What 'type' is the Druid's Animal Companion?

Koewn

Explorer
Just a couple quick, easy questions, I'm not seeing anything in the SRD:

Will the various 'Hold Animal', Dominate Animal, etc. etc, work on it (druid animal companion), or is it not enough of an animal type any longer?

Will those same spells work on a Wild Shaped druid? It's kind of an animal, it's not mentally and animal, though...


Thanks!

Mark
 

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Errata says that the companion is an Animal and not a Magical Beast (PHB). All spells that affect animals can affect your companion.

The same spells would work an a wild-shaped druid, assuming she is shaped in the form of an animal (and not, say, a plant or elemental). Wild Shape references Polymorph, and when Polymorphed, you acquire the new form's type.

Hm... just thought of an interesting trick: if you get affected by Charm Person or the like, you could wildshape into an animal and be immune...
 
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What drunkmoogle said. Wildshaped druids using animal growth on themselves and their animal companion (and any summoned animals) is just nasty.
 

Hi!

Koewn said:
Will the various 'Hold Animal', Dominate Animal, etc. etc, work on it (druid animal companion), or is it not enough of an animal type any longer?

From the Player's Handbook Errata of 24 September 2003:
Animal Companion
Player’s Handbook, page 36
Contrary to the text, a druid’s animal companion is not treated as a magical beast; it remains an animal. Trim the first paragraph of the sidebar so that it reads as follows:
A druid’s animal companion is superior to a normal animal of its kind and has special powers, as described below.

From the FAQ of 2 July 2004:
When you add Hit Dice to a druid’s (or ranger’s) animal companion as the master’s level goes up, does the animal get any bigger? For instance, when a druid has a wolf companion, the wolf starts out with the standard 2 Hit Dice and is size Medium. By the time the druid is 3rd level, the wolf has 2 bonus Hit Dice. According to the wolf entry in the Monster Manual, an “advanced” wolf with 4 Hit Dice would be Large. Is the example companion wolf also Large?
An animal companion doesn’t get bigger when it adds extra Hit Dice for the master’s levels. The advancement entries for creatures, and the rules for advancing monsters, refer to unusually powerful specimens that are simply tougher (and perhaps bigger) than normal for their kinds.

From the FAQ of 2 July 2004
Q:The druid’s wildshape ability is described as being like the polymorph spell except when noted otherwise. The polymorph spell description says you can assume the form of an animal with 1 Hit Die per caster level, up to 15 Hit Dice. The wildshape ability states that you cannot assume a shape with more Hit Dice than your druid level. Further, a 20th-level druid can assume the form of a huge elemental, which has 16 Hit Dice. So my question is: Is the 15-HD limit from the polymorph spell completely removed for a wildshaping druid and is limited only by the druid’s level?

A:Yes, use the wildshaping druid’s level as the limit of Hit Dice for the assumed form, as noted in the wildshape description, instead of the 15-HD limit for the spell. Don’t forget to observe the wildshape ability’s limits on the types of forms that the druid can assume as well as the assumed form size, both of which also vary with the druid’s class level.


Koewn said:
Will those same spells work on a Wild Shaped druid? It's kind of an animal, it's not mentally and animal, though...


From the Dungeon Master's Guide of March 2004

Polymorph
Dungeon Master’s Guide, page 297
Problem: The description of the polymorph effect does not account for changes to that spell.
Solution: Delete the paragraph beginning “Creatures that polymorph themselves with an ability . . .”
Also, replace the last three paragraphs with the following text:
Unless stated otherwise, creatures can polymorph into forms of the same type or into an aberration, animal, dragon, fey, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, ooze, plant, or vermin form. Most spells and abilities that grant the ability to polymorph place a cap on the Hit Dice of the form taken.
Polymorphed creatures gain the Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution of their new forms, as well as size, extraordinary special attacks, movement capabilities (to a maximum of 120 feet for flying and 60 for nonflying movement), natural armor bonus, natural weapons, racial skill bonuses, and other gross physical qualities such as appearance and number of limbs. They retain their original class and level, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma, hit points, base attack bonus, base save bonuses, and alignment.
Creatures who polymorph keep their worn or held equipment if the new form is capable of wearing or holding it. Otherwise, it melds with the new form and ceases to function for the duration of the polymorph.

From Rules of the Game: Polymorphing of 2004
THE BASICS OF POLYMORPHING
Polymorphing is just one of a set of related magical effects in the D&D game in which the subject creature assumes a new physical form while retaining its essential identity and abilities. These effects include the alter self spell, polymorph spells (polymorph, baleful polymorph, and polymorph any object), the shape change spell, the wildshape class feature, and the alternate form special quality. The rules that govern these effects are similar.

• You do not gain any supernatural special attacks, special qualities, or spell-like abilities of the new form. Your creature type and subtype (if any) remain the same regardless of your new form.

Conclusions (if you accept the Rules of the Game article by Skip Williams from WotC):

1.) Animal Companions are animals and all spells and powers work just like on a normal animal.

2.) Wildshaped druids in any chosen form retain their original creature type and are not considered anything else. So, no, you cannot cast animal growth on a animal form wildshaped druid.

Kind regards
 

drunkmoogle said:
Hm... just thought of an interesting trick: if you get affected by Charm Person or the like, you could wildshape into an animal and be immune...

Well, then you wouldn't be able to be targeted by another humanoid-only spell... but you're already under the effect of the original spell.

There's debate as to whether spells poll the target once they take effect. But imagine how the Shillelagh spell would work (or rather, not work) if spells continually check to make sure the target is still valid. As soon as the club is affected by the spell, it is no longer "one non-magical wooden club", and thus the spell dismisses itself...

If, however, you assume that as long as the target is valid when the spell is cast, it works just fine for the duration, then Shillelagh is a viable spell.

Scharlata said:
Your creature type and subtype (if any) remain the same regardless of your new form.

Conclusions (if you accept the Rules of the Game article by Skip Williams from WotC):

2.) Wildshaped druids in any chosen form retain their original creature type and are not considered anything else. So, no, you cannot cast animal growth on a animal form wildshaped druid.

Uh, the line you quoted was from the RotG article on Alter Self (Polymorphing Part Two).

The article on Polymorph (Polymorphing Part Three) states "The subject temporarily gains the type and subtypes of the assumed form."

And from Part Four, addressing Wildshape: "This class feature works like the polymorph spell, except that wildshape is a supernatural ability that works only for the druid using it."

The exception is Elemental Wildshape, where you specifically retain your own type. With Animal or Plant Wildshape, however, the rule of Polymorph applies - you get the type of the new form.

-Hyp.
 
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Hypersmurf said:
Uh, the line you quoted was from the RotG article on Alter Self (Polymorphing Part Two).

Oops, sorry!
I glitched, my fault! I copied/pasted confusion.
Hyp is (certainly ;)) right.

Kind regards
 

Hi, I have another little question about the animal companion.

What alignement is it? Is it neutral as all animals or does it became whatever alignement is his master. A neutral good druid will have a neutral good companion and a neutral evil an evil one? or it doesnt matter and the companion is always neutral?
 


Thanks, all! Espc. Sharlata for the cut+pasting.

I'll certainly be *holding* a animal companion in the next few hours, although I think I may wait a few sessions before I try it on a wild-shaper. (she's barely got to use it, no need to dissuade her from it!)

Why I'm going to this length to piss off my wife (who plays said druid) I do not know. :) She'll get me back though. :)
 

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