Animal Companions are a unique feature granted to specific classes (currently Druid and Hunter) which give those players a “sidekick” in the form of a supernaturally-talented animal of some kind that is completely loyal and obedient to the player (referred to as the “Trainer” in Ettes Eternal).
As a rule, Animal Companions are NOT hyper-intelligent. They can understand far more than a normal animal of their type, but do not assume they’re any more intelligent than, say, a perfectly trained dog. Additionally, Animal Companions are never at the same power level as the party. They are not there to overshadow anyone, and thus will always be slightly worse than equivalent classes/characters.
Companion Stats
- HP: (HD Maximum + Endurance Modifier) x Level
- Damage: Damage is dependent on animal type
- Actions:
- Acts on Trainer’s turn, has own 1 RP
- Command Cost: 1 AP from Trainer per Command; maximum 2 per round.
- 1 free Movement (full speed) per round; no Command needed
- Reactions: Do not require a Command to use; can only use Dodge reaction.
- Flow Points: Unless an ability states otherwise, does not gain or grant FP.
Skill Distribution
Animal Companions only have access to 8 skills:
- Melee
- Agility
- Endurance
- Willpower
- Perception
- Athletics
- Thievery (Stealth only)
- Insight
Each Animal Companion has some Primary Skills which start at 40, and the remaining Skills are Secondary Skills that start at 30.
Commands
Your Animal Companion is smart, but still needs direction. You must use AP on your turn to issue “Commands” to your Animal Companion. You can use up to 2 AP on your turn to command your Animal Companion. Your Animal Companion can Move up to its Move Speed for free once per round.
Basic Commands (1 AP)
- Attack: Companion attacks designated target
- Defend: Companion moves to protect specific ally or location
- Use Ability: Use any Special Ability
- Fetch: Companion retrieves specific object within reason; can return object to anyone within movement range. This also uses their 1 Move
- Sprint: The Companion moves its Move Speed. This is on top of the already free Move action the Companion gets each round, allowing you to move up to 3x their Move Speed if you spend all of their actions on Move.
Advanced Commands (2 AP)
- Coordinated Attack: Hunter and companion attack same target with timing bonus
- Protective Stance: Companion grants +2 DR to Hunter for remainder of round
A Note On Balance
You may assume that, if a character is expected to use 2 AP (⅓ of their turn) commanding a creature that is designed to be less powerful, then it might not be worth having an Animal Companion. Ettes Eternal has endeavored to ensure that this is not the case, and that the benefits each character gets from the Animal Companion (such as ability to Gang Up at range with them, or the various interesting effects/boons the Companion grants) outweighs the loss of sheer damage output the character would get otherwise. This will be an ongoing process, and we hope to continue improving so it never feels like this is an objectively wrong choice to make for your character.
Advancement
Companions gain +5 to any one Skill every level
- All Skills have a maximum of 70, unless modified by a special ability
At levels 7, 12, and 17, pick either:
- Gain an additional damage dice on attacks
- Gain +1 DR
- 🚧Gain an Advanced Ability for that animal type
At any level from 10 onwards, you may choose to have your Animal Companion increase OR decrease by 1 size category permanently. This can only be taken once, and cannot be undone.
- Large Companions gain +5 Endurance and Athletics, -5 Agility and Thievery, plus gain additional reach as normal.
- Small Companions gain +5 Agility and Thievery, -5 Endurance and Athletics, and their damage dice reduces by 1 step. These benefits to stats don’t allow the Animal Companion to exceed their 70 maximum for Skills.
Rules
Healing & Death
Animal Companions follow the same rules for healing and dying as any player character would
If an Animal Companion dies, the trainer must spend 3 uninterrupted days in wilderness either choosing and bonding with a new companion, or resurrecting their old companion. Whichever choice they make, the companion remains at the same level as before. This meditation time does not need to be taken immediately, but until it is done, the trainer does not have an Animal Companion and gains none of the benefits of having one.
Companion Limitations
As stated before, Animal Companions are NOT human-level intelligence. Unless stated otherwise, they are not capable of tasks that require this level of intelligence unless a rule states otherwise (such as an Ape’s “Tool Use” ability)
Additionally, despite being loyal, they will be hard-pressed to act against survival instincts. If you tell your Animal Companion to run and jump off a cliff to its death, it will almost certainly disobey you.
Finally, while it’s not explicitly tracked… treat your Animal Companion well. Proper care, feeding, take them out for a potty break. You know the deal.
Just remember: The animal will not revolt if you break these rules, and it won’t hate you, but do not abuse this. Animal Companions are just as important as your character, and FAR cuter.
Offense Animal Companions
| Name | HD | Damage | Primary | Move | Specials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large Cat | d6 | 1d8 | Melee, Agility, Athletics | 6 hexes | Stealth Hunter, Pounce, Silent Steps |
| Wolf | d6 | 1d8 | Melee, Athletics, Perception | 6 hexes | Howl Rally, Keen Senses, Trip Attack |
| Wolverine | d6 | 1d8 | Melee, Athletics, Endurance | 6 hexes | Berserker Rage, Fearless, Claw Frenzy |
Large Cat
(Tiger, Panther, Lion, Leopard, etc)
Size: Medium
Skills: Melee/Agility/Athletics (Primary 40), Endurance/Willpower/Perception/Insight/Thievery (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Stealth Hunter: Advantage on attacks against unaware targets
- Pounce: move up to 3 hexes and attack as single command for 1 AP (does not consume any hexes of normal movement for the round)
- Swipe: Critical hits deal half of base damage (before critical) to another adjacent enemy
Wolf
(Hunting Dog, etc.)
Size: Medium
Skills: Melee/Athletics/Perception (Primary 40), Agility/Endurance/Willpower/Insight/Thievery (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Howl Rally: Once per day, all allies except the Animal Companion within 6 hexes gain Advantage on their next Combat Skill Check
- Keen Senses: Advantage on Perception checks involving scent or hearing
- Trip Attack: On successful attack, can knock target Prone (once per round)
Wolverine
(or equivalent)
Size: Medium
Skills: Melee/Athletics/Endurance (Primary 40), Endurance/Willpower/Athletics/Insight/Thievery (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Berserker Rage: When below half HP, gain +1 damage die and ignore pain penalties
- Fearless: Immune to Frightened status and advantage on Willpower checks
- Claw Frenzy: Once per round, can make a second attack at Disadvantage for half damage as part of a single attack command
Defense Animal Companions
| Name | HD | Damage | Primary | Move | Specials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ape | d8 | 1d6 | Melee, Athletics, Endurance | 6 hexes | Tool Mastery, Arm Reach, Intimidating Roar |
| Bear | d8 | 1d6 | Melee, Endurance, Willpower | 6 hexes | Powerful Build, Bear Hug, Thick Hide |
| Boar | d8 | 1d6 | Melee, Endurance, Athletics | 6 hexes | Charge Attack, Tusks, Stubborn Will |
Ape
(_or other large monkey)
Size: Medium
Skills: Melee/Endurance/Athletics/Willpower/Thievery (Primary 40), Agility/Perception/Insight (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Tool Mastery: Can manipulate more complex objects with instruction; open doors/chests, place objects, etc. GM Discretion
- Arm Reach: Attack an enemy 2 hexes away at Disadvantage. This does not change the Ape’s threatening range
- Intimidating Roar: All enemies within 2 hexes must succeed on a Willpower Check or be Frightened of the Ape for 2 rounds.
Bear
(any type)
Size: Medium
Skills: Melee/Endurance/Willpower/Athletics/Perception (Primary 40), Agility/Insight/Thievery (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Powerful Build: +2 damage to all attacks
- Bear Hug: Can Grapple as part of attack command
- Thick Hide: Natural 1 DR against physical damage
Boar
Size: Medium
Skills: Melee/Endurance/Athletics/Willpower/Agility (Primary 40), Perception/Insight/Thievery (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Charge Attack: +1 damage die when moving at least 4 hexes before attacking
- Tusks: Critical hits cause 2 Persistent Bleed damage per round
- Stubborn Will: Advantage on Willpower checks against mental effects
Utility Animal Companions
| Name | HD | Damage | Primary | Move | Specials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fox | d6 | 1d6 | Athletics, Agility, Thievery, Perception, Insight | 6 hexes | Cunning Dodge, Small Spaces, Distraction |
| Raven | d6 | 1d6 | Perception, Insight, Thievery, Agility, Willpower | 10 hexes | Mimicry, Aerial Scout, Danger Sense |
| Snake | d6 | 1d6 | Athletics, Perception, Agility, Endurance, Thievery | 6 hexes | Constrict, Poison Bite, Heat Sense |
Snake
Size: Medium
Skills: Athletics/Perception/Agility/Endurance/Thievery (Primary 40), Melee/Willpower/Insight (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Constrict: Grappled targets take 1d6 damage at start of their turn
- Poison Bite: Attacks inflict 2 Persistent Poison damage per round
- Heat Sense: Can detect warm-blooded creatures within 6 hexes without sight
Raven
(or other high-intelligence bird)
Size: Small
Skills: Perception/Insight/Thievery/Agility/Willpower (Primary 40), Endurance/Willpower/Melee (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Mimicry: Can roughly replicate voices and sounds heard within last day
- Tool Use: Can manipulate simple objects and tools with surprising dexterity, within GM discretion. Also can use Thievery to actually steal things
- Danger Sense: Advantage on Insight checks to determine if someone means harm
Fox
or other small creature
Size: Small
Skills: Athletics/Agility/Thievery/Perception/Insight (Primary 40), Endurance/Willpower/Melee (Secondary 30)
Special Abilities:
- Cunning Dodge: Any effect that deals half damage on successful Agility Check instead deals no damage
- Small Spaces: Can move through spaces as small as 6 inches without penalty
- Distraction: Can create minor distractions that grant allies +10 to Thievery checks