Animal Companions and Animal Familiars [Archive] - Wizards Community

Animal Companions and Animal Familiars [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sevaera
05-30-04, 08:30 AM I read the pages about companions and familiars already a thousand times but i still dont understand how it works, I need to know how animal companions works for rangers and druids, and familiars for sorcerers. What kind of HD they must have and so on, tell me everything you know plz, all information would be helpfull
ehrin
05-30-04, 10:13 AM If you have read the PHB a thousand times and still don't even know how an animal companion works, there is nothing I can say here that will help you.

As a druid at 1st level, you can call for an animal companion. You choose from the list (with your DM) and it comes and becomes your friend, more or less. As a ranger, you have to wait a few levels, but then you call, and it comes and becomes a friend.

It has the normal stats, hit die, etc. as any other animal of its' type.
The_Bug
06-07-04, 10:36 PM I am confused as the original poster. Does the animal companion act just like an animal with enhanced abilities(as in you have to roll for animal enthapy checks whenever you give it a command) or does it act more like a familiar where it acts as if already knows the command. Do you have to teach your animal companion commands('tricks' such as attack, guard, etc)?
Thorak
06-07-04, 11:17 PM Get the Monster Manual. Look up the stats for the animal.

Then, add any bonuses from your your levels that it gets. If it gets feats and skills from bonus HD, pick them.

Familiars don't get tricks. They're intelligent. They can understand orders.

Animal companions have to be taught tricks, but get bonus tricks based on the druid or ranger's levels which it just innately learns, without taking time to teach it.

And for any other animal handling bits, animal companions are animals. And are subject to those checks and such. The druid gets bonuses to those checks, though, listed in the animal companion description.
FaerieKingOberon
06-15-04, 03:42 PM I have a slightly different question- if you're a druid/ranger, do your druid levels and "effective druid levels" stack for having one companion, or do you get two companions of differing power levels?
Thorak
06-15-04, 09:44 PM Originally posted by FaerieKingOberon
I have a slightly different question- if you're a druid/ranger, do your druid levels and "effective druid levels" stack for having one companion, or do you get two companions of differing power levels?

They stack. PHB, page 36, right after the statistics table in the Animal Companion sidebar;
Class Level; The character's Druid level. The druid's class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an animal companion (such as the ranger) for the purpose of determining the companion's abilities and the alternative lists available to the character.

So a druid 8/Ranger 6 would have an effective Druid level of 11 for his animal companion's abilities.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sevaera 05-30-04, 08:30 AM	I read the pages about companions and familiars already a thousand times but i still dont understand how it works, I need to know how animal companions works for rangers and druids, and familiars for sorcerers. What kind of HD they must have and so on, tell me everything you know plz, all information would be helpfull
ehrin 05-30-04, 10:13 AM	If you have read the PHB a thousand times and still don't even know how an animal companion works, there is nothing I can say here that will help you. As a druid at 1st level, you can call for an animal companion. You choose from the list (with your DM) and it comes and becomes your friend, more or less. As a ranger, you have to wait a few levels, but then you call, and it comes and becomes a friend. It has the normal stats, hit die, etc. as any other animal of its' type.
The_Bug 06-07-04, 10:36 PM	I am confused as the original poster. Does the animal companion act just like an animal with enhanced abilities(as in you have to roll for animal enthapy checks whenever you give it a command) or does it act more like a familiar where it acts as if already knows the command. Do you have to teach your animal companion commands('tricks' such as attack, guard, etc)?
Thorak 06-07-04, 11:17 PM	Get the Monster Manual. Look up the stats for the animal. Then, add any bonuses from your your levels that it gets. If it gets feats and skills from bonus HD, pick them. Familiars don't get tricks. They're intelligent. They can understand orders. Animal companions have to be taught tricks, but get bonus tricks based on the druid or ranger's levels which it just innately learns, without taking time to teach it. And for any other animal handling bits, animal companions are animals. And are subject to those checks and such. The druid gets bonuses to those checks, though, listed in the animal companion description.
FaerieKingOberon 06-15-04, 03:42 PM	I have a slightly different question- if you're a druid/ranger, do your druid levels and "effective druid levels" stack for having one companion, or do you get two companions of differing power levels?
Thorak 06-15-04, 09:44 PM	Originally posted by FaerieKingOberon I have a slightly different question- if you're a druid/ranger, do your druid levels and "effective druid levels" stack for having one companion, or do you get two companions of differing power levels? They stack. PHB, page 36, right after the statistics table in the Animal Companion sidebar; Class Level; The character's Druid level. The druid's class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an animal companion (such as the ranger) for the purpose of determining the companion's abilities and the alternative lists available to the character. So a druid 8/Ranger 6 would have an effective Druid level of 11 for his animal companion's abilities.