Calculating animal companions... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Calculating animal companions... [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
sythspawn
03-04-07, 11:08 AM I currently have a 6th level ranger/2nd level beastmaster (Complete Adventurer prestige class). Right now that grants me two animal companions. How do I properly calculate their stats?
inkeyeshasthecoolestart
03-04-07, 12:53 PM If it is an animal companion and not called something else then it should say what you do. You either add you beastmaster level to you ranger levle or your druid level.
Karrg
03-04-07, 01:02 PM Going from memory so, rangers count as half there lvl for calculating their animal companion, beastmasters count as their lvl, and beastmasters get a +3 lvl bump as well at first lvl. So your ranger 6/beastmaster 2 has an effective druid lvl of
8 for their animal companion.
Karrg
Arem_K
03-04-07, 01:02 PM Two things:

You should have a single animal companion. You only get an extra one at level 4 of beastmaster.

Your animal companion is based off your "druid" level. As a ranger, your druid level for the purpose of animal companions your is half your ranger level. Your beastmaster level stack with your druid levels, plus you get a plus three bonus. Mathematically we are looking at (ranger level/2) + Beastmaster level + 3. Putting you in this formula, we can see that you can have the animal companion of an eighth level druid.

To calculate the abilities of your extra animal companions (which only appear at level 4 of beastmaster) you look at your beastmaster level (and only your beastmaster level, ignore your ranger levels) and subtract three from that. So if you were a ranger 6/ beastmeaster 4, you would have an animal companion at level 1 (beastmaster minus 3). So as a tenth level character, you would have an extra riding dog or something. You might think that having a riding dog at tenth level is worthless, and I would agree, which is why I do not recommend the beastmaster class.
sythspawn
03-04-07, 02:07 PM I can't have my animal companion from my 4th ranger level in addition to the one from the first level of beastmaster?

I didn't realize that. That does kinda make the Beastmaster class less cool than I thought.
Arem_K
03-04-07, 02:53 PM I can't have my animal companion from my 4th ranger level in addition to the one from the first level of beastmaster?

I didn't realize that. That does kinda make the Beastmaster class less cool than I thought.

Nope, but do note that you will have one animal companion that is at level eight. Otherwise you would have a level 3 and a level four animal companion, which would mean that after the first fireball you would not have anything at all.
sythspawn
03-05-07, 01:17 PM I have a wolf companion. By my calculations (after taking a third level of beastmaster) he qualifies for the +6 bonus HD making him an 8 HD wolf. That makes him a Large-sized now, correct?

After I factor in all the other adjustments from my druid levels, I then tack on the adjustments for increasing in size, right?

The result ends up being a wolf companion that has a higher strength (24) rating and armor class than I do.

Did I do that correctly?
mightyix
03-05-07, 05:16 PM I have a wolf companion. By my calculations (after taking a third level of beastmaster) he qualifies for the +6 bonus HD making him an 8 HD wolf. That makes him a Large-sized now, correct?

After I factor in all the other adjustments from my druid levels, I then tack on the adjustments for increasing in size, right?

The result ends up being a wolf companion that has a higher strength (24) rating and armor class than I do.

Did I do that correctly?

No. Animal Companions do not gain the size increase benefits associated with an increase in HD.

"The animal companion gains extra Hit Dice as noted in the table on page 36 of the Player's Handbook. The companion gains the full benefit from increased Hit Dice, including increased base attack, base saves, skill points, and feats. The animal companion, however, does not increase in size (any more than you do when adding Hit Dice for your class levels)."
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20070206a
sythspawn
03-05-07, 09:44 PM Actually, in some ways that's a relief. I was beginning to get frustrated because I couldn't bring the wolf in to dungeons with me, due to his being the size of a horse. :D

Looks like I'll be rearranging his stats again.
BlackWeasel
03-05-07, 11:53 PM To get more than one animal companion thng you can go into the beast heart adept class on the dungeonscape excerpt
sythspawn
03-06-07, 07:56 AM That sounds cool!
DEMONisbest
03-07-07, 08:19 AM I actualy have a funny question: when will the wolf´s size increase? I mean a "normal" HD 6 wolf should be a large creature, so will the AC wolf get that increase when he ages, or will he remain a medium sized creature for eternity?
And 1 more question: is it possible to raise your AC HD above the maximum HD for its type, as given in MM? (wolf can be of no more than 6 HD, but with druid level of 9 he should be entitled to get a +6 HD which will make him a HD 8 creature)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
sythspawn 03-04-07, 11:08 AM	I currently have a 6th level ranger/2nd level beastmaster (Complete Adventurer prestige class). Right now that grants me two animal companions. How do I properly calculate their stats?
inkeyeshasthecoolestart 03-04-07, 12:53 PM	If it is an animal companion and not called something else then it should say what you do. You either add you beastmaster level to you ranger levle or your druid level.
Karrg 03-04-07, 01:02 PM	Going from memory so, rangers count as half there lvl for calculating their animal companion, beastmasters count as their lvl, and beastmasters get a +3 lvl bump as well at first lvl. So your ranger 6/beastmaster 2 has an effective druid lvl of 8 for their animal companion. Karrg
Arem_K 03-04-07, 01:02 PM	Two things: You should have a single animal companion. You only get an extra one at level 4 of beastmaster. Your animal companion is based off your "druid" level. As a ranger, your druid level for the purpose of animal companions your is half your ranger level. Your beastmaster level stack with your druid levels, plus you get a plus three bonus. Mathematically we are looking at (ranger level/2) + Beastmaster level + 3. Putting you in this formula, we can see that you can have the animal companion of an eighth level druid. To calculate the abilities of your extra animal companions (which only appear at level 4 of beastmaster) you look at your beastmaster level (and only your beastmaster level, ignore your ranger levels) and subtract three from that. So if you were a ranger 6/ beastmeaster 4, you would have an animal companion at level 1 (beastmaster minus 3). So as a tenth level character, you would have an extra riding dog or something. You might think that having a riding dog at tenth level is worthless, and I would agree, which is why I do not recommend the beastmaster class.
sythspawn 03-04-07, 02:07 PM	I can't have my animal companion from my 4th ranger level in addition to the one from the first level of beastmaster? I didn't realize that. That does kinda make the Beastmaster class less cool than I thought.
Arem_K 03-04-07, 02:53 PM	I can't have my animal companion from my 4th ranger level in addition to the one from the first level of beastmaster? I didn't realize that. That does kinda make the Beastmaster class less cool than I thought. Nope, but do note that you will have one animal companion that is at level eight. Otherwise you would have a level 3 and a level four animal companion, which would mean that after the first fireball you would not have anything at all.
sythspawn 03-05-07, 01:17 PM	I have a wolf companion. By my calculations (after taking a third level of beastmaster) he qualifies for the +6 bonus HD making him an 8 HD wolf. That makes him a Large-sized now, correct? After I factor in all the other adjustments from my druid levels, I then tack on the adjustments for increasing in size, right? The result ends up being a wolf companion that has a higher strength (24) rating and armor class than I do. Did I do that correctly?
mightyix 03-05-07, 05:16 PM	I have a wolf companion. By my calculations (after taking a third level of beastmaster) he qualifies for the +6 bonus HD making him an 8 HD wolf. That makes him a Large-sized now, correct? After I factor in all the other adjustments from my druid levels, I then tack on the adjustments for increasing in size, right? The result ends up being a wolf companion that has a higher strength (24) rating and armor class than I do. Did I do that correctly? No. Animal Companions do not gain the size increase benefits associated with an increase in HD. "The animal companion gains extra Hit Dice as noted in the table on page 36 of the Player's Handbook. The companion gains the full benefit from increased Hit Dice, including increased base attack, base saves, skill points, and feats. The animal companion, however, does not increase in size (any more than you do when adding Hit Dice for your class levels)." http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/rg/20070206a
sythspawn 03-05-07, 09:44 PM	Actually, in some ways that's a relief. I was beginning to get frustrated because I couldn't bring the wolf in to dungeons with me, due to his being the size of a horse. :D Looks like I'll be rearranging his stats again.
BlackWeasel 03-05-07, 11:53 PM	To get more than one animal companion thng you can go into the beast heart adept class on the dungeonscape excerpt
sythspawn 03-06-07, 07:56 AM	That sounds cool!
DEMONisbest 03-07-07, 08:19 AM	I actualy have a funny question: when will the wolf´s size increase? I mean a "normal" HD 6 wolf should be a large creature, so will the AC wolf get that increase when he ages, or will he remain a medium sized creature for eternity? And 1 more question: is it possible to raise your AC HD above the maximum HD for its type, as given in MM? (wolf can be of no more than 6 HD, but with druid level of 9 he should be entitled to get a +6 HD which will make him a HD 8 creature)