Discussion:Animal Companions with an intelligence of 3

Animal Companions with an intelligence of 3

If an animal companion has an intelligence of 3, what exactly does it understand? Can it understand common or does it still use a base set of commands similar to tricks? Also how would this scale? All the reference material I have found on this topic is extremely vague, just saying "an animal has an intelligence of 1 or 2." or "Animals with and intelligence of 3 or more are magical beasts."

Eiji 00:51, 12 July 2009 (MDT)

Int 3 understands common, can have morality, but is intensely stupid. Now, D&D is not a very good system of showing animals in reality, because a Dolphin would probably be Int 4, as would an Elephant. They're able to make decisions and make logical assumptions, but just simple ones.

Sarrow 01:47, 12 July 2009 (MDT)

If I remember correctly an animal companion has to be an animal, and if its intelligence is increased it is no longer an animal, so I think it would have to be considered a cohort or something along those lines from then on.

Eiji 01:49, 12 July 2009 (MDT)

I am presuming he's using a feat to get a magical beast (it exists, dunno which it is though) but yes, what he said. I vaguely recall a means to get a Gorgon as an AC.

Sarrow 01:54, 12 July 2009 (MDT)

That makes sense, there seems to be a feat for just about anything now a days, LOL. But really, I don't know what to say about the whole intelligent AC because I have never tried to do it before. So good luck with the finding out of the information.

24.59.58.100 18:26, 12 July 2009 (MDT)

The feat is in Book of Exalted Deeds. Exalted Companion allows you to have a Celestial Animal Companion (apply the celestial template). If you do that it raises its Intelligence to 3. That is the issue, like with a giant eagle or owl (also obtainable by the feat at higher level) the Monster Manual states they can understand and speak common due to their intelligence of 10. But other than that it is very very vague on the intelligence of a low intelligence magical beast. Any suggestion on how I should handle tricks, if at all?

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