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Hunter Noventa
2007-09-08, 02:40 PM
I'm playing a ranger with full animal companion progression. For plot reasons I have a wolf, but I'm curious about how the advancement works. I've looked over the SRD, and found that my wolf gets bigger, and gets skills and a BaB.

However, as far as I know, animal companions can gain feats. Do they gain feats every three HD? Which means my wolf has two feats, but only 2 HD as I'm still level one. Do they also gain ability score improvements? I'm just not familiar with how it works.

John_D
2007-09-08, 03:08 PM
Animal companions gain skills and feats as they gain hit dice just as any other animal does (see the increasing hit dice section of this page (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/improvingMonsters.htm)). However, they do not increase in size as they advance, nor do they gain ability score increases from HD. Instead they get increases to strength and dexterity as shown in the animal companion advancement table.

adanedhel9
2007-09-08, 03:18 PM
I'm playing a ranger with full animal companion progression. For plot reasons I have a wolf, but I'm curious about how the advancement works. I've looked over the SRD, and found that my wolf gets bigger, and gets skills and a BaB.

Animal companions don't get bigger. The Advancement line in the SRD is for DM's, not for PC's with animal companions.

They also get improved saves, more HP, ability increases - everything that a character gets. Basically, treat the animal companion like a character with levels in the Animal class.


However, as far as I know, animal companions can gain feats. Do they gain feats every three HD? Which means my wolf has two feats, but only 2 HD as I'm still level one. Do they also gain ability score improvements? I'm just not familiar with how it works.

Yes, they gain 1 feat every 3 HD, just like characters. The basic wolf has 2HD and 1 normal feat - wolves get Track as a bonus feat. Since you are first level (and I presume "full animal companion progression" means "exactly like a Druid"), that's all you'll get. But once you get to 3rd level, your wolf will gain 2 more HD, for a total of 4 HD, which will give you 1 feat and 1 ability boost.

John_D
2007-09-08, 03:26 PM
Except animal companions don't get ability boosts from HD. This is to stop druids and rangers giving their companions the necessary intelligence boost to make them sapient. :smallsmile:

As you're third level, your animal companion will have a +1 bonus to both strength and dexterity.

Hunter Noventa
2007-09-08, 05:56 PM
Except animal companions don't get ability boosts from HD. This is to stop druids and rangers giving their companions the necessary intelligence boost to make them sapient. :smallsmile:

As you're third level, your animal companion will have a +1 bonus to both strength and dexterity.

OKay, so no size increases, but I do get skills and feats for the wolf.

Are the feats limited to the common monster feats, or could I pick anything that it qualifies for? Since this disturbingly opens up feats like say, Martial Study, I'd like to know what'as available.

AslanCross
2007-09-08, 05:58 PM
Well, some monsters straight out of the Monster Manual have feats like Power Attack and Combat Reflexes. They just need to qualify for them.

Power Attack is also a prerequisite for the Monster feat Awesome Blow.

Hunter Noventa
2007-09-08, 06:26 PM
So then...my wolf can become a faux martial adept through feats if I wanted. That would probably cheese off my DM so I won't but it's nice for future reference.