Making a animal companian for a rager (noob question)

[EkKoNor]

Im clearly a noob at this because I can't seem to understand how to complete my wolf. Can someone help me make her step by step? The monster manual shows a wolf with HD 2d8+x(4), is this 2HD, does it get 1HD more with 1d8 or 2d8? ? and how do i choose feats and BAB and all the things I need to know?

If you need some of my character stats I will post them below.

Thank you.

[Gwendol]

I'm assuming this is a Ranger animal companion?

2d8+x means 2HD.

The animal gains feat just as you would (1 at 1st level, +1 at third, etc)

At ranger 4 your AC is a typical animal of its kind, which means the wolf has 2 HD. When you hit ranger 6 you advance your animal with 2 HD, it gains +2 natural AC, etc. Since your animal now has 4 HD it also gains a feat.

I hope this helps.

[EkKoNor]

Thank you Gwendol it helped a lot.

I want to train her in fighting, do I have "trick slots?" for this and do I have to use handle animal for her to attack someone, or do I controll her completely in combat?

[Salanmander]

Thank you Gwendol it helped a lot.

I want to train her in fighting, do I have "trick slots?" for this and do I have to use handle animal for her to attack someone, or do I controll her completely in combat?

Animal companions are controlled via tricks and handle animal, although a lot of people handwave that and call it completely controlled. I'm pretty sure the animal companion progression has "bonus tricks" that are how many extra tricks you can teach them beyond the number they can normally learn.


Also note that animal companions additionally get the stat bonus from high hit dice, so every 4th hit die you can increase one of its stats by 1 (in addition to the bonus from being an animal companion). The hit dice also improve BAB, saves, and gives skill points (although a wolf almost certainly only gets 1 skill point per hit die).

[Psyren]

I honestly though this was for some barbarian variant that got an animal companion, or that one druid ACF that gives rage :-P

[EkKoNor]

Thank you Salanmander. All that is left do is training my wolf in a general purpose, probably Fighting.

[White_Drake]

You could train it as a Warbeast (Monster Manual II Template).

[Urpriest]

If HD confuse you, then you really ought to read my Monster Handbook (link in sig). It's got a pretty detailed discussion of how the various bits of a monster statblock work, aimed towards new players.