Some characters have animal pals; Druids and Rangers have a natural link with animals (Animal Companions), Wizards a magical link (Familiars). Fighters may acquire a Beast of War, the bond with which is based on discipline (and a mutual love of battle) with the Fighter as “alpha.” Rangers may choose an Animal Companion or a Beast of War.
Bards also have certain special abilities regarding animal friends.
In both types, the animal is assumed to be loyal to the character and always in the company of the character unless ordered to do otherwise (with the exception of some Ranger Companions; see below).
For all types, basic animal tasks can be performed on the command of the owner. Sometimes the command will fail: Use DC10, +1 per character level, CHA bonus applies; some penalties may apply under certain circumstances, e.g., if the animal is injured or hungry.
- Attack: The animal attacks apparent enemies. The owner may point to a particular creature, and it will comply if able. Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals.
- Defend: The animal defends the owner.
- Come: The animal comes to the owner..
- Down: The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down.
- Heel: The animal follows the owner closely.
- Seek: The animal moves into an area and looks (or sniffs) around.
Tasks described in the Handle Animal skill are also assumed (e.g., riding).
Animal stats are can be derived from any SRD3.5, Pathfinder, or 5e bestiary (or, in special cases, player petition). Final stats subject to DM approval.
The Animal Companion
An animal companion is different from a normal animal of its kind in many ways; it is superior to a normal animal of its kind and has special powers, as described below.
Druids and Rangers acquire Animal Companions through their natural empathy with animals. When the character has reached the appropriate level, a Companion is envisioned (“called”) and an appropriate ritual is performed. The nature of the ritual is determined by the DM, based on the type of Companion and the circumstances of the character: it may be as simple as travelling to a place where the desired Companion lives in the wild, and waiting; Material components may also be necessary. In some cases the Companion may arrive unbidden!
Druid Animal Companions tend to be more like familiars, in that they stay in close proximity to the Druid. Ranger Animal Companions, like Rangers, tend to be more wild and independent; the Companion may wander off, and the DM may ask for a check for the Ranger to call the animal back — some Ranger Companions may be elusive and remain in the wild most of the time, arriving only on certain occasions.
| Class Level (Druid/Ranger) | Bonus HD | Natural Armor Adj. | Str/Dex Adj. | Bonus Tricks | Special |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st-2nd | +0 | +0 | +0 | 1 | Link, share spells |
| 3rd-5th | +2 | +2 | +1 | 2 | Evasion |
| 6th-8th | +4 | +4 | +2 | 3 | Devotion (Druid only) |
| 9th-11th | +6 | +6 | +3 | 4 | Multiattack (Ranger only) |
| 12th-14th | +8 | +8 | +4 | 5 | |
| 15th-17th | +10 | +10 | +5 | 6 | Improved evasion |
| 18th-20th | +12 | +12 | +6 | 7 |
Animal Companion Basics
A druid or ranger may select an animal companion from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the payer character on her adventures as appropriate for its kind. Alternate animals per below and DM’s discretion.
Use the base statistics for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the following changes.
Class Level
The character’s druid level. The druid’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an animal companion for the purpose of determining the companion’s abilities and the alternative lists available to the character.
Bonus HD
Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.
Natural Armor Adj.
The number noted here is an improvement to the animal companion’s existing natural armor bonus.
Str/Dex Adj.
Add this value to the animal companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.
Bonus Tricks
The value given in this column is the total number of “bonus” tricks that the animal knows in addition to any that the character might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. The druid selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.
For characters at 3rd level or above, bonus tricks may be invented, subject to DM approval.
Link
A character can handle her animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The character gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.
Share Spells
At the character’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion. The animal companion must be within 5 feet of her at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the animal companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the animal again, even if it returns to the druid before the duration expires.
Additionally, the druid may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A druid and her animal companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal).
Evasion
If an animal companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.
Devotion
(Druid only) An animal companion gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.
Multiattack
(Ranger only) An animal companion gains Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the animal companion instead gains a second attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a -5 penalty.
Improved Evasion
When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, an animal companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.
Alternative Animal Companions
A druid or ranger of sufficiently high level can select an alternate animal companion, per DM’s discretion.
Familiars
A familiar is a normal animal that gains new powers and becomes a magical beast when summoned to service by a wizard. It retains the appearance, Hit Dice, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, skills, and feats of the normal animal it once was, but it is treated as a magical beast instead of an animal for the purpose of any effect that depends on its type. Only a normal, unmodified animal may become a familiar. An animal companion cannot also function as a familiar. A familiar also grants special abilities to its master, as given on the table below. These special abilities apply only when the master and familiar are within 1 mile of each other. Levels of different classes that are entitled to familiars stack for the purpose of determining any familiar abilities that depend on the master’s level.
A familiar is acquired through a ritual (this is not a spell, per se, as in AD&D and 5e, though the ritual is similar to the AD&D spell) that requires time (up to 24 hours) and materials (up to 100gp or more). The specifics are determined by the DM depending on the type of familiar.
| Familiar | Special |
|---|---|
|
|
| Bat | Master gains a +3 bonus on Listen checks |
| Cat | Master gains a +3 bonus on Move Silently checks |
| Hawk | Master gains a +3 bonus on Spot checks in bright light |
| Lizard | Master gains a +3 bonus on Climb checks |
| Owl | Master gains a +3 bonus on Spot checks in shadows |
| Rat | Master gains a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves |
| Raven1 | Master gains a +3 bonus on Appraise checks |
| Snake2 | Master gains a +3 bonus on Bluff checks |
| Toad | Master gains +3 hit points |
| Weasel | Master gains a +2 bonus on Reflex saves |
Familiar Basics: Use the basic statistics for a creature of the familiar’s kind, but make the following changes:
- Hit Dice: For the purpose of effects related to number of Hit Dice, use the master’s character level or the familiar’s normal HD total, whichever is higher.
- Hit Points: The familiar has one-half the master’s total hit points (not including temporary hit points), rounded down, regardless of its actual Hit Dice.
- Attacks: Use the master’s base attack bonus, as calculated from all his classes. Use the familiar’s Dexterity or Strength modifier, whichever is greater, to get the familiar’s melee attack bonus with natural weapons.
- Damage equals that of a normal creature of the familiar’s kind.
- Saving Throws: For each saving throw, use either the familiar’s base save bonus (Fortitude +2, Reflex +2, Will +0) or the master’s (as calculated from all his classes), whichever is better. The familiar uses its own ability modifiers to saves, and it doesn’t share any of the other bonuses that the master might have on saves.
- Skills: For each skill in which either the master or the familiar has ranks, use either the normal skill ranks for an animal of that type or the master’s skill ranks, whichever are better. In either case, the familiar uses its own ability modifiers. Regardless of a familiar’s total skill modifiers, some skills may remain beyond the familiar’s ability to use
Familiar Ability Descriptions: All familiars have special abilities (or impart abilities to their masters) depending on the master’s combined level in classes that grant familiars, as shown on the table below. The abilities given on the table are cumulative.
- Natural Armor Adj.: The number noted here is an improvement to the familiar’s existing natural armor bonus.
- Int: The familiar’s Intelligence score.
| Master Class Level | Natural Armor Adj. | Int | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st-2nd | +1 | 6 | Alertness, improved evasion, share spells, empathic link |
| 3rd-4th | +2 | 7 | Deliver touch spells |
| 5th-6th | +3 | 8 | Speak with master |
| 7th-8th | +4 | 9 | Speak with animals of its kind |
| 9th-10th | +5 | 10 | |
| 11th-12th | +6 | 11 | Spell resistance |
| 13th-14th | +7 | 12 | Scry on familiar |
| 15th-16th | +8 | 13 | |
| 17th-18th | +9 | 14 | |
| 19th-20th | +10 | 15 |
Alertness: While a familiar is within arm’s reach, the master gains the Alertness feat.
Improved Evasion: When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a familiar takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
Share Spells: At the master’s option, he may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) he casts on himself also affect his familiar. The familiar must be within 5 feet at the time of casting to receive the benefit.
If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the familiar if it moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the familiar again even if it returns to the master before the duration expires. Additionally, the master may cast a spell with a target of “You” on his familiar (as a touch range spell) instead of on himself.
A master and his familiar can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the familiar’s type (magical beast).
Empathic Link: The master has an empathic link with his familiar out to a distance of up to 1 mile. The master cannot see through the familiar’s eyes, but they can communicate empathically. Because of the limited nature of the link, only general emotional content can be communicated, with vague visual impressions (DC15, INT bonus).
Because of this empathic link, the master has the same connection to an item or place that his familiar does.
Deliver Touch Spells: If the master is 3rd level or higher, a familiar can deliver touch spells for him. If the master and the familiar are in contact at the time the master casts a touch spell, he can designate his familiar as the “toucher.” The familiar can then deliver the touch spell just as the master could. As usual, if the master casts another spell before the touch is delivered, the touch spell dissipates.
Speak with Master: If the master is 5th level or higher, a familiar and the master can communicate verbally as if they were using a common language. Other creatures do not understand the communication without magical help.
Speak with Animals of Its Kind: If the master is 7th level or higher, a familiar can communicate with animals of approximately the same kind as itself (including dire varieties): bats with bats, rats with rodents, cats with felines, hawks and owls and ravens with birds, lizards and snakes with reptiles, toads with amphibians, weasels with similar creatures (weasels, minks, polecats, ermines, skunks, wolverines, and badgers). Such communication is limited by the intelligence of the conversing creatures.
Spell Resistance: If the master is 11th level or higher, a familiar gains spell resistance equal to the master’s level + 5. To affect the familiar with a spell, another spellcaster must get a result on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) that equals or exceeds the familiar’s spell resistance.
Scry on Familiar: If the master is 13th level or higher, he may scry on his familiar (as if casting the scrying spell) once per day.
Beast of War
Fighters may acquire a Beast of War, the bond with which is based on discipline (and a mutual love of battle) with the Fighter as “alpha.” Rangers may choose an Animal Companion or a Beast of War.
Beasts of War are simple. They provide advantages in melee, when attacking with their Masters. Standard DCs apply, with possible penalties for incomplete training.
- To hit: + (fighter’s level / 2)
- Damage: + (fighter’s level / 2)
However, due to the close bond between Master and Beast, if the Beast becomes disabled or dies, the Master takes -1 to hit on all rolls, due to anguish at fighting without the partner.
| Fighter Class Level | Bonus HD | Natural Armor Adj. | Str/Dex Adj. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st-2nd | +0 | +0 | +0 | ||
| 3rd-5th | +2 | +2 | +1 | ||
| 6th-8th | +4 | +4 | +2 | ||
| 9th-11th | +6 | +6 | +3 | ||
| 12th-14th | +8 | +8 | +4 | ||
| 15th-17th | +10 | +10 | +5 | ||
| 18th-20th | +12 | +12 | +6 |