The Animal Companion Problem

As zugschef points out, there are notable differences between the Improved Trip feat and the wolf's Trip (Ex) special attack. Namely:

-With Improved Trip, you attempt to trip a foe with a touch attack and obtain a free melee attack against him if succeded. With the Trip (Ex), the trip is attempted after a successful melee attack to the foe (just imagine a wolf, after biting someone, keeping momentarily the bite grip to try to take him down.)
-With Improved Trip, you gain a +4 in the trip strength check (as if you were one category bigger). With the Trip (Ex), you only gain a generic +1 to the check.
-And, more important, with Improved Trip the foe DOES have the chance of counter-tripping you (just try it in ToEE), while with Trip (Ex) is explicitly pointed out that he doesn't.

That last difference is precisely the reason I didn't suggest to simply give the Improved Trip feat to the wolf in the first place; 'cause if the wolf is counter-trippable, let's face it: it will be lying on the floor most of the time, making it more worthless than it is now.

@ Gaear:
It's OK, man. You have done more than enough to try to improve this feature of the game, and I thank you much for it. Just keep this in mind in case you sometime are bored and want to experiment with ToEE AC again :thumbsup:

 

Sorry to be annoying, but no way to turn this feature off, right? To make animals react like real animals do.

I very appreciate this try and all other work of you Gaear anyway. Thanks for this.

 

Just a thought. Is there a way to make a spell permanent? For example could charm animal be made permanent? That way when a ranger or Druid summons their AC they could cast charm animal spell on it. Just a thought.

 

I am on 7.7NC and yeah my poor 1st level Mage down to -1hp got snapped at by my Druid's AC and killed. It seems the command to coup-de-grace any nearby enemy is in effect,as seen him bite dying goblins also. I do not think the AC can recognise friend from foe,in its AI behavior?

 

Strange,so why do they nip at your own party???? I like the new AI you gave them,but I have to keep my AC's away from dying PCs.

 

I've experienced the same thing a druids animal companion who goes feral and attacks an unconcious pc.

In one hilarious encounter a summon black bear was bitten on his behind by one of Lareth's spiders he then spent his turn running in circles around Lareth.

 

I had similar experiences as well.

In one fight my rangers animal companion (Jackal) simply stood there and guarded. But not next to one of my characters who advanced towards the enemy but far behind them at the spot where the fight first started. Perhaps because none of my characters was hurt?

In another fight one of my characters was badly hurt and the Jackal actually moved next to that character. But when an enemy came close the AC attacked my wounded PC once.

So I find it good that the AC readies an action to attack when an enemy closes in - and no longer runs towards the next enemy, even if the way is so long that it can´t even attack the enemy in the same round.

But I´m not happy with the current AC AI either.

How does the skeleton AI work that makes them move a 5 foot step away from the enemy after attacking? Couldn´t that be used for the AC?

 

Animal companions don't have longspears - skeletons move so you concede an AoO unless you approach by 5' step yourself

 

To avoid a full attack by an enemy who has multiple attacks.

In my current game of version 7.7 the Assassin tumbled around my entire party in a wide arc - to attack the animal companion of my ranger. Could it be that he targets the party member with the lowest armor class?

 

There is nothing stopping enemies taking a 5 foot step as part of their full attack sequence (like all my pcs) apart from the fact that it isn't written in their AI apparently.......