Smart Animal Companions

[aeauseth]

I have a player who wants to pick feats for his animal companion. As the companion gains HD, it should get feats so this is all RAW. However there are feats like Animal Devotion that just don't seem to fit. How would the animal know when to "activate" the feat? Via a trick? Power Attack has same issue, I can think of several "activated" feats that just don't make sense for animals. So far I've banned "activated" feats from animal companions and it just makes things run smoother (for me).

However... The player is considering Celestial Companion (BoED). They meet all the qualifications. Celestial animals have a 3 INT, so technically should be able to use (and activate) any feat. They are also thinking about getting a Unicorn (10 INT). The Unicorn will be smarter than half of the party.

It isn't game breaking, but I'm envisioning celestial animals using animal devotion to fly when ever the player wants. I've already had to remind players that animals out sight or control act like ... animals (thus the DM runs them).

I'd like to know how other DM's handle these "activated" feats with animal companions.

[Maginomicon]

Actually, no. You assume that an animal companion gains HD and feats as a monster.

If I recall correctly (which I might not), it doesn't.

The only NPC allies that gain HD (and feats) are ones from the Leadership feat (and similar effects) and Psicrystals (which explicitly gain HD).

EDIT: Correction, that's familiars.

[eggynack]

Actually, no. You assume that an animal companion gains HD and feats as a monster.

If I recall correctly (which I might not), it doesn't.

The only NPC allies that gain HD (and feats) are ones from the Leadership feat (and similar effects) and Psicrystals (which explicitly gain HD).
"An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice." So, there ya go.

[Alienist]

Nothing in RAW says that the player gets to stat out their animal companion.

[Darth Stabber]

I would activate them either at the first good opportunity, or when the chips are down, unless player works out specific tactics ahead of time or specifically issues a command. I've given a companion shape soulmeld(acid spittle) and some other incarnum feats, and turned my velociraptor into a dilophosaurus. Had to buy him a big collar, but so worth it.

[eggynack]

Nothing in RAW says that the player gets to stat out their animal companion.
What're you talking about that he's talking about? Animals have the exact stats listed in their stat blocks. He's talking about using animal companion stat blocks, through feat use, that have higher than animal intelligence. There's nothing there about choosing stats from what I can see.

[Rubik]

Nothing in RAW says that the player gets to stat out their animal companion.And yet it's only, what, 50 gp and a bit of time to retrain a feat? Might as well let them train their pet with the feat on level-up and save them a pittance.

[nyjastul69]

Do realize that by RAW everything that is not a PC is controlled by the DM.

[Drachasor]

Do realize that by RAW everything that is not a PC is controlled by the DM.

Yes, but there are petty ways for a DM to exert control.

[hicegetraenk]

My players may have their animal companions use their active feats when they want to.

Since they spend a lot of time with each other I'd say that player & companion kind of know how to work together, and that it is very possible for the player to "command" the use of a certain feat like power attack as a free action (and not via the use of a trick). This means that they must be able to communicate.

I think if an animal is smart enough to learn a trick, it should be able to use it. But if it is entirely on its own, it might not always pick the right choice. My players have to take care of playing the animal with appropriate intellectual abilities, and I must sometimes remind them of that, since I don't want to play their "part of the character" (imo companions are a pc-extension) myself.

[Darth Stabber]

Given the relative complexity of the turns of most of my encounters, I tend to let minion users make decisions for their minions, so long as the don't get unreasonable. The druid player usually has her megaraptor attack the same target she does, so no real issue there. If she had trained animals it would be slightly different, but for the moment she has a ferret with no real mechanical purpose, so I haven't had to worry about it yet.


The dread necromancer is a different story. She has caster minions, plus several varieties of intelligent undead. This is significantly more complex, as they have much more autonomy. I still let her run them, but I generally give a little more guidance as to what isn't reasonable unless she spends the action to give the "official orders". I do let her create more complex standing orders. She makes heavy use of her mummy cleric and entropic reaper, the cleric has a standing set of priority for heals and when to bring his sword to bare., and the entropic reaper targets enemies of "likely susceptibility to physical illness" (acceptable fluff for "low fort types" likely to fall victim to the reaper's entropic blade effect), and the both of them have orders to disengage in the event that they are outmatched. Going against those general orders requires a specific command. The only reason this is allowed is because they have int scores at 10 or better.

[nyjastul69]

Yes, but there are petty ways for a DM to exert control.

People can be petty about many things, player's and DM alike. I meant no offense to players or DM's. I was just stating the facts of the matter. :smallconfused: DM's don't have to exert control, it's theirs to begin with.

[Spuddles]

I'm not sure why an animal wouldnt be able to use "bite it" and "bite it harder" aka Power Attack.

Animal Devotion, on the other hand, requires some kind of spiritual&philosophical devotion to animals. That's a bit outside the ken of int 2 creatures.

[Drachasor]

People can be petty about many things, player's and DM alike. I meant no offense to players or DM's. I was just stating the facts of the matter. :smallconfused: DM's don't have to exert control, it's theirs to begin with.

Class features are a bit of a gray area at least though.