Advancing A Druid's Animal Companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

Advancing A Druid's Animal Companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
pukunui
10-26-06, 06:55 PM Hi there,

The girl in my gaming group is playing an elf druid (go figure). Her character recently attained 3rd level but lost his wolf companion in a fight. During last night's session, I had her character spend the 24 hours praying for a new companion, also a wolf. However, because the druid is now 3rd level, the companion is supposed to be an improved specimen.

My first question is: in the MM, it says that a wolf with 4 HD becomes Large. When a druid gets to 3rd level, its animal companion gains 2 HD. Since a wolf already has 2 HD, this puts it at 4 HD. Does this mean that the animal companion is now Large? (The reason I ask is because I've been trying to keep track of my players' PCs using e-Tools, and it seems to think the druid's wolf companion is still only a Medium creature at 4 HD).

I'll wait until I get an answer on that one to ask my next questions as they depend entirely on whether or not the animal changes size (as this impacts on virtually everything about the creature ...)

Thanks in advance,
pukunui
Cael
10-26-06, 06:58 PM Hi there,

The girl in my gaming group is playing an elf druid (go figure). Her character recently attained 3rd level but lost his wolf companion in a fight. During last night's session, I had her character spend the 24 hours praying for a new companion, also a wolf. However, because the druid is now 3rd level, the companion is supposed to be an improved specimen.

My first question is: in the MM, it says that a wolf with 4 HD becomes Large. When a druid gets to 3rd level, its animal companion gains 2 HD. Since a wolf already has 2 HD, this puts it at 4 HD. Does this mean that the animal companion is now Large? (The reason I ask is because I've been trying to keep track of my players' PCs using e-Tools, and it seems to think the druid's wolf companion is still only a Medium creature at 4 HD).

I'll wait until I get an answer on that one to ask my next questions as they depend entirely on whether or not the animal changes size (as this impacts on virtually everything about the creature ...)

Thanks in advance,
pukunui
No. A Druid's animal companion gets all the benefits of the increased HD except changing size and gaining stat bonuses. They get the skill points, BAB and saves.
pukunui
10-26-06, 07:03 PM No. A Druid's animal companion gets all the benefits of the increased HD except changing size and gaining stat bonuses. They get the skill points, BAB and saves.
OK. Whew! I wasn't looking forward to having a Large wolf running around with the PCs in my campaign.

Second question: The wolf companion gets a new feat for its 3rd HD (which it effectively skips by gaining 2 HD at once). What feats can a wolf companion get?
Cael
10-26-06, 07:23 PM OK. Whew! I wasn't looking forward to having a Large wolf running around with the PCs in my campaign.

Second question: The wolf companion gets a new feat for its 3rd HD (which it effectively skips by gaining 2 HD at once). What feats can a wolf companion get?
Any feat that it qualifies for.

Now, whether it can get Improved Trip is up to you. By RAW, it cannot, without getting Combat Expertise (which the Wolf cannot get due to an Int 13 requirement), but I always found it stupid that an animal that can Trip naturally cannot get Improved Trip at all. That is the only hang-up that I have with it.

By the way, you might want to point your player towards a Riding Dog. It is better than a Wolf and it gets to Trip like one when she trains it for war (2 months, and gives a bunch of bonuses, see MM2, pg 209 or so). Besides, an Alaskan Malamute is a lot cuter than a mangy Wolf :D
Darth Sephiroth
10-26-06, 07:31 PM Well there is the Extra Tricks feat, I think its in Complete Warrior or Complete Adventurer. Also think about Improved Natural Attack and Improved Natural Armor. Skill Focus (Survival) is a good shot for improving the use of Track.

Weapon Focus and Improved Critical for Bite is helpful as are things like Power Attack and the like. Run and Endurance are great, perhaps add Improved Grapple and things of that sort to make it capable of dragging enemies to the ground like the police dogs do.

Anyway, Wolves are awesome and if you want some real fun go with a Druid/Beastmaster with the Wild Cohort feat and have fun with a whole pack of Wolves while you Wildshape into one as well.
pukunui
10-26-06, 07:38 PM Thanks guys. She picked Improved Initiative, which is probably next to useless for an animal companion. Should I get her to change it, do you think, or just leave it?

Would this be correct for a wolf companion of a 3rd-level druid?

Male Wolf: CR 1; Medium Animal; HD 4d8+8; hp 24; Init +7; Spd 50ft; AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14; BAB +3; Grp +5; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+3); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort + 6, Ref + 7, Will + 2; STR 14, DEX
16, CON 15, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Skills: Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3, Survival +1 (+4 when tracking by scent). [+2 skill points]
Feats: Improved Initiative, TrackB, Weapon Focus (bite).
Cael
10-26-06, 07:43 PM Thanks guys. She picked Improved Initiative, which is probably next to useless for an animal companion. Should I get her to change it, do you think, or just leave it?

Would this be correct for a wolf companion of a 3rd-level druid?

Male Wolf: CR 1; Medium Animal; HD 4d8+8; hp 24; Init +7; Spd 50ft; AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14; BAB +3; Grp +5; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+3); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort + 6, Ref + 7, Will + 2; STR 14, DEX
16, CON 15, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6.
Skills: Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3, Survival +1 (+4 when tracking by scent). [+2 skill points]
Feats: Improved Initiative, TrackB, Weapon Focus (bite).

Yep. Improved Initiative is fine if you allow the animal companion to attack on its own. But seeing as it has animal intelligence, that might be problematic. I did give Improved Initiative to an animal companion once, but that was because he had Int 10 (he was a companion familiar).
pukunui
10-26-06, 07:47 PM Yep. Improved Initiative is fine if you allow the animal companion to attack on its own. But seeing as it has animal intelligence, that might be problematic. I did give Improved Initiative to an animal companion once, but that was because he had Int 10 (he was a companion familiar).
Yeah, I make the wolf act on the druid's turn (since the druid has to do a handle animal check in order to get it to do anything in combat ...). So maybe I should get her to change it, eh?

Also, about riding dog v. wolf: she's deadset on the wolf. It's a girl thing, apparently. (Check out my thread on women and druids (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=719316), if you haven't already.)
Cael
10-26-06, 08:08 PM Yeah, I make the wolf act on the druid's turn (since the druid has to do a handle animal check in order to get it to do anything in combat ...). So maybe I should get her to change it, eh?

Also, about riding dog v. wolf: she's deadset on the wolf. It's a girl thing, apparently. (Check out my thread on women and druids (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=719316), if you haven't already.)
Being an animal, it might also attack anything that it *perceives* as threatening the Druid, unless trained otherwise. Having Improved Initiative means that it can act before the Druid and kill hapless idiot before the Druid can call it off.
The_Shaman
10-26-06, 08:17 PM Still, a creature with a 50ft land speed and an improved initiative isn't a laughing matter anyway... Pukunui, you will get to have a large wolf soon, she should hit dire wolf territory eventually. Then she can ride it.

I would have preferred improved natural attack, or anything that can maximize the trip-AoO-trip combo. A wolf is completely wicked with that at low levels.
pukunui
10-26-06, 08:22 PM Being an animal, it might also attack anything that it *perceives* as threatening the Druid, unless trained otherwise. Having Improved Initiative means that it can act before the Druid and kill hapless idiot before the Druid can call it off.
Would that be an instance where I controlled the wolf's actions as DM? Just curious. It's certainly an interesting idea.

As for the dire wolf -- we'll see if she wants one or not. I don't know if she's even looked at the alternative animal companions or not. I don't think I'm going to say anything about it when her druid hits 4th level and see what she does ...
Cael
10-26-06, 08:28 PM Would that be an instance where I controlled the wolf's actions as DM? Just curious. It's certainly an interesting idea.
Yes, but don't do it too often. It gets annoying. Just do it when some idiot NPC desides to be a total donkey's butt (i.e., an NPC that is just asking to be off-ed), and lower the consequences. I would do it for a bit of comic relief myself.

NPC: Hah! You think you can defeat Zorgo the Magnificent? You are all fools, you are nobodies!
PC: Umm... we don't know you.
NPC: You have not heard of Zorgo the Great? That is an insult! I will show you my prowess of incredible...
Wolf: *chomp*
Guard: So, Zorgo finally bites it, eh? Serves the arrogant jerk right.
pukunui
10-26-06, 08:34 PM Yes, but don't do it too often. It gets annoying. Just do it when some idiot NPC desides to be a total donkey's butt (i.e., an NPC that is just asking to be off-ed), and lower the consequences. I would do it for a bit of comic relief myself.

NPC: Hah! You think you can defeat Zorgo the Magnificent? You are all fools, you are nobodies!
PC: Umm... we don't know you.
NPC: You have not heard of Zorgo the Great? That is an insult! I will show you my prowess of incredible...
Wolf: *chomp*
Guard: So, Zorgo finally bites it, eh? Serves the arrogant jerk right.
:rofl: That is good. I'll have to keep that example scenario in mind!

:angelhide
Cael
10-26-06, 11:21 PM :rofl: That is good. I'll have to keep that example scenario in mind!

:angelhide
Just remember to make the PCs sweat a little first. Like roll for initiative to try to stop the wolf eating Zargo, have the guards come running up going, "'Ello 'ello 'ello! What up here, then?" and the works.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
pukunui 10-26-06, 06:55 PM	Hi there, The girl in my gaming group is playing an elf druid (go figure). Her character recently attained 3rd level but lost his wolf companion in a fight. During last night's session, I had her character spend the 24 hours praying for a new companion, also a wolf. However, because the druid is now 3rd level, the companion is supposed to be an improved specimen. My first question is: in the MM, it says that a wolf with 4 HD becomes Large. When a druid gets to 3rd level, its animal companion gains 2 HD. Since a wolf already has 2 HD, this puts it at 4 HD. Does this mean that the animal companion is now Large? (The reason I ask is because I've been trying to keep track of my players' PCs using e-Tools, and it seems to think the druid's wolf companion is still only a Medium creature at 4 HD). I'll wait until I get an answer on that one to ask my next questions as they depend entirely on whether or not the animal changes size (as this impacts on virtually everything about the creature ...) Thanks in advance, pukunui
Cael 10-26-06, 06:58 PM	Hi there, The girl in my gaming group is playing an elf druid (go figure). Her character recently attained 3rd level but lost his wolf companion in a fight. During last night's session, I had her character spend the 24 hours praying for a new companion, also a wolf. However, because the druid is now 3rd level, the companion is supposed to be an improved specimen. My first question is: in the MM, it says that a wolf with 4 HD becomes Large. When a druid gets to 3rd level, its animal companion gains 2 HD. Since a wolf already has 2 HD, this puts it at 4 HD. Does this mean that the animal companion is now Large? (The reason I ask is because I've been trying to keep track of my players' PCs using e-Tools, and it seems to think the druid's wolf companion is still only a Medium creature at 4 HD). I'll wait until I get an answer on that one to ask my next questions as they depend entirely on whether or not the animal changes size (as this impacts on virtually everything about the creature ...) Thanks in advance, pukunui No. A Druid's animal companion gets all the benefits of the increased HD except changing size and gaining stat bonuses. They get the skill points, BAB and saves.
pukunui 10-26-06, 07:03 PM	No. A Druid's animal companion gets all the benefits of the increased HD except changing size and gaining stat bonuses. They get the skill points, BAB and saves. OK. Whew! I wasn't looking forward to having a Large wolf running around with the PCs in my campaign. Second question: The wolf companion gets a new feat for its 3rd HD (which it effectively skips by gaining 2 HD at once). What feats can a wolf companion get?
Cael 10-26-06, 07:23 PM	OK. Whew! I wasn't looking forward to having a Large wolf running around with the PCs in my campaign. Second question: The wolf companion gets a new feat for its 3rd HD (which it effectively skips by gaining 2 HD at once). What feats can a wolf companion get? Any feat that it qualifies for. Now, whether it can get Improved Trip is up to you. By RAW, it cannot, without getting Combat Expertise (which the Wolf cannot get due to an Int 13 requirement), but I always found it stupid that an animal that can Trip naturally cannot get Improved Trip at all. That is the only hang-up that I have with it. By the way, you might want to point your player towards a Riding Dog. It is better than a Wolf and it gets to Trip like one when she trains it for war (2 months, and gives a bunch of bonuses, see MM2, pg 209 or so). Besides, an Alaskan Malamute is a lot cuter than a mangy Wolf :D
Darth Sephiroth 10-26-06, 07:31 PM	Well there is the Extra Tricks feat, I think its in Complete Warrior or Complete Adventurer. Also think about Improved Natural Attack and Improved Natural Armor. Skill Focus (Survival) is a good shot for improving the use of Track. Weapon Focus and Improved Critical for Bite is helpful as are things like Power Attack and the like. Run and Endurance are great, perhaps add Improved Grapple and things of that sort to make it capable of dragging enemies to the ground like the police dogs do. Anyway, Wolves are awesome and if you want some real fun go with a Druid/Beastmaster with the Wild Cohort feat and have fun with a whole pack of Wolves while you Wildshape into one as well.
pukunui 10-26-06, 07:38 PM	Thanks guys. She picked Improved Initiative, which is probably next to useless for an animal companion. Should I get her to change it, do you think, or just leave it? Would this be correct for a wolf companion of a 3rd-level druid? Male Wolf: CR 1; Medium Animal; HD 4d8+8; hp 24; Init +7; Spd 50ft; AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14; BAB +3; Grp +5; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+3); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort + 6, Ref + 7, Will + 2; STR 14, DEX 16, CON 15, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6. Skills: Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3, Survival +1 (+4 when tracking by scent). [+2 skill points] Feats: Improved Initiative, TrackB, Weapon Focus (bite).
Cael 10-26-06, 07:43 PM	Thanks guys. She picked Improved Initiative, which is probably next to useless for an animal companion. Should I get her to change it, do you think, or just leave it? Would this be correct for a wolf companion of a 3rd-level druid? Male Wolf: CR 1; Medium Animal; HD 4d8+8; hp 24; Init +7; Spd 50ft; AC 17, touch 13, flat-footed 14; BAB +3; Grp +5; Atk Bite +6 melee (1d6+3); SA Trip; SQ Low-light vision, scent; AL N; SV Fort + 6, Ref + 7, Will + 2; STR 14, DEX 16, CON 15, INT 2, WIS 12, CHA 6. Skills: Hide +2, Listen +3, Move Silently +3, Spot +3, Survival +1 (+4 when tracking by scent). [+2 skill points] Feats: Improved Initiative, TrackB, Weapon Focus (bite). Yep. Improved Initiative is fine if you allow the animal companion to attack on its own. But seeing as it has animal intelligence, that might be problematic. I did give Improved Initiative to an animal companion once, but that was because he had Int 10 (he was a companion familiar).
pukunui 10-26-06, 07:47 PM	Yep. Improved Initiative is fine if you allow the animal companion to attack on its own. But seeing as it has animal intelligence, that might be problematic. I did give Improved Initiative to an animal companion once, but that was because he had Int 10 (he was a companion familiar). Yeah, I make the wolf act on the druid's turn (since the druid has to do a handle animal check in order to get it to do anything in combat ...). So maybe I should get her to change it, eh? Also, about riding dog v. wolf: she's deadset on the wolf. It's a girl thing, apparently. (Check out my thread on women and druids (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=719316), if you haven't already.)
Cael 10-26-06, 08:08 PM	Yeah, I make the wolf act on the druid's turn (since the druid has to do a handle animal check in order to get it to do anything in combat ...). So maybe I should get her to change it, eh? Also, about riding dog v. wolf: she's deadset on the wolf. It's a girl thing, apparently. (Check out my thread on women and druids (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=719316), if you haven't already.) Being an animal, it might also attack anything that it perceives as threatening the Druid, unless trained otherwise. Having Improved Initiative means that it can act before the Druid and kill hapless idiot before the Druid can call it off.
The_Shaman 10-26-06, 08:17 PM	Still, a creature with a 50ft land speed and an improved initiative isn't a laughing matter anyway... Pukunui, you will get to have a large wolf soon, she should hit dire wolf territory eventually. Then she can ride it. I would have preferred improved natural attack, or anything that can maximize the trip-AoO-trip combo. A wolf is completely wicked with that at low levels.
pukunui 10-26-06, 08:22 PM	Being an animal, it might also attack anything that it perceives as threatening the Druid, unless trained otherwise. Having Improved Initiative means that it can act before the Druid and kill hapless idiot before the Druid can call it off. Would that be an instance where I controlled the wolf's actions as DM? Just curious. It's certainly an interesting idea. As for the dire wolf -- we'll see if she wants one or not. I don't know if she's even looked at the alternative animal companions or not. I don't think I'm going to say anything about it when her druid hits 4th level and see what she does ...
Cael 10-26-06, 08:28 PM	Would that be an instance where I controlled the wolf's actions as DM? Just curious. It's certainly an interesting idea. Yes, but don't do it too often. It gets annoying. Just do it when some idiot NPC desides to be a total donkey's butt (i.e., an NPC that is just asking to be off-ed), and lower the consequences. I would do it for a bit of comic relief myself. NPC: Hah! You think you can defeat Zorgo the Magnificent? You are all fools, you are nobodies! PC: Umm... we don't know you. NPC: You have not heard of Zorgo the Great? That is an insult! I will show you my prowess of incredible... Wolf: chomp Guard: So, Zorgo finally bites it, eh? Serves the arrogant jerk right.
pukunui 10-26-06, 08:34 PM	Yes, but don't do it too often. It gets annoying. Just do it when some idiot NPC desides to be a total donkey's butt (i.e., an NPC that is just asking to be off-ed), and lower the consequences. I would do it for a bit of comic relief myself. NPC: Hah! You think you can defeat Zorgo the Magnificent? You are all fools, you are nobodies! PC: Umm... we don't know you. NPC: You have not heard of Zorgo the Great? That is an insult! I will show you my prowess of incredible... Wolf: chomp Guard: So, Zorgo finally bites it, eh? Serves the arrogant jerk right. :rofl: That is good. I'll have to keep that example scenario in mind! :angelhide
Cael 10-26-06, 11:21 PM	:rofl: That is good. I'll have to keep that example scenario in mind! :angelhide Just remember to make the PCs sweat a little first. Like roll for initiative to try to stop the wolf eating Zargo, have the guards come running up going, "'Ello 'ello 'ello! What up here, then?" and the works.