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WarKitty
2010-07-19, 12:16 PM
What are the requirements for an animal companion to be able to wear armor? The SRD says the animal must be "trained for war", but I'm not sure what exactly that entails.

Also, does a druid animal companion need the "heel" trick, since it's assumed the companion follows the druid?

aeauseth
2010-07-19, 12:25 PM
What are the requirements for an animal companion to be able to wear armor? The SRD says the animal must be "trained for war", but I'm not sure what exactly that entails.?

Great question! Anything with war in the name is good to go, for example WAR DOG. Otherwise I'd think that for practical purposes the "Attack" trick (from Handle Animal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/handleanimal.htm)) would suffice.



Also, does a druid animal companion need the "heel" trick, since it's assumed the companion follows the druid?

Keep in mind the tricks are to get the animal to do out-of-the ordinary things. Yes the animal companion will normally follow you. But what if you board a ship, or walk across an invisible bridge, or go swimming in lava? This is where the "heel" trick might come in handy.

Greenish
2010-07-19, 12:40 PM
Great question! Anything with war in the name is good to go, for example WAR DOG. Otherwise I'd think that for practical purposes the "Attack" trick (from Handle Animal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/handleanimal.htm)) would suffice.Or the Fighting or Combat Riding trick sets.
Keep in mind the tricks are to get the animal to do out-of-the ordinary things. Yes the animal companion will normally follow you. But what if you board a ship, or walk across an invisible bridge, or go swimming in lava? This is where the "heel" trick might come in handy.Though you can just "push" the animal. Tricks are best left for things the companion has to perform often or in combat. You'll want "Attack" twice, for example.

WarKitty
2010-07-19, 12:41 PM
Great question! Anything with war in the name is good to go, for example WAR DOG. Otherwise I'd think that for practical purposes the "Attack" trick (from Handle Animal (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/handleanimal.htm)) would suffice.




Keep in mind the tricks are to get the animal to do out-of-the ordinary things. Yes the animal companion will normally follow you. But what if you board a ship, or walk across an invisible bridge, or go swimming in lava? This is where the "heel" trick might come in handy.

Thanks. Unfortunately all the animals like war dog, war horse, etc. are out due to background restrictions (companion needs to be an animal type plausibly found in the forest). I'm using a black leopard as my companion per pathfinder rules.

aivanther
2010-07-19, 12:47 PM
Thanks. Unfortunately all the animals like war dog, war horse, etc. are out due to background restrictions (companion needs to be an animal type plausibly found in the forest). I'm using a black leopard as my companion per pathfinder rules.

As per rules on armor proficiency, you don't need to be proficient to use armor that has a 0 armor check penalty. Therefore, leather armor is free to use without training.

Alternatively, Warbeast template would work.

WarKitty
2010-07-19, 12:58 PM
Ok found the answer. This is actually pathfinder/3.5, so I'd have to burn 2 feats to get medium armor proficency. Was a little quote hiding in the beginning of their animal companion section. Will talk to my DM about it, see if I have to start with the default feats or can I customize them.

Alternately I can afford some masterwork studded leather barding.

aeauseth
2010-07-19, 01:39 PM
Ok found the answer. This is actually pathfinder/3.5, so I'd have to burn 2 feats to get medium armor proficency. Was a little quote hiding in the beginning of their animal companion section.

Sound like standard rules. Monsters have no armor providiency unless specifically stated (typically worn in thier stat block). As you add HD to the monster you can select new feats (one per 3 HD). The Light Armor Proficiency followed by Medium Armor Proficiency sounds like what you have in mind. Again all standard rules. Typically you can't get rid of (or retrain) feats that the monsters started with.

Check out my Armor Class Guide (http://aaronwiki.us/index.php?title=Armor_Class_Guide) for ACP0 armors to avoid the 2 feats. Specifically:

Leather: +2 AC, ACP 0, 10% spell failure. (10gp)
Darkwood Buckler: +1 AC, ACP 0, 5% spell failure. (65gp)
Darkwook Sheild, Heavy Wooden: +2 AC, ACP 0, 15% spell failure (107gp)
Mithral Shirt: +4 AC, ACP 0, 10% spell failure. (1,000gp)
Mithral Breastplate +1 of Nimbleness: +6 AC, ACP 0, 25% spell failure (8,300gp)
Weightless Celestial Armor: +8 AC, +10 Dex, ACP 0, 5% spell failure. (29,400 gp)
Armor of the Celestial Battalion: +12 AC, +10 Dex, ACP 0, 10% spell failure (616,300gp)
Luminous Armor spell.

Obviously you double (or more) the listed prices for barding. The shields would have to be animated for your animal companion to use.

Keld Denar
2010-07-19, 01:43 PM
Typically you can't get rid of (or retrain) feats that the monsters started with.

Oh Psychic Reformation...is there anything you can't do? :smallcool:

WarKitty
2010-07-19, 01:52 PM
Sound like standard rules. Monsters have no armor providiency unless specifically stated (typically worn in thier stat block). As you add HD to the monster you can select new feats (one per 3 HD). The Light Armor Proficiency followed by Medium Armor Proficiency sounds like what you have in mind. Again all standard rules. Typically you can't get rid of (or retrain) feats that the monsters started with.

Check out my Armor Class Guide (http://aaronwiki.us/index.php?title=Armor_Class_Guide) for ACP0 armors to avoid the 2 feats. Specifically:

Leather: +2 AC, ACP 0, 10% spell failure. (10gp)
Darkwood Buckler: +1 AC, ACP 0, 5% spell failure. (65gp)
Darkwook Sheild, Heavy Wooden: +2 AC, ACP 0, 15% spell failure (107gp)
Mithral Shirt: +4 AC, ACP 0, 10% spell failure. (1,000gp)
Mithral Breastplate +1 of Nimbleness: +6 AC, ACP 0, 25% spell failure (8,300gp)
Weightless Celestial Armor: +8 AC, +10 Dex, ACP 0, 5% spell failure. (29,400 gp)
Armor of the Celestial Battalion: +12 AC, +10 Dex, ACP 0, 10% spell failure (616,300gp)
Luminous Armor spell.

Obviously you double (or more) the listed prices for barding. The shields would have to be animated for your animal companion to use.

Starting at level 3, have a total of 1000 gold to use to equip both of us. Going to discuss with the DM on the basis of backstory (since my character was essentially trained as a druid as soon as she became old enough to talk, presumably the companion was also raised from a fairly young animal. Yes I know about the starting ages thing, but WoTC doesn't really have much info that I know of on how pre level 1 characters work.)

aeauseth
2010-07-19, 03:11 PM
Starting at level 3, have a total of 1000 gold to use to equip both of us. Going to discuss with the DM on the basis of backstory (since my character was essentially trained as a druid as soon as she became old enough to talk, presumably the companion was also raised from a fairly young animal. Yes I know about the starting ages thing, but WoTC doesn't really have much info that I know of on how pre level 1 characters work.)

Technically you can "call" a new animal companion every day. From a game mechanics point of view that means if your companion were to die, you could call up a replacment in 24 hours. As you level you can call more powerful companions. So from an equipment point of view you could skimp a bit on your companion, since you could easily replace it if it died.

Now from a in-character point of view you could think of your companion getting stronger as you level, just keep adding Hit Dice per the companion table. No need to "call" a new companion. You could raise your dead companion if you really wanted to (it's your best friend isn't it?).

Greenish
2010-07-19, 03:23 PM
Technically you can "call" a new animal companion every day.Poppycock.

If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

WarKitty
2010-07-19, 03:34 PM
Technically you can "call" a new animal companion every day. From a game mechanics point of view that means if your companion were to die, you could call up a replacment in 24 hours. As you level you can call more powerful companions. So from an equipment point of view you could skimp a bit on your companion, since you could easily replace it if it died.

Now from a in-character point of view you could think of your companion getting stronger as you level, just keep adding Hit Dice per the companion table. No need to "call" a new companion. You could raise your dead companion if you really wanted to (it's your best friend isn't it?).

Yeah, somehow calling a new animal companion repeatedly just seems so contrary to the whole spirit of the animal companion. And thankfully pathfinder changed the trade-in animal companions for granting new abilities and size increases every few levels. My last druid nearly had a psychotic snap last time because someone zombified his companion.

Runeclaw
2010-07-19, 11:16 PM
According to the Pathfinder FAQ here:

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/pathfinder-faq#TOC-War-Trained-11-25-09-

being "trained for war" is supposed to be the same as the "combat training" general purpose as defined under the Handle Animal skill.

Runeclaw
2010-07-19, 11:21 PM
somehow calling a new animal companion repeatedly just seems so contrary to the whole spirit of the animal companion.

I used to feel that way too, but I've kind of changed my mind. First of all, the spirit of the animal companion can really only be determined by the text - and being able to repeatedly (and fairly easily) call them is a central part of that text. Beyond that, the idea of a druid calling an animal to serve him for a while and then releasing it back to nature (and calling a new one) seems almost more in tune with being a shamman of nature than calling one and making it serve you for life. And the Druid's ability to spontaneusly convert spells into Summon Nature's Ally makes it very clear that summoning an animal to temporarily aid you is very central to the core of Druidic power. Anima Companions are a longer term, but not necesarily permanent, version of the same idea.

2xMachina
2010-07-20, 02:13 AM
MM2, Warbeast training. Turn your horse into a Warhorse. Just a DC20 Handle Animal check needed.

EDIT: Or war anything really. Including rats. (Any animal/vermin)

Runeclaw
2010-07-20, 12:33 PM
Poppycock.


I'm not sure how your citation was meant to disprove his statement.

Runeclaw
2010-07-20, 12:34 PM
MM2, Warbeast training. Turn your horse into a Warhorse. Just a DC20 Handle Animal check needed.

EDIT: Or war anything really. Including rats. (Any animal/vermin)

This is well worth doing as well, if your DM allows it.

WarKitty
2010-07-20, 12:56 PM
MM2, Warbeast training. Turn your horse into a Warhorse. Just a DC20 Handle Animal check needed.

EDIT: Or war anything really. Including rats. (Any animal/vermin)
This is well worth doing as well, if your DM allows it.

I'm not sure how to fit the warbeast template on, as pathfinder really doesn't allow level-adjusted companions in the same way. Although it would be kind of cool.

Runeclaw
2010-07-20, 05:29 PM
I'm not sure how to fit the warbeast template on, as pathfinder really doesn't allow level-adjusted companions in the same way. Although it would be kind of cool.

You would just take the time, make the skill check, and get the bonus. If your DM allowed it. Mine (also in a PF+splat game) did at first, then didn't, and is now considering it again. At one point he was thinking that the "Trained for Combat" rules kind of replaced the Warbeast template, but I think I persuaded him that there were not really direct equivalents of one another.

Greenish
2010-07-20, 06:35 PM
I'm not sure how your citation was meant to disprove his statement.You don't call a new animal companion each day, because calling a new animal companion requires 24 hours of prayer, and sometimes you might want to do something else.

Runeclaw
2010-07-24, 11:04 PM
You don't call a new animal companion each day, because calling a new animal companion requires 24 hours of prayer, and sometimes you might want to do something else.

Wel, you COULD

And the basic point was valid