Animal Companion Leveling Guide

Saving Throws: Choose from Strength, Dexterity, or

Companion Rules Constitution
Skills: None
In Combat
Your companion acts on their own initiative unless they are Options
being used as a mount, in which case they act on their own. If At each Feature level, you have the option to have your
you fall unconscious, your companion will prioritize companion take the given ability or to increase one Ability
defending you. Score of your choice by 2, or two Ability Scores of your choice
by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20
Communication by Ability Score increases.
While your companion does not necessarily understand any Natural Traits
language you speak, it will follow simple commands and you
are able to instruct it to perform simple tasks. Your At 3nd level, your companion understands a little bit more
Companion is completely loyal to you and will do it's best to about the battlefield. Choose one of the following Traits to
be helpful as possible. learn.
Defensive. Your Companion gains +1 AC and an
Barding Armor additional 1 hp for each level you have
Barding armor is described in the Equipment Section of the Offensive. Your Companion's attacks have +2 to hit and
PHB. Barding for medium and small creatures costs twice as damage rolls
much as normal armor and weighs the same amount.
Protective. When a creature your companion can see
Magic Items attacks a target other than them that is within 5 feet of
While magic items for animal companions are somewhat them, they can use their reaction to impose disadvantage
more rare, they are not unheard of. In general, magical armor on the Attack roll.
is fairly easy to convert into barding armor, although it will Aggressive. When your companion takes the attack
require the work of an experiencde blacksmith. While action, they can make one additional attack as a bonus
traditional magic weapons such as swords and bows are not action. They do not add their ability score modifier to the
something companions are equipped to handle, there are damage for this attack.
other ways to magically enhance their attacks, such as wraps,
gauntlets, claw extenders etc.
True Ally
At 5th level, your companion becomes more loyal to you and
Companion Options your friends than ever, even in the event of your death.
Choose one of the following options.
Level Proficiency Bonus Features
Grief. If you or one of your allies fall unconscious, your
3rd +2 Natural Talents companion can stabilize them, making a DC 10 Survival
5th +3 True Ally or Medicine check. How your companion specifically
7th +3 Worldly Veteran stabilizes a creature is up to the narrative. As examples,
your companion may lick your wounds or attempt to move
11th +4 Heratage Traits a contorted unconscious body into a more natural
15th +5 Grizzled Defender position.
18th +6 Transcendence Rage. If you or one of your allies fall unconscious, your
companion can immediately move up to their movement
and take the attack action against a creature.

Hit Points Worldly Veteran

Companion Hit points are calculated by ((your companions at 7th level, your companion has had time to mature and
CON mod + the average of a single hit die of the creature) * practice what it knows. It gains proficiency in 3 skills and 1
your player level) + your prof bonus saving throw of your choice. In addition, it's attacks are
Proficiencies considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance
and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Armor: All barding armor
Weapons: Natural Weapons
Tools: None
Heritage Traits Transcendence
At 11th level, your companion becomes even more of a At 18th level, your companion has transcended its natural
manifestation of their species. The trait they gain is based off being. Choose one of the following options.
of the type of creature they are.
Sentience. Your companion can now speak telepathically
Reptillian. Your companion gains an elemental breath to any creature it can see within 60 feet of it. Your
attack of your choice (consult the Dragonborn Race for companion doesn't need to share a language with the
details on saving throws and area of effect). The Breath creature for it to understand the telepathic messages, but
attack damage is 3d6 and increases by a d6 when you the creature must be able to understand at least one
reach 15th and 18th level. Once it uses it's breath weapon, language or be telepathic itself.
at the top of each of it's turns, roll a d6. on a 5 or 6, it
regains it's breath weapon. It regains it normally on a Etherial. Your companion can now use a bonus action to
short or long rest. magically teleport, along with any equipment it is wearing
or carrying, up to 60 ft to an unoccupied space it can see.
Mamillion. If the your companion moves at least 20 feet
straight toward a target and then hits it with an attack on Resistant. Your companion is now resistant to all
the same turn, the target takes an extra damage dice from damage, excluding Psycic damage.
the attack. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Magical. Your companion gains 4 cantrips of your choice
DC 13 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. The from any spell list that it can cast at will. Damage is based
damage increases by another damage dice at 15th and on your level.
18th level.
Arachnid. Your companion's attacks now deal 3d4 poison Rules by u/Onomonopedia
damage in addition to their normal damage. The damage
increases by a d4 when you reach 15th and 18th level.
Bird. Your compaion can now attack twice when taking
the attack action, and doesn't provoke opportunity attacks
when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Crustacian. Your compainion gains +2 AC and has
advantage on saving throws against spells, and any
creature making a spell attack against it has disadvantage
on the attack roll.
Aquatic. Your companion has advantage on attack rolls
against any creature that doesn't have all it's hit points

Grizzled Defender
At 15th level, your companion is used to combat situations.
Choose one of the following options.
Relentless. Your companion can keep fighting despite
grievous wounds. If they drop to 0 Hit Points and don't die
outright, they can make a DC 10 Constitution saving
throw. If they succeed, they drop to 1 hit point instead. If
they fail, they cannot use this ability again until they finish
a short or long rest.
Carrier. Your companion can now carry and or drag one
creature one size larger than itself or two creatures its
size or smaller without halving it's movement. Its base
speed (includes climbing or swimming if applicable) also
increases by 10 ft.