun fact: hippos actually suck at swimming! It's why they're in the shallows all the time.

Bah! Next you'll be telling me that with a hippo's strength and a rank or two in climb that they can't climb trees!

[blahpers]

Spider-Hippo
Spider-Hippo
Does whatever a Spider-Hippo does

[avr]

blahpers wrote:

Spider-Hippo

Spider-Hippo
Does whatever a Spider-Hippo does

This can be done; this must be done. I'll work out how.

[K-kun the Insane]

I've heard stories from the next table over of a yellow Tengu with an elephant/mammoth companion with amazing stealth modifiers such that a party member didn't realize he was riding it AS IT SPIDER CLIMBED A CLIFF!

I think Spider Hippo is perfectly plausible.

[Avoron]

avr wrote:

blahpers wrote:

Spider-Hippo

Spider-Hippo
Does whatever a Spider-Hippo does

This can be done; this must be done. I'll work out how.

Primal companion hunter? I'm imagining a hippopotamus with the climb, web, and poison evolutions, maybe throw in tremorsense and skilled (stealth) for good measure. Lurking in the shadows by the ceiling, waiting to drop down on unsuspecting passersby and latch onto them with its poisonous fangs.

K-kun the Insane wrote:

I've heard stories from the next table over of a yellow Tengu with an elephant/mammoth companion with amazing stealth modifiers such that a party member didn't realize he was riding it AS IT SPIDER CLIMBED A CLIFF!

One of my favorite potential uses for the Spirit's Gift feat is to give your companion the freeze monster ability from the wood spirit. Now your mammoth can take 20 on its stealth checks to hide in plain sight by pretending to be an unusually elephantine tree.

[K-kun the Insane]

I believe Snuffleupagus was Big Bird's imaginary friend, hence why he was so hard to spot. This was PFS btw...

[Lady-J]

K-kun the Insane wrote:

I believe Snuffleupagus was Big Bird's imaginary friend, hence why he was so hard to spot. This was PFS btw...

figment familiar

[Joynt Jezebel]

avr wrote:

Ventnor wrote:

Fun fact: hippos actually suck at swimming! It's why they're in the shallows all the time.

Bah! Next you'll be telling me that with a hippo's strength and a rank or two in climb that they can't climb trees!

I have actually been to Africa and seen real Hippos. And I treat them with a great deal of care. They look like giant stuffed toys, at least until they open their mouths. But they terrorise crocodiles and kill lots of people.

[Mystic_Snowfang]

Joynt Jezebel wrote:

avr wrote:

Ventnor wrote:

Fun fact: hippos actually suck at swimming! It's why they're in the shallows all the time.

Bah! Next you'll be telling me that with a hippo's strength and a rank or two in climb that they can't climb trees!

I have actually been to Africa and seen real Hippos. And I treat them with a great deal of care. They look like giant stuffed toys, at least until they open their mouths. But they terrorise crocodiles and kill lots of people.

Get it an item of water-breathing and something to protect from the pressure. Then just let it do what it does naturally (stroll along the bottom of the water). Then it can come up under an enemy's boat and destroy it.

[Wheldrake]

Give it a tutu and ballet lessons.

[SmiloDan]

Avoron wrote:

--snip--

One of my favorite potential uses for the Spirit's Gift feat is to give your companion the freeze monster ability from the wood spirit. Now your mammoth can take 20 on its stealth checks to hide in plain sight by pretending to be an unusually elephantine tree.

Do elephant trees have two trunks?

Edit:

My homebrew campaign already has elephant trees that have thick gray wrinkled bark, broad leaves, and giant ivory-like thorns. And deter predators by shooting water out of their trunks and branches.

Re-Edit:

Maybe just get a really long snorkel for hippo?

Is she named Fiona?

[Kitty Catoblepas]

avr wrote:

blahpers wrote:

Spider-Hippo

Spider-Hippo
Does whatever a Spider-Hippo does

This can be done; this must be done. I'll work out how.

I suddenly remembered that the Dire Elephant in 3.5 (3.0?) had a climb speed. I always imagined them hiding in trees and dropping on the unwary traveler from cliff sides.