Post/Author/DateTime	Post
scoobs 04-24-07, 12:54 AM	Does the druid need to "Push Animal," "Handle Animal," or what for the companion to attack? If so does he/she need to do this one turn ahead of time? Also, where do I adjust the companion's character sheet? For instance, if he or she is using a "Riding Dog" what adjustments do I need to make from the "Riding Dog" in the Monster's Manual? I'll search the PHB again, but any help would be appreciated. Any other details I need to know? Thanks in advance, starting campaign in a few hours :)
Marcus Majarra 04-24-07, 01:17 AM	A druid's companion knows a number of tricks (as per the Handle Animal skill). In order to get the companion to do anything, the druid has to handle the animal, if it knows the trick in question, or push it if it doesn't. For a druid (or any character with the animal companion class feature), handling the companion is a free action, and pushing it is a move action. For the bonus tricks known by the companion, the druid doesn't need to make a Handle Animal check. For any other tricks the companion knows, the druid needs to roll Handle Animal as normal (with a +4 circumstance bonus due to the companion's Link feature) to handle or push the animal. If the druid needs the animal to perform a trick it knows, odds are he'll be able to do it on the spot, since handling the animal is a free action. Pushing it to perform a trick it doesn't know will require a move action. As for the adjustments, just defer to the animal companion table. For example, a 6th-level druid's riding dog companion has 4 extra animal HD (for a total of 6), gaining skills points as appropriate (4 in this case). Its BAB will increase to +4, it will gain two bonus feats, and its base saves will improve to +5/+5/+2. Its natural armor bonus will increase by 4, and its Strength and Dexterity by two each. It will know 3 bonus tricks, and have the Link, Share Spells, Evasion, and Devotion abilities.
scoobs 04-24-07, 01:24 AM	Thanks. Is "Attack" a trick the animal knows. If so, it's a free action so could the Druid either attack OR heal, as a standard action, AND the animal attacks in one turn? If it's a push, could the animal be prepared to attack the next turn, and the druid still gets his or her standard action and move action? Thanks. I still haven't gotten a chance to read the PHB, all the players are reading it :/ And can I read about the "Link" feature in the PHB as well?
Davro 04-24-07, 02:46 AM	Read through the Handle Animal skill in the PHB (and other books that expand on handle animal). They should list available tricks like: Attack, Guard, Fetch, Tolerate Armour. Some tricks are rolled into packages for ease of teaching.
scoobs 04-24-07, 03:00 AM	K, I figured it all out except for one detail :) How many tricks does the companion start out with? Are these under "Special"? Or does the druid have to teach the animal tricks which takes a week's time? I know she gets one bonus trick, and wants to use Attack as this.
fiellan 04-24-07, 03:15 AM	The animal companion can learn 3 tricks per point of it's intelligence. I believe the Riding Dog has an Intelligence of 2 therefore as a level 1 Animal Companion it will be able to learn 6 tricks plus it's bonus trick for a total of 7. However I have not yet had my coffee so I could be wrong :)
scoobs 04-24-07, 03:19 AM	Just one more thing :D The PHB states that the bonus trick doesn't require an Handle Animal check, but the DC for Attack is 20. Does this DC only apply if the animal hasn't been taught the trick? Also, if it doesn't require an Handle Animal check, then is it a free move? Thanks.
scoobs 04-24-07, 03:20 AM	The animal companion can learn 3 tricks per point of it's intelligence. I believe the Riding Dog has an Intelligence of 2 therefore as a level 1 Animal Companion it will be able to learn 6 tricks plus it's bonus trick for a total of 7. However I have not yet had my coffee so I could be wrong :) That is correct but each trick takes a week to learn.
Davro 04-24-07, 03:22 AM	K, I figured it all out except for one detail :) How many tricks does the companion start out with? Are these under "Special"? Or does the druid have to teach the animal tricks which takes a week's time? I know she gets one bonus trick, and wants to use Attack as this. I, as someone who regularly DMs for druids, think it's fair and fine that a starting druid will already have trained their animal companion - assuming she started the game with it... I also think it's fair that the 24hr ritual to summon a new companion when the druid's companion dies could be interpreted as a ressurection type effect for the dead companion. Given that a new riding dog would have the exact same stats as the old one. This way the druid is not lumbered with two months of training to get the tricks back. (But hey, I play world of warcraft so I'm used to the concept of "Revive Pet").
scoobs 04-24-07, 03:25 AM	I'll probably allow the first (I'll just add 6 weeks to the Druid's life :) ), but not the latter.
Davro 04-24-07, 03:27 AM	That is correct but each trick takes a week to learn. Bonus tricks do not require any time or skill checks to train according to the SRD.
scoobs 04-24-07, 03:27 AM	Just one more thing :D The PHB states that the bonus trick doesn't require an Handle Animal check, but the DC for Attack is 20. Does this DC only apply if the animal hasn't been taught the trick? Also, if it doesn't require an Handle Animal check, then is it a free move? Thanks. Bump.
scoobs 04-24-07, 03:28 AM	Bonus tricks do not require any time or skill checks to train according to the SRD. Correct, that's why I'm adding 6 weeks to the Druid's life; rather than 7 ;) I need help with the question directly above this post please...
Davro 04-24-07, 03:31 AM	A druid or ranger handling their animal companion can do it as a free action (so, commanding the animal to perform a known trick) or push it as a move action (Handle animal check to perform a trick it doesn't know).
scoobs 04-24-07, 02:40 PM	Thanks.