Animal Companions

Animal companions have always been a matter of great concern for the classes that make use of them. Most of the available options for animal companions suffer from myriad issues that leave players with only a handful of choices if they wish to be viable. And those players who are unconcerned with viability tend to end up with a sidelined mascot that does not meaningfully contribute to any encounter, whether combat or otherwise. The following rules are intended to streamline animal companion choice by letting the player customize their battle buddy mechanically to adhere to whatever flavor they desire.

Players may choose one of the four stat arrays below to represent the bare-bones capabilities of their animal companion. Once chosen, **six (6)** traits may be allocated among a variety of options listed in the Traits section to help breathe life into the creature. Traits are chosen on creation of the creature and may only be changed upon gaining a new animal companion. Finally, apply the necessary statistics from the Animal Companion Base Statistics table to complete the animal companion.

Upon reaching 4th and 7th level, the animal companion does not gain its usual advancement, as the advancements tied to each individual animal choice are naturally unusable. Instead, customizable advancements have been provided that are applied at the appropriate levels.

In the interest of facilitating as many different shades, breeds, and types of animal companions as possible, there are few limits on what combinations can be made. With this in mind, it is up to the player to justify why their creation is reasonable enough (or cool enough) to exist. GMs reserve the right to tell any player to go back to the drawing board and create a more sensical beast. Apache Helicopter T-Rexes, spider climbing rhinoceros, and mythological creatures will be outright declined.

## Statistics Arrays

### **Stronk**

**Str** 18, **Dex** 14, **Con** 14, **Int** 2, **Wis** 12, **Cha** 10; +2 Nat Armor; 40 ft.; Medium; low-light vision, scent;

### **Dexy**

**Str** 12, **Dex** 18, **Con** 14, **Int** 2, **Wis** 12, **Cha** 10; +2 Nat Armor; 40 ft.; Medium; low-light vision, scent;

### **Tanky**

**Str** 12, **Dex** 14, **Con** 18, **Int** 2, **Wis** 14, **Cha** 4; +2 Nat Armor; 40 ft.; Medium; low-light vision, scent;

### **Utility**

**Str** 12, **Dex** 14, **Con** 14, **Int** 2, **Wis** 18, **Cha** 12; +2 Nat Armor; 40 ft.; Medium; low-light vision, scent;

## Traits

Each animal companion may allocate their **six** traits among the options here in any combination.

### **Offensive Traits**

* **Natural Attacks:** Claws, horns, fangs, tentacles, and other armaments bristle from this beast, making it a force to be reckoned with. This trait costs 0 traits for the animal companion’s first natural attack and 1 trait for its second natural attack. If the animal companion is Small sized, another trait (for a total of 2) may be spent to acquire a third natural attack. All damage dice for natural attacks follow the Natural Attacks by Size table unless a class feature specifies otherwise and the Custom Weapons rules to determine its other statistics.
* **Monster Special Abilities:** This beast bears immense muscles, wickedly hooked claws, venomous fangs, or other, stranger things. This trait costs 1 trait per option chosen to a maximum of two special abilities. The available options include grab, trip, rake, rend, poison, trample, constrict (requires grab), tongue, and pull. Rend requires the animal companion to possess two paired natural attacks, such as claws or talons.
	+ The poison’s frequency is 1 round for 6 rounds, its effect is 1 Con damage, its cure is 2 saves, and its DC is Con-based.

* **Size:** From as small as a household hound to as large as a carriage, this beast’s attitude far outweighs its size. This trait costs 0 traits to make the animal companion Small, but 1 trait to make the animal companion Large. An animal companion that takes the Large Size trait takes a -2 penalty to its Dexterity modifier.

### **Defensive Traits**

* **Nocturnal:** While many animals can see far better than humanoids, some possess keen sight in pure darkness. This trait costs 0 traits to exchange low-light vision for darkvision (60 ft.) or 1 trait to keep low-light vision and also gain darkvision (60 ft.).
* **Natural Armor:** A thick hide can be just as resilient as a stony shell for this beast. This trait costs 1 trait to increase the natural armor of the animal companion by 2. This trait can be taken multiple times, with each increasing the natural armor by another 2.

### **Speed Traits**

All alternate speeds may elect to decrease one speed to increase the other on a 10 ft. minimum trade basis. For example, an animal companion that acquires a Climb speed of 40 ft. may choose to decrease its Climb speed to 20 ft. in order to increase its Land speed to 60 ft.

* **Aquatic:** The beast is an accomplished swimmer and can breathe underwater. This trait costs 0 traits to trade the animal companion’s land for a swim speed, but the animal companion no longer breathes air and must remain in water to survive. This trait costs 1 trait to keep its land speed and gain both a swim speed at its base land speed, as well as the amphibious universal monster ability.
* **Aerial:** The beast possesses the ability to soar through the open skies of Anura. This trait costs 1 trait to gain a fly speed at its base land speed.
* **Climbing:** While some beasts nimbly leap from one stone outcropping to the next, others scale sheer cliff faces with ease. This trait costs 1 trait to gain a climb speed at the animal companion’s base land speed, with 1 additional trait spent to allow the creature to climb sheer surfaces, as if via spider climb.
* **Sprint:** The beast has mastered the plains of Anura and sprints across them with grace. This trait costs 1 trait to increase the animal companion’s land speed by 20 ft., to a max of 80 ft.

## Level Advancements

Instead of the usual 4th or 7th level advancements that all animal companions gain, the following are gained at the appropriate levels.

### **4th Level Advancement**

* The animal companion gains three +4 increases that may be applied to any ability score other than Intelligence. This increase may be applied to the same ability score no more than twice. For instance, upon reaching 4th level, a player may elect to increase their animal companion’s Strength by 8 and Constitution by 4. Alternatively, they may choose to increase the companion’s Dexterity by 4, Wisdom by 4, and Charisma by 4.
* The animal companion gains a +4 increase to its natural armor.

### **7th Level Advancement**

* The animal companion gains either the pounce or powerful charge universal monster ability. If powerful charge is chosen, the player must select one of the companion’s natural attacks for it to be linked to. Once chosen, this selection may not be changed.
* The animal companion gains a bonus feat. This feat must be one that the animal companion is able to use, but otherwise may be any feat.