Some Animals / Animal Companion questions-

[GM_Starson]

Okay, so, I tried my best but was unable to search foo up some answers, so here's to hoping you can direct me to answers! Page numbers or links to AON would be great, and I'm primarily a PFS player/GM so RAW is, sadly, what i have to go by even if there are some GM quick fixes (I understand some things may not have answers and I'll have to GM fiat occasionally, but I want to avoid it if at all possible)

Question 1: Combat trained- For some reason, Riding dogs and guard dogs don't seemed to be combat trained, nor do animal companions at base. Can the "Train Animal" be used to teach a animal to be combat trained? It seems to be counter intuitive that these particular animals aren't considered combat trained considering their purpose is called out as being combat creatures.

Question 2: Train Animal- Are there any "New actions" That can be trained at the moment? Or are they all just the current basic actions?

[Wheldrake]

Nothing in the Train an Animal skill feat specificly mentions being able to train an animal to be combat trained as such.

However, there must be some way for an animal to be combat trained, since some animals do have that training, so it stands to reason that it is possible with the Train an Animal skill feat. With your DM you would have to determine how many weeks it takes to train, say a guard dog, so that it benefits from being combat trained (not reduced to frightened or fleeing in combat).

Personally, I would treat it as a basic one-week task for creatures like guard dogs that are supposed to be used for that purpose. I would frankly think you could purchase guard dogs that are already combat trained.

[Fuzzy-Wuzzy]

GM_Starson wrote:

I'm primarily a PFS player/GM so RAW is, sadly, what i have to go by even if there are some GM quick fixes (I understand some things may not have answers and I'll have to GM fiat occasionally, but I want to avoid it if at all possible)

I think PFS is going to have to issue Campaign Clarifications on combat-trained animals, unless Paizo issues FAQ/errata covering it first. There is no way to get an animal combat training in current RAW, not even an animal companion or guard dog. Combat training isn't a "trick" so the Train Animal feat as written can't be used to provide it.

My quick fix would be to decree that guard dogs are all combat-trained and that animal companions have the benefits of combat training as long as they're companions. With those covered I don't think it's as important to be able to get combat training for other animals.

[ofMars]

Since animal Companions are minions, they do whatever you want with no nature checks required as long as you spend an action to give them two, so that's a non-issue.

[Anne Archer]

Animal companions (CRB page 214) are specifically mentioned as Trained in unarmed attack, unarmed defense and barding.

You can also specifically command them to attack an enemy, or support your own attack.

That's about as much combat training as anyone can ask for.