About Animal Companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

About Animal Companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Alanor
10-27-06, 01:43 PM When Druids Animal Companion fights, can it act normally, or does the Druid have to make a Handle Animal check regarding every task he wants the animal to do?
The_Shaman
10-27-06, 01:49 PM I think s/he makes a check only if she wants to influence the animal, say make it back down or something, when it's into the fray. The animal acts on its own, and can attack or move without the Druid instructing it. We usually played it as a DM-controlled NPC.
Alanor
10-27-06, 01:57 PM In PHB it says that if Animal does not know the "Down" trick (to retreat) it fights until it must flee (injury, fear effect...) Does this mean that if Animal Companion gets on low hp it flees on its own?
johnkretzer
10-27-06, 02:11 PM The animal companion will fight to protect the druid. If you want it to perform a specific trick combat or attack a specific foe then it needs the right trick and the fruid needs to make a hande animal check, Which they get a bonus on.

A animal companion that is low on HPs will flee on it's own. If the druid would want it to stay then I would allow a handel animal role.

If the druid hasn't taught it the down trick and want it to break off the attack I allow atleast the druid to be able to pull the animal off. Since it is loyal to the druid it won't resist much.
treebouncer
10-27-06, 03:28 PM I play a druid and the way my DM does it is he makes me role a handle animal check for a few things.

For example telling my wolf to attack- i dont have to make a handle animal role on this because with my modifiers, i have a handle animal of 14, and the DC for the attack command is a 10.
so basically anything above a 15(since my skill+a roll of one=15) he will make me roll a handle animal check on it.

another fun thing that you can do to make the game a little more real is treat the animal a little more like a real thing. such as if it gets crit have it roll a will save, if it fails the druid has to pass a handle animal roll or it runs away.

also some DM's basically say you have trained the animal for fighting, so you dont have to make handle animal checks because it listens to you.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Alanor 10-27-06, 01:43 PM	When Druids Animal Companion fights, can it act normally, or does the Druid have to make a Handle Animal check regarding every task he wants the animal to do?
The_Shaman 10-27-06, 01:49 PM	I think s/he makes a check only if she wants to influence the animal, say make it back down or something, when it's into the fray. The animal acts on its own, and can attack or move without the Druid instructing it. We usually played it as a DM-controlled NPC.
Alanor 10-27-06, 01:57 PM	In PHB it says that if Animal does not know the "Down" trick (to retreat) it fights until it must flee (injury, fear effect...) Does this mean that if Animal Companion gets on low hp it flees on its own?
johnkretzer 10-27-06, 02:11 PM	The animal companion will fight to protect the druid. If you want it to perform a specific trick combat or attack a specific foe then it needs the right trick and the fruid needs to make a hande animal check, Which they get a bonus on. A animal companion that is low on HPs will flee on it's own. If the druid would want it to stay then I would allow a handel animal role. If the druid hasn't taught it the down trick and want it to break off the attack I allow atleast the druid to be able to pull the animal off. Since it is loyal to the druid it won't resist much.
treebouncer 10-27-06, 03:28 PM	I play a druid and the way my DM does it is he makes me role a handle animal check for a few things. For example telling my wolf to attack- i dont have to make a handle animal role on this because with my modifiers, i have a handle animal of 14, and the DC for the attack command is a 10. so basically anything above a 15(since my skill+a roll of one=15) he will make me roll a handle animal check on it. another fun thing that you can do to make the game a little more real is treat the animal a little more like a real thing. such as if it gets crit have it roll a will save, if it fails the druid has to pass a handle animal roll or it runs away. also some DM's basically say you have trained the animal for fighting, so you dont have to make handle animal checks because it listens to you.