How to Handle a Druid's Animal Companion

[jbear]

I need some advice on the Druid's Animal companion. The Druid I have built is geared for melee (Wild Shape) at the cost of his Charisma (7). So now his Handle Animal check is very low: 1 Rank 3 Class ability +4 bonus from Empathy and -2 Charisma =+6

So I need to roll a 14 to make my Cheetah attack? Otherwise what does it do?

The companion has 2 Intelligence, so as my Druid is Human:

What happens if I give up my bonus feat and put a +2 in my AComp's INT score, raising it to 4? Can I now talk to my companion and tell it what I want it to do and have it understand me and cooperate with me as an ally would avoiding the need to Handle it? This is the best solution I can think of but have failed to find a rule for this.


Thanks to anyone who can give me a bit of advice on this. Otherwise it seems at lvl 1 the ACOmp. is a bit of a toerag: tags along but not much use to anyone.

 

[Flatus Maximus]

I think even with the increased Int, you'd still need to make a Handle Animal check to have it do "tricks," e.g., Attack. I think what you need is speak with animals -- then you can actually talk to the animal and tell it what to do. Since it is your companion, presumably it'll do what you ask (within reason) without the need for a check. I'm not 100% on this, but that's the way we've played it.

Anytime I've played a character with an animal companion, my first priority is to buy/craft a speak with animals item for exactly this reason.

Edit: Note that speak with animals will also help with summon nature's ally, without which you can't direct the summons very well.

Also: When the animal companion hits fourth level, you can put the stat boost into Int, which will allow your animal companion to take any feat it qualifies for, not just the feats listed for animal companions.

 

[Flatus Maximus]

Yay! My first double post!

 

[Dingo333]

Animal companions get "Bonus tricks" so you do not actually need to teach it to attack

If the animal is a combat ally you want to teach it these tricks

Attack (once fore general attacks, again for unnatural foes)
Defend
Down
Guard
Heel

This leaves you 1 trick left, i suggest track, but it is your choice

The DC is all to train the animal, to get it to attack when it knows the attack trick you need a 4 or better (DC 10)

Finally, if you raise its Int above 2, it effectivly becomes as smart as a human you will no longer need handle animal to command it

 

[Flatus Maximus]

Animal companions get "Bonus tricks" so you do not actually need to teach it to attack

No, but you do need to tell it to attack, and who to attack.

Finally, if you raise its Int above 2, it effectivly becomes as smart as a human you will no longer need handle animal to command it

I don't think this is right. It still needs to be told what to do, so either you speak to it in its language (speak with animals), or you need a Handle Animal check to tell it to Attack. An Int of 3+ just lets it pick a wider variety of feats. I could be wrong, but I'd like to see links/quotes if I am.

 

[Dingo333]

from D20PFSRD.com

on Int

Creatures of animal-level instinct have Intelligence scores of 1 or 2. Any creature capable of understanding speech has a score of at least 3.

on the Animal creature type

Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal)

from the handle animal skill

Low Intelligence Non-Animals: You can use this skill on a creature with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 that is not an animal, but the DC of any such check increases by 5. Such creatures have the same limit on tricks known as animals do.

while I can not find anywhere what exactly happens when an animal gains 3+ Int, based on the quotes I think it is something like this:

Gains and understands at least 1 language

Can reason and think for its self

Is no longer affectable by Handle animal skill so to use in combat means you have to actually speak to it. Speak to Animal is one way to do this, but I would have the animal learn druidic (they really gonna toss you out of the order for teaching your animal companion druidic?) and use commands in that language.

So if you find yourself with a bear who is smarter then the average, I would suggest before combat talking to him and saying, you should always try to flank the guy that guy (pointing at rouge) is attacking. A 4 INT is smart enough to realize how much of a boon in battle that could be and would at least try to do that (putting his life in danger to do that is another story)

P.S. I just rechecked and to order your animal companion to attack via Handle Animal for a druid or ranger (or anyone with an animal companion) is a free action. I would think this would include who but if your DM is splitting hairs over that they have issues.

 

[jbear]

Thanks for your input both of you.

Handle DC 10 makes a huge difference. I had thought the DCs to train the trick were the DCs to use them in combat. Phew!

This seems like a funny area in any case. If you raise your ACopm's INT you can no longer Handle it ... But no clear cut clarification that it is going to cooperate with you. And even funnier that in the Paizo blog they rule that you still have to Handle Intelligent animals.

In any case thanks again for your help!

 

[Flatus Maximus]

Gains and understands at least 1 language

Can reason and think for its self

Is no longer affectable by Handle animal skill so to use in combat means you have to actually speak to it. Speak to Animal is one way to do this, but I would have the animal learn druidic (they really gonna toss you out of the order for teaching your animal companion druidic?) and use commands in that language.

Perhaps a minor quibble, but I don't think the animal suddenly learns a language if its Int is bumped to 3, though it does now have the capacity to learn a language. So one thing you could do (if you don't have speak with animals always on): bump the Int to 3 and then have the animal take a rank in Linguistics and learn Common. Now the animal can understand the entire party. I don't think you need Handle Animal checks now to do any of its tricks, but the other party members might (I guess it depends on the situation). Keep in mind that it is still Int 3, which is not very smart, so complicated ideas/tactics/etc. will probably be beyond its ability to understand.

Anyway, this might all be a moot point. I'd suggest talking with the DM -- s/he might be willing to hand-wave away all these issues. (My DM couldn't be bothered with all this stuff, so to make life simpler I crafted the aforementioned speak with animals item and he called it good enough.)

 

[TheAuldGrump]

The bad news is that you can't raise an animal's Int above 2 - from the D20PFSRD -
Animal

An animal is a living, nonhuman creature, usually a vertebrate with no magical abilities and no innate capacity for language or culture. Animals usually have additional information on how they can serve as companions.

An animal has the following features (unless otherwise noted).

d8 Hit Die.
Base attack bonus equal to 3/4 total Hit Dice (medium progression).
Good Fortitude and Reflex saves.
Skill points equal to 2 + Int modifier (minimum 1) per Hit Die. The following are class skills for animals: Acrobatics, Climb, Fly, Perception, Stealth, and Swim.

Traits: An animal possesses the following traits (unless otherwise noted in a creature's entry).

Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (no creature with an Intelligence score of 3 or higher can be an animal).
Low-light vision.
Alignment: Always neutral.
Treasure: None.
Proficient with its natural weapons only. A noncombative herbivore treats its natural weapons as secondary attacks. Such attacks are made with a –5 penalty on the creature's attack rolls, and the animal receives only 1/2 its Strength modifier as a damage adjustment.
Proficient with no armor unless trained for war. (See FAQs and Handle Animal Skill.)
Animals breathe, eat, and sleep.

If Awakened using the Awaken spell then it can no longer be an animal companion, but can become a cohort.

The Auld Grump

 

[IronWolf]

The bad news is that you can't raise an animal's Int above 2 - from the D20PFSRD -
Animal

This FAQ/Blog Post sort of addresses the corner cases where this might be possible and how to handle it.

FAQ on Intelligent Animals