Druid - Animal Companion Level Up Issue
 

Hi all,

been using Hero Lab for years but this is my first time posting here, because it's my first time making a druid.

My druid has just reached level 3 so I levelled her up and also tried to level up her animal companion, and it doesn't seem to be working right.

the 3.5 PHB says that once a druid hits level 3 their animal companion gets 2 extra hit die and +1 to both str and dex.

However when I use Hero Lab to update my wolf, the hit die seems to work ok but the ability points don't - instead it is asking me to 'select' which stat I want to increase. I selected Str and tried to increase Dex and it said I had chosen too many ability points, and more importantly it seemed to be levelling up my animal companion like a player character - Hero Lab seems to think the wolf gets one stat point every 4 levels, and also wanted me to select a feat for it? The PHB doesn't say anything about animal companions getting feats you can select, only tricks.

it's also asking me to assign skill points - PHB doesn't mention that either.

I checked the errata and I can't find any mention of animal companions getting stat points of their choice every 4 levels or feats.

How can I get Hero Lab to let me pick both Str and Dex when my druid hits level 3, 6, 9 etc?
Has there been a rule change i missed?

Thanks :)

I think you're doing it incorrectly.

On your druid hero, go to the druid tab and click the button in the upper left to select your animal companion. This will add the companion and tie it to your druid levels, rather than having to add it manually as you are attempting. Doing through the druid tab will automatically add what is needed each time the druid levels.

Let me know if that helps. It's just built into the druid (same thing you do when selecting your arcane familiar for Sorcerer/Wizard).

Maybe I haven't explained myself correctly - I haven't created the animal companion as a separate creature, i've created a druid and added an animal companion to that character in Hero Lab.

When I level up my druid and then click on the companion, it's only letting me add +1 to ANY stat (not +1 to str and dex as per the PHB) and is trying to give it a feat and skill points.

I'll post some screen shots to explain what I mean

ok i've attached the image of my druid at lvl 3, and the animal companion screens.
I click on my animal companion and it allows me to add +1 to ANY one stat rather than +1 to both strength and dex.
When i click on skills and on feats it wants me to add to these too, despite the fact the PHB doesn't say that these get added for druid companions.

Is there something i'm not doing right here?
or is Hero Lab wrong?

It looks like it’s already added +1 to Str and Dex. Yours has a Str 14, Dex 16 but a normal wolf has a 13 and a 15 like http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/wolf.htm

The +1 selection looks to be the “4th Level” advancement...

Interesting. I just did the same thing, 3 levels of druid and wolf companion, I do not get these issues. Not sure what’s wrong here, my setup is the same, but I don't get the attribute selection for 4th level. As TCArknight mentions, it does appear to be supplying the regular +1 attribute bonus already.

ah right - so I just ignore the options to add a stat, skill points and a feat?

No - don't ignore the extra +1 Stat, etc. You get to choose that since your wolf just reached 4HD. From PHB: "An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monsters Hit Dice (see Monster Manual)."

The bonuses for being a Druid companion are automatically calculated when your Druid levels. Like PC's, NPC's (most Monsters, etc) all gain feats every 3rd level, and a Stat increase every 4th level, and Skill points - these you choose how to assign.

aaaaaaah.
ok thanks what page in the PHB is that on so I can point it out to my DM?

Thanks everyone for your help - made a hell of a lot of characters on Hero Lab but never a druid so a learning curve for me.

Thanks again

Yes, you get the feat every three Hit Dice and the skill points each Hit Die.

What you should not be getting is the +1 attribute for every 4 Hit Dice. That should only occur every 4 class levels, but obviously a wolf is not a class. I have no idea how you got that to work edgelett, but try as I might, I can't get a wolf or any other animal companion a +1 attribute per 4 Hit Dice. That is the thing that baffles me. Is it in Hero configuration? Custom animal? Custom script? Just don't know.

I just created a druid the same way I always create any PC, and it is giving me the option to add another attribute bonus - I even started again from scratch and am getting the same thing.

Dami said I DO get the extra stat bonus, feats and skills are you saying I don't?
Now i'm really confused.

ok sorry for the mucking around - I think i found it, and it's in the monster manual pg 290:
'Whenever a monster reaches a number of hit dice divisible by 4, it improves one ability score by 1 point'

so it looks like Hero Lab is doing everything RIGHT - my wolf gets +1 to Str and Dex for being an animal companion, then gets an extra +1 to any stat for reaching 4 hit die, then gets an extra feat for reaching 3 hit die and skill points too as per the PHB (Page 36)

Thank you all for your help and sorry for the confusion - at least now I know whats going on haha

Players handbook, p36. Under "The Druid's Animal Companion", and "Bonus HD".

Cheers - thanks looked up the Monster Manual & found that yes, the wolf gets the druid bonus plus those other bonuses too.
wow - no wonder animal companions end up better than the hero lol!

It's also why Druid is considered one of the best classes. Full caster, 3/4 BAB, and a companion who us almost equal to a full party member without any investment

Weird, I do not get this at all. Are you using the community set? I'm not using that, but I am otherwise using the d20 rules as well.

NOTE: Nevermind, just realized I was looking at a dire wolf. It gives the bonus for every 4 HD beyond its typical Hit Dice. Yeah, that works on mine as well, guess I've never had a druid get an animal companion to that level of advancement. Go figure.

Companions don't earn XP. Level is based on that of the Druid.

EDIT: It looks like you are asking about a computer game race that I don't think exists in Hero Lab. Your other two posts today are spam, so I won't take this one as a serious question.

UPDATE: Please ignore this post. The post I responded to has now been removed!

+1 Attribute to STR going down?
 

Greetings HL & D&D Peeps,

I haven't had the above errors with the Animal companion, but my bug(?) is related to the animal companion and druid levels.

When I get the option for a +1 Attribute, if I choose Str, it goes down. Currently the animal has a 15 Str, when I give it a +1 Str, it goes to 14 and I haven't a clue why.

help?

My user file is below, along with my portfolio. Special Druid class variant (with 1 Domain).

I downloaded both your files, and loaded them in Hero Lab. When I click add +1 to Strength, STR goes from 15 to 16.

Grrr. This is strange. If I remove the Con and add +1 Str, it goes down. Or if I just add another +1 Str with the Con still there for attributes.

Pics of what I see.
-Shadow

Edit Addition - If I add and remove anything from the Adjust tab it updates the Str to what it should be. I have adjustments usually on for it being Large (DM uses the rules that your animal companion can grow due to hit dice advancement). That may be conflicting with it, having those on there?

I'm able to reproduce the problem so I'm looking into it. My first instinct is that there might be some weird core issue in play here, but I'll see if I can figure something out.

Update: Yes, this is a core issue. I'll post a bug. In the meantime, you'll need to make necessary adjustments in the adjustment tab to make up the difference.

Thanks Sendric!!

Hopefully we can see the Animal Growth Spell in the system at some point as well. This may affect that in some ways. I will check over the math when I level up to make sure nothing else breaks.

No problem. In the meantime, here's a response from Shadow that might help you out in regards to this problem:

http://forums.wolflair.com/showpost....3&postcount=97

Thank you so much for helping each other out! Always great to see!

These people are always a pleasure to speak to.