Advancing Animal Companions

[Stalker0]

When a druid or ranger has an animal companion, and gains a level, can they have the animal increase in HD instead of just adding another animal? If so, how is it done, and what new abilities does the animal get if any.

 

[Crothian]

It's coveredin MotW. I think it takes 200xp for each increased HD, the xp is spent by the ranger or druid. The animal advances then per the rules in the MM

edit: corrected XP cost

 

[shilsen]

As Crothian mentioned, it's covered under "Improving a Companion" (pg.37). It takes 200 XP per hit dice increase.

 

[KnowTheToe]

and it is well worth it. Although, a druid with hundreds of coch roach animal companions crawling all over his body would be interesting.

 

[Caliber]

Its a House Rule, but I let Druids increase the HD without XP expenditure. It makes more sense for them to keep an animal around for several levels (at least, to me) but it seems to be somewhat penalizing, charging them XP to do so.

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

As originally seen in KnowTheToe's last post:

and it is well worth it.

I beg to differ.

Basically the Druid (ranger) has two options upon the gaining of a level.
1) They can dismiss their now obsolete animal companions and spend approximately 1 day hunting down a new one that already has the 1 extra HD (as per the reccomendation in MotW).

2) They can spend 1 day and 200XP to enhance their current companion as long as the animal still has advancement HD left in its MM entry.

Both options require the same amount of time. Both also require approximately the same type of location (ie a forest with a nice sylvan grove).

Option #1 has essentially no down side, since the Druid is dismissing the companion to prevent it from being exposed to dangers that are too great for it.

Option #2, which is the option that allows for greater role-playing effect (keeping the same friend for your entire career). Has a significant penalty.

This is quite obviously a case of WotC offering "Story Penalties" for players who like to do things in character. Another example of this was when a WotC guy commented that monster ECLs could be higher than would be balanced because playing monsters is inherently cooler than playing normal PCs.

 

[0-hr]

Given one day, a druid can find any type of animal (normal or dire) of any hit dice he or she desires? I don't think so. The 200xp cost (which is trivial beyond the first few levels) makes it possible to avoid what could be a lengthy, even futile search. You also don't have to re-aclimate the pet to your other traveling companions. And lastly, if this is a "raised-from-birth" type of pet then you would certainly rather advance it a HD instead of dismissing it. In most campaigns, a druid will probably level before they could raise a new pet.

Anyway, there are real in-game advantages to outwiegh the small xp cost.

 

[Numion]

Its a House Rule, but I let Druids increase the HD without XP expenditure. It makes more sense for them to keep an animal around for several levels (at least, to me) but it seems to be somewhat penalizing, charging them XP to do so.

That was my ruling too. Didn't make sense that the druid would be seeking a new animal companion each level to save exp.

 

[Dingleberry]

Do you replace-companion-with-stronger-companion-every-level folks also take the time to teach each new critter tricks every time you swap one out?

 

[whatisitgoodfor]

They already know the important ones.

Attack the closest enemy and Attack the SOB that's attacking me.

The rest can just show up at the end of two month's time like normal (assuming that your campaign has that long between levels).

PS. For moral reasons, I feel that I should point out that I'm curently playing a Lv7 Druid with a 2HD Wolf (well he's actually 1/2 wrinkle dog) and a 4HD 1/2 siamese 1/2 saber tooth tiger (who happens to have the exact same stats as a wolf). So, I don't actually follow the recruit every level plan, I just think the 200XP is silly.