Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Double M 08-12-06, 09:58 PM	Hey all, Can anyone give me a definitive answer (i.e., core source reference) as to how to handle barding for an Animal Companion? I'm looking for such information as whether any animal companion can wear barding or just limited ones; whether there is a non-proficiency penalty and if there is how to mitigate said penalty; is it covered in the handle animal skill or is there so feat that animals must burn to be proficient. I don't seem to remember anything about a horse or riding dog having the "barding proficiency" feat as an option, so is it included in the ride trick for handle animal?... You see where I'm coming from, any help is greatly appreciated. Thanks
Rhuxley 08-12-06, 10:28 PM	ther are rules for unusual mounts, and bonuses to ride for animal companion. standby for actual rules & references
Rhuxley 08-12-06, 10:48 PM	Pg 123 PhB: Armor for unusual creatures: "armor & shields for unusualy big creatures, unusualy little creatures, & nonhumanoid creatures have different costs & weights from those given on table 7-6." it is acompanied by a table. Pg 306 MM: Animal subtype: "- proficient with no armor unless trained for war." Pg 75 PhB: Handle animal skill: Combat riding: "... Warhorses & riding dogs (...) are already trained to bear riders into combat..." so it seems that that one purpose at least is trained for war, would also allow the purposes fighting & guarding as defined to be "trained for war" so anything that knows those tricks, or those purposes should be allowed to wear barding.
Double M 08-13-06, 09:21 AM	Where is the mythical "trained for war" trick? I can't find it in any books. My DM is a literalist and will want to see actual text of what "war trained" means and I haven't seen it anywhere.
planesinger 08-13-06, 11:45 AM	I think is this: HANDLE ANIMAL (CHA; TRAINED ONLY) Fighting (DC 20): An animal trained to engage in combat knows the tricks attack, down, and stay. Training an animal for fighting takes three weeks. From SRD
Xybot 08-13-06, 10:31 PM	Near the back of the Monster Manual II (pg 219) is the Warbeast Template. I think it is what you want. It has all the info about training an animal to use barding, etc... I hope that helps.
Arem_K 08-14-06, 05:32 AM	Xybot is right. In addition to giving your animal proficiency in all three armor types it gives a bunch of other cool bonuses and all it takes is a successful handle animal check and two months. See the guide in my sig for more.
Lord Lorac Silvanos 08-14-06, 07:07 AM	You can always use MW Studded Leather Barding without any penalties and without proficiency.
Double M 08-15-06, 06:37 PM	How exactly can you use MW studded leather without any non-proficiency penalty? Am I missing something? Even if you could, I don't think it would be kosher for a non-metal wearing druid to slap some metal on his animal companion.
Lord Lorac Silvanos 08-16-06, 02:16 AM	How exactly can you use MW studded leather without any non-proficiency penalty? Am I missing something? Even if you could, I don't think it would be kosher for a non-metal wearing druid to slap some metal on his animal companion. The masterwork quality reduces armor check penalty by 1 leaving the Studded Leather with a penalty of 0, which means no penalties. An ordinary Leather armor also has a penalty of 0 so that could be used if you feel that there is to much metal in a studded leather.
dopp 08-16-06, 07:32 AM	Even if you could, I don't think it would be kosher for a non-metal wearing druid to slap some metal on his animal companion. Studded dragonhide leather? Since they can make full plates and breastplates of dragonhide, i assume you can make studded leather with dragonhide as well.
Peacimowen 08-17-06, 03:40 PM	Looking at page 116 in the Draconomicon, the options for dragonhide armor appear to be hide, banded mail, half-plate, full plate or breastplate. I think that dragon hide is too thick to make leather. and studded leather is leather with metal studs embedded in it..