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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lord Pendragon" data-source="post: 109391" data-attributes="member: 707">Just in this thread alone, there are posters who claim companions should be able to take class levels, and those which claim just as adamantly that they shouldn't.From Daniel:From Spikey:This is where my confusion comes in.  The druid is a powerful class, and what I'd really like to know is just how powerful the designers meant for the class to be.  Did they intend for druids to have:1.  Animal Companions, no advancing HD, possibly awakened but unable to take class levels.2.  Animal Companions, advancing HD, possibly awakened, allowing them to take class levels.  Treated as a cohort but not requiring the leadership feat.3.  Animal Companions, advancing HD, possibly awakened, allowing them to take class levels, but must grab the leadership feat to keep them.4.  Animal Companions, possibly legendary animals, advancing HD, possibly awakened, allowing them to take class levels, treated as cohort but not requiring the leadership feat.5.  Etc. etc. etc.As you can see, the options get more and more powerful.  I trust in the playtesting that was done on 3e, but I'd really like to know exactly what the parameters of that playtesting was, with regards to animal companions.  How was the druid's balance figured?Considering the fact that they discuss the effects of the awaken spell in MoTW but never class levels, my belief is that the druid was meant to be able to advance HD and awaken an animal, but that this did not allow it to take class levels.  This, I feel,  is why they introduced the Legendary Animal, because they felt the regular animals were too weak.  On the other hand, if they'd meant the animal companion to take class levels, there'd never have been a weakness isue, because by the time the druid got to 20th level, his dire bear would have several levels of barbarian, and not have any problems holding his own in the party.  (Heck, he might not even need the druid!)However, this is only my take on it.  I've seen--and am sure I will continue to see--justifications for allowing the animal companion to do any or none of the above.  That's why I was hoping for a solid ruling on the whole class levels/advancing HD/cohort or not/awakening package.  I got part of my hope, but not all of it, and that's why I'm disappointed.From reading these posts, everyone seems to have a handle on how they want to treat it in their own campaigns, but I'd still venture that the actual rules are less than "simple and straightforward."  <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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