How to Handle a Druid's Animal Companion

[tylermalan]

Do animal companions roll initiative in combat and have separate turns from the druid?

 

[IronWolf]

Do animal companions roll initiative in combat and have separate turns from the druid?

I generally just include the animal companion on the druid's initiative.

 

[Walking Dad]

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

FAQ on Intelligent Animals

Thanks, but I really dislike this FAQ.

The Handle Animal skill functions similarly no matter how intelligent an animal becomes. A character must still make Handle Animal checks to train his animal and get him to perform the appropriate tasks. A GM should, however, make exceptions in the case of how such an intelligent animal might react in absence of instructions. It might not know to unlock a door to escape a burning building—as that's a fact that's learned over time and experience—but a smart animal might have a better chance of finding a way out.

I'm no animal trainer or expert, but I believe that increasingly intelligent animals should be able to learn how to open a door without someone investing training time. All apes and monkeys in zoos couldn't escape from non-locked doors with handles just because no trainer invested time to teach them?

And does the text imply you cannot choose the animals skills and feats?

... but a GM should feel safe in assuming that it might take years to actually teach Common to an intelligent animal. All of this, of course, assumes that the animal even bothers to fill that language slot. Possessing the ability to use a language does not necessarily mean that such an ability is utilized.

So it is the GM's choice where to place the skill points?

And what about sign using primates in the real world? Are they all in truth magically awakened or some nature priest's companions?

 

[IronWolf]

Thanks, but I really dislike this FAQ.

I just linked to it as indication of the idea Pathfinder is heading regarding intelligence and animal companions. So I wouldn't say I was a huge defender of it, beyond as a reference to how the game designers seem to want to take this issue.

I'm no animal trainer or expert, but I believe that increasingly intelligent animals should be able to learn how to open a door without someone investing training time. All apes and monkeys in zoos couldn't escape from non-locked doors with handles just because no trainer invested time to teach them?

I think a lot of this is just giving the GM some room to work with if the player suddenly thinks the animal can automatically find a way out because the animal has some intelligence now. A GM could easily say, yes your ape easily opens the door as he's watched you do it 100's of times. Or he has some backing to say, no your pig cannot open the door.

So it is the GM's choice where to place the skill points?

No, I think it is again just giving some rule to GM to have wiggle room if a player is saying my animal will learn common today, the GM can reply with okay - but that is going to take some time. Or in other games the GM may simply say that sounds fine. I think they are trying to avoid stripping decision making power from the GM in these grayish scenarios.

And what about sign using primates in the real world? Are they all in truth magically awakened or some nature priest's companions?

I prefer to think of them as magically awakened!

 

[Walking Dad]

I'm fine with the conclusions of most of it.

I hate all day animal druids (was more a problem in 3.5) and plate wearing apes swinging greatswords...

... I think they are trying to avoid stripping decision making power from the GM in these grayish scenarios.
...

But Pathfinder is defining everything in it's rules. That was one of the great strength/weaknesses of the parent system.

The easiest solution would have been to only allow physical stats increase for animal companions.

I hate that increasing Int is the "great" option to have sword wielding monkeys.

 

[paradox42]

What's wrong with sword-wielding monkeys? That's what every human sword-wielder is, after all.

 

[Walking Dad]

Monkey's have tails...

and to seriously answer to the first part:

It just kills my immersion and doesn't seem to be RAI of the companion rules.

 

[paradox42]

Monkey's have tails...

Oh, okay. So you'd have no problem with a sword-wielding gorilla, or chimp, or orangutan, then (none of those have tails). Cool.

 

[IronWolf]

It just kills my immersion and doesn't seem to be RAI of the companion rules.

I totally get that. I have several things that I just don't like because it breaks my immersion, so I can certainly respect that.

 

[jbear]

For me the point is moot as my initial problem was that Handle Animal trick DCs seemed way too high. But i had failed to notice that those were the DCs to teach the skill to the animal.

I was thinking having a high INT could mitigate this. In the end it was unnecessary.

I certainly wasn't thinking of a sword wielding gorilla as a companion. More of a companion like Lassie or the horse from Entangled. Real smart. Not just a dunb rotweiler that hangs around with you because you feed it.

It shouldn't be too strange that a druid's animals companion should be exceptionally clever.