Animal companion
- See also: Construct companion, drake companion, eidolon, familiar, and spirit animal
An animal companion is an animal chosen by a druid, hunter, or a ranger as an adventuring aide. The nature of the bond between the individual and their animal companion is particularly strong and loyal. The nature of the bond advances the capabilities of the animal as the druid, hunter, or ranger gain experience over time, even resulting in the companion growing in size considerably. A ranger's bond to an animal companion is not quite as strong as that of a druid's, such that only more experienced rangers are able to bond to an animal companion and a ranger's choice of animal companion is more limited than a druid's. Hunter or ranger-appropriate animal companions are marked by a superscript H or R, respectively, in the list below.1234
Types of animal companion used on Golarion
The following animals are bonded by druids and rangers on Golarion.567891011
- Ape5
- BaboonR 7
- BadgerR 5
- Dire bat6
- Bear5
- Birds:
- BoarC, P 5
- Cameroceras10
- Cats:
- Crocodilia:
- Dallo22
- Devil monkey11
- Dinosaurs:
- Allosaurus7
- Amargasaurus11
- Ankylosaurus6
- Brachiosaurus6
- Ceratosaurus10
- Deinonychus5
- Dimetrodon8
- Dimorphodon9
- Diplodocus9
- Elasmosaurus6
- Giganotosaurus11
- Iguanodon8
- Kentrosaurus11
- Pachycephalosaurus8
- Parasaurolophus7
- Plesiosaurus10
- Pteranodon6
- Quetzalcoatlus11
- Spinosaurus8
- Stegosaurus6
- Styracosaurus9
- Therizinosaurus10
- Triceratops6
- Troodon10
- Tylosaurus7
- Tyrannosaurus6
- Velociraptor59
- DogC, P, R 5
- Dolphin6
- Dragonne12
- Dunkleosteus11
- Eels:
- Elephant6
- Figurine of wondrous power23
- Frogs:
- Gar7
- Goblin dog6
- GorthekC, P, R (half-orc or orc) 24
- Herd Animals:
- Hippopotamus7
- HorseC, P, R 5
- Heavy horse
- PonyC, P, R 5
- Hyena6
- Lizards:
- Llama25
- Marsupials:
- Megafauna:
- Mokele-mbembe11
- Octopus6
- Panda25
- Pterosaurs:
- Rats
- Dire rat6
- Riding ratC, P, R (ratfolk) 31
- Rays:
- Rhinoceros or war rhinoceros619
- Cave salamanderC (kobold) 32
- Sea crawler14
- Giant seahorseC, P 9
- SharkR 5
- Snakes:
- Constrictor snakeR 5
- Riding pythonC (kobold) 32
- ViperR 5
- Squid6
- Switchback jackal33
- Giant toad7
- Giant tortoiseC 9
- Turtles:
- Walrus259
- Giant weaselC, P 349
- WolfC, R 5
- WolverineR 5
- Whale7
- Wolliped10
Other classes
In addition to rangers and druids, other classes can also bond to animal companions, including paladins and cavaliers. For these classes, the animal companion is often used solely as a mount. Suitable animals for these classes are marked in the list above with a superscript C for cavalier and a superscript P for paladin.4 Some oracles can also take an animal companion.35
Other animal companions
Elemental companions
Sometimes, an animal companion is infused with raw elemental power—air, earth, fire, or water—that manifests in an element-appropriate fashion, such as the power of flight for an air-infused companion; toughened skin for earth-infused; flaming attacks for fire-infused; and the ability to thrive under water for water-infused companions.36
Plant companions
Fungal pilgrim druids are specialised in their care for nature by seeking to become more plant-like, eventually transforming into a fungal form. Their animal companion eventually becomes a fungal creature.37
Urdefhan animal companions
Urdefhans train, kill, and then raise as undead skaveling animal companions.3839
Vampiric animal companions
Some vampires and dhampirs can call a vampiric animal companion.40
Verminous companions
Some druids choose to bond to a companion classified as vermin. Known vermin companions include: giant ants; giant beetles; giant centipedes; giant crabs; giant leeches; giant mantises; giant scorpions; giant slugs; giant spiders; and giant wasps.41
Cavaliers native or travelling frequently in the Darklands may find the usually available animal mounts unsuitable and vermin tamer cavaliers have learnt to train Darklands creatures to perform as their mounts, such as giant beetles,C giant centipedes,C giant geckos,C giant slugs,C or giant spiders,C all better suited to the terrain.42
Alien animal companions
Numeria
In Numeria, some animals from the planet Kasath are found and can be taken as animal companions, including pilos and soricos.43
Castrovel
Maraxes are a large predator on their home-world of Castrovel and may be taken by lashunta as animal companions; some are also found on Golarion, in Numeria and southern Garund.44
Triaxus
On Triaxus, the seventh planet in Golarion's Solar system, wollipeds are trained as mounts and animal companions.45
Named animal companions
The following are known animal companions of particular people on Golarion:
Name | Type | Associated person |
---|---|---|
Biter | Badger | Harsk |
Denna | Wolf | Gunner |
Droogami | Snow leopard | Lini |
Fallow Grain | Horse | Ling Yayao |
Feargus | Wolf | Damon Vancaskerkin |
Kij, Rej & Yarkus | Hawks | Birdfood |
Leryn | Wolf | Adowyn |
Mordimor | Badger | Taldara Meirlanel |
Ruanni | Cougar | Jang |
Saluxer (cavalier mount) | Lion | Calhadion Vernisant |
Steelbristles | Boar | Torgra Stigardsdam |
T'kamo | Black bear | Linnorm King Nankou |
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ “Chapter 3: Classes” in Core Rulebook, 53–54. Paizo Inc., 2009 .
- ↑ “Chapter 3: Classes” in Core Rulebook, 66. Paizo Inc., 2009 .
- ↑ “Chapter 1: Classes” in Advanced Class Guide, 26–27. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 “Wild Companions” in Wilderness Origins, 23. Paizo Inc., 2019 .
- ↑ 5.00 5.01 5.02 5.03 5.04 5.05 5.06 5.07 5.08 5.09 5.10 5.11 5.12 5.13 5.14 5.15 5.16 5.17 5.18 5.19 5.20 5.21 5.22 5.23 5.24 5.25 Core Rulebook. Paizo Inc., 2009 .
- ↑ 6.00 6.01 6.02 6.03 6.04 6.05 6.06 6.07 6.08 6.09 6.10 6.11 6.12 6.13 6.14 6.15 6.16 6.17 6.18 6.19 6.20 6.21 6.22 6.23 6.24 6.25 6.26 6.27 Bestiary. Paizo Inc., 2009 .
- ↑ 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 7.14 7.15 7.16 Bestiary 2. Paizo Inc., 2010 .
- ↑ 8.00 8.01 8.02 8.03 8.04 8.05 8.06 8.07 8.08 8.09 8.10 8.11 8.12 8.13 8.14 8.15 8.16 Bestiary 3. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ 9.00 9.01 9.02 9.03 9.04 9.05 9.06 9.07 9.08 9.09 9.10 9.11 Bestiary 4. Paizo Inc., 2013 .
- ↑ 10.00 10.01 10.02 10.03 10.04 10.05 10.06 10.07 10.08 10.09 10.10 10.11 10.12 10.13 10.14 10.15 10.16 10.17 Bestiary 5, 312–313. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ 11.00 11.01 11.02 11.03 11.04 11.05 11.06 11.07 11.08 11.09 11.10 11.11 11.12 “Appendix 7: Animal Companions” in Bestiary 6, 311–312. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 Bonus Bestiary. Paizo Inc., 2009 .
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 “Bestiary” in Battle of Bloodmarch Hill, 82–83. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 “Bestiary” in The Lost Outpost, 83–84. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 “Bestiary” in In Hell's Bright Shadow, 82–83. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Osirion, Legacy of Pharaohs, 55. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 17.3 “Bestiary” in Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes, 55. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ 18.0 18.1 “Bestiary” in Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes, 56. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ 19.0 19.1 “Orc Traits” in Orcs of Golarion, 22. Paizo Inc., 2010 .
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 “Bestiary” in Belkzen, Hold of the Orc Hordes, 63. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 21.2 21.3 21.4 Kingmaker Player's Guide, 7. Paizo Inc., 2010 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Siege of Stone, 82. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ “Figurines of Wondrous Power” in Classic Treasures Revisited, 25. Paizo Inc., 2010 .
- ↑ “Orcs” in Monster Codex, 172. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 “New Animal Companions” in Animal Archive, 28–29. Paizo Inc., 2013 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Trail of the Hunted, 82. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ “Hobgoblins” in Monster Codex, 124. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Siege of Stone, 82–83. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 “Bestiary” in Battle of Bloodmarch Hill, 86–87. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 30.2 “Bestiary” in Souls for Smuggler's Shiv, 83. Paizo Inc., 2010 .
- ↑ “Ratfolk” in Monster Codex, 177. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 “Kobolds” in Monster Codex, 128. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Trail of the Hunted, 83. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in The Snows of Summer, 83. Paizo Inc., 2013 .
- ↑ “The Moon” in Blood of the Moon, 29. Paizo Inc., 2013 .
- ↑ “Planar Allies” in Plane-Hopper's Handbook, 26. Paizo Inc., 2018 .
- ↑ “Sekamina” in Heroes of the Darklands, 16–17. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ “Urdefhan” in Inner Sea Monster Codex, 59. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ “Urdefhan” in Inner Sea Monster Codex, 61. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ “Feats” in Blood of the Night, 28. Paizo Inc., 2012 .
- ↑ “Chapter 1: Spellcasters” in Ultimate Magic, 36–37. Paizo Inc., 2011 .
- ↑ “Sekamina” in Heroes of the Darklands, 17. Paizo Inc., 2017 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in Fires of Creation, 82–83. Paizo Inc., 2014 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in The Divinity Drive, 86–87. Paizo Inc., 2015 .
- ↑ “Bestiary” in The Frozen Stars, 91. Paizo Inc., 2013 .