Animal friendship on advancing animals

[Wippit Guud]

Level 1 druid can, at max, get 2 hd worth of creatures. Lets say he takes a 2 hd wolf.

Now, for whatever reason, before the druid can gain a second level, the wolf gains enough size and age to gain a 3rd hit die.

Does animal friendship still affect the wolf in this case?

 

[Umbran]

Generally speaking, no, the animal would break the bond of Animal Friendship.

This begs the question, however, of how the animal winds up advancing faster than the druid, especially when there are no core rules for when the animal would gain a hit die.

 

[Wippit Guud]

Well, he's an NPC druid who lost his druid powers after becoming a wererat, but since animal friendship is permanent, his animals stuck around. Now they're bigger, but he doesn't have the hit dice to support them normally.

Granted, they ARE dire rats, and would probably stick around anyways, I just wondered for rule's sake.

 

[Witness]

I would think that the animal companions would stick around. From my understanding, the spell works instantaneously making the animal become your friend when the spell is cast. To lose the animal as a companion, one would have to do something that goes against the animal; not feeding it, attacking it, etc. Barring thatt their is no reason it would not stick around.

 

[Hypersmurf]

I would think that the animal companions would stick around. From my understanding, the spell works instantaneously making the animal become your friend when the spell is cast. To lose the animal as a companion, one would have to do something that goes against the animal; not feeding it, attacking it, etc. Barring thatt their is no reason it would not stick around.

That's my feeling too - obviously, no more animals could be befriended until one's level left room for more Animal hit dice, but otherwise, I think the existing companions would hang around.

After all, if your pet bear has been with you for years, would he really decide you weren't worth hanging around any more just 'cos a Wight drained you of a few levels? It doesn't seem right for an instantaneous spell.

If it were Duration : Permanent, I might feel differently.

-Hyp.

 

[Numion]

I've always had the opposite happen IMC; first the druid advances, then his companion. The druid's animal companion is thus the same HD as the druid has levels. This way the Druid doesn't have to abandon his companion for a better one every level.

But to the original question, I think the druid would lose the animal companion. However, I've ruled that animal compainions who've gained temporary extra HD (like from Animal Growth) don't abandon the master. It's only for a while.

 

[Rashak Mani]

How do you guys DM the animal growth/advancement thing ? Any special reason for the advancement ? You keep track paralel XP ?

 

[Umbran]

How do you guys DM the animal growth/advancement thing ? Any special reason for the advancement ? You keep track paralel XP ?

I don't track XP for animal companions. If the player wants to keep the same companion, I usually simply advance the creature one hit die for every two levels the character gains, up to the maximum for a critter of it's type. This seems to keep the animal approximately in line with paladin mounts and familiars.

Why advance the critter? Well, the character really is supposed to get full use of spellcasting powers, and that includes Animal Friendship. If you don't advance the critter, the caster can simply dismiss it and find a new one, and I don't want to burden my story with the druid going out every couple of levels to find a bigger critter. Plus, it allows me, as a DM to develop the character of the animal

 

[Rashak Mani]

Neat Umbran... will convey your ideas to my DM... must seem ridiculous to keep changing "pets" all the time...