Bundin
2012-12-11, 09:29 PM
I've had a long hard look at animal companions for druids and I think I understand the basics. You look at the statblock in the book the animal/critter is listed in, apply the bonuses that are listed in the PHB Animal Companion table, and add feats/skillpoints when applicable if you're higher level already.
My little druid will be a former city dweller who was trained by a solitary old druid. The old druid didn't want his knowledge to be lost on his death so he trained the city boy that didn't run away from "the crazy old man in the woods" and promptly expired when done. Since my fledgling druid is from a city, he'll have a dog as animal companion, I can't imagine wolves and such roaming the streets without the city guards poking them full of holes. I picked the statblock for bigger dogs, Jack Russells annoy me to no end (Dog, Riding). The dog has 2 INT, so it can learn 6 tricks (plus level dependent bonus druid tricks). It also says:
MM p.272
Combat
If trained for war, these animals can make trip attacks just as wolves do (see the Wolf entry). A riding dog can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.
And the PHB states at the Handle Animal skill
PHB p.75
Combat Riding (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes six weeks. You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat riding by spending three weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal’s previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Warhorses and riding dogs (see the Monster Manual) are already trained to bear riders into combat, and they don’t require any additional training for this purpose.
Am I correct in assuming that I can start at level 1 with a Riding Dog that is already trained for war (the old druid trained boy and dog together), because this training is automatic according to the PHB entry?
Does this mean that the dog can learn 6 additional tricks using the Handle Animal skill (and even more than that because I'm a druid), or do the 6 skills listed under Combat Riding fill the slots?
In combat, how precise can orders be? I'm assuming that an attack command (either verbal or a hand signal) while pointing at a specific enemy would work for any companion with the Attack trick, but can I devise a "flank" trick (attack from behind) or something?
What about me using Wild Shape to shift into a canine myself, can I explain things in more detail ("attack that human back there with the long yellow fur, best run behind and gnaw at his ankles") on the fly because I can now talk with canines?
What happens if the dog dies a few levels in (say at level 7), and I decide to take some other companion. Does the new one start off knowing only the three bonus tricks from the table on PHB p.36, resulting in a dodgy companion for a few weeks until it learns some of the basics like Guard, Defend, Attack other?
If possible, I'll never replace the companion (man's best friend and all that), but the poor critter may run into the wrong orc or something and I don't want to stall the campaign while hunting down information. Best have a replacement template ready...
My little druid will be a former city dweller who was trained by a solitary old druid. The old druid didn't want his knowledge to be lost on his death so he trained the city boy that didn't run away from "the crazy old man in the woods" and promptly expired when done. Since my fledgling druid is from a city, he'll have a dog as animal companion, I can't imagine wolves and such roaming the streets without the city guards poking them full of holes. I picked the statblock for bigger dogs, Jack Russells annoy me to no end (Dog, Riding). The dog has 2 INT, so it can learn 6 tricks (plus level dependent bonus druid tricks). It also says:
MM p.272
Combat
If trained for war, these animals can make trip attacks just as wolves do (see the Wolf entry). A riding dog can fight while carrying a rider, but the rider cannot also attack unless he or she succeeds on a Ride check.
And the PHB states at the Handle Animal skill
PHB p.75
Combat Riding (DC 20): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes six weeks. You may also “upgrade” an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat riding by spending three weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal’s previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Warhorses and riding dogs (see the Monster Manual) are already trained to bear riders into combat, and they don’t require any additional training for this purpose.
Am I correct in assuming that I can start at level 1 with a Riding Dog that is already trained for war (the old druid trained boy and dog together), because this training is automatic according to the PHB entry?
Does this mean that the dog can learn 6 additional tricks using the Handle Animal skill (and even more than that because I'm a druid), or do the 6 skills listed under Combat Riding fill the slots?
In combat, how precise can orders be? I'm assuming that an attack command (either verbal or a hand signal) while pointing at a specific enemy would work for any companion with the Attack trick, but can I devise a "flank" trick (attack from behind) or something?
What about me using Wild Shape to shift into a canine myself, can I explain things in more detail ("attack that human back there with the long yellow fur, best run behind and gnaw at his ankles") on the fly because I can now talk with canines?
What happens if the dog dies a few levels in (say at level 7), and I decide to take some other companion. Does the new one start off knowing only the three bonus tricks from the table on PHB p.36, resulting in a dodgy companion for a few weeks until it learns some of the basics like Guard, Defend, Attack other?
If possible, I'll never replace the companion (man's best friend and all that), but the poor critter may run into the wrong orc or something and I don't want to stall the campaign while hunting down information. Best have a replacement template ready...