The Companion package is a homebrew package for the Beastmastery sphere designed to address the inherent imbalances between different base animal companions, which is only exacerbated by the Martial Companion archetype. When using the Companion package, the Animal Companion and Improved Animal Companion talents are no longer available. Any class that grants an animal companion or mount instead grants the Companion package as a bonus talent at the same level, plus a bonus Beastmastery talent at 5th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels. Note that these bonus talents are received only from levels in classes that grant a companion as a class feature, not in total levels, BAB, or ranks in associated skills. However, total levels in different classes that grant animal companions (such as druid and hunter) stack.
Animal Companion
You gain an animal companion, which has a Base Form and advances in level based on your base attack bonus. You may use your Handle Animal ranks or Ride ranks instead, if it is higher. Your animal companion has the Animal type (except for the Vermin base form which has the Vermin type), and its hit dice are d8s. Your companion always counts as an animal ally. Should you release your companion or your companion dies, you may gain a new companion after 1 week. If you are in the environment where the new companion typically lives, you may instead gain that new companion in 24 hours. Your companion is always considered combat trained.
Abilities that grant talents temporarily can not be used to gain this talent, such as taking the Extra Combat Talent feat with martial flexibility or gaining it from an armiger’s customized weapon.
Associated Feats: Animal Ally, Boon Companion.
Table: Animal Companion
| BAB or Skill Ranks | HD | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Skills | Feats | Natural Armor Bonus | Bonus Tricks | Special |
|---|
| 1 |
2 |
+2 |
+3 |
+3 |
+0 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
Link, Share Spells |
| 2 |
3 |
+3 |
+3 |
+3 |
+1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
Evasion |
| 3 |
3 |
+3 |
+3 |
+3 |
+1 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
|
| 4 |
4 |
+4 |
+4 |
+4 |
+1 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
2 |
Ability Score Increase |
| 5 |
5 |
+5 |
+4 |
+4 |
+1 |
5 |
3 |
2 |
2 |
|
| 6 |
6 |
+6 |
+5 |
+5 |
+2 |
6 |
3 |
2 |
3 |
Devotion |
| 7 |
6 |
+6 |
+5 |
+5 |
+2 |
6 |
3 |
3 |
3 |
|
| 8 |
7 |
+7 |
+5 |
+5 |
+2 |
7 |
4 |
3 |
3 |
Multiattack |
| 9 |
8 |
+8 |
+6 |
+6 |
+2 |
8 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
Ability Score Increase |
| 10 |
9 |
+9 |
+6 |
+6 |
+3 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
|
| 11 |
9 |
+9 |
+6 |
+6 |
+3 |
9 |
5 |
4 |
4 |
|
| 12 |
10 |
+10 |
+7 |
+7 |
+3 |
10 |
5 |
4 |
5 |
|
| 13 |
11 |
+11 |
+7 |
+7 |
+3 |
11 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
Improved Evasion |
| 14 |
12 |
+12 |
+8 |
+8 |
+4 |
12 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
Ability Score Increase |
| 15 |
12 |
+12 |
+8 |
+8 |
+4 |
12 |
6 |
6 |
6 |
|
| 16 |
13 |
+13 |
+8 |
+8 |
+4 |
13 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
|
| 17 |
14 |
+14 |
+9 |
+9 |
+4 |
14 |
7 |
6 |
6 |
|
| 18 |
15 |
+15 |
+9 |
+9 |
+5 |
15 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
|
| 19 |
15 |
+15 |
+9 |
+9 |
+5 |
15 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
|
| 20 |
16 |
+16 |
+10 |
+10 |
+5 |
16 |
8 |
7 |
7 |
Ability Score Increase |
| 21 |
17 |
+17 |
+10 |
+10 |
+5 |
17 |
9 |
8 |
8 |
|
Animal Companion Base Forms
Aquatic
Size Medium or Small;
Speed 20 ft, swim 20 ft or swim 40 ft;
AC +2 natural armor;
Attack bite (primary 1d6 Medium, 1d4 Small), tail slap (primary 1d6 Medium, 1d4 Small) ;
Ability Scores Str 12 (10 if Small),
Dex 16 (18 if Small),
Con 13,
Int 2,
Wis 11,
Cha 10;
Special Qualities low-light vision, scent; hold breath or amphibious
Aquatic companions are fish, cetaceans, and other swimming creatures.
Avian
Size Medium or Small;
Speed 20 ft., Fly 30 ft. (average
AC +2 natural armor;
Attack bite (primary, 1d4 Medium, 1d3 Small), 2 talons (primary, 1d4 Medium, 1d3 Small, creature must be airborne to use) ;
Ability Scores Str 12 (10 if Small),
Dex 16 (18 if Small),
Con 13,
Int 2,
Wis 11,
Cha 10.
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent.
Avian companions are usually birds, but can represent any kind of flying creature, such as dire bats or pterosaurs.
Carnivore
Size Medium or Small;
Speed 40 ft.;
AC +2 natural armor;
Attack bite (primary, 1d6 Medium, 1d4 Small), 2 claws (primary, 1d4 Medium, 1d3 Small) ;
Ability Scores Str 14 (12 if Small),
Dex 14 (16 if Small),
Con 13,
Int 2,
Wis 11,
Cha 10;
Special Attacks rake (1d4
Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
Carnivore companions are ferocious predators, such as wolves, wild cats, or bears, or carnivorous dinosaurs.
Mount
Size Medium or Large;
Speed 50 ft;
AC +2 natural armor;
Attack gore (primary, 1d4 Medium, 1d6 Large) or 2 hooves (primary, 1d4 Medium, 1d6 Large) ;
Ability Scores Str 14 (16 if Large),
Dex 14 (12 if Large),
Con 15,
Int 2,
Wis 11,
Cha 10;
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent.
Mount companions are herbivorous animals, such as horses, deer, or aurochs. The Mount class feature grants a Mount companion.
Serpentine
Size Medium or Small;
Speed 20 ft, climb 20 ft;
AC +2 natural armor;
Attack bite (primary 1d6 Medium, 1d4 Small) ;
Ability Scores Str 12 (10 if Small),
Dex 16 (18 if Small),
Con 13, Int 2,
Wis 11,
Cha 10;
Special Qualities low-light vision, scent; +4 bonus on combat maneuver checks made to start and maintain a grapple, which doesn't stack with grab.
Serpentine companions are snakes or some other terrestrial legless creature.
Simian
Size Medium or Small;
Speed 30 ft, climb 30 ft;
AC +2 natural armor;
Attack 2 slams (primary 1d4 Medium, 1d3 Small) ;
Ability Scores Str 14 (12 if Small),
Dex 14 (16 if Small),
Con 13,
Int 2,
Wis 11,
Cha 10;
Special Qualities low-light vision, scent; has hands that can wield weapons or manipulate objects.
Simian companions are primate animals such as monkeys or apes.
Vermin
Size Medium or Small;
Speed 30 ft, climb 30 ft; 20 ft, swim 30ft; or 20 ft, fly 20ft;
AC +4 natural armor;
Attack bite (primary, 1d6) ;
Str 12 (10 if Small),
Dex 16 (18 if Small),
Con 13,
Int -,
Wis 11,
Cha 10.
Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
Vermin companions are invertebrates, such as insects, arachnids, or crustaceans.
Animal Companion Features
Skills: Animal companions can take the following skills, which are class skills for them: Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str). Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can put ranks into any skill.
Feats: An animal companion begins with one feat, and gains another feat at every odd Hit Die. Animal companions can select Animal Feats, plus the following: Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, and heavy), Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Overrun, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, and Weapon Focus. Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can select any feat they are physically capable of using. GMs might expand this list to include feats from other sources. Animal companions may never take feats that give them their own companion creature.
Link: You can handle your animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if you don’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. You have a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.
Share Spells: You can cast a spell or sphere effect with a target of “You” on your companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on yourself. You may cast spells on your companion even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type. This ability does not allow the animal to share abilities that are not spells or sphere abilities, even if they function like spells.
Evasion: At 3 Hit Dice, an animal companion gains evasion, taking no damage on a successful Reflex save against an effect that grants half damage on a successful Reflex save. At 11 Hit Dice, they gain improved evasion, only taking half damage on failed Reflex saves against effects that grant half damage on a successful Reflex save.
Ability Score Increase: Just like PCs and monsters, an animal companion gains a permanent +1 bonus to an ability score of the caster’s choice for every 4 Hit Dice possessed.
Devotion: At 6 Hit Dice, an animal companion gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves against charm and enchantment effects, such as enchantment school spells or the Mind sphere.
Multiattack: At 7 Hit Dice, a companion gains Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has 3 or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite 3 or more natural attacks (or it is reduced to less than 3 attacks), the companion instead gains a second attack with one of its natural weapons, albeit at a –5 penalty. If the companion later gains 3 or more natural attacks, it loses this additional attack and instead gains Multiattack.
Companion Talents
Companion talents borrow from the Alteration and Conjuration Spheres, using the highest of your BAB or ranks in Handle Animal or Ride as your caster level for these talents.
Talents must be appropriate to your animal companion’s type. While any animal companion can benefit from increases in size, speed, skills, ability scores, natural armor, and natural weapon damage, an animal companion should only have special qualities found on the corresponding creature’s bestiary entry, or the bestiary entry of an animal of the same base form. For example, a bear can pounce like a cat, or trip like a wolf, but it may not grow tentacles or fly.
At the GM’s discretion, an Improved Animal Companion may select thematic traits otherwise not available to the base animal.
Alterated Form
Your animal companion permanently gains the benefit of one trait that can be bestowed by the Alteration Sphere that does not cost additional spell points.
Conjurative Form
Your animal companion gains the benefit of one Conjuration (Form) talent that does not cost additional spell points.
Advanced Talents
Improved Animal Companion
Prerequisites: Beastmastery sphere; animal companion, mount, or other similar ability; additional requirements (see details).
Your companion gains an improved companion template.
Alternatively, your companion is a magical beast or dragon (but not a true dragon). When selecting this talent this way, your companion immediately gains a feat, talent, Alteration trait, or Conjuration form appropriate to its species.
You can take this talent multiple times, applying to a different animal companion each time.
