nilsmunch/Reddit AMA with Jason Bulmahn

## Reddit AMA with Jason Bulmahn
How many animals and companion creatures can I have at any given time?
    At the beginning of each adventure, you may select one companion creature to be your active pet.
    This creature may be a class-granted creature, such as an animal companion, familiar, eidolon, or phantom, or it may be a creature that you purchase, such as a combat-trained bison.
    This creature may participate fully in combat, skill checks, and other challenges in the scenario.
    In addition to the active pet, you may bring up to two additional creatures.
    The first is a mount or beast of burden, such as a horse or mule, which may only take move actions.
    The second is a familiar or mundane pet that does not participate in combat or other challenges.
    Such familiars grant their basic special ability, such as a bat's +3 bonus on Fly checks, the Alertness feat, and access a witch's spells.
    You can switch your active pet between your three pets between encounters, or using a Standard commanding actions if you are primary Ranger- or Druid-class character. But for most endeavors, it is recommended to have a primary animal for each of the three categories; combat, transportation and assistance.
    Non-active pets do not grant other allied bonuses, such as a wysp's resonance ability (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 5 282).

Do purchased animals come fully trained or do I have to train them myself?
    The entry for Handle Animal on pages 97-98 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook details which animals come
    trained—namely, some riding horses and riding dogs have training, but they only come trained to bear a rider into combat.
    All other animals are subject to Handle Animal to learn additional tricks. See the "Mounts and Related Gear" table on page
    159 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook for additional details.

Can I retrain an animal companion, mount, familar, eidolon, or other companion creature?
    You may retrain the feats and skill points of your companion creatures using the retraining rules from Pathfinder Roleplaying
    Game: Ultimate Campaign, paying the same cost in gold and Prestige Points as you would if you were retraining those
    abilities for your character. You may retrain an animal companion or mount's tricks using Handle Animal, as if you were
    teaching the creature a new trick.

How can I teach tricks to an animal using Handle Animal?
    You can teach any animal a trick so long as you follow the rules for Handle Animal on pages 97-98 of the Pathfinder
    Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. A GM must observe your Handle Animal check, and must initial
    what tricks the animal gained on the scenario's Chronicle sheet. The first time a character with levels in druid, ranger,
    or any other class that grants an animal companion gains an animal companion, the animal enters play knowing its maximum
    number of tricks as dictated by the animal companion's Intelligence and the character's effective druid level. If the
    character replaces the animal companion for any reason, the new animal starts with no tricks known, save for bonus tricks
    granted based on the PC's effective druid level. Once per scenario, you may attempt to train the animal companion a number of
    times equal to the number of ranks you have in the Handle Animal skill.
    Each success allows you to teach the animal a single trick; a
    failed attempt counts against the total number of training attempts allowed per scenario, and you may not attempt to teach the same trick until the next scenario.
    Alternatively, you may train one animal for a single purpose as long as you have enough ranks in Handle Animal to train the animal in each trick learned as part of that purpose. You may take 10 on Handle Animal checks to teach an animal companion tricks.

Can I create new tricks and teach them to my animal companion?
    No. New tricks require the GM to create new mechanics on the fly, so they are not appropriate for the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. If a trick appears in the rules somewhere, even if it is not listed under the Handle Animal skill on page 97 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, you can teach it to an animal. For example, the air walk spell specifies that you can teach an animal companion a trick to use the spell's granted ability to walk on air.

Should I assume that animal companions know how to use their feats?
    Yes. Their feats are either natural, or trained to perfection between the ranger and the animal. The animal might be confused if a stranger orders it to do something, but will naturally be aware and use their abilities when it fits. (A bear will always use Swipe, a hawk will always use Dive when entering water ect)

How do I determine hit points for my animal companion, eidolon or other companion creature with a listed number of Hit Dice?
    Companion creatures receive the average result on each Hit Dice. For example, animal companions have d8 Hit Dice, which has an average of 4.5. Multiply 4.5 by the number of Hit Dice your animal companion has and round down to determine how many hit points it receives from its Hit Dice. Next, add in appropriate bonuses from its Constitution modifier, feats, and so on.

Can I improve my companion's Intelligence to 3 or higher and give it weapon or shield feats?
    No. An Intelligence of 3 does not grant animals sentience; the ability to use weapons, shield, or tools; speak a language (although they may understand a language with a rank in Linguistics, this does does not grant literacy); or activate magic devices. Also note that raising an animal companion's Intelligence to 3 or higher does not eliminate the need to make Handle Animal checks to direct its actions; even semi-intelligent animals still act like animals unless trained not to. An animal with Intelligence of 3 or higher remains a creature of the animal type unless its type is specifically changed by another ability. An animal may learn 3 additional tricks per point of Intelligence above 2.

Some familiars, such as the homunculus and clockwork familiar, have a listed crafting cost in their statistics. How can I create these familars in the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild?
    When selecting one of these familiars, you may assume that you or an NPC crafts the familiar without paying the cost listed in the creature's entry. You need only pay the price of any augmentations that you add to your construct familiar, such as additional Hit Dice for your homunculus. You cannot upgrade your homunculus to have more Hit Dice than your character level.

Can my animal companion or familiar wear or use magic items?
    Note: This FAQ entry reflects the current rules. It will receive an update in the near future to expand the list of options.
    It is intended that animal companions or familiars cannot activate magic items. An animal companion could benefit from an item with a continuous magical effect like an amulet of natural armor if its master equipped the item for the animal companion. Animal companions of any type may not use manufactured weapons.
    Animal companions are also limited by their individual anatomies. In Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, animal companions always have access to barding and neck-slot items so long as they have the anatomy. For example, a horse and pig can always have access to barding and neck-slot items. A snake does not have access to either. However, an item called out to be used by a specific animal is usable by that animal regardless of slot.
    Additionally, animal companions have access to magical item slots, in addition to barding and neck, as listed on the inside front cover of Pathfinder Player Companion: Animal Archive so long as they select the Extra Item Slot feat. The Animal Magic Item Slots table found in Animal Archive is not a legal except under the following conditions. First, an animal companion, familiar, or bonded mount, may choose one slot listed under its body type when taking the Extra Item Slot feat (this feat may be taken multiple times, each time selecting a different available magic item slot based on the creature's anatomy). Second, access to specific magic item slots may be granted at a later date by another legal source. If you do not own a copy of the Animal Archive, your animal companion may only use barding and neck-slot items.
    An animal or familiar has to have an intelligence of 3 or higher to activate an ioun stone. If the animal or familiar has less than a 3 intelligence, it may not activate an ioun stone.
    The brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, sprite familiars, granted by the Improved Familiar feat, use the Biped (hands) section of the chart. The carbuncle and voidworm protean, familiars granted by the Improved Familiar feat, uses the Serpentine section of the chart. If you do not own a copy of the Animal Archive, your animal companion may only use barding and neck-slot items.
    What abilities do vanity-purchased NPCs have on play (for example, the NPCs on pages 60-61 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Pathfinder Society Field Guide)?
    These NPCs provide only the listed benefits. They have no statistics and cannot roll checks.

What happens when an animal companion, mount, familiar, eidolon, or other companion creature would gain a boon?
    A PC can acquire a boon (negative or otherwise) through the actions of his companion creature. If the effect would have an in-game effect that triggers before the end of the adventure, the creature that triggered it still experiences that effect until the end of the scenario, at which point the PC gains the boon, and the companion is no longer affected.

How is the replacement of a dead familar, animal companion, or other companion creature handled?
    If you lose a companion during the course of an adventure, note the loss on your Chronicle sheet. To replace the companion, pay any required costs. Your new companion will be ready for play at the beginning of the next adventure. Newly summoned animal companions begin play knowing a number of tricks equal to the bonus tricks gained based on druid level. All other tricks require the use of Handle Animal to train the new animal companion, as per the previous FAQ entry.
	How many animals and companion creatures can I have at any given time?
	At the beginning of each adventure, you may select one companion creature to be your active pet.
	This creature may be a class-granted creature, such as an animal companion, familiar, eidolon, or phantom, or it may be a creature that you purchase, such as a combat-trained bison.
	This creature may participate fully in combat, skill checks, and other challenges in the scenario.
	In addition to the active pet, you may bring up to two additional creatures.
	The first is a mount or beast of burden, such as a horse or mule, which may only take move actions.
	The second is a familiar or mundane pet that does not participate in combat or other challenges.
	Such familiars grant their basic special ability, such as a bat's +3 bonus on Fly checks, the Alertness feat, and access a witch's spells.
	You can switch your active pet between your three pets between encounters, or using a Standard commanding actions if you are primary Ranger- or Druid-class character. But for most endeavors, it is recommended to have a primary animal for each of the three categories; combat, transportation and assistance.
	Non-active pets do not grant other allied bonuses, such as a wysp's resonance ability (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game: Bestiary 5 282).

	Do purchased animals come fully trained or do I have to train them myself?
	The entry for Handle Animal on pages 97-98 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook details which animals come
	trained—namely, some riding horses and riding dogs have training, but they only come trained to bear a rider into combat.
	All other animals are subject to Handle Animal to learn additional tricks. See the "Mounts and Related Gear" table on page
	159 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook for additional details.

	Can I retrain an animal companion, mount, familar, eidolon, or other companion creature?
	You may retrain the feats and skill points of your companion creatures using the retraining rules from Pathfinder Roleplaying
	Game: Ultimate Campaign, paying the same cost in gold and Prestige Points as you would if you were retraining those
	abilities for your character. You may retrain an animal companion or mount's tricks using Handle Animal, as if you were
	teaching the creature a new trick.

	How can I teach tricks to an animal using Handle Animal?
	You can teach any animal a trick so long as you follow the rules for Handle Animal on pages 97-98 of the Pathfinder
	Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. A GM must observe your Handle Animal check, and must initial
	what tricks the animal gained on the scenario's Chronicle sheet. The first time a character with levels in druid, ranger,
	or any other class that grants an animal companion gains an animal companion, the animal enters play knowing its maximum
	number of tricks as dictated by the animal companion's Intelligence and the character's effective druid level. If the
	character replaces the animal companion for any reason, the new animal starts with no tricks known, save for bonus tricks
	granted based on the PC's effective druid level. Once per scenario, you may attempt to train the animal companion a number of
	times equal to the number of ranks you have in the Handle Animal skill.
	Each success allows you to teach the animal a single trick; a
	failed attempt counts against the total number of training attempts allowed per scenario, and you may not attempt to teach the same trick until the next scenario.
	Alternatively, you may train one animal for a single purpose as long as you have enough ranks in Handle Animal to train the animal in each trick learned as part of that purpose. You may take 10 on Handle Animal checks to teach an animal companion tricks.

	Can I create new tricks and teach them to my animal companion?
	No. New tricks require the GM to create new mechanics on the fly, so they are not appropriate for the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild. If a trick appears in the rules somewhere, even if it is not listed under the Handle Animal skill on page 97 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook, you can teach it to an animal. For example, the air walk spell specifies that you can teach an animal companion a trick to use the spell's granted ability to walk on air.

	Should I assume that animal companions know how to use their feats?
	Yes. Their feats are either natural, or trained to perfection between the ranger and the animal. The animal might be confused if a stranger orders it to do something, but will naturally be aware and use their abilities when it fits. (A bear will always use Swipe, a hawk will always use Dive when entering water ect)

	How do I determine hit points for my animal companion, eidolon or other companion creature with a listed number of Hit Dice?
	Companion creatures receive the average result on each Hit Dice. For example, animal companions have d8 Hit Dice, which has an average of 4.5. Multiply 4.5 by the number of Hit Dice your animal companion has and round down to determine how many hit points it receives from its Hit Dice. Next, add in appropriate bonuses from its Constitution modifier, feats, and so on.

	Can I improve my companion's Intelligence to 3 or higher and give it weapon or shield feats?
	No. An Intelligence of 3 does not grant animals sentience; the ability to use weapons, shield, or tools; speak a language (although they may understand a language with a rank in Linguistics, this does does not grant literacy); or activate magic devices. Also note that raising an animal companion's Intelligence to 3 or higher does not eliminate the need to make Handle Animal checks to direct its actions; even semi-intelligent animals still act like animals unless trained not to. An animal with Intelligence of 3 or higher remains a creature of the animal type unless its type is specifically changed by another ability. An animal may learn 3 additional tricks per point of Intelligence above 2.

	Some familiars, such as the homunculus and clockwork familiar, have a listed crafting cost in their statistics. How can I create these familars in the Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild?
	When selecting one of these familiars, you may assume that you or an NPC crafts the familiar without paying the cost listed in the creature's entry. You need only pay the price of any augmentations that you add to your construct familiar, such as additional Hit Dice for your homunculus. You cannot upgrade your homunculus to have more Hit Dice than your character level.

	Can my animal companion or familiar wear or use magic items?
	Note: This FAQ entry reflects the current rules. It will receive an update in the near future to expand the list of options.
	It is intended that animal companions or familiars cannot activate magic items. An animal companion could benefit from an item with a continuous magical effect like an amulet of natural armor if its master equipped the item for the animal companion. Animal companions of any type may not use manufactured weapons.
	Animal companions are also limited by their individual anatomies. In Pathfinder Society Roleplaying Guild, animal companions always have access to barding and neck-slot items so long as they have the anatomy. For example, a horse and pig can always have access to barding and neck-slot items. A snake does not have access to either. However, an item called out to be used by a specific animal is usable by that animal regardless of slot.
	Additionally, animal companions have access to magical item slots, in addition to barding and neck, as listed on the inside front cover of Pathfinder Player Companion: Animal Archive so long as they select the Extra Item Slot feat. The Animal Magic Item Slots table found in Animal Archive is not a legal except under the following conditions. First, an animal companion, familiar, or bonded mount, may choose one slot listed under its body type when taking the Extra Item Slot feat (this feat may be taken multiple times, each time selecting a different available magic item slot based on the creature's anatomy). Second, access to specific magic item slots may be granted at a later date by another legal source. If you do not own a copy of the Animal Archive, your animal companion may only use barding and neck-slot items.
	An animal or familiar has to have an intelligence of 3 or higher to activate an ioun stone. If the animal or familiar has less than a 3 intelligence, it may not activate an ioun stone.
	The brownie, faerie dragon, imp, lyrakien azata, mephit, quasit, sprite familiars, granted by the Improved Familiar feat, use the Biped (hands) section of the chart. The carbuncle and voidworm protean, familiars granted by the Improved Familiar feat, uses the Serpentine section of the chart. If you do not own a copy of the Animal Archive, your animal companion may only use barding and neck-slot items.
	What abilities do vanity-purchased NPCs have on play (for example, the NPCs on pages 60-61 of Pathfinder Campaign Setting: Pathfinder Society Field Guide)?
	These NPCs provide only the listed benefits. They have no statistics and cannot roll checks.

	What happens when an animal companion, mount, familiar, eidolon, or other companion creature would gain a boon?
	A PC can acquire a boon (negative or otherwise) through the actions of his companion creature. If the effect would have an in-game effect that triggers before the end of the adventure, the creature that triggered it still experiences that effect until the end of the scenario, at which point the PC gains the boon, and the companion is no longer affected.

	How is the replacement of a dead familar, animal companion, or other companion creature handled?
	If you lose a companion during the course of an adventure, note the loss on your Chronicle sheet. To replace the companion, pay any required costs. Your new companion will be ready for play at the beginning of the next adventure. Newly summoned animal companions begin play knowing a number of tricks equal to the bonus tricks gained based on druid level. All other tricks require the use of Handle Animal to train the new animal companion, as per the previous FAQ entry.