Access to use of the Creature Companion template is gained through taking the Creature Companion feat.
The Creature Companion is an NPC class designed for heroes to apply to their mounts and/or pets to allow for advancement beyond the standard capabilities of a typical animal. This advancement option replaces the rules for advancing a creature by hit die, and allows for a creature to gain experience similar to a player character.
A Creature Companion does not count as a party member when determining the party's XP. Instead, divide the Creature Companion's level by your level. Multiply this result by the total XP awarded to you, than add that number of experience points to the Creature Companion's total.
A Creature Companion cannot advance to the same level as the character that has the accompanying Creature Companion Feat. If a Creature Companion gains enough XP to bring it to your level, the Creature Companion does not gain the new level—its new XP total is 1 less than the amount needed to attain the next level, with all remaining XP wasted.
Adventures: The Creature Companion is a loyal cohort to a player character, willing to travel with their master through deadly landscapes and treacherous dungeons without a second thought.
Alignment: The alignment of a creature companion matches the alignment of the creature as outlined in the bestiary in which the creature is described.
Other Classes: A Creature Companion cannot advance in any other class.
Role: The Creature Companion acts a loyal steed, a loving pet, a vicious defender or the like. They are devoted to their master unto death, often placing themselves in danger to protect their owner.
Game Rule Information
Creature Companions have the following game rule information. The Creature Companion NPC class can be applied to any animal type creature the PC has purchased or befriended through normal means as long as the player has the Creature Companion feat and does not currently have an active Creature Companion. The Creature Companion NPC class cannot be applied to an Animal Companion or any other animal obtained through another class ability or feat.
Creature Companion Death: A Creature Companion can be raised or resurrected by any effect or spell that could raise a player character.
If unable or unwilling to raise a Creature Companion from death, the character must wait a week before they can begin training a new Creature Companion.
Creature Companion Racial Hit Die: A Creature Companion’s base racial hit die count against the creature’s maximum level that they can obtain in the Creature Companion class. For example; a horse has 2 racial hit die, effectively lowering the maximum level they can obtain with the Creature Companion class to 18th.
The creature’s base racial hit die also set the Creature Companion’s beginning required experience needed to advance in level, in terms of experience needed to obtain their 1st level in the Creature Companion class. For example a horse has 2 racial hit die, effectively making the horse 2nd level in regards to the experience it will require to obtain its first level in the Creature Companion class.
Abilities: A Creature Companion has the base statistics of a typical animal of its type.
Alignment: Same as the base creature.
Hit Die: Same as the base creature.
Class Skills
The Creature Companion’s skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (only if the creature can naturally fly) (Dex), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex) and Swim (Str)
Skill Points Per Level: 2 + Int modifier (minimum 1).
The Creature Companion
Level |
Base Attack |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Natural Armor Bonus |
Special |
1 |
+0 |
+2 |
+2 |
+0 |
+1 |
Bonus Trick |
2 |
+1 |
+3 |
+3 |
+0 |
+1 |
Natural Armor +1 |
3 |
+2 |
+3 |
+3 |
+1 |
+2 |
Increased Damage Die |
4 |
+3 |
+4 |
+4 |
+1 |
+2 |
Bonus Trick |
5 |
+3 |
+4 |
+4 |
+1 |
+3 |
Natural Armor +2 |
6 |
+4 |
+5 |
+5 |
+2 |
+3 |
Increased Speed |
7 |
+5 |
+5 |
+5 |
+2 |
+4 |
Bonus Trick |
8 |
+6 |
+6 |
+6 |
+2 |
+4 |
Natural Armor +3 |
9 |
+6 |
+6 |
+6 |
+3 |
+5 |
Evasion |
10 |
+7 |
+7 |
+7 |
+3 |
+5 |
Bonus Trick |
11 |
+8 |
+7 |
+7 |
+3 |
+6 |
Natural Armor +4 |
12 |
+9 |
+8 |
+8 |
+4 |
+6 |
Increased Speed |
13 |
+9 |
+8 |
+8 |
+4 |
+7 |
Bonus Trick |
14 |
+10 |
+9 |
+9 |
+4 |
+7 |
Natural Armor +5 |
15 |
+11 |
+9 |
+9 |
+5 |
+8 |
Increased Damage Die |
16 |
+12 |
+10 |
+10 |
+5 |
+8 |
Bonus Trick |
17 |
+12 |
+10 |
+10 |
+5 |
+9 |
Natural Armor +6 |
18 |
+13 |
+11 |
+11 |
+6 |
+9 |
Increased Speed |
19 |
+14 |
+11 |
+11 |
+6 |
+10 |
Bonus Trick |
20 |
+15 |
+12 |
+12 |
+6 |
+10 |
Natural Armor +7 |
Class Features
The Following is a list of class features for the Creature Companion class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Creature Companions are proficient with their natural weapons only. They may gain armor proficiency as normal when they gain feats. Your DM may restrict what armor and weapon feats your Creature Companion can obtain based on feasibility.
Bonus Trick (Ex): At 1st, 4th, 7th, 10th, 13th, 16th and 19th level the Creature Companion gains a bonus trick in addition to any tricks the creature may know. These bonus tricks do not require additional training time or handle animal checks and do not count against the maximum number of tricks the creature can normally have.
Natural Armor (Ex): At 2nd, 5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 20th level the Creature Companions natural armor increases by 1, to a maximum of +7 at 20th level. This figure is added to the Creature Companions existing natural armor (if any).
Increased Damage Die (Ex): At 3rd and again at 15th level you may select a single natural attack to increase. The damage is increased by 1 category just as if the creature had taken the Improved Natural Attack feat.
Increased Speed (Ex): At 6th, 12th and 18th level the Creature Companion becomes faster. Select a single mode of movement (land, fly, swim, climb, burrow etc) and increase the base speed by 10 feet.
Evasion (Ex): At 9th level the Creature Companion gains the evasion ability. A Creature Companion that has the evasion ability can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If they make a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, they instead take no damage. Evasion can be used only if the Creature Companion is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless Creature Companion does not gain the benefit of evasion.