Earthdawn 4E: Rules Variant 09 - Animal Companions

This is the ninth Rules Variant, part of an ongoing series about Earthdawn Fourth Edition. Introduction and Index.

Everything contained here is the work of a fan and not associated with FASA Games.

NOTE: 27JUL2020 update for Initiative.

For as long as there has been Earthdawn, animal companions have been part of it through the Beastmaster Discipline. Inspired by Dar from the Beastmaster movies and TV series, they are an iconic part of the game. The exact mechanics of how animal companions function was pretty fuzzy in previous editions. 4E expanded this to an extent, such as answering key questions like, "Which creatures can be taken as animal companions?" and "How do I keep my animal companions relevant?"

While the first question is pretty definitively handled with an explicit note in each entry if it's appropriate, the second is more difficult. Expanding Animal Training and including new talents (e.g., Enhance Animal Companion and Goring Attack) makes steps towards that goal, but it's a tricky thing. Animal companions both frequently a popular option and a troublesome option. Popular because you get pets—which can be endearing and entertaining, as well as useful—and often (effectively) lots of additional actions through those animal companions.

This creates a weird space for design on making them accessible for utility purposes, but needing to pull that back for combat purposes so animal companions don't overshadow other characters and the character with animal companions doesn't dominate everything simply by how many actions they have at their disposal. Enhance Animal Companion was intended to improve less powerful animal companions, maintaining their relevance for longer along with changes to Animal Training. However, they mostly just make existing powerful companions more powerful. Getting animal companions to loyal is a speed bump, particularly since many of the more powerful creatures have Willful, but there's still a lot of ways to go screwy.

At the time, the design was largely kept conservative and maintained mostly the status quo of how things existed in previous editions. The devil you know and all that. Putting in stronger limits on groups of animals felt like it may discourage the concept of an opponent Beastmaster with a pack of animals to sick on their foes.

Since this is series based on exploring different ways of doing things, that is exactly what this post is about. A different way of handling animal companions. Here's also where I give a shout out to Brett Bowen who helped this. Hey-o!

This is something of a complete tear down of the associated talents without inherently changing anything. There are stronger limits on how powerful animal companions can be, but through the magic of knacks characters can go tall with one companion and still go wide with several less powerful animal companions. How they function in combat has more structure (see Animal Training, with a lengthy entry) and some limitations and guidelines on how they can be used. The talents are also more powerful than the equivalent skills across the board, with various tasks being easier for adepts.

The biggest change is the inclusion of the Bind Animal Companion knack, which opens up various abilities for the animal companion and further reduces a lot of the baggage in dealing with them. It also opens up Enhance Animal Companion and other knacks for use on the companion, which now provides better benefits for the further the animal companion is "behind the curve." There are additional knacks to help animal companions who have been with the adept since the beginning.

As noted, there's a lot going on here. If a talent or knack isn't referenced, the effects didn't change.


Talents

Animal Bond
Step: Rank+CHA
Action: Standard
Strain: 1
Skill Use: Yes

The adept develops a bond of trust with an animal suitable as an animal companion, making an Animal Bond test against the animal’s Social Defense. If successful, the animal’s attitude (see Gamemaster’s Guide, p. 142) toward the adept improves by one degree (typically to Neutral). The adept may make this test once each day after spending positive time with the animal, treating it well, and earning its trust.

Once the animal’s attitude toward the adept is Loyal, it willingly takes risks for the adept and expects appropriate rewards for doing so—this is not the same as combat training (see Animal Training). A Loyal animal will accompany the adept on adventures if they desire, and is referred to as an animal companion. An adept can maintain animal companions with a total Circle equal to their Animal Bond rank. For example, a hunting dog (Circle 1) and a troajin (Circle 2) as animal companions require at least Animal Bond rank 3. The adept must spend quality time with their animal companions on a regular basis to maintain their loyalty.

An animal will not maintain a better attitude towards an adept than the adept shows it. As a result, mistreatment, neglect, or abandonment can offset the talent’s effects, worsening the animal’s attitude towards the adept. If an animal companion’s attitude drops below Loyal, talents or abilities that target animal companions no longer work.

Skill Use: Each subsequent improvement to attitude requires an additional success; e.g., it requires two successes to improve from Neutral to Friendly for a typical animal.

Note: It's suggested to have either the gamemaster or another player portray the actions of an animal companion to reflect they aren't simply an extension of the player character. This can also help engage other players in the various animals. If a different player is going to portray an animal companion, the gamemaster and players should agree.

Animal Companion Durability
Step: Rank
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The animal companion’s ability to take damage is improved in a similar manner to the Durability ability (Player’s Guide, p. 85), with each rank increasing the bound animal companion's Health Ratings by +5. This can only affect bound animal companions.

Animal Training
Step: Rank+CHA
Action: Special (see text)
Strain: Special
Skill Use: Yes
The adept trains an animal to obey simple commands such as “scout ahead,” “smell that,” and “go home,” as well as the more usual “stop,” “heel,” “fetch,” and “kill.” The animal must be at least Friendly to the trainer and suitable as an animal companion to train with this talent. An animal can be taught a maximum number of commands equal to the adept’s Animal Training rank. The adept spends a day with the animal as a Sustained action (8 hours), focusing on teaching it the new command, and reviewing any commands it already knows, then makes an Animal Training test against the animal’s Social Defense. If successful, the animal understands and obeys the command. Trained animals only respond to commands given by characters they are at least Neutral with (see Gamemaster’s Guide, p. 142), and will only do something that seems dangerous for characters they are at least Friendly with, including their trainer. The adept cannot train animals with an effective Circle higher than their Animal Training rank.

The animal remembers all of the commands it learned for months equal to the adept’s Animal Training rank. This duration is renewed by a successful Animal Training test to teach a new trick or maintain the animal’s training, as described above. If an adept tries to maintain too large a collection of trained animals, they may find their training slipping unless they constantly work with their companions. If the adept neglects an animal’s training, it forgets all of its training when the talent’s duration ends. The adept may renew the duration while the talent is in effect by spending a day with the animal and making a new Animal Training test.

Combat training an animal requires the animal to be at least Loyal to the trainer. This training counts as 3 tricks and requires a week for each attempt. Each test requires an additional success equal to the trick “number.” For example, tests to teach the first trick required for combat training need one additional success and tests to teach the second trick required need two additional successes. Once an animal is combat trained, this training is permanent and does not fade. Animal companions without combat training typically flee from combat.

The adept may issue a command to a single animal companion as a Standard action; in combat this costs 1 Strain. The adept may make a command that combines multiple tricks by making an Animal Training test against the animal’s Social Defense. This test requires one additional success for each trick included. Each attitude level above Friendly reduces the number of additional successes required by one, to a minimum of no additional successes.

For example, Mycah wants her Loyal companion espagra, Sprinkles, to “go home” and “fetch” a map. This is two commands, which requires two additional successes, but Sprinkles is Loyal, which reduces the total by one to only one extra success. Given Sprinkles has Willful (1), this is a good thing. If the adept succeeds, but without the required number of additional successes, the animal goes to do what they assume the trainer wants, but fails in some way. Failing the test entirely means the animal will not perform the complex trick until the trainer spends a day successfully reinforcing their training.

In addition to teaching the animal commands, the adept can grant the animal a +1 bonus to a skill the animal knows (this does not include the animal’s Attack Step); this must reference a skill (not a creature power) and does not include Resist Pain, Surprise Strike, or similar combat abilities. At the gamemaster’s discretion, the adept can use this ability to teach the animal companion skills (not talents) the animal doesn’t know, but would conceivably be able to perform. These enhancements count as tricks for the talent’s limits and must be maintained like tricks.

List of prohibited combat-related skills:

• Acrobatic Defense
• Aggressive Maneuver
• Anticipate Blow
• Avoid Blow
• Battle Bellow
• Battle Shout
• Blade Juggle
• Charge
• Critical Hit
• Disarm
• Distract
• Dive Attack
• Down Strike
• Feint
• Graceful Exit
• Heartening Laugh
• Intimidating Bellow
• Maneuver
• Melee Weapons
• Missile Weapons
• Patient Maneuver
• Resist Pain
• Resist Taunt
• Riposte
• Second Attack
• Second Shot
• Second Weapon
• Setup
• Shield Bash
• Shield Drive
• Studied Counter
• Surprise Strike
• Swift Kick
• Swing Attack
• Tactics
• Tail Dance
• Taunt
• Throwing Weapons
• Unarmed Combat
• Vicious Wound
• Weapon Breaker
• Wheeling Attack
• Wheeling Defense
• Witty Repartee
• Wound Balance

Intiative uses the lowest Initiative Step of the acting characters (animal companions are characters for this) after all modifiers. If the adept uses Cobra Strike and Tiger Spring to get Initiative Step 20 (or 14 + 6, depending how your group rolls), but their crojen only has Initiative Step 14, they use Initiative Step 14. They still gain the benefits of Cobra Strike—bonus on the Attack test—but must use the lower Initiative Step. If the same character doesn't use their Initiative modifiers and just their base Initiative Step 8, it's now the lowest Step and used to determine Initiative.

Skill Use: Teaching a trick takes a week (additional successes reduce the time by one day each) and unless maintained by spending a day reviewing their tricks, animals forget one trick each month. The trainer’s Animal Training rank has no impact on the duration. Combat training takes one month for each attempt instead of one week.

Armor Mount
Step: Rank+WIL
Action: Simple
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The adept wills magical armor to form around their mount and each expression of this talent is unique to the adept. Whether a glowing field, unnaturally thick skin, or ephemeral barding. The adept makes an Armor Mount test against the mount’s Mystic Defense. If successful, the adept adds their Armor Mount rank to the animal’s Physical Armor for their Armor Mount rank in minutes. The adept must be in and remain in contact with their mount to use this talent. The Armor Mount test automatically succeeds against bound animal companions.

Call Animal Companion
Step: Rank+WIL
Action: Standard
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The adept magically calls an animal companion by making a Call Animal Companion test against the animal’s Mystic Defense. If successful, the animal senses the adept’s call and attempts to make its way to them as fast as possible. The animal companion must be within the adept’s Call Animal Companion rank ×100 yards to hear the call.

Enhance Animal Companion
Step: Rank
Action: Sustained (8 hours)
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept magically enhances one of their bound animal companions by spending a day in meditation with the bound animal companion. This increases the bound animal companion’s effective Circle by +1—still bound to limits of Animal Bond. The bound animal companion’s effective Circle (including this talent and any other modifiers, such as applied Masks) cannot exceed the adept’s Enhance Animal Companion rank. This talent can only affect bound animal companions. If a Mask is later added that increases the animal companion’s effective Circle above the adept’s Enhance Animal Companion rank, remove the benefits from Enhance Animal Companion until the effective Circle is equal to the adept’s Enhance Animal Companion rank.

Each effective Circle increase gives the bound animal companion +1 to Physical, Mystic, and Social Defense, Physical and Mystic Armor, and Attack and Damage tests, and +5 to Unconsciousness and Death Rating. Note: the presentation as a Mask is for clarity, but it is not a Mask.

Enhance Animal Companion (+1 Circle)
DEX: 0        Initiative:                  0       Unconsciousness:       +5
STR: 0         Physical Defense:  +1      Death Rating:               +5
TOU: 0        Mystic Defense:      +1      Wound Threshold:      0
PER: 0        Social Defense:       +1      Knockdown:                    0
WIL: 0        Physical Armor:     +1      Recovery Tests:              0
CHA: 0       Mystic Armor:         +1       
Movement: 0
Actions: 0; Attack +1 (Damage +1)

Goring Attack
Step: Rank
Action: Free
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The adept increases the damage inflicted by their bound animal companions within Goring Attack rank ×2 yards. If their bound animal companion makes a successful Attack test, the adept may add their Goring Attack rank to the bound animal companion’s Damage test. This talent can be used once per round.

Mount Attack
Step: Rank
Action: Simple
Strain: 1
Skill Use: No
The adept increases the accuracy of their mount's attacks. The adept adds their Mount Attack rank to their mount's Dexterity Step for the bound mount's Attack test. This replaces the bound mount's normal Attack test. The adept must be riding the bound mount for it to benefit from this talent. The adept can spend a Karma Point to improve the bound mount's Attack test when using this talent.

Knacks

Bind Animal Companion
Talent: Animal Bond
Requirements: Rank 1
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: Sustained (8 hour)
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept performs a 8 hour ritual with their Awestruck animal companion, binding them to the adept, turning the animal companion into a bound animal companion and allowing the to benefit from more of the adept’s magic. The adept must Name their animal companion and takes a blood oath similar to an Oath of Blood Peace (this does not cost Blood Magic Damage) and weaves a thread to their animal companion’s pattern. This oath lasts as long as both the adept and animal companion are still alive. If the animal companion dies without violating the adept’s blood oath, a new ritual can be performed with a different Awestruck animal companion, gaining the same associated benefits as the previous bound animal companion (this includes all applicable knacks for the previous bound animal companion). Due to the asymmetrical nature of the oath, the adept suffers a Blood Wound if their bound companion dies, regardless of the situation.

Bound animal companions are still commanded with Animal Training, however it only requires a Simple action instead of a Standard action and no test is required; this does not allow the talent to be used more than once per round and only one command to one animal may still be issued. They become combat-trained and this does not cost any tricks. Additionally, no tests are required to train the bound animal companion (though it still takes a day and the training must be maintained) and they can perform any complex tricks combined of tricks they know. Call Animal Companion tests automatically succeed against the adept’s bound animal companion and only require a Simple action.

This knack can be learned multiple times. However, it does not increase the total Circle of animal companions the adept can have.

Special: Cavalryman adepts receive one instance of this knack for free at First Circle.

Menagerie
Talent: Animal Bond
Requirements: Rank 5
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No

The adept can maintain additional animal companions up to their Animal Bond rank. None of these animal companions can be above Novice tier (maximum Circle 4). This knack can be learned multiple times.

Transfer Bond
Talent: Animal Bond
Requirements: Rank 5, Bind Animal Companion
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No

The adept performs an eight hour ritual with their current bound animal companion and a different Awestruck animal. This ritual is similar to the Bind Animal Companion ritual and transfers the thread and all benefits from one animal to the other, losing and gaining all benefits as appropriate. See Bind Animal Companion for details about this. This is never a ritual undertaken lightly and is most often used for companions who have grown old, or suffered permanent injuries and can no longer keep up. Cavalrymen who use this knack without need are typically shunned and Beastmasters may suffer similar treatment, though some Beastmasters have a more mercenary view of their bound animal companions.

Encouragement
Talent: Animal Training
Requirements: Rank 4
Restrictions: None
Step: Rank+CHA
Action: Free (Special)
Strain: 1
Skill Use: Yes (Novice)
The adept coaches and encourages their animal companion throughout their trick by making an Encouragement test against the animal’s Social Defense. Each success either gives the animal +2 to tests they make as part of the trick, or the adept +2 per success when issuing a complex trick. The adept cannot take any other actions while the animal is performing the trick. This cannot be used during combat. This knack can be used in the same round the animal is issued a command with Animal Training.

Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!
Talent: Animal Training
Requirements: Rank 7, Encouragement
Restrictions: None
Step: Rank+CHA
Action: Free
Strain: 2
Skill Use: No
The adept coaches and encourages their animal companion to commit an egregious act of violence by making a Faster Pussycat! Kill! Kill! test against the animal’s Social Defense. Each success gives the animal +2 to the Attack test. This knack can be used in the same round the animal is issued an attack command with Animal Training, but only once per round.

Smarter Than the Average Bear
Talent: Animal Training
Requirements: Rank 3, Animal Bond rank 3, Bind Animal Companion
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept can teach their bound animal companion additional tricks equal to their Animal Training rank, but these additional tricks cannot be used to teach the bound animal companion skills or improve existing skills. This only applies to one bound animal companion. This knack can be learned multiple times.

Amplify Animal Companion’s Form
Talent: Enhance Animal Companion
Requirements: Rank 5, Bind Animal Companion
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept improves their bound animal companion, giving them +1 to each attribute Step, their Initiative Step, Wound Threshold, and Knockdown Step, +3 to their Unconsciousness Rating, and +4 to their Death Rating. This can only be applied to bound animal companions with a tier of Novice (before effective Circles are added through Enhance Animal Companion). If a Mask is later added that increases the animal companion’s tier above Novice, remove these benefits and refund the Legend Points for this knack. Note: the presentation as a Mask is for clarity, but it is not a Mask.

For example, a bound tiger has the Amplify Animal Companion’s Form knack, but later receives a new Mask from Mold Ally’s Form, raising their Circle to 5, which is Journeyman tier. The effective Circles added through Enhance Animal Companion do not count for this purpose. This refunds the Legend Points for this knack to the adept and removes the purchase, though they still know the knack and can re-buy it in the future without learning it again. This doesn’t count against the total knacks for the talent until it is purchased, despite being known in this fashion.

This knack can be purchased multiple times, each time for a different bound animal companion.

Amplified Animal Companion (No Change)
DEX: +1       Initiative:                  +1      Unconsciousness:       +3
STR: +1        Physical Defense:   0       Death Rating:               +4
TOU: +1       Mystic Defense:       0      Wound Threshold:      +1
PER: +1       Social Defense:         0      Knockdown:                   +1
WIL: +1       Physical Armor:       0      Recovery Tests:              0
CHA: +1      Mystic Armor:           0       
Movement: 0
Actions: 0; Attack 0 (Damage 0)

Amplify Animal Companion’s Sense
Talent: Enhance Animal Companion
Requirements: Rank 5, Bind Animal Companion
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept improves an enhanced sense of their bound animal companions. The adept chooses an enhanced sense (e.g., Enhanced Sense [Sight]) when this knack is learned. All their bound animal companions with the selected enhanced sense gain a +2 bonus to it. For example, Enhanced Sense [Sight] (4) becomes Enhanced Sense [Sight] (6).

Augment Ally's Form: This knack can only be applied to a bound animal companion. The gamemaster should disallow Masks they feel may be disruptive to the game. Masks are not inherently balanced for animal companions, but to be applied to opponents and a different set of assumptions. This knack is intended to be fun and interesting, not an opportunity to optimize an animal companion for being abusive in combat.

Boost Animal Companion’s Form
Talent: Enhance Animal Companion
Requirements: Rank 9, Bind Animal Companion
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: Sustained (8 hours)
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept permanently improves their bound animal companion with an 8 hour ritual, giving them +1 to each attribute Step, their Initiative Step, Wound Threshold, and Knockdown Step, +3 to their Unconsciousness Rating, and +4 to their Death Rating. This can only be applied to bound animal companions with a tier of Novice or Journeyman (before effective Circles are added through Enhance Animal Companion). If a Mask is later added that increases the animal companion’s tier above Journeyman, remove these benefits and refund the Legend Points for this knack (effectively “unlearning” it). Note: the presentation as a Mask is for clarity, but it is not a Mask.

This knack can be purchased multiple times, each time for a different bound animal companion.

Boosted Animal Companion (No Change)
DEX: +1       Initiative:                  +1      Unconsciousness:       +3
STR: +1        Physical Defense:   0       Death Rating:               +4
TOU: +1       Mystic Defense:       0      Wound Threshold:      +1
PER: +1       Social Defense:         0      Knockdown:                   +1
WIL: +1       Physical Armor:       0      Recovery Tests:              0
CHA: +1      Mystic Armor:           0       
Movement: 0
Actions: 0; Attack 0 (Damage 0)

Boost Animal Companion’s Sense
Talent: Enhance Animal Companion
Requirements: Rank 9, Augment Animal Companion’s Sense, Bind Animal Companion
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept improves an enhanced sense of their bound animal companions. The adept chooses an enhanced sense (e.g., Enhanced Sense [Sight]) when this knack is learned. All their bound animal companions with the selected enhanced sense gain a +4 bonus to it. For example, Enhanced Sense [Sight] (4) becomes Enhanced Sense [Sight] (8). This replaces the benefit from Augment Animal Companion’s Sense and must affect a sense the adept targeted with Augment Animal Companion’s Sense.

Heighten Animal Companion’s Form
Talent: Enhance Animal Companion
Requirements: Rank 13, Bind Animal Companion
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept improves their bound animal companion, giving them +1 to each attribute Step, their Initiative Step, Wound Threshold, and Knockdown Step, +3 to their Unconsciousness Rating, and +4 to their Death Rating. If the bound animal companion benefited from Amplify and Boost Animal Companion as well, they also gain +1 Recovery Test. This can only be applied to bound animal companions with a tier of Novice, Journeyman, or Warden (before effective Circles are added through Enhance Animal Companion). If a Mask is later added that increases the animal companion’s tier above Warden, remove these benefits and refund the Legend Points for this knack (effectively “unlearning” it). Note: the presentation as a Mask is for clarity, but it is not a Mask.

This knack can be purchased multiple times, each time for a different bound animal companion.

Heightened Animal Companion (No Change)
DEX: +1       Initiative:                  +1      Unconsciousness:       +3
STR: +1        Physical Defense:   0       Death Rating:               +4
TOU: +1       Mystic Defense:       0      Wound Threshold:      +1
PER: +1       Social Defense:         0      Knockdown:                   +1
WIL: +1       Physical Armor:       0      Recovery Tests:            0/+1
CHA: +1      Mystic Armor:           0       
Movement: 0
Actions: 0; Attack 0 (Damage 0)

Heighten Animal Companion’s Sense
Talent: Enhance Animal Companion
Requirements: Rank 13, Bind Animal Companion, Boost Animal Companion’s Sense
Restrictions: None
Step: NA
Action: NA
Strain: 0
Skill Use: No
The adept improves an enhanced sense of their bound animal companions. The adept chooses an enhanced sense (e.g., Enhanced Sense [Sight]) when this knack is learned. All their bound animal companions with the selected enhanced sense gain a +6 bonus to it. For example, Enhanced Sense [Sight] (4) becomes Enhanced Sense [Sight] (10). This replaces the benefit from Boost Animal Companion’s Sense and must affect a sense the adept targeted with Boost Animal Companion’s Sense.

Mold Ally's Form: This knack can only be applied to a bound animal companion. See Augment Ally's Form for additional notes.

Sculpt Ally's Form: This knack can only be applied to a bound animal companion. See Augment Ally's Form for additional notes.