Alternate Animal Companion question

[Chaendar]

OK, for starters, this is a simple question and as a 20+ year player I SHOULD know the answer, but I don't.

Playing pure ranger, just hit level 8 and in the same session my war-trained riding dog got roasted.

So my ECL for choosing an animal companion is now 4, allowing me to pull from the Lvl 4 alternative Animal companions list.

Not doing anything crazy, just looking at Ape.

I also have Nature's Bond feat giving me +3 ECL for determining stats, bonuses, etc.


So the simple question I'm apparently too dumb to figure out: I'm Dru ECL 4 and the Ape is in the "4th Level or Higher (Level –3)" list. Does this mean the Ape is lvl 1 and the stats in the Monster Manual are for a lvl 1 Ape? If so, I then apply the 3 ECL from feat after and level up the Ape, yes?


Also, what is the BAB progression for Animal Companions? 3/4? 2/3? other?

[torrasque666]

It means that for a level 4 druid, an Ape gets the bonuses that a level 1 druid would provide. So it gets a whopping 1 bonus trick, and the link and share spells ability.

Natural Bond bumps that up to a level 4 druid, so it gets +2 HD, +2 Natural Armor, +1 Str, +1 Dex, 2 tricks (total so 1 more), and the Evasion ability.

You add those to the normal Ape statblock. Animal BAB is 3/4, so it gains +1

[Silly Name]

Your ape would start as the base animal you find in the MM, plus the bonuses the animal companion of a level 1 druid would receive. Seeing as you have Natural Bond, though, it immediately gets all the bonuses of a level 4 druid's animal companion.

Animals have the same BaB a cleric whose level is equal to the current HD of the animal.

[Chaendar]

Perfect, thanks to you both :smile: