Post/Author/DateTime	Post
mix_m 04-17-07, 07:33 PM	Hi, I am going to be creating a new druid. I understand that a druid comes with an animal companion. I would also like to train additional animals so that I can have a "wolf pack" of sorts. Under the "Handle Animal" skill entry in the PH, the "rear a wild animal" paragraph says: "To rear an animal means to raise a wild creature from infancy so that it becomes domesticated. A handler can rear as many as three creatures of the same kind as once." My questions are as follows: 1) If I have an animal companion at level one, can I rear three more animals? (I think this would be possible, but double-checking.) 2) If I have three domesticated animals (e.g. wolves), can I rear three more animals at the same time? 3) Can I rear three different types of animals at the same time? 4) Is there an upper limit to the number of animals I can have domesticated? Unrelated to the Handle Animal questions, what would I do if my druidic animal companion dies? Do I "promote" one of my domesticated animals? Thanks in advance for any answers.
mix_m 04-18-07, 11:31 AM	No one knows?
Shadowfax7 04-18-07, 01:24 PM	1) If I have an animal companion at level one, can I rear three more animals? Yes, your Animal Companion doesn't require rearing. 2) If I have three domesticated animals (e.g. wolves), can I rear three more animals at the same time? Yes, but only after you completed rearing the first 3 wolves (which btw usually requires several years). 3) Can I rear three different types of animals at the same time? No, they must be of the same kind. 4) Is there an upper limit to the number of animals I can have domesticated? None by RAW, but could be DM's call. Unrelated to the Handle Animal questions, what would I do if my druidic animal companion dies? Do I "promote" one of my domesticated animals? Not usually, you follow the rules under the description of an Animal Companion which require a ceremony of 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. However, it's a DM's call also.
Nephlite 04-18-07, 01:29 PM	Can I rear three different types of animals at the same time? Nope same kind according to PHB page 75. Once you finished you could switch though. Not usually, you follow the rules under the description of an Animal Companion. However, it's a DM's call also. Yes, but only with 24 hours as normal.
SALDAR 04-18-07, 06:36 PM	4) Is there an upper limit to the number of animals I can have domesticated? No limit, but remember that getting an animal to do something it knows how to do takes a move action. To get it to do something it doesn't know takes a full round action. You would have to use one of these actions on each animal to get them to do something.
BW0222 04-18-07, 09:40 PM	mix_m, A few things to remember. It is a move equivalent action to direct a single animal. In practical terms, you can't control more than two normal animals at any one time. In a town, you would be in jail by the time you issued enough 'down' commands to stop your pack from going nuts on the merchant's familiar. If you have some other folks with handle animal, you can pair folks off, but many folks often have better things to do with their actions in combat. Wild animals need to be fed, cared for, etc. You'll likely have problems bringing large numbers into cities, towns, inns, boats, stables, etc. Rearing needs to be roleplayed. You would need to roleplay finding the young animals. This itself can be dangerous. Finally, rearing (and training) can take a long time. Few campaigns provide that such long breaks. Your party might have to agree to go off for months. In a dungeon, large numbers of animals clog up hallways, preventing folks from getting into position, can't be easily moved up ladders, make noise, get themselves in trouble, etc.
mix_m 04-19-07, 10:58 AM	Thank you for the answers!
Nephlite 04-19-07, 11:12 AM	Wild animals need to be fed, cared for, etc. You'll likely have problems bringing large numbers into cities, towns, inns, boats, stables, etc. When domesticated they are no longer wild. Anymore than the puppy you bought at the store is. That was the whole point of domesticating them.
BW0222 04-19-07, 12:54 PM	Nephlite, >Wild animals need to be fed, cared for, etc. You'll likely have >problems bringing large numbers into cities, towns, inns, >boats, stables, etc. When domesticated they are no longer wild. Anymore than the puppy you bought at the store is. That was the whole point of domesticating them. First, during the process of rearing an animal, it is still wild. During this time you need to house, feed, and care for a wild animal. You can't raise wild wolves in a city, you need big fields and barns to rear wild horses, you need a lot of sheep to keep a wild tiger fed, etc. None of this is cheap. Second, even domesticated animals need food, shelter, and care. A pack of wolves or a bear go through a lot of food, won't fit in your inn room, etc. You can't hunt in a city. Third, wild animals (whether domesticated or not) are not treated like puppies - or horses, dogs, or other domesticated animals - by people. Normal people would be afraid of 'wild' animals. You can teach the pack of wolves to dance to two-step, but you still won't be taking them into a bar. Forth, even domesticated animals behave "normally" unless commanded otherwise. The normal behavior for a startled dog might be to bark at stange kids throwing a ball at him. The normal behavior of a dire skunk is to spray the ball. The normal behavior of a tiger is to shred the ball. The later behaviors are likely to get you into trouble with parents, guards, citizens, etc. If a dog runs into something it doesn't like, say some drunk stepping on its tail in a bar, the results usually aren't too serious - a bark or (not likely fatal) bite. With a tiger, if you aren't arround to make a handle animal 'down' (fail the check, have to many animals to issue the commands to, etc.), it is likely to kill the guy - even if by accident. Most citizens will see that as a dangerous overreaction. Fifth, folks realize the potential for certain animals to overreact and their potential for fatal consequences due to misunderstandings, confusion, or accidents. That is why there are special restrictions on owning wild animals today -- trained or not, a circus tiger is still a wild animal. A wolverine or a tiger can be domesticated today, but it is just too dangerous to be treated like a dog or cat. The same things will apply in the D&D world. A guard is going to take a dim view of someone brining a tiger or a pack of wolves through the city gates. Now, maybe they understand the concept of a druid/ranger and the animal companion. However, that doesn't mean that they won't question folks, place restrictions on, or even ban them anyway. It is certainly reasonable to ask, "Are you going to be with that tiger all the time?" or "How are you going to control six wolves if something unexpected happens?" Sixth, physical size, smell, behavior, etc. still makes them an issue. Where in an inn can a 1200lb bear sit? Doesn't it's breath stink? Might it not scare away customers? Does anyone want to listen to a bear eating a pig? How does it get through the door? Where does it go to the bathroom? What if it wants to sharpen it's claws on my rug? What if it wants to join in singing along with the bard? Seventh, most places do not have facilities to house, feed, or care for animals -- other than those commonly domesticated. Finding a place to house a domesticated wild animal is still an issue. Even if you find a physical location, you typically can't leave them alone.