Animal Companions?

I have a ranger whose animal companion, though relatively useful, seems to die extremely fast.

I'm just wondering if he will level up with my ranger? I can't see his stats or anything so I am a bit confused...

If he does level up, could someone point me to, or explain the rules that govern his advancement?

the in game encyclopedia is mum on the issue.

 

If you're using ToEE Front End, you can click the View HP option and see your companions HP. If you watch its HP and the combat window, you'll see that your companion does eventually level up. IIRC a druid's companion in ToEE will get a small boost when you hit levels 3, 5, 7, and 9. A Ranger's companion should be a few levels behind.

Note that you can spell buff your companion, and that you can dismiss it and trade up when you're eligable for more powerfult companions. With druids I usually go Jackal - Panda - Brown Bear, and keep a few scrolls of Greater Magic Fang, Barkskin, Bear's Endurance, Bull's Strength, etc. available to buff the companion before major fights.

 

A ranger's animal companion is teated like a druid's of four levels lower. Your ranger's companion thus won't power up until level seven as a rager if a druid's gain's strength at third level.

 

that kinda just renders them useless...

 

Nah. Just less useful than a druid's companion.

1) You can still spell buff them if you have a party. That makes them potentially tough enough to keep fighting and doing modest damage for quite a while.

2) Attacks that would otherwise be spent on your PCs will still end up wasted on your companion. Sure, some enemies will be smart enough to ignore it, but others will take shot after shot at the poor thing, giving you that much more time to kill off the bad guys. If the companion dies, you can always call a new one the next day.

THe companion gives you minor damage and minor protection with a long duration every day, and you can improve it with buffs. Not that shabby.

 

The Jackal is the best option for a low level ranger, IMO. They have a great speed and attacks are pretty good. Their HP ain't too shabby either.

 

BTW, are animal companions affected by Augment Summon? So, is it possible to make them stronger, while taking this feat?

 

:blink: REALLY?!!! one per day?

man am I still on second edition...

 

Imho one per after 8-hour rest.

 

at first I thought you had one companion PER GAME so I was babysitting that stupid wolf more than my pcs! :drunk: Then I thought it was once per level...

thanks for that info!

 

It's because we name them. They're like tamagochi, little pixel pets.

 

Mine get called Cannon Fodder #1 etc. :yes:

 

lol!

well, the manual giving no info on the subject and my knowledge of rules being 1st & 2nd edition, I thought a druid was stuck with the same animal once and for all... so I was taking extra care of it, especially given the stoopid tamagochi has a habit of running into fireshields! :tombstone

 

I call him "Dogmeat"

 

Nope. They're not considered summoned creatures, so the feat would have no effect.