Bard Archetype: Animal Tamer

Details

Category: Class Options

Published on Tuesday, 03 July 2012 11:49

Written by D C Wilson

The circus lion tamer, the snake charmer getting a cobra to dance to his tune, or the musician on the corner with a trained monkey, many performers have used animals in their acts. This archetype encompasses all of these.

Class Features Modifications

Class Skills: The animal trainer adds Handle Animal as a class skill.

Animal Companion: At 1st level, the animal trainer gains the service of an animal companion chosen from the list below. This is similar to a druid’s animal trainer, but it gains special abilities according to the table below. Animal trainer may train additional animals for his act, but only one may serve as his companion. This replaces countersong, inspire courage, and jack-of-all-trades.

Bard Animal Companions

As natural performers, bards attract animals that are expressive and capable of learning lots of tricks. A bard may choose any of the following animals:

Animal Companions

An animal companion's abilities are determined by the bard's level and its animal racial traits. Table: Animal Companion Base Statistics determines many of the base statistics of the animal companion. They remain creatures of the animal type for purposes of determining which spells can affect them.

Class Level: This is the character's bard level.

HD: This is the total number of eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice the animal companion possesses, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal.

BAB: This is the animal companion's base attack bonus. An animal companion's base attack bonus is the same as that of a bard of a level equal to the animal's HD. Animal companions do not gain additional attacks using their natural weapons for a high base attack bonus.

Fort/Ref/Will: These are the animal companion's base saving throw bonuses. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves.

Skills: This lists the animal's total skill ranks. Animal companions can assign skill ranks to any skill listed under Animal Skills. If an animal companion increases its Intelligence to 10 or higher, it gains bonus skill ranks as normal. Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can purchase ranks in any skill. An animal companion cannot have more ranks in a skill than it has Hit Dice.

Feats: This is the total number of feats possessed by an animal companion. Animal companions should select their feats from those listed under Animal Feats. Animal companions can select other feats, although they are unable to utilize some feats (such as Martial Weapon Proficiency). Note that animal companions cannot select a feat with a requirement of base attack bonus +1 until they gain their second feat at 3 Hit Dice.

Natural Armor Bonus: The number noted here is an improvement to the animal companion's existing natural armor bonus.

Dex/Cha Bonus: Add this modifier to the animal companion's Dexterity and Charisma scores.

Tricks: The value given in this column is the total number of “bonus” tricks that the animal knows in addition to any that the bard might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill for more details on how to teach an animal tricks). 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 bard selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can't be changed.

Special: This includes a number of abilities gained by animal companions as they increase in power. Each of these bonuses is described below.

Link (Ex): A bard 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 bard gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.

Share Spells (Ex): The bard may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a spell with a range of touch) instead of on herself. A bard may cast spells on her animal companion even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion's type (animal). Spells cast in this way must come from a class that grants an animal companion. This ability does not allow the animal to share abilities that are not spells, even if they function like spells.

Performance Trained (Ex): At first level, the bard’s animal companion is considered trained for the purpose of public performance (see the Handle Animal skill in the Pathfinder Core Rulebook for details about performance training). In addition, the animal adds Perform (Animal Act) to its list of class skills. The animal may make a Performance (Animal Act) to aid the bard in any bardic music attempt. This Aid Another attempt is not language dependent; however the target creature(s) must be able to see the animal companion. The tricks learned for performance count against its normal allotment of tricks for its intelligence.

Evasion (Ex): If an animal companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex save for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Ability Score Increase (Ex): The animal companion adds +1 to one of its ability scores.

Devotion (Ex): 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 one of its natural weapons, albeit at a –5 penalty.

Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, an animal companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.

Animal Skills

Animal companions can have ranks in any of the following skills: Acrobatics*, Climb*, Escape Artist, Fly*, Intimidate, Perception*, Perform (Animal Act), Stealth*, Survival, and Swim*. All of the skills marked with an (*) are class skills for animal companions. Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can put ranks into any skill.

Animal Feats

Animal companions can select from the following feats: 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, 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.

New Tricks

Distract the Mark (DC 15): The animal approaches a specific creature (a mark) and attempts to gain its attention. It will jump up and down and make loud noises (barking, growling, squawking). Doing so grants its master a +2 circumstance bonus on any Sleight of Hand or Stealth checks made against the mark for the duration of the distraction. If the mark tries to attack the animal, it will flee. Mindless creatures cannot be distracted.

Play Dead (DC 15): The animal lies very still on the ground so that it appears to be dead or sleeping. If any creature approaches it, the animal can make an opposed Bluff check. If successful, the animal gains a +2 circumstance bonus on its next attack role against the creature.

Additional Ratings
Balance:	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.00 (2 Votes)
Utility:	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.67 (3 Votes)
Clarity:	1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 Rating 4.67 (3 Votes)

• < Prev
• Next >