Advancing an Elemental Companion

[badgerman]

I used the druid substitution "Elemental Companion" (CMag p.33)
The text states that : "It does not gain any extra HD, natural armor adjustment, Strength or Dexterity adjustment, or extra tricks. It gains all other special abilities normally granted to an animal companion, with the exception of Multiattack."
I made a deal with my DM to advance the companion into a dust twister (Sand p.162) instead of a medium Air elemental at 4th level.
Dust Twister: medium, 4HD
I want my elemental companion to stay medium so...
Advancement at level 10: +2HD, +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, damage reduction 5/-
Advancement at level 16: +4HD, +4 Strength, +4 Constitution

Here are the questions:
Skill Points: Does the companion gain a skill point per level (would expect 1 point each level after 4th) ?
Abilities: Does it gain an ability-adjustment according to its HD (should be one at 16th level) ?
Feats: Does it gain feats according to its HD (should be one at 10th and one at 16th level)?
May it take any feat it meets the prereqs ? Thinking about Air Heritage, Constant Guardian (DotU p.47) or Clever Opportunist (DotU p.47).

I know that the companion is muuuuch worse than advancing it to a huge air elemental not to mention a standard animal companion, but I love the flavor. Riding a twister all the time is awesome (IMO).

[Bronk]

I used the druid substitution "Elemental Companion" (CMag p.33)
The text states that : "It does not gain any extra HD, natural armor adjustment, Strength or Dexterity adjustment, or extra tricks. It gains all other special abilities normally granted to an animal companion, with the exception of Multiattack."
I made a deal with my DM to advance the companion into a dust twister (Sand p.162) instead of a medium Air elemental at 4th level.
Dust Twister: medium, 4HD
I want my elemental companion to stay medium so...
Advancement at level 10: +2HD, +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, damage reduction 5/-
Advancement at level 16: +4HD, +4 Strength, +4 Constitution

Here are the questions:
Skill Points: Does the companion gain a skill point per level (would expect 1 point each level after 4th) ?
Abilities: Does it gain an ability-adjustment according to its HD (should be one at 16th level) ?
Feats: Does it gain feats according to its HD (should be one at 10th and one at 16th level)?
May it take any feat it meets the prereqs ? Thinking about Air Heritage, Constant Guardian (DotU p.47) or Clever Opportunist (DotU p.47).

I know that the companion is muuuuch worse than advancing it to a huge air elemental not to mention a standard animal companion, but I love the flavor. Riding a twister all the time is awesome (IMO).

You would get the minimum of one skill point per level due to their low intelligence.

It would get an the ability adjustment at every fourth level.

HD would give it feats every third level, and it can take any feat it can qualify for.

[badgerman]

You would get the minimum of one skill point per level due to their low intelligence.

It would get an the ability adjustment at every fourth level.

HD would give it feats every third level, and it can take any feat it can qualify for.

So per level or per HD ?

16 skill points from level 5 to 20 or 6 skill points cause the medium elemental gets only 6 HD till level 20 ?

5 feats at 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th and 18th level or 2 feats, one for reaching 6 HD at 10th level and one for reaching 9 HD at 16th level ?

Ok cool that it can take every feat it qualifies for :)

[Urpriest]

So per level or per HD ?

Level is just another word for HD.



16 skill points from level 5 to 20 or 6 skill points cause the medium elemental gets only 6 HD till level 20 ?

Those are your levels, they have nothing to do with its levels.

[badgerman]

Level is just another word for HD.

Those are your levels, they have nothing to do with its levels.

Thanks.
Level = HD... ok seems I am a bit confused because of the LAs, ECLs and CRs ...
Thought that for example a drow with 1 hd has an effective level of 3 due to level adjustment. So I wasn't sure how to handle "monsters" since their hd isn't the same as for example their CR.

[Dusk Eclipse]

I suggest you check the Monster Handbook in Urpriest's sig, that should clear all your doubts concerning monsters.

[Urpriest]

Thanks.
Level = HD... ok seems I am a bit confused because of the LAs, ECLs and CRs ...
Thought that for example a drow with 1 hd has an effective level of 3 due to level adjustment. So I wasn't sure how to handle "monsters" since their hd isn't the same as for example their CR.


I suggest you check the Monster Handbook in Urpriest's sig, that should clear all your doubts concerning monsters.

This.

To summarize, though:

If a rule says "level", it means HD, unless it's in the context of a specific class, in which case it means class level. If a rule wants to be extra specific that it's referring to HD, it will say "character level". ECL is only for XP and gear, and in general things will specify when they mean ECL rather HD/character level. CR isn't a level, it's just a way of figuring out when adventurers can fight the monster.

Your mistake was a more fundamental one, though: the Elemental companion is never level 20 at all. You are level 20, but the Elemental companion doesn't have the same level you do, it's level is its HD. In general, NPCs won't always have the same level as you, even if you get them from class features.