Animal Companion Feats

[tomBitonti]

Hi,

A couple of animal companion feats:

Q1: Is there any rule for substituting Improved Toughness for Toughness for
animals? This is very useful for an animal companion.

Animals have good Fortitude saves, so they qualify, and Improved Toughness
is superior for animals with 3 HD or more.

A counter argument is that the animal really was going for the benefit while
it advanced up to 3 HD, in which case it would want Toughness instead.

Q2: Does having a natural attack (for example, an ape's claws) mean that you
don't have to take Improved Unarmed Strike to take Improved Grapple? Relaxing
the rule kind-of makes sense, but as written I don't think that you can. On the
other hand, relaxing the requirement makes it easy to take Improved Grapple, maybe
too easy.

Thx.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Q1: Is there any rule for substituting Improved Toughness for Toughness for
animals?

No. If it wants to pick up Improved Toughness, it can select it as one of its feats as it gains HD. Nothing in the rules allows an animal companion to switch out any of the feats it starts with.

Q2: Does having a natural attack (for example, an ape's claws) mean that you don't have to take Improved Unarmed Strike to take Improved Grapple?

No. A natural weapon is not the same as Improved Unarmed Strike. You still have to pay the prerequisite.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

Q2: Does having a natural attack (for example, an ape's claws) mean that you don't have to take Improved Unarmed Strike to take Improved Grapple?

Remember, Improved Unarmed Strike is secret ninja training.

In order to be an effective grappler, you must first learn the Secret Arts of the East (or the West, or whatever).

No other method exists for learning how to grapple - or deflect arrows, or stun with a blow, for that matter.