PF2 Rules Animal Companions

Pathfinder 2 – Rules

Animal Companions

Animal Companion Overview

Source – Core Rulebook (rb-cr-214), Errata 1.0 – 2019-10-30

An animal companion is a loyal comrade who follows your orders. Your animal companion has the minion trait, and it gains 2 actions during your turn if you use the Command an Animal action to command it; this is in place of the usual effects of Command an Animal, and you don’t need to attempt a Nature check. If your companion dies, you can spend a week of downtime to replace it at no cost. You can have only one animal companion at a time.

• Riding Animal Companions – You or an ally can ride your animal companion as long as it is at least one size larger than the rider. If it is carrying a rider, the animal companion can use only its land Speed, and it can’t move and Support you on the same turn. However, if your companion has the mount special ability, it’s especially suited for riding and ignores both of these restrictions.

Young Animal Companions

Source – Core Rulebook (rc-cr-214), Errata 1.0 – 2019-10-30

The following are the base statistics for a young animal companion, the first animal companion most characters get. You make adjustments to these statistics depending on the type of animal you choose. As you gain levels, you might make further adjustments as your companion becomes more powerful. Animal companions calculate their modifiers and DCs just as you do with one difference: the only item bonuses they can benefit from are to speed and AC (their maximum item bonus to AC is +3) An animal companion has the same level you do.

• Proficiencies – Your animal companion uses your level to determine its proficiency bonuses. It’s trained in its unarmed attacks, unarmored defense, barding, all saving throws, Perception, Acrobatics, and Athletics. Animal companions can’t use abilities that require greater Intelligence, such as Coerce or Decipher Writing, even if trained in the appropriate skill, unless they have a specialization that allows it.
• Ability Modifiers – An animal companion begins with base ability modifiers of Str +2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha +0. Each type has its own strengths and increases two of these modifiers by 1 each. These increases are already calculated into the stat blocks in Companion Types below.
• Hit Points – Your animal companion has ancestry Hit Points from its type, plus a number of Hit Points equal to 6 plus its Constitution modifier for each level you have.

Animal Companion – Young – Base Stats

• Attributes – Str +2, Dex +2, Con +1, Int –4, Wis +1, Cha +0
• Proficiencies – unarmed attacks (T), unarmored defense (T), Fort (T), Ref (T), Will (T), Perception (T), Acrobatics (T), Athletics (T)
• Hit Points – Type + (Character Level x (6 + Con))

Mature Animal Companions

Source – Core Rulebook (rc-cr-214)

Mature Animal Companions – To advance a young animal companion to a mature animal companion (usually a result of one of your class feat choices)

• increase its Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom modifiers by 1.
• Increase its unarmed attack damage from one die to two dice (for instance 1d8 to 2d8), and its proficiency rank for Perception and all saving throws to expert.
• Increase its proficiency ranks in Intimidation, Stealth, and Survival to trained, and if it was already trained in one of those skills from its type, increase its proficiency rank in that skill to expert.
• If your companion is Medium or smaller, it grows by one size.

Animal Companion – Mature – Upgraded Stats

• Attributes – Str +1, Dex +1, Con +1, Wis +1
• Attacks – +1 dice of damage
• Perception and Saving Throws – Upgrade to Expert
• Skills – Intimidation, Stealth, and Survival to trained, and if it was already trained in one of those skills from its type, increase its proficiency rank in that skill to expert.
• Size – If your companion is Medium or smaller, it grows by one size

Incredible Animal Companions

• Genie-Touched (R lo-leg-123) Deep Diver, Steadfast Strider, Wildfire Scorcher, Wind Chaser.
• Nimble – To advance a mature animal companion to a nimble animal companion, increase its Dexterity modifier by 2 and its Strength, Constitution, and Wisdom modifiers by 1. It deals 2 additional damage with its unarmed attacks. Increase its proficiency ranks in Acrobatics and unarmored defense to expert. It also learns the advanced maneuver for its type. Its attacks become magical for the purpose of ignoring resistances.
• Savage – To advance a mature animal companion to a savage animal companion, increase its Strength modifier by 2 and its Dexterity, Constitution, and Wisdom modifiers by 1. It deals 3 additional damage with its unarmed attacks. Increase its proficiency rank in Athletics to expert. It also learns the advanced maneuver for its type. If your companion is Medium or smaller, it grows by one size. Its attacks become magical for the purpose of ignoring resistances.

Specialised Animal Companions

Specialized animal companions are more intelligent and engage in more complex behaviors. The first time an animal gains a specialization, it gains the following: Its proficiency rank for unarmed attacks increases to expert. Its proficiency ranks for saving throws and Perception increase to master. Increase its Dexterity modifier by 1 and its Intelligence modifier by 2. Its unarmed attack damage increases from two dice to three dice, and it increases its additional damage with unarmed attacks from 2 to 4 or from 3 to 6. Each specialization grants additional benefits. Most animal companions can have only one specialization.

• Ambusher (rb-cr-214, Errata 1.0 – 2019-10-30) In your companion’s natural environment, it can use a Sneak action even if it’s currently observed. Its proficiency rank in Stealth increases to expert (or master if it was already an expert from its type), and its Dexterity modifier increases by 1. Its proficiency rank for unarmored defense increases to expert, or master if it’s nimble.
• Auspice mounts gain the following benefits (paladin): Your companion is marked by your deity’s religious symbol as a sacred creature of your deity. Its proficiency rank in Religion increases to expert, it can speak the language associated with your deity’s servitors (Celestial for champions who follow the tenets of good), and its Intelligence modifier increases by 2 and its Wisdom modifier by 1.
• Bully (rb-cr-214) Your companion terrorizes foes with dominance displays and pushes them around the battlefield. Its proficiency ranks for Athletics and Intimidation increase to expert (or master if it was already expert from its type), its Strength modifier increases by 1, and its Charisma modifier increases by 3.
• Daredevil (rb-cr-214) Your companion joins the fray with graceful leaps and dives. It gains the deny advantage ability, so it isn’t flat-footed to hidden, undetected, or flanking creatures unless such a creature’s level is greater than yours. Its proficiency rank in Acrobatics increases to master, and its Dexterity modifier increases by 1. Its proficiency rank in unarmored defense increases to expert, or master if it’s nimble.
• Racer (rb-cr-214) Your companion races. It gains a +10-foot status bonus to its Speed, swim Speed, or fly Speed (your choice). Its proficiency in Fortitude saves increases to legendary, and its Constitution modifier increases by 1.
• Tracker (rb-cr-214) Your companion is an incredible tracker. It can move at full Speed while following tracks. Its proficiency rank in Survival increases to expert (or master if it was already an expert from its type), and its Wisdom modifier increases by 1.
• Wrecker (rb-cr-214) Your companion smashes things. Its unarmed attacks ignore half an object’s Hardness. Its Athletics proficiency increases to master, and its Strength modifier increases by 1.

Types of Companions

• All Animal Types – Badger (rb-cr-215), Bear (rb-cr-215), Bird (rb-cr-215), Cat (rb-cr-215), Dromaeosaur (rb-cr-216), Horse (rb-cr-216), Snake (rb-cr-216), Wolf (rb-cr-216)

Animal Companion – Bird – Upgraded Stats

• Your companion is a bird of prey, such as an eagle, hawk or owl.
• Size – Small
• Melee (one action) Jaws (finesse) Damage 1d6 piercing
• Melee (one action) Talon (agile, finesse) Damage 1d4 slashing
• Attribute Boosts +1 Dex +1 Wis
• Hit Points – 4
• Skill – Stealth
• Speed – 10ft, Fly 60ft
• Support Benefit – The bird pecks at your foes’ eyes when you create an opening. Until the start of your next turn, your Strikes that damage a creature that your bird threatens also deal 1d4 persistent bleed damage, and the target is dazzled until it removes the bleed damage. If your bird is nimble or savage, the persistent bleed damage increases to 2d4.
• Advanced Maneuver – Flyby Attack

Horse

• Mount: An animal companion with this special ability supports its rider.

Traits of Companions

• Celestial: Creatures that hail from or have a strong connection to the good-aligned planes are called celestials. Celestials can survive the basic environmental effects of planes in the Outer Sphere.
  • Angel: This family of celestials is native to the plane of Nirvana. Most angels are neutral good, have darkvision, and have a weakness to evil damage.
  • Archon: Members of this family of celestials are the protectors of Heaven and are lawful good. They have darkvision and a weakness to evil damage.
  • Azata: This family of celestials is native to Elysium. They are typically chaotic good and have darkvision and a weakness to evil and cold iron.
• Minion: Minions are creatures that directly serve another creature. A creature with this trait can use only 2 actions per turn and can’t use reactions. Your minion acts on your turn in combat, once per turn, when you spend an action to issue it commands.
  • For an animal companion, you Command an Animal;
  • for a minion that’s a spell or magic item effect, like a summoned minion, you Sustain a Spell or Sustain an Activation;
  • if not otherwise specified, you issue a verbal command, a single action with the auditory and concentrate traits.
  • If given no commands, minions use no actions except to defend themselves or to escape obvious harm. If left unattended for long enough, typically 1 minute, mindless minions usually don’t act, animals follow their instincts, and sapient minions act how they please.
• Mount: An animal companion with this special ability supports its rider, this allows it to support and stride in the same turn, which other companions cannot, even if they can be ridden.

Content Updates

• 2022-04-10 – Added in extra details about animal companions.
• 2021-08-13 – Updated to layout and menu.

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