Animal Companions & Confusion

[NinjaPirateBob]

We ran into this situation last night and I'm trying to get a better clarification. I have a normal animal companion and we had to make a save vs confusion. I passed but my companion failed. Does my companion act confused on my turn even if I don't spend an action to command it and give it it's own actions? Am I forced to give it 2 actions to play out the confusion?

From the rules it seems like I could just not give it an action and let the confusion duration run out while I do my own things but it doesn't fit with what's going on in the moment and breaks immersion by relying on mechanics to do what essentially feels like cheating. The way we ruled it is I could act normally and my companion still makes a confusion roll and if it's something other than "act normally" they take that action without being commanded (my scorpion attacked the closest player unfortunately).

I would love to hear some opinions and specifically from a Developer about this niche situation. Our table will probably stick with the ruling we made no matter what because it makes the most sense from a narrative point of view but I'm still curious what everyone else thinks.

[Blave]

Animal Companions are able to act on their own. As per the minion trait, they can escape harm and defend themselves. I see no reason to not grant them actions to act while confused.

The number of actions is another question, but I'd just default to two actions, personally.

[N N 959]

In the context of "balance," the animal should get no actions if not Commanded. Confusion should not change this, nor does anything in the Confusion condition require such a change.

Confused p.618 wrote:

You use all your actions to Strike or cast offensive cantrips, though the GM can have you use other actions to facilitate attack, such as draw a weapon, move so that a target is in reach, and so forth.

You can't use actions you don't have.

Animal Companions p.214 wrote:

Your animal companion has the minion trait, and it gains 2 actions during your turn if you use the Command an Animal action to command it;

Minion Trait wrote:

If given no commands, minions use no actions except to defend themselves or to escape obvious harm.

Again, minions have no actions unless commanded. Being "Confused" doesn't qualify as defending oneself or escaping danger.

Confused p.618 wrote:

You don’t have your wits about you, and you attack wildly.

Confused does not say you defend yourself or try to escape dangers. It says you don't have any allies and you start attacking them, using your actions. Again, there's nothing in the Confused state that overrides a Minion not having actions unless commanded.

NinjaPirateBob wrote:

From the rules it seems like I could just not give it an action and let the confusion duration run out while I do my own things but it doesn't fit with what's going on in the moment and breaks immersion by relying on mechanics to do what essentially feels like cheating.

That isn't cheating. These games, require all kinds of nonsensical outcomes on account of game balance. : I just learned that Inspire Courage doesn't work against Demoralize because it doen't have the Fear tag, even though the description for being Frightened says you are "gripped by fear."

And it's not like you are robbing Confusion of all efficacy. It forced you to forego the use of your Companion, so it was still having an impact and putting you at a disadvantage.

GM who are quick to impose the rules on players, no matter how contradictory/nonsensical they are, should not refuse to the same when it works to the player's advantage.

The only change to this might be when the animal Mature's and has 1 free action without being Commanded. Then, I think it acts.

[Gortle]

I agree that simply not commanding your animal companion, so it has no actions is a legal and effective response to your animal being Confused. It is also denying the use of your Animal Companion for a time so it seems fair too.

However Animal Companions can have actions even if you don't command them example Mature Animal Companion which you are likely to have at the level that confusion is being used against you. So I reckon it will have an effect anyway.

I also would think a GM was quite reasonable do what GMs do, and improvise to apply some common sense and maybe have a Confused Animal Companion do something even if they aren't commanded.