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Magic Fang requires that the target's unarmed attack be only one die. I did not see a higher level equivalent or heightening option. Items say they're for humanoids unless otherwise stated; I did not see such an exemption for handwraps.
What is the method of giving an animal companion with its first upgrade (and thus at least two damage dice) a magic attack?
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Pathfinder Starfinder Society Subscriber
There isn't one, to the best of my knowledge.
Interestingly, there's a another issue for animal companions: they have text that makes them not able to benefit from any item bonuses with only one exception:
Playtest Rulebook, pg 284 wrote: Animal companions
calculate their modifiers and DCs just as you do, though
with the exception of barding allowing an item bonus to AC
of up to +2, they never benefit from item bonuses.
So Magic Fang doesn't add the +1 item bonus on attack rolls.
Harsh.
It looks like they also don't benefit from the pc friendly dying rules by default, and just die at zero. The dm is free to grant them the waiver for important npcs of course, but I did not see anything saying they would normally benefit.
They are kind of replaceable, so it's not the worst thing, but having an maxed out companion is a pretty significant feat investment and eats an action to use.
Warmagon wrote: They are kind of replaceable, so it's not the worst thing, but having an maxed out companion is a pretty significant feat investment and eats an action to use. My animal companion isn't some forgettable attack animal, they're one half of a whole. The rules seem to emphasize *otherwise*, however. To be clear, this isn't a rip aimed at you, it's a rip aimed at the rules, and one of the things I hope sees some TLC in the final release.
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Animal Companions as written scale really poorly into the late game.
- Their HP is Wizard level, which would be fine if they didn't suffer from cripplingly low AC.
- Their AC is at max 10 + Level + 8 (or 9 if you're a Druid), accounting for barding/proficiency. In comparison, a PC's AC is anywhere from 10 + Level + 12 to 10 + Level + 16. This means the Companion is 20 - 40% more likely to get hit, and thus, to get crit. And when higher level monsters crit them, they die very quickly.
- Their Attack Bonus is at max Level + 7 (8 if you're a Druid), while a PC again varies between Level + 12 to Level + 15. This means an animal companion is hitting 25-40% less often, and don't contribute meaningfully to combat other than being a decoy that quickly dies.
I understand the feeling of not wanting the animal companion to overshadow a PC, but the discrepancy is simply too great! I could understand them being at -2 to hit/AC compared to PCs, but -5 to -8? that's just way too much.
Warmagon wrote: They are kind of replaceable, so it's not the worst thing, but having an maxed out companion is a pretty significant feat investment and eats an action to use. Two action. Handle animal and command animal.
The handle anumal DC is unknown. Does anyone still care about animal companion at this point ? Just chose another class.
Gaterie wrote: Two action. Handle animal and command animal.
The handle animal DC is unknown. Does anyone still care about animal companion at this point ? Just chose another class.
Animal Companions are Minions, and skip the Handle an Animal step.
That said, they still get shafted. Hard. :(
You have to use the Command an Animal action to give them order (that's stated p 284). Command an Animal works only if you have used Handle an Animal beforehand (or if you have the Rider feat) (description of the action p 152. For some reason this requirement isn't a requirement, but a part of the effect. I have no idea why Command an Animal is in the Nature skill section). The glossary doesn't contains any entry for "minion", and the rule in the minion trait about verbal command is overridden by the Animal Companion rules (it explicitly states you have to use Command an Animal instead).
Maybe you're right, navigating in the book is a pain in the ass; nothing make sense, every information is in random section, and basic informations are missing. Could you indicate the page number where it's stated you don't need to handle your companion before you can use the Command an Animal action ?
Playtest wrote: They have the minion trait, so they gain 2 actions during your turn if you use the Command an Animal action to command them; this is in place of the usual effects of Command an Animal." emphasis mine I think the intended way to read it, is that "Command Animal Companion" overwrites the normal text for "Command Animal". It's essentially a completely different action that goes by the exact same name, and therefore the modified "Command Companion" doesn't include the clause about Handle Animal in it either. Talk about confusing. They could have just used the same singular sentence of text from "commanding familiars" (p287) and it wouldn't have been confusing at all.
I will agree that this book is laid out horribly, and large chunks are definitely ambiguous. I still haven't figured out how to calculate shield damage yet, and there's several valid interpretations of the shield damage rules. Someone else here posited that they used an internal SRD for their internal playtests and never actually used the PDFs, and I think they're right.
...
Yes, your interpretation seems valid. Especially using M:tG logic: the requirement of handling the animal beforehand is part of the effect of Command an Animal (instead of of part of its requirements), hence it is overwritten by the clause "in place of the usual effects".
... Hence, still using M:tG logic, a cat animal companion can use his Stealth training to Hide and Sneak, or any animal companion may Track (and use the Tracker specialty if available). Did you notice the normal Command an Animal action doesn't allow the animal to hide or track or anything ?
... I guess you can't Command the companion twice so it acts four times, given the minion rule/trait: it has 2 action per turn, not more, and the Command allows it to use its action - it doesn't create the action allotment. It's strange a companion may Stride only twice per turn (and it costs 1 action to the druid, so the druid stride only twice per turn as well): it give the impression the companion is a stubborn mule slowing sown the party. I think the companion's default activity should be 3 Stride/Leap per turn to follow its master, and the Command action should allows the replacement of 2 of those Stride by whatever you want.
Wowie wrote: I will agree that this book is laid out horribly, and large chunks are definitely ambiguous. I still haven't figured out how to calculate shield damage yet, and there's several valid interpretations of the shield damage rules. ... My answer to that has been lost in the internet, so I'll be concise: my interpretation about item damages is that the sentence "an item reduces any damage dealt to it by its Hardness" on page 175 shouldn't exist, it comes from an earlier pre-version where the items had HP (as in D&D 3/Path 1). Now it's replaced by the dent/damage threshold system, a damage reduction isn't necessary anymore.
So when you use the Shield Block reaction, the shield takes exactly its hardness in damage and it takes exactly 1 dent. If your shield is unattended and takes exactly its hardness in damages, it takes exactly 1 dent as well.
... But it's a playtest and we should use the RAW and not the Rule As I Interpret It. So whatever...
My assessment as well. I feel like the design intent was to stop druids, summoners, necromancers, et al. from having an overwhelming action economy advantage over normal characters (druids have 4 actions total, only one above normal), but instead it just comes off as being illogical and highly restrictive, especially when ACs are so weak without being able to use gear.
My interpretation of shields lines up with yours too, but I digress. We're way past the original topic, and I've said my piece, so I'll pipe down.
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Warmagon wrote: Magic Fang requires that the target's unarmed attack be only one die. I did not see a higher level equivalent or heightening option. Items say they're for humanoids unless otherwise stated; I did not see such an exemption for handwraps.
What is the method of giving an animal companion with its first upgrade (and thus at least two damage dice) a magic attack?
AFAICT there is no way in the rules to do this for Animal Companions. Which is very frustrating. The fact is that Magic Fang is an item bonus and is therefore not allowed by the Animal Companion rules.
The other use for Magic Fang traditionally was on wild shaped Druids or polymorphed characters. But again this essentially only works at very low levels. Before too long all the "Form" spells provide multiple dice in attack and therefore Magic Fang can't be applied.
Very disappointing. This is the traditional and just about only use of this spell and it basically doesn't work.
Handwraps of Mighty Fists do seem to work for wild shaped Druids, though some GMs might argue some details, but 'claw' is specifically mentioned on the item.
Sorry didn't read the spell. Basically nothing adds to the various form spells so Handwraps don't work
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