Animal Companion (feat)

While Obsidian has confirmed the existence of animal empathy in NWN2, though not all the details of how it will function.

3.5 Animal companion
A character with this feature has gained an animal that is a loyal companion that accompanies them on her adventures. An animal companion is superior from a normal animal of its kind as it has additional powers.

If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

Companion level
The effective level used to determine to power of an animal companion and available selection is the total level of all classes which provide this feature.

Ranger level
A ranger's effective level for the purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities is equal to half his ranger class level. This in addition to adjustments made for advanced choices.

e.g. A level 10 ranger's effective level for animal companions counts is level 5. This means he may have a level 5 animal companion from any of the initial choices, or a level 2 companion from the level 4 list.

Animal companion basics
Use the base statistics for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the following changes.

Bonus hit dice
Extra eight-sided (d8) hit dice, each of which gains a constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra hit dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good fortitude and reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.

Natural armor
The number noted here is an improvement to the animal companion’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str/Dex Adjustment
Add this value to the animal companion’s strength and dexterity scores.

Bonus Tricks
The value given in this column is the total number of “bonus” tricks that the animal knows in addition to any that the druid might choose to teach it (see the handle animal skill). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or handle animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. The character selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.

Link
A character can handle her animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn’t have any ranks in the handle animal skill. The character gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and handle animal checks made regarding an animal companion.

Share Spells
At the character’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion. The animal companion must be within 5 feet of her at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the animal companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the animal again, even if it returns to the druid before the duration expires.

Additionally, the character may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A character and her animal companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal).

Devotion
An animal companion gains a +4 morale bonus on will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

Multiattack
An animal companion gains multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the animal companion instead gains a second attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a –5 penalty.

Initial choice
An animal companion may be initially chosen from the following:
 * badger
 * camel
 * dire rat
 * dog
 * riding dog
 * eagle
 * hawk
 * horse (light or heavy)
 * owl
 * pony
 * snake (Small or Medium viper)
 * wolf

If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available:
 * crocodile
 * porpoise
 * Medium shark
 * squid

Advanced choices
A character with sufficiently high class level can select her animal companion from one of the following lists, applying the indicated adjustment to the class’s level (in parentheses) for purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities.

A class of effective 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals (see below). Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s class level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s druid level and compare the result with the druid level entry on the table to determine the animal companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the character's effective class level to 0 or lower, she can’t have that animal as a companion.)

4th Level or Higher (Level –3)
 * Ape (animal)
 * Bear, black (animal)
 * Bison (animal)
 * Boar (animal)
 * Cheetah (animal)
 * Crocodile (animal) *
 * Dire badger
 * Dire bat
 * Dire weasel
 * Leopard (animal)
 * Lizard, monitor (animal)
 * Shark, Large * (animal)
 * Snake, constrictor (animal)
 * Snake, Large viper (animal)
 * Wolverine (animal)

7th Level or Higher (Level –6)
 * Bear, brown (animal)
 * Dire wolverine
 * Crocodile, giant (animal)
 * Deinonychus (dinosaur)
 * Dire ape
 * Dire boar
 * Dire wolf
 * Elasmosaurus * (dinosaur)
 * Lion (animal)
 * Rhinoceros (animal)
 * Snake, Huge viper (animal)
 * Tiger (animal)

10th Level or Higher (Level –9)
 * Bear, polar (animal)
 * Dire lion
 * Megaraptor (dinosaur)
 * Shark, Huge * (animal)
 * Snake, giant constrictor (animal)
 * Whale, orca * (animal)

13th Level or Higher (Level –12)
 * Dire bear
 * Elephant (animal)
 * Octopus, giant * (animal)

16th Level or Higher (Level –15)
 * Dire shark *
 * Dire tiger
 * Squid, giant * (animal)
 * Triceratops (dinosaur)
 * Tyrannosaurus (dinosaur)

* Available only in an aquatic environment.

NWN comparison

 * NWN had a comparitively small choice of animal companions and limited abilities to enhance them.

External resources

 * NWNWiki:Animal Companion