Hunter Animal Companion Learning Skirmisher Tricks


Rules Questions


Hello everyone,

I have a Hunter that wants to teach his animal companion some skirmisher tricks. This is great. I love it.

He wants to do it using handle animal. There are no clear rules about this. I hate it.

Currently, I've ruled that the player can only teach is skirmisher tricks as an extra trick. Am I missing something? Is there a Handle Animal DC that will allow them to teach this tricks the same way other tricks can be trained?

Thanks for your time.


From the PFSRD: wrote:
A hunter may teach her companion hunter’s tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype instead of standard tricks. The animal companion can use skirmisher tricks when commanded, a number of times per day equal to half its Hit Dice plus its Wisdom modifier.

Follows that it can learn skirmisher tricks the way it would learn normal tricks.


JiaYou said wrote:
Follows that it can learn skirmisher tricks the way it would learn normal tricks.

Thanks for your reply. I was not specific enough. Normal tricks come with a Training DC. Because the Skirmisher learns things differently, there is no Training DC.

As Animal Companion training requires making a set training DC on a Handle Animal check, and skirmisher traits have no training DC, how do you learn Skirmisher tricks?


They wouldn't require training at all of they are part of the extra tricks. But if you're requiring rolls remember this, the "skirmisher" is the animal companion. This may limit the tricks it can learn, such as ranged attacks or the ones where its "companion" does something as it has no companion.

Looking over the list fighting and rescue are both DC 20. I would say that since there is no hard and fast rule written, use likewise tricks. Most skirmisher tricks are to make attacks or interfere in some way so DC 20 seems reasonable.

There is no RAW DC so I hope that helps.


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Thanks, Cavall. It at least saves me a lot of googling. I'll ask the player what they want to learn and take it from there.


For sure. When theres no something hard coded, working together with what you have established is always the smartest policy. For what its worth I would allow the hunter specific free tricks it picks up as a class above and beyond the animal companion to be learned instantly, as the class itself gains the ability.

Good luck! And remember no matter how many of them he takes they all share the same pool, so maybe stick to 2 or so he likes best so they can see some use.

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