- Type of feat
- Class
- Prerequisite
- Druid level 1, ranger level 4 or cleric with the Animal domain.
- Required for
- Dinosaur Companion, Epic Animal Companion
- Specifics
An animal companion may be summoned (and unsummoned) by the character. An unsummoned companion can be recalled after a short cooldown time. If an animal companion is killed, it cannot be summoned again until the ranger or druid rests.
- Use
- Selected.
Companion Level
Animal companion capabilities in NWN2 do stack for determining the level of the companion and thus its abilities. If you obtain a new class that has an animal companion, you can change the type of animal that you receive, but you will not receive multiple companions. For example, a Druid 6 that has a Wolf companion and levels up in Ranger to level 4 will select a new companion. The selected companion's name and animal type will over-write the Wolf companion. The companion's level will be determined by the effective level of the combined classes modified by feats such as natural bond. For example the companion level for the example above would be based on a level 7 druid (6 druid levels + 1 ranger level) unless modified by natural bond which would increase it to the equivalent of a level 10 druid.
Note that the dinosaur is 2 levels higher than the other companions.
Ranger Companions
NWN2 gives Rangers Animal Companions at class level - 3. The Ranger's level is not adjusted in any other way to determine the level of the companion that they receive.
Special: See animal companion for the list of animals available in NWN2.
3.5 comparison[]
Companion level The effective level used to determine the 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 progression
| Class level | Bonus hit dice | Natural armor adjustment | Str/Dex Adj. | Bonus tricks | Special |
| 1st–2nd | +0 | +0 | +0 | 1 | Link, share spells |
| 3rd–5th | +2 | +2 | +1 | 2 | Evasion |
| 6th–8th | +4 | +4 | +2 | 3 | Devotion |
| 9th–11th | +6 | +6 | +3 | 4 | Multiattack |
| 12th–14th | +8 | +8 | +4 | 5 | |
| 15th–17th | +10 | +10 | +5 | 6 | Improved evasion |
| 18th–20th | +12 | +12 | +6 | 7 |
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 bonus 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.
NWN comparison[]
- NWN also had a comparatively small choice of animal companions and limited abilities to enhance them.