Help working out animal companion stats.

[LordBlade]

So I've never really done the animal companion thing, and my wife (who's new to D&D) has a Druid.
She's level 3, with Improved Animal Companion (so her animal's effective level should be 6).

Her animal is a Monkey. So can someone please give us the info on exactly what stats it should currently have and how exactly we work all that out? We'd like the "for dummies" version. :p

The basic stuff from the D&D wiki for animal companions we get.

What I'm curious is how other things not specifically written down work. Like how do we work out exactly what its saving throws should be? It says to treat the animal as a character level equal to its HD for saves. But what class do I use as a comparison? Do we use the Druid save chart? And is that added on to the base save listed for a Monkey (Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1)?

Also, for stats, does the animal only get the Str/Dex bonus listed? Or does it also pick up the extra stat per 4 levels like characters do?

As well, she's thinking of focusing on her animal companion as she levels, so what feats should she be looking at taking to take advantage of that?

Thanks for the help.

[snailgosh]

The monkey's basic stats are as following:

Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8 (4 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 14 (+2 size, +2 Dex), touch 14, flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-12
Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d3-4)
Full Attack: Bite +4 melee (1d3-4)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Qualities: Low-light vision
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +1
Abilities: Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 5
Skills: Balance +12, Climb +10, Escape Artist +4,
Hide +10, Listen +3, Spot +3 Balance +12, Climb +10, Escape Artist +4,
Hide +10, Listen +3, Spot +3
Feats: Agile, Weapon FinesseB
The Druids effective level for improving her companion is 6, as you stated, granting the Monkey the following (number changing) benefits, as per the table on the Druid page:
• 4 bonus HD, which are racial hit dice of the Animal type for all regards, but advancing the base animal's size. Each HD grants the animal 0.75 BAB, 0.5 Ref and Fort save and 0.33 Will save progression. The animal also gains skill points, an Attribute increase on every forth and a feat on every third total level.
• +4 natural armor
• +2 to STR and DEX

Thus, our monkey has now the following stats (I put the lvl 4 Attribute increase in DEX for this example)

Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 5d8 (20 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares), climb 30 ft.
Armor Class: 20 (+2 size, +4 Dex, +4 natural), touch 16 , flat-footed 16
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/-8
Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d3-3)
Full Attack: Bite +9 melee (1d3-3)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, Link, Share Spells, Evasion, Devotion
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +8, Will +2
Abilities: Str 5, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 5
Skills: Balance +14, Climb +11, Escape Artist +6, Hide +12, Listen +3, Spot +3, 4 unspent skill points
Feats: Agile, Weapon FinesseB, one free feat
To calculate the animals base attack, just multiply it's total number of HD with 0.75, round down.
For the saves, we have to seperate:
Will saves, multiply the total number of HD with 1/3, round down, add WIS modifier.
Fort and Ref, multiply HD with 0.5, add the relevant ability modifier and lastly add +2, for being their good save.

To further improve the companion, simply picking the Improved Animal Companion seems to give the most bang for your buck. I don't think the feat is official content, though. There is the official feat "Natural Bond" with similar effect, but with severe limitations. Feats like "Exalted Animal Companion", that grant the Animal a Template might also be a consideration.
Lastly, if your wife is out for power, she should consider swapping the monkey out for a higher level animal with better base stats.

Feel free to ask further if anything is still unclear

[LordBlade]

Much appreciated.

EDIT:

So, the attack for it is listed as 1D3-3. Wouldn't that basically make it do no damage?

Also my wife's got a thing for lemurs, so that's why she's using the monkey for the base stats (because we couldn't find stats for a lemur specifically). Other than making it "dire" at some point, I don't think she's overly interested in getting a different animal.
Is there a feat to let her get a second animal? Or would it be possible to have a stronger animal as a companion with her just keeping the lemur around as more of a pet?

[snailgosh]

If an attack hits, it always inflicts at least one point of damage (before reduction).

EDIT: There's the "Wild Cohort" Feat, that basically gives you an Animal Companion with a different scaling. Your wife could select the Lemure as a cohort and get a different companion, like an Ape for example, with her druid powers.

Alternatively, she could simply tame a Lemure by use of the Handle Animal skill snd keep it as a pet, if she is not interested in her pet's scaling.

[LordBlade]

You also mention increasing the base animal's size. How does that work?

Also, as I understand it the lemur would need to gain a point of Int to no longer have "animal intelligence" and be able to say, use a simple weapon, correct?

Also, where do you find all the numbers you're using for how to work out BAB and saves and such? I was trying to find that info, and couldn't locate it.

[snailgosh]

You also mention increasing the base animal's size. How does that work?

Also, as I understand it the lemur would need to gain a point of Int to no longer have "animal intelligence" and be able to say, use a simple weapon, correct?
Some tables in the monster manual have an advancement entry. The Monkey for example has "Advancement: 2-3 HD (Small)". This is an advice for your DM, if he wants to include stronger Monkeys, he can advance their base HD to 2 or 3 and they should get an size increase to Small, with all the corresponding stat changes. Bonus HD do not increase size, regardless whether they cross the threshold given in the Advancement entry or not.
I don't know all the ways to increase the animals size, but as a druid there are spells for that available to her.

An Animal may not increase its INT score to 3 with it's attribute increases, lest it ceases to be an animal and becomes a Magic Beast. Picking the Exalted Animal Companion feat, however, applies the Celestial template to the companion, granting an INT score of 3.

EDIT:

Also, where do you find all the numbers you're using for how to work out BAB and saves and such? I was trying to find that info, and couldn't locate it.
I derived this info from the bonus HD being of the animal type. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm (This site) for example explains what a racial hit dice of a certain type provides.

[LordBlade]

So how exactly does this Exalted thing work. Where is the celestial template you need to apply?

Okay, so I found the template in the Monster Manual, that's the one I use?

[snailgosh]

It's this template http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/celestialCreature.htm.

changes, when applied to a monkey, can conveniently be found here: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/monkey.htm

[noce]

I cannot find the Improved Natural Companion feat that you say.
If your wife actually took the Natural Bond feat note that it cannot increase your druid level beyond you character level, as clearly written in the feat description.

So your wife would have wasted a feat and would count as a level 3 druid.

[LordBlade]

Okay, so this is more or less making sense now. My wife's happy with her celestial lemur. :p

She's a lesser Aasimar Druid, so it fits with her character too. lol

[LordBlade]

I cannot find the Improved Natural Companion feat that you say.
If your wife actually took the Natural Bond feat note that it cannot increase your druid level beyond you character level, as clearly written in the feat description.

So your wife would have wasted a feat and would count as a level 3 druid.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Improved_Animal_Companion_(3.5e_Feat)

I believe that was the source for the feat. The DM had approved it because we are basically playing with a smaller party and her lemur is essentially our meatshield. lol

[Eldariel]

Note that the animal companion gains feats as per normal (on level 1 and every 3 HDs). In this case, with such a physically weak but dexterous companion that has Humanoid Intelligence, it might be reasonable to give it a weapon and have it take feats Martial Study, Martial Stance and Shadow Blade (all in Tome of Battle).

Right now it needs one more HD but in a couple of levels it can get the 6th HD needed. This would enable it to use its Dex to damage on all Shadow Hand weapons making it reasonably damaging with many weapons including Unarmed Strike (you'd have to burn one more feat for appropriate weapon proficiencies of course). It would also be able to learn a single Shadow Hand maneuver and stance in lieu of all it (it only has access to 1st level options).

If you managed to buy it a Monk's Belt down the line or some such, it would make for a rather capable Kung Fu Lemur.

[LordBlade]

LOL! That's pretty awesome. Going to have to remember that. :)

[eggynack]

So your wife would have wasted a feat and would count as a level 3 druid.
True, though only for a level. Next level, assuming she goes for an alternate companion of some kind, the animal companion will get this desired impact.

[ATHATH]

Pro-tip for you: Never, ever, ever trust anything on Dandwiki at face value- the site is notorious for being filled with unmarked homebrew material.

[rigsmal]

Bad homebrew as well, otherwise I'd be a bit more forgiving.

[LordBlade]

None of us have really been the "rules expert" types. Mostly my friends and I have just played whatever characters sounded fun at the time. I'm sure we've had tons of very bad builds that just gave us a laugh. :p
My wife's new to D&D as a whole, so she's constantly needing things explained. The wiki might not be great, but it's at least given us some quick reference to things.

[KillianHawkeye]

Pro-tip for you: Never, ever, ever trust anything on Dandwiki at face value- the site is notorious for being filled with unmarked homebrew material.

While that is good advice in general, it's kind of irrelevant here as the DM already approved the feat she's using.

[Elliath]

For the saves, we have to seperate:
Will saves, multiply the total number of HD with 1/3, round down, add WIS modifier.
Fort and Ref, multiply HD with 0.5, add the relevant ability modifier and lastly add +2, for being their good save.

How did you get the "1/3" and "0.5 ... +2" modifiers for saves? I found only the attack modifier in the Types & Subtypes SRD page. It states that animals have good saves, but I can't figure out what that means and how to adjust when improving HD of an animal companion. I tried to find it in DM and MM manuals, but I am probably missing something.

[Eldariel]

How did you get the "1/3" and "0.5 ... +2" modifiers for saves? I found only the attack modifier in the Types & Subtypes SRD page. It states that animals have good saves, but I can't figure out what that means and how to adjust when improving HD of an animal companion. I tried to find it in DM and MM manuals, but I am probably missing something.

Good saves are always 2+0.5/HD, bad saves are always 0.33/HD and those are the only progression tracts in D&D 3.0/3.5/PF - this is direct derivation from the PHB tables for all classes and monsters. As for which saves are good or bad, you can count it from animal entries or as the actual rule, check the Animal type (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#animalType) for which saves are good or bad.