Halfling Nature Shaman & Favored Class bonus


Rules Questions


So, I've been trying for the last week to find a rules clarification on the interaction between the Shaman hybrid classes 16th level Nature True Spirit Ability and the Halfling Shaman Favored Class bonus.

Nature - True Spirit Ability:
Companion Animal (Su): The shaman’s spirit animal takes the form of an animal companion of her choice, using her shaman level as her effective druid level. The animal retains all the special abilities and the Intelligence score of the spirit animal, but also has the statistics and abilities of an animal companion. If the animal is dismissed, is lost, or dies, it can be replaced in the same way as a normal spirit animal.

Halfling Shaman Favored Class:
Add 1/2 to the shaman’s effective class level for the purpose of determining her spirit animal’s natural armor adjustment, Intelligence, and special abilities.

Would the favored class bonus affect only those abilities normally granted to familiars and their archetypes, or would it also extend into the animal companion abilities it gains at 16th level? If it does extend into the animal companion abilities, what all would it actually affect?


The favored class extends to 'natural armor adjustment, Intelligence, and special abilities.' Animal companions don't get the first two, there's nothing to increase, though presumably they still get the familiar stuff. Whether the GM extends the table past L20 is up to them though. On special abilities the only gain for the animal companion past L16 is the 1 per 4 HD ability increase. RAW I think that is included.


avr wrote:
The favored class extends to 'natural armor adjustment, Intelligence, and special abilities.' Animal companions don't get the first two, there's nothing to increase, though presumably they still get the familiar stuff. Whether the GM extends the table past L20 is up to them though. On special abilities the only gain for the animal companion past L16 is the 1 per 4 HD ability increase. RAW I think that is included.

The only item on the list that Animal Companions don't have is Intelligence. They do in fact have a natural armor adjustment.


Such a weird 16th level ability. By the time you get it, having a companion isn’t that much help.


Chell Raighn wrote:
The only item on the list that Animal Companions don't have is Intelligence. They do in fact have a natural armor adjustment.

Sorry yes you're right they'd get that too.


Ok, so I have a bit of a follow-up question on this... One of the other players in my group brought up a valid question. So when the Shaman reaches level 16 and their spirit animal becomes an animal companion, do they still retain their natural armor adjustment from the familiar stat-block, or is the familiars natural armor adjustment lost in the conversion and replaced with the animal companions natural armor adjustment?

For example, starting with a Tiny Cat as Spirit animal, converting to Small Cat animal companion.

At level 15:
Str 3, Dex 15, Con 8, Int 13{15 with FC}, Wis 12, Cha 7
AC 24{26 with FC} (+8{+10 with FC} Nat)

At level 16:
Str 16, Dex 19, Con 15, Int 13{15 with FC}, Wis 12, Cha 6
AC 25{27 with FC} (1+10{+12 with FC} Nat)
or
AC 33{37 with FC} (1+8{+10 with FC}+10{+12 with FC} Nat)

I already know both adjustments would stack together if the familiar's natural ac adjustment is kept due to the wording of both abilities. The question here though is is the familiar's nat ac adjustment kept or lost?

Community / Forums / Pathfinder / Pathfinder First Edition / Rules Questions / Halfling Nature Shaman & Favored Class bonus All Messageboards

Want to post a reply? Sign in.