Animal Companion Feats & Ability Scores

[The Spectrum Rider]

When an animal companion increases in Hit Dice to a number divisible by 3 because its master is going up in levels, does it get a new feat?

When it gets to a number of Hit Dice divisible by 4, does it get a +1 to an ability score? If so, can this ability be Int?

The Spectrum Rider

 

[Pickaxe]

When an animal companion increases in Hit Dice to a number divisible by 3 because its master is going up in levels, does it get a new feat?

When it gets to a number of Hit Dice divisible by 4, does it get a +1 to an ability score? If so, can this ability be Int?

The Spectrum Rider

The question of feats is addressed on page 36 of the PHB:

An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a Monster's Hit Dice (see the Monster Manual).

The same section of the PHB explicitly references advancing BAB and saves on the basis of increased HD, and, although it does not explicitly mention ability score increases, it otherwise implies that increasing an animal companion's HD entitles it to all of the concommitant advancements available to any "improved" monster. Page 290 of the Monster Manual does specifically say that a monster gets an ability improvement each time it reaches a number of HD divisible by 4, so I would argue that animal companions would get the same. In fact, this is what I've been doing with my character's animal companions.

The question of whether Intelligence is eligible for an increase is less clear to me, nor, perhaps more importantly, is it clear how an Intelligence increase would affect an animal companion. RAW do not specifically preclude Intelligence from being increased, but I would talk to your DM about what effect this would have, if allowed, since animals don't typically have an Intelligence above 2. Perhaps the simplest solution is to allow an animal with Int 3 to learn 3 more tricks, as per Handle Animal. On the other hand, Int 3 might be considered to be crossing some threshold not normally available to animals; after all, an Awakened animal (or a really dumb humanoid) might have Int 3. At what point does a creature go from only being able to learn specific tricks to interacting with its master in a more sophisticated manner? Unless someone can uncover rules for this, I would just discuss it with your DM.

--Axe

 

[Lord Pendragon]

RAW do not specifically preclude Intelligence from being increased,

Not quite. An animal can never have an intelligence higher than 2, period. Since in 3.5 animal companions do not become magical beasts, but remain animals, this rule still applies.

 

[Pickaxe]

Not quite. An animal can never have an intelligence higher than 2, period. Since in 3.5 animal companions do not become magical beasts, but remain animals, this rule still applies.

I stand corrected. See p. 306 of MM for an explicit statement to this effect in the description of the animal type.

--Axe

 

[Hypersmurf]

An animal can never have an intelligence higher than 2, period.

My wildshaped druid disagrees with you

-Hyp.

 

[atom crash]

My wildshaped druid disagrees with you

But your wildshaped druid isn't really an animal, it's a druid who has assumed the form of an animal and retained his own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.

 

[Hypersmurf]

But your wildshaped druid isn't really an animal, it's a druid who has assumed the form of an animal and retained his own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores.

His type changes to Animal; for the duration of the change, he's an Animal.

He's affected by Hold Animal, Dominate Animal, Animal Growth, etc.

-Hyp.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

His type changes to Animal; for the duration of the change, he's an Animal.

He's affected by Hold Animal, Dominate Animal, Animal Growth, etc.

As usual, Hyp is correct. The wildshaped druid is the exception to the rule.

It doesn't change the rule for an animal companion, though. 1 feat per 3HD, +1 ability point per 4HD, which can be placed anywhere but in Int.

 

[DevoutlyApathetic]

1 feat per 3HD, +1 ability point per 4HD, which can be placed anywhere but in Int.

That is unless you happen to like snakes and other 'dumb' animals. (Geek-Fu go!)

I've know people who disagree with the above, believing that the str/dex bonus stands in for the 1 per 4 bonus point since the bonus isn't called out but everything else is. It's not completely unreasonable and it's out there, even if I think it's wrong.

 

[Quinnman]

How about changing size?... if they get all the benefits of being "improved" does that also include size? ... it would make sense, but would also result in BIG bonusses...