
Archives of Nethys

Archives of Nethys

Pathfinder RPG (1st Edition) Pathfinder RPG (2nd Edition) Starfinder RPG

Rules Index | GM Screen | Player's Guide
Core Rulebook / Chapter 3: Classes

Animal Companions and Familiars

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
Some adventurers travel with loyal allies known as animal companions and familiars. The former begin as young animals but acquire impressive physical abilities as you level up, while the latter share a magical bond with you.

Animal Companions

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
An animal companion is a loyal comrade who follows your orders. Your animal companion has the animal and minion traits, 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.

A list of available animal companions can be found here.

Riding Animal Companions

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
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 pg. 214 4.0
The following are the base statistics for a young animal companion, the first animal companion most characters get. You adjust these statistics depending on the type of animal you choose. A companion has the same level you do. As you gain levels, you might make further adjustments as your companion grows 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).

Proficiencies

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
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

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
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

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
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.

Mature Animal Companions

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
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.

Nimble Animal Companions

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
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 to expert. It also learns the advanced maneuver for its type. Its attacks become magical for the purpose of ignoring resistances.

Savage Animal Companions

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
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.

Companion Types

Source Core Rulebook pg. 214 4.0
The species of animal you choose is called your companion’s type. Each companion type has its own statistics. The Size entry indicates your companion’s starting size as a young animal companion. Following the size entry are the companion’s unarmed attacks, and then its ability modifiers. The Hit Points entry indicates the companion’s ancestry Hit Points. The Skill entry indicates an additional trained skill your companion has. The Senses entry lists your companion’s special senses. The Speed entry gives your companion’s Speeds. The Special entry, if present, lists any other special abilities your companion has, for example whether it often serves as a mount and is particularly appropriate for mounted classes, such as the champion. The Support Benefit entry indicates a special benefit you gain by Commanding the Animal to use the Support action (see below). The Advanced Maneuver entry indicates a powerful new action your companion learns how to use if it becomes a nimble or savage animal companion.

Support [one-action]

Source Core Rulebook pg. 215 4.0
Requirements The creature is an animal companion.
Your animal companion supports you. You gain the benefits listed in the companion type’s Support Benefit entry. If the animal uses the Support action, the only other actions it can use on this turn are basic move actions to get into position to take advantage of the Support benefits; if it has already used any other action this turn, it can’t Support you.

Specialized Animal Companions

Source Core Rulebook pg. 217 4.0
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.

A list of all animal companion specializations can be found here.

Related Rules

Megafauna Minions (Source World Guide pg. 117 2.0)
Undead Companions (Source Book of the Dead pg. 37)
Elemental Companions (Source Rage of Elements pg. 39 2.0)

Familiars

Source Core Rulebook pg. 217 4.0
Familiars are mystically bonded creatures tied to your magic. Most familiars were originally animals, though the ritual of becoming a familiar makes them something more. You can choose a Tiny animal you want as your familiar, such as a bat, cat, raven, or snake. Some familiars are different, usually described in the ability that granted you a familiar; for example, a druid's leshy familiar is a Tiny plant instead of an animal, formed from a minor nature spirit. A familiar has the same level you do.

Familiars have the minion trait, so during an encounter, they gain 2 actions in a round if you spend an action to command them. If your familiar dies, you can spend a week of downtime to replace it at no cost. You can have only one familiar at a time.

Modifiers and AC

Source Core Rulebook pg. 217 4.0
Your familiar's save modifiers and AC are equal to yours before applying circumstance or status bonuses or penalties. Its Perception, Acrobatics, and Stealth modifiers are equal to your level plus your spellcasting ability modifier (Charisma if you don't have one, unless otherwise specified). It can't make Strikes, but it can use trained skill actions for skills for which it adds your spellcasting ability modifier. If it attempts an attack roll or other skill check, it uses your level as its modifier. It doesn't have or use its own ability modifiers and can never benefit from item bonuses.

Hit Points

Source Core Rulebook pg. 217 4.0
Your familiar has 5 Hit Points for each of your levels.

Size

Source Core Rulebook pg. 218 4.0
Your familiar is Tiny.

Senses

Source Core Rulebook pg. 218 4.0
Your familiar has low-light vision and can gain additional senses from familiar abilities. It can communicate empathically with you as long as it’s within 1 mile of you, sharing emotions. It doesn’t understand or speak languages normally, but it can gain speech from a familiar ability.

Movement

Source Core Rulebook pg. 218 4.0
Your familiar has either a Speed of 25 feet or a swim Speed of 25 feet (choose one upon gaining the familiar). It can gain other movement types from familiar abilities.

Familiar and Master Abilities

Source Core Rulebook pg. 218 4.0
Each day, you channel your magic into two abilities, which can be either familiar or master abilities. If your familiar is an animal that naturally has one of these abilities (for instance, an owl has a fly Speed), you must select that ability. Your familiar can’t be an animal that naturally has more familiar abilities than your daily maximum familiar abilities.

Related Rules

Specific Familiars (Source Advanced Player's Guide pg. 148 2.0)

Related Rules

Eidolons (Source Secrets of Magic pg. 58 1.1)
Construct Companions (Source Guns & Gears pg. 32 2.0)