Which Animals Can Be Companions
All unaligned, good or neutral beasts or monstrosities that are large or smaller, with an intelligence of 6 or less are possible companions. Certain races and classes may give an advantage in convincing specific types of beasts to stay as a companion.
Working With The Animal
If a beast seems willing (i.e., it does not attack) then the individual must succeed on an Animal Handling check. The base for this DC is equal to the animals Wisdom Score + 1/2 its CR, though there are a variety of things that can influence the DC of an Animal Handling check. Race and class can also effect the DC, along with other factors.
Taming
When a creature is first approached the handler must spend 4 hours with the animal and then make an Animal Handling check. On a success, taming of the animal may continue starting at the base tameness for that creature. On a failure, the animal moves down one level of tameness on the scale. The number of checks it takes to reach a new level on the scale is variable, based on the tameness of the animal after this check.
Every day, after the 1st check, the handler must spend 8 hours and succeed on additional checks without failing 3 in order for the animal to move up the tameness scale one level. If 3 failures are made, the creature moves down one level on the tameness scale. The handler must continue making animal handling checks or the creature will leave (or become untamable) after 3 days of no taming.
| Tameness | Min Loyalty Points | Animal Attitude |
|---|---|---|
| Wild | – | Animal is hostile towards the handler and may attack |
| Feral | – | Animal leaves |
| Cautious | – | Animal is wary of the handler and will follow at a distance |
| Friendly | – | Animal follows the handler but will take no combat actions |
| Tame | 60 | Animal will assist the handler in combat, foraging, tracking, etc. |
| Bonded | 80 | Animal will defend the handler with its own life and use its skills to assist in any way possible |
Once the animal reaches tame, it will stick with the handler without any additional checks, and it will gain its 1st animal companion level. Until it reaches bonded, it is still affected by failed checks and negative experiences, and can still leave the handler. Once a companion reaches tame, they will continue to fight alongside the handler until they reach cautious, at which point they will leave, abandoning the handler. Companions never stop gaining and losing loyalty points, though once they are securely in the tame category, paying attention to their general treatment is enough.
Loyalty Points
Once a companion is tame, any event that can seriously effect a companions relationship with the handler is called a meaningful event. These can be positive or negative, and depending on the severity, they can effect a companions tameness by anywhere from 5 – 25 loyalty points. The starting value of a newly tamed creature is set to the minimum value for that level (usually 60).
If a creatures loyalty points exceed the minimum for the next tameness scale, the creature does not move up the scale. However, if a creatures loyalty points drop below the minimum value for the level they are currently at, they drop to the next lower tameness level on the scale.
| Positive Event | Loyalty Point Adjustment | Loyalty Point Adjustment | Negative Event |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heal | +5 at end of encounter | -5 | Verbally or physically abuse, neglect companion |
| Save life | +15 | -5 | Tie up or trap companion |
| Feed | +5 (daily) | -10 | Abandon companion |
| Praise | +1 (daily) | -25 | Attack companion |
| Rescue from peril | +5 | -1 per HP lost (calc at end of encounter) | Injury |
Taming Interaction
A success by 10 or more is worth 2 successful checks, and a failure by 10 or more is worth 2 failures. When making initial contact with an animal, the handler must reach the required number of successful checks to become cautious before they fail 3, or the animal will flee (or become untamable).
Animal Handling DC = Animal’s Wisdom Score + 1/2 Animal’s CR rounded up
| Race | DC Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Alpern, Azurin, Ejre, Rilkan | -2 to all creatures |
| Aefvennen, Raigo, Rizadrin | -1 to all underground creatures |
| Eladrin, Hanxo, Nyctara | -1 to all woodland creatures |
| Anireth, Dragonborn, Dread Rot, Duskling, Gremlin, Krampus, Lyvar, Murder Crow, Revenant, Shadar-kai, Skarn | +2 to all creatures |
| Class | DC Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Barbarian | -1 for all Bears and Wolves |
| Blackclad, Druid, Shaman | -2 for all woodland creatures |
| Ranger | -1 for all woodland creatures |
| Incarnate, Medium, Weaponweaver | +5 for all creatures |
| Master of Tradition, Summoner, any class w/ a familiar | +10 for all creatures |
| Background / Attitude | DC Adjustment |
|---|---|
| Grim attitude | +3 |
| Criminal, Seafarer | +2 |
| Academic | +1 |
| Clan member, Clergy, Outlander | -1 |
| Common Folk, Militarist, Socialite | -2 |
| Noble attitude | -3 |
| Pauper | -4 |
Creature Classifications
Use these classifications to determine a how many successful checks it takes for a creature to climb a level on the tameness scale.
| Current Tameness | ||||||
| Wild | – | 3 | 6 | 12 | 24 | 50 |
| Feral | – | – | 3 | 6 | 12 | 24 |
| Cautious | – | – | – | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| Friendly | – | – | – | – | 3 | 6 |
| Tame | – | – | – | – | – | 3 |
| Bonded | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Companion Rules
Too Powerful
Your companion may never be a higher level than you. If this happens, your companion will not be available to you until you gain the appropriate level. During this time, your companion stops gaining levels as noted below.
In Combat
Your companion acts on their own initiative unless they are being used as a mount, in which case they act on their riders. If a handler is unconscious, your companion will prioritize defending (defense actions only) the handler.
Control and Roleplaying
Generally a handler fully controls their companion in combat. However, outside of combat a companion fads into the background of the scene and doesn’t take actions (unless skills or abilities come into play for a specific purpose) and is considered to be within 5 feet of its handler at all times (unless specifically directed otherwise).
Communication
While your companion does not understand any language, it will follow simple commands and you are able to instruct it to perform simple tasks. Your companion is completely loyal to you and will do it’s best to be as helpful as possible. You must make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to have your companion complete more complex tasks.
Barding Armor
Barding for medium and small creatures costs twice as much as normal armor and weighs the same amount.
Magic Items
While magic items for companions are somewhat more rare, they are not unheard of. In general, magical armor is fairly easy to convert into barding armor, although it will require the work of an experienced blacksmith. While traditional magic weapons such as swords and bows are not something companions are equipped to handle, there are other ways to magically enhance their attacks, such as wraps, gauntlets, claw extenders etc.
Training & Tricks
You can train a creature to perform a specific trick with 40 hours of training and a successful animal handling check, against the base DC of the trick, modified by any of the influencing factors (see GM). An animal can learn a number of trick equal to intelligence ability score. Once a trick has been learned you can use your bonus action to perform an DC 10, modified by and influencing factors, Animal Handling check to command them to perform a task or tick it knows.
You must learn each trick before you can train it. Refer to the Proficiency page for how to learn the trick.
The Skill page also lists how to use these tricks once learned.
Companion Class
Class Features
As a Companion, you animal companion gains the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution Modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (6) + Constitution Modifier
Proficiencies
- Armor: All barding armor
- Weapons: Natural Weapons
- Tools: None
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution
- Skills: None
When an animal companion reaches tame for the 1st time, they receive their 1st class level. They earn levels the same as a PC would, and level up at the same rate. Should a companion leave the handler for any reason, and be reunited with them at a later date, they will likely stop gaining levels in their absence.
Advanced Taming: A tamer may, upon first taming an animal grant the animal companion additional levels up to the tamers max character level. This is to ensure the animal is of an appropriate level for its master. This can only be done upon initial taming.
For Example: Steve is a level 9 Ranger. He tames a rat. If he chooses he can raise the rats animal companion level to any level between 1 and 9. Once decided, he can no longer alter this and the rat animal companion advances in level as normal.
Animal Companions
- Natural Talent
- Companion Tactics
- Ability Score Increase
- Extra Attack
- True Ally
- Offensive Tactics
- Defensive Tactics
- Unwavering Loyalty
- Natural Armor Your Companion gains +1 AC.
- Tough. Your Companion gains an additional 1 hp for each level it has.
- Precise. Your Companion’s attacks have +2 to hit
- Ferocious. Your companion’s attacks have +2 to damage rolls
- Protective. When a creature your companion can see attacks a target other than them that is within 5 feet of them, they can use their reaction to impose disadvantage on the Attack roll.
- Multiattack. When your companion takes the attack action, your companion can make one additional attack as a bonus action. They do not add their ability score modifier to the damage for this attack.
- Swift. Your companion can Dash as a bonus action.
- Agile. Your companion can Disengage as a bonus action.
- Sneaky. Your Companion can Hide as a bonus action.
- Helpful. Your companion can take the help action as a bonus action.
- Fast. Your Companion’s movement speed increases by 10 feet. You may take this Tactic more than once.
- Charging. When your companion moves 20 ft before attacking a target, they have advantage on their next attack roll.
- Territorial. Other creatures provoke an opportunity attack from your companion when they enter your companion’s reach.
- Punishing. If your companion is the target of a melee attack while Dodging they can make an attack against that creature as a reaction.
- Quick Your companion can attack 3 times when taking the attack action. At 20th level, your companion can attack 4 times when taking the attack action.
- Brutal Your companion’s attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage and deal a critical hit on an attack roll of 19 and 20. At 20th level this damage is increased to 2d6.
- Relentless. Your companion can keep fighting despite grievous wounds. If they drop to 0 Hit Points and don’t die outright, they can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If they succeed, they drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time they use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When they finish a short or Long Rest, the DC resets to 10.
- Evasion. When your companion is subjected to an effect that allows them to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, they instead take no damage if they succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if they fail.
- Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that your companion can see hits them with an Attack, they can use their reaction to halve the attack’s damage against them.
- Enduring. Your companion gains +1 AC. Additionally, they +1 HP per companion level.
Companion Class
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Animal Companion |
| 2nd | +2 | Natural Talent |
| 3rd | +2 | Companion Tactics |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | True Ally |
| 7th | +3 | Companion Tactics |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Increase |
| 9th | +4 | Companion Tactics |
| 10th | +4 | Natural Talent |
| 11th | +4 | Improved Attacks |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Increase |
| 13th | +5 | Companion Tactics |
| 14th | +5 | Ability Score Increase |
| 15th | +5 | Defensive Tactics |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Increase |
| 17th | +6 | Companion Tactics |
| 18th | +6 | Unwavering Loyalty |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Increase |
| 20th | +6 | Offensive tactics |