how do i get an animal companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

how do i get an animal companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
felinoel
09-20-05, 10:36 PM my dm wont tell me and i am a rogue becoming a druid and i want a badger (which i can turn to a cat) for an animal companion

full story can be found here
http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=7306333
Arcen
09-20-05, 10:45 PM Your... not... serious? Just get an Ocelot. Let me guess you want the cat so you can have +3 on move silently but that ain't gonna work. You would need a FAMILIAR for that not an ANIMAL COMPANION. IF you want a cat try to get a cat, but your not gonna get the +3.
felinoel
09-20-05, 10:54 PM Your... not... serious? Just get an Ocelot. Let me guess you want the cat so you can have +3 on move silently but that ain't gonna work. You would need a FAMILIAR for that not an ANIMAL COMPANION. IF you want a cat try to get a cat, but your not gonna get the +3.
no i want a cat cuz i like cats in real life and it would be more fun if i could have a cat in D&D, but i still dont know how to get one, where do they come from, from what the players handbook makes it seem they apparently spawn from the earth and appear whenever a new one is needed

EDIT: and yes i know a cat is a familiar, the book says thatr but it dont say how to get an animal companion
BeyondFated
09-21-05, 09:52 AM Just wait until your a higher level druid, and you can get different animals than the one's I listed on the other thread. Eventually, you should be able to get a hunting cat, a lion or tiger. Eventually, once you get into upper levels of druidism, you should be able to get Dire versions of either.
Draco Strang
09-21-05, 11:41 AM EDIT: and yes i know a cat is a familiar, the book says thatr but it dont say how to get an animal companion
Read the druid section, man. It tells you plain and simple. Pages 35 and 36 of the 3.5 PHB. There's a giant freakin' sidebar (more like a huge sub-block) that tells you all about getting an animal companion, and it's explained pretty well on 35 too. And if you want a cat, I suppose you could get one even though it's not listed on the list. Since it's weaker than every animal on the normal list, your DM shouldn't have a problem giving you one.
felinoel
09-21-05, 12:22 PM Read the druid section, man. It tells you plain and simple. Pages 35 and 36 of the 3.5 PHB. There's a giant freakin' sidebar (more like a huge sub-block) that tells you all about getting an animal companion, and it's explained pretty well on 35 too. And if you want a cat, I suppose you could get one even though it's not listed on the list. Since it's weaker than every animal on the normal list, your DM shouldn't have a problem giving you one.
i only have the version 3.0 of the phb.... maybe thats the problem cuz in the 3.0 phb they only have like a tiny paragraph about it
Woas
09-21-05, 12:45 PM "performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer."

That is how you get your animal companion once you take your first level of druid.

SRD Section with the Druid class (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/ClassesI.rtf)
panther
09-21-05, 01:18 PM If you're playing by 3.0, if you start as a druid, you get an animal companion for free. If you multiclass into druid or want a different animal companion, you have cast the spell animal friendship on an animal you meet.

In 3.5, a starting druid still gets a animal companion, but instead of animal friendship, you perform the aforementioned ceremony and praying.
felinoel
09-21-05, 04:14 PM "performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer."

That is how you get your animal companion once you take your first level of druid.

SRD Section with the Druid class (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/ClassesI.rtf)
hmmmm well my party might not like me holding them up..... does it have to be 24 hours straight?

If you're playing by 3.0, if you start as a druid, you get an animal companion for free. If you multiclass into druid or want a different animal companion, you have cast the spell animal friendship on an animal you meet.

In 3.5, a starting druid still gets a animal companion, but instead of animal friendship, you perform the aforementioned ceremony and praying.
ok i see so i meet an animal and i cast a spell on it? thats not good because my dm wont likely play an animal i would like
Murrdox
09-21-05, 04:21 PM In 3.0 the way Druids get animal companions is rather silly, and I'm glad they changed it.

Essentially, all you do is find an animal and cast Animal Friendship on it, which is a level 1 Druid spell. There are some restrictions on how powerful the animal you cast the spell on can be.

Why would your DM not let you get an animal you would like? It sounds like you have a very mean DM. A level 1 Druid will not be able to get something powerful and cat-like, such as a Mountain Lion or Tiger... and you would not want something simple like a house cat as your Animal Companion. You should be able to get a Badger, Wolf, Weasel or other small animal.

All you need is an area where such animals are available... as a Druid you have all the skills you would need to hunt for the type of animal you would like to befriend.
felinoel
09-21-05, 07:28 PM In 3.0 the way Druids get animal companions is rather silly, and I'm glad they changed it.

Essentially, all you do is find an animal and cast Animal Friendship on it, which is a level 1 Druid spell. There are some restrictions on how powerful the animal you cast the spell on can be.

Why would your DM not let you get an animal you would like? It sounds like you have a very mean DM. A level 1 Druid will not be able to get something powerful and cat-like, such as a Mountain Lion or Tiger... and you would not want something simple like a house cat as your Animal Companion. You should be able to get a Badger, Wolf, Weasel or other small animal.

All you need is an area where such animals are available... as a Druid you have all the skills you would need to hunt for the type of animal you would like to befriend.
well i sorta kinda do want a house cat (but i can go with a diff cat) and my DM's map is a desert, just a big desert, and he even does the dehydration thing so we are sticking to the rivers
Fizziii
09-22-05, 11:17 AM hmmmm well my party might not like me holding them up..... does it have to be 24 hours straight?

ok i see so i meet an animal and i cast a spell on it? thats not good because my dm wont likely play an animal i would like

"performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer."

That is how you get your animal companion once you take your first level of druid.

SRD Section with the Druid class (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/ClassesI.rtf)

That's what it sounds like.
felinoel
09-22-05, 12:53 PM That's what it sounds like.
oh i see, darn
Elbethamore
09-22-05, 12:59 PM Actually, if you're set on a domestic cat, the desert setting is ideal. Cats are actually the top of the food chain in the Sahara, which is why they were so highly regarded by the ancient Egyptians. While finding any given animal in a desert is difficult, a cat would, in fact, be considerably easier to find than a wolf, badger, or the like.

Or you could buy one from a pet store, if the campaign has such things.

I don't especially recommend the cat, though, since it's not likely to be of much assistance in combat. The animal companion is one of the major sources of druidic power. Having an animal companion that isn't combat-worthy is akin to forgoing spellcasting, or declining to use wildshape.

hmmmm well my party might not like me holding them up..... does it have to be 24 hours straight?

If you can't get 24 hours of downtime to find an animal companion, I seriously pity any of your adventuring companions who have wasted feats on item creation, crafting, or the like. 24 hours is not a serious holdup. But yes, it's 24 hours straight.
EarthForce
09-22-05, 03:04 PM Well, like others said. A house cat wouldn't be much use in combat(But I think it's more because you just plain old like cats). See if you can't talk you're DM into just letting you have a cat. I know it's not on the provided list, but that list is there to provide some options and to limit the Challenge Rating (CR) of your animal companion so the druid doesn't start with something too strong. (Improved familairs have adjustments because of this same reason). Now all the animals on the list have a CR of one/fourth to one (Lower numbers are obviously weaker). Now, according to the stats in the monster manual a cat sure as heck is an animal, and has a CR of one/fourth (meaning it is equal to the least dangerous of the listed companions). So it shouldn't upset game balance by any means. Here's a list of their stats(from an SRD).

Cat
Size/Type:
Tiny Animal

Hit Dice:
˝ d8 (2 hp)
Initiative:
+2

Speed:
30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class:
14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12

Base Attack/Grapple:
+0/-12

Attack:
Claw +4 melee (1d2-4)

Full Attack:
2 claws +4 melee (1d2-4) and bite -1 melee (1d3-4)

Space/Reach:
2˝ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks:
—
Special Qualities:
Low-light vision, scent

Saves:
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1

Abilities:
Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7
Skills:
Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +16*, Jump +10,
Listen +3, Move Silently +8, Spot +3

Feats:
Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB

Environment:
Temperate plains
Organization:
Domesticated or solitary
Challenge Rating:
Ľ
Advancement:
—
Level Adjustment:
—
The statistics presented here describe a common housecat.
Combat
Cats prefer to sneak up on their prey.
Skills
Cats have a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks. Cats have a +8 racial bonus on Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks. *In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus rises to +8.

Furry, purry, and cute as they come.
Murrdox
09-22-05, 03:51 PM If you want a house cat... there's nothing that says it has to be your "Animal Companion". Just go to a pet store and BUY one.

Hell, a FIGHTER can have a housecat. You don't need an feat on an ability in the game to have a PET! :)
felinoel
09-22-05, 04:09 PM Well, like others said. A house cat wouldn't be much use in combat(But I think it's more because you just plain old like cats). See if you can't talk you're DM into just letting you have a cat. I know it's not on the provided list, but that list is there to provide some options and to limit the Challenge Rating (CR) of your animal companion so the druid doesn't start with something too strong. (Improved familairs have adjustments because of this same reason). Now all the animals on the list have a CR of one/fourth to one (Lower numbers are obviously weaker). Now, according to the stats in the monster manual a cat sure as heck is an animal, and has a CR of one/fourth (meaning it is equal to the least dangerous of the listed companions). So it shouldn't upset game balance by any means. Furry, purry, and cute as they come. cool yes i do just like cats in real lol

If you want a house cat... there's nothing that says it has to be your "Animal Companion". Just go to a pet store and BUY one.

Hell, a FIGHTER can have a housecat. You don't need an feat on an ability in the game to have a PET! :)i see well i didnt no that i spoke with my DM and he is ok with that
JimmyB
09-22-05, 09:12 PM if your dm gives yuor characters a week to recover at your home (or whatevr like that) you have time then for 24 hours
felinoel
09-23-05, 08:17 PM if your dm gives yuor characters a week to recover at your home (or whatevr like that) you have time then for 24 hours
but we dont do that my party's home was destroyed and our current quest is to seek revenge or something like that

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
felinoel 09-20-05, 10:36 PM	my dm wont tell me and i am a rogue becoming a druid and i want a badger (which i can turn to a cat) for an animal companion full story can be found here http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?p=7306333
Arcen 09-20-05, 10:45 PM	Your... not... serious? Just get an Ocelot. Let me guess you want the cat so you can have +3 on move silently but that ain't gonna work. You would need a FAMILIAR for that not an ANIMAL COMPANION. IF you want a cat try to get a cat, but your not gonna get the +3.
felinoel 09-20-05, 10:54 PM	Your... not... serious? Just get an Ocelot. Let me guess you want the cat so you can have +3 on move silently but that ain't gonna work. You would need a FAMILIAR for that not an ANIMAL COMPANION. IF you want a cat try to get a cat, but your not gonna get the +3. no i want a cat cuz i like cats in real life and it would be more fun if i could have a cat in D&D, but i still dont know how to get one, where do they come from, from what the players handbook makes it seem they apparently spawn from the earth and appear whenever a new one is needed EDIT: and yes i know a cat is a familiar, the book says thatr but it dont say how to get an animal companion
BeyondFated 09-21-05, 09:52 AM	Just wait until your a higher level druid, and you can get different animals than the one's I listed on the other thread. Eventually, you should be able to get a hunting cat, a lion or tiger. Eventually, once you get into upper levels of druidism, you should be able to get Dire versions of either.
Draco Strang 09-21-05, 11:41 AM	EDIT: and yes i know a cat is a familiar, the book says thatr but it dont say how to get an animal companion Read the druid section, man. It tells you plain and simple. Pages 35 and 36 of the 3.5 PHB. There's a giant freakin' sidebar (more like a huge sub-block) that tells you all about getting an animal companion, and it's explained pretty well on 35 too. And if you want a cat, I suppose you could get one even though it's not listed on the list. Since it's weaker than every animal on the normal list, your DM shouldn't have a problem giving you one.
felinoel 09-21-05, 12:22 PM	Read the druid section, man. It tells you plain and simple. Pages 35 and 36 of the 3.5 PHB. There's a giant freakin' sidebar (more like a huge sub-block) that tells you all about getting an animal companion, and it's explained pretty well on 35 too. And if you want a cat, I suppose you could get one even though it's not listed on the list. Since it's weaker than every animal on the normal list, your DM shouldn't have a problem giving you one. i only have the version 3.0 of the phb.... maybe thats the problem cuz in the 3.0 phb they only have like a tiny paragraph about it
Woas 09-21-05, 12:45 PM	"performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer." That is how you get your animal companion once you take your first level of druid. SRD Section with the Druid class (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/ClassesI.rtf)
panther 09-21-05, 01:18 PM	If you're playing by 3.0, if you start as a druid, you get an animal companion for free. If you multiclass into druid or want a different animal companion, you have cast the spell animal friendship on an animal you meet. In 3.5, a starting druid still gets a animal companion, but instead of animal friendship, you perform the aforementioned ceremony and praying.
felinoel 09-21-05, 04:14 PM	"performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer." That is how you get your animal companion once you take your first level of druid. SRD Section with the Druid class (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/ClassesI.rtf) hmmmm well my party might not like me holding them up..... does it have to be 24 hours straight? If you're playing by 3.0, if you start as a druid, you get an animal companion for free. If you multiclass into druid or want a different animal companion, you have cast the spell animal friendship on an animal you meet. In 3.5, a starting druid still gets a animal companion, but instead of animal friendship, you perform the aforementioned ceremony and praying. ok i see so i meet an animal and i cast a spell on it? thats not good because my dm wont likely play an animal i would like
Murrdox 09-21-05, 04:21 PM	In 3.0 the way Druids get animal companions is rather silly, and I'm glad they changed it. Essentially, all you do is find an animal and cast Animal Friendship on it, which is a level 1 Druid spell. There are some restrictions on how powerful the animal you cast the spell on can be. Why would your DM not let you get an animal you would like? It sounds like you have a very mean DM. A level 1 Druid will not be able to get something powerful and cat-like, such as a Mountain Lion or Tiger... and you would not want something simple like a house cat as your Animal Companion. You should be able to get a Badger, Wolf, Weasel or other small animal. All you need is an area where such animals are available... as a Druid you have all the skills you would need to hunt for the type of animal you would like to befriend.
felinoel 09-21-05, 07:28 PM	In 3.0 the way Druids get animal companions is rather silly, and I'm glad they changed it. Essentially, all you do is find an animal and cast Animal Friendship on it, which is a level 1 Druid spell. There are some restrictions on how powerful the animal you cast the spell on can be. Why would your DM not let you get an animal you would like? It sounds like you have a very mean DM. A level 1 Druid will not be able to get something powerful and cat-like, such as a Mountain Lion or Tiger... and you would not want something simple like a house cat as your Animal Companion. You should be able to get a Badger, Wolf, Weasel or other small animal. All you need is an area where such animals are available... as a Druid you have all the skills you would need to hunt for the type of animal you would like to befriend. well i sorta kinda do want a house cat (but i can go with a diff cat) and my DM's map is a desert, just a big desert, and he even does the dehydration thing so we are sticking to the rivers
Fizziii 09-22-05, 11:17 AM	hmmmm well my party might not like me holding them up..... does it have to be 24 hours straight? ok i see so i meet an animal and i cast a spell on it? thats not good because my dm wont likely play an animal i would like "performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer." That is how you get your animal companion once you take your first level of druid. SRD Section with the Druid class (http://www.wizards.com/d20/files/v35/ClassesI.rtf) That's what it sounds like.
felinoel 09-22-05, 12:53 PM	That's what it sounds like. oh i see, darn
Elbethamore 09-22-05, 12:59 PM	Actually, if you're set on a domestic cat, the desert setting is ideal. Cats are actually the top of the food chain in the Sahara, which is why they were so highly regarded by the ancient Egyptians. While finding any given animal in a desert is difficult, a cat would, in fact, be considerably easier to find than a wolf, badger, or the like. Or you could buy one from a pet store, if the campaign has such things. I don't especially recommend the cat, though, since it's not likely to be of much assistance in combat. The animal companion is one of the major sources of druidic power. Having an animal companion that isn't combat-worthy is akin to forgoing spellcasting, or declining to use wildshape. hmmmm well my party might not like me holding them up..... does it have to be 24 hours straight? If you can't get 24 hours of downtime to find an animal companion, I seriously pity any of your adventuring companions who have wasted feats on item creation, crafting, or the like. 24 hours is not a serious holdup. But yes, it's 24 hours straight.
EarthForce 09-22-05, 03:04 PM	Well, like others said. A house cat wouldn't be much use in combat(But I think it's more because you just plain old like cats). See if you can't talk you're DM into just letting you have a cat. I know it's not on the provided list, but that list is there to provide some options and to limit the Challenge Rating (CR) of your animal companion so the druid doesn't start with something too strong. (Improved familairs have adjustments because of this same reason). Now all the animals on the list have a CR of one/fourth to one (Lower numbers are obviously weaker). Now, according to the stats in the monster manual a cat sure as heck is an animal, and has a CR of one/fourth (meaning it is equal to the least dangerous of the listed companions). So it shouldn't upset game balance by any means. Here's a list of their stats(from an SRD). Cat Size/Type: Tiny Animal Hit Dice: ˝ d8 (2 hp) Initiative: +2 Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares) Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12 Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12 Attack: Claw +4 melee (1d2-4) Full Attack: 2 claws +4 melee (1d2-4) and bite -1 melee (1d3-4) Space/Reach: 2˝ ft./0 ft. Special Attacks: — Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1 Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 7 Skills: Balance +10, Climb +6, Hide +16, Jump +10, Listen +3, Move Silently +8, Spot +3 Feats: Stealthy, Weapon FinesseB Environment: Temperate plains Organization: Domesticated or solitary Challenge Rating: Ľ Advancement: — Level Adjustment: — The statistics presented here describe a common housecat. Combat Cats prefer to sneak up on their prey. Skills Cats have a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Move Silently checks and a +8 racial bonus on Jump checks. Cats have a +8 racial bonus on Balance checks. They use their Dexterity modifier instead of their Strength modifier for Climb and Jump checks. In areas of tall grass or heavy undergrowth, the Hide bonus rises to +8. Furry, purry, and cute as they come.
Murrdox 09-22-05, 03:51 PM	If you want a house cat... there's nothing that says it has to be your "Animal Companion". Just go to a pet store and BUY one. Hell, a FIGHTER can have a housecat. You don't need an feat on an ability in the game to have a PET! :)
felinoel 09-22-05, 04:09 PM	Well, like others said. A house cat wouldn't be much use in combat(But I think it's more because you just plain old like cats). See if you can't talk you're DM into just letting you have a cat. I know it's not on the provided list, but that list is there to provide some options and to limit the Challenge Rating (CR) of your animal companion so the druid doesn't start with something too strong. (Improved familairs have adjustments because of this same reason). Now all the animals on the list have a CR of one/fourth to one (Lower numbers are obviously weaker). Now, according to the stats in the monster manual a cat sure as heck is an animal, and has a CR of one/fourth (meaning it is equal to the least dangerous of the listed companions). So it shouldn't upset game balance by any means. Furry, purry, and cute as they come. cool yes i do just like cats in real lol If you want a house cat... there's nothing that says it has to be your "Animal Companion". Just go to a pet store and BUY one. Hell, a FIGHTER can have a housecat. You don't need an feat on an ability in the game to have a PET! :)i see well i didnt no that i spoke with my DM and he is ok with that
JimmyB 09-22-05, 09:12 PM	if your dm gives yuor characters a week to recover at your home (or whatevr like that) you have time then for 24 hours
felinoel 09-23-05, 08:17 PM	if your dm gives yuor characters a week to recover at your home (or whatevr like that) you have time then for 24 hours but we dont do that my party's home was destroyed and our current quest is to seek revenge or something like that