Animal Companion (630)
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Animal Companion allows a ranger to befriend an animal as a permanent companion. The ranger can tell their companion to do a number of actions including attacking creatures or defending the ranger, although the companion will respond faster if it has a good relationship with the ranger and slower if not.
A ranger can gauge the quality of the relationship by GAZing at the animal companion and the relationship is established or improved by FEEDing, PETting, casting helpful spells at, or otherwise interacting with the animal companion in a positive fashion.
All four companion types (canine, feline, avian, rodent) are capable of attacking creatures (or other characters) and they do either slash (feline, avian) or puncture (canine, rodent) damage. In addition, they each have different special attacks. Animal companions will attack when told to do so and will also attack automatically when the ranger is stunned or killed.
When using Assume Aspect (650), donning an aspect of a creature of the same category of the ranger's animal companion will provide a bonus to the provided benefit.
Animal Companions can be customized via Animal Companion grooming, a special merchant service.
Summoning a Companion
Summoning a new companion is relatively straightforward. First, the ranger should find the desired companion using SENSE, then PREPARE 630 and SUMMON {desired animal}. Failure to specify a particular animal will summon a random animal in the room.
- Sense
>sense You scan your surroundings, considering the various flora and fauna found here (and noting those which are absent). The indications of the temperate climate and the deciduous forest are clearly evident. You quickly note the signs of a black-tipped forest tiger, a white-footed woodland jackal and a black-nosed mottled ferret having recently been in the area. Circling overhead is a fan-tailed branch peregrine. You also see a steep path.
There will always be one of each type of animal companion (canine, feline, avian, rodent) in every outdoor room, but the exact animal noun (e.g. tiger, puma, ocelot) will depend on the location, with some animals being exclusive to certain cities and its descriptor (e.g. black-footed, amber-eyed) will depend on the terrain type in a particular room (see the animal companion page for details).
- Summon
>sense You scan your surroundings, considering the various flora and fauna found here (and noting those which are absent). The indications of the temperate climate and the plain dirt environment are clearly evident. You quickly note the signs of a black-tipped orange tiger, a white-footed drab jackal and a black-nosed mire ferret having recently been in the area. Circling overhead is a fan-tailed dusky peregrine. You don't see any other paths leading away from the area. >prep 630 >summon tiger You open your senses wide and allow the desires and feelings of the areas denizens fill your mind. At the very edge of your perceptions, you feel a bright glow of curiosity tinged with wariness. Concentrating, you focus your desire of friendship and camaraderie towards that bright spot. At first the wariness holds but it is soon followed by a sharp peak in curiosity as if a decision had been made. A black-tipped orange tiger prowls majestically forward!
After Summoning
Acquiring Your Companion
- If you have been lucky enough to get a companion to come when you requested it, then you will have to bond with it. To do that you have to show it affection like any other animal in order to gain its trust. How this is done is fairly simple but is left for the adventurer to discover.
- After a short time if you don't bond with the companion it will leave you and you will be penalized for some time. Do not fret as this is not permanent and you can attempt to gain the trust of another in a short while.
- If you feel that you have gained its trust, its advisable to try and befriend it. BEFRIEND <companion noun> will bond you and the companion together such that the link between the two of you is nye unto unbreakable.
- This is a bond that will rise and fall; you can't neglect your companion and expect it to be there for you when you are down on your luck. Treat your companion well and he/she will serve well.
After Bonding
When a companion has been selected and befriended, it should be told to leave before the ranger retires from a hard day of adventuring or upon gaining a level and can be summoned again by preparing and casting the spell again, then telling the companion to return.
Failure to tell a companion to leave before retiring from adventuring means the companion will forget new things (including improvements to the relationship and gear added to the companion) and failing to tell an animal companion to leave after achieving a new level means that the animal will not level with the ranger.
Messaging
- Canine special maneuver
A forest wolf lunges at a massive troll king! A forest wolf grabs a massive troll king's hand in his mouth and shakes his head back and forth viciously! ... 30 points of damage! Impressive shot shatters wrist! A massive troll king screams in pain as its arm falls to the ground!
Companion Types and Locations
Animal Companions come in four distinct types: feline, canine, avian and rodent. Click on the header row triangles to sort alphabetically.
| Avian | Canine | Feline | Rodent | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gyrefalcon | Howler | Catamount | Badger | Wehnimer's Landing |
| Peregrine | Hyena | Jaguarundi | Caiverine | Wehnimer's Landing |
| Saker | Jackal | Lynx | Ferret | Wehnimer's Landing |
| Shrike | Loper | Rasper | Mole | Wehnimer's Landing |
| Trakel | Wolfhound | Tiger | Passo | Wehnimer's Landing |
| Kestrel | Canid | Jaguar | Boarrat | Landing Graveyard |
| Osprey | Dobrem | Serval | Mongoose | Landing Graveyard |
| Screech-owl | Curwolf | Ocelot | Barrowrat | Broken Lands |
| Stratis | Scrabbler | Puma | Rat | Broken Lands |
| Buzzard | Bushwag | Kodkod | Capybara | Solhaven |
| Harrier | Curwolf | Margay | Marmot | Solhaven |
| Sea-eagle | Dhole | Tunnelcat | Muskrat | Solhaven |
| Seahawk | Fox | Wildcat | Raccoon | Solhaven |
| Vulture | Kuvasz | Yowler | Weasel | Solhaven |
| Goshawk | Coyote | Mudcat | Cacevail | Icemule Trace |
| Shrika | Curhound | Puma | Rockrat | Icemule Trace |
| Snow-owl | Dobrem | Snowcat | Sloth | Icemule Trace |
| Sparrowhawk | Scrabbler | Tiger | Tothis | Icemule Trace |
| Woodpecker | Wolfhound | Tunnelcat | Whiskrat | Icemule Trace |
| Falcon | Greatfang | Panther | Graiphel | Pinefar |
| Raptor | Howler | Snowcat | Vole | Pinefar |
| Albatross | Banishara | Cheetah | Beaver | Teras Isle |
| Baza | Coyote | Leopard | Sandrat | Teras Isle |
| Heron | Fennec | Lion | Wolverine | Teras Isle |
| Karet | Foxhound | Mudcat | Woodchuck | Teras Isle |
| Raven | Greatfang | Veercat | Woodshrew | Teras Isle |
| Eagle | Hound | Bobcat | Burrovine | River's Rest |
| Hawk | Ledisa | Caracal | Hedgehog | River's Rest |
| Kite | Mastiff | Cougar | Mink | River's Rest |
| Owl | Narmo | Felid | Nutria | River's Rest |
| Seagull | Samoyed | Panther | Wombat | River's Rest |
| Condor | Canid | Jaguar | Barrowrat | Ta'Illistim |
| Elf-owl | Fennec | Kodkod | Groundhog | Ta'Illistim |
| Hawk-eagle | Kuvasz | Lynx | Porcupine | Ta'Illistim |
| Lugger | Ledisa | Ocelot | Vole | Ta'Illistim |
| Rowl | Samoyed | Veercat | Whiskrat | Ta'Illistim |
| Crow | Banishara | Bobcat | Badger | Ta'Vaalor |
| Cygnet | Canid | Catamount | Graiphel | Ta'Vaalor |
| Fenvaok | Dhole | Leopard | Mongoose | Ta'Vaalor |
| Kingfisher | Foxhound | Rasper | Sloth | Ta'Vaalor |
| Swift | Hyena | Wildcat | Wolverine | Ta'Vaalor |
| Caracara | Bushwag | Cheetah | Muzzlerat | In-Between Areas |
| Pigeonhawk | Curhound | Yowler | Wombat | In-Between Areas |
| Besra | Culpeo | Clouded Leopard | Jabady | Caligos Isle |
| Harpy Eagle | Jungle Fox | Goldencat | Fossa | Caligos Isle |
| Caligos Eagle | Bush Dog | Caligos Lynx | Fanaloka | Caligos Isle |
Unrecorded: Zul Logoth, Old Ta'Faendryl
List of Tell commands and Explanations
TELL COMPANION TO <action>
List of Actions:
ATTACK <player|creature> CEASE SIT TRACK <player> STAY NUDGE <object> <direction> (Non-Avian) SLEEP MESSAGE <player> <message> (Avian) WANDER DRAG <player> <direction> (Canine & Feline) RETURN GUARD FEED STAND LEAVE FLY (Avian) SCOUT <direction-ward> LAND (Avian) ATTACK <player|creature>: This will request your companion to engage a beast or player. If the ranger leaves the room or if the target dies, the companion will cease the battle,.
SIT: This will let the companion know that you desire it to sit down.
STAY: Requests the companion to stay where it currently is located.
SLEEP: Will give your companion some well-deserved rest.
WANDER: Basically giving your companion the freedom to wander about the area
RETURN: Brings your companion to your side.
FEED: This will have your companion looking for food if it's around.
LEAVE: This will send the companion away until you cast it again. It should appear as it left your side.
SCOUT: Ex: tell companion to scout northward Sends your companion forth in a certain area to scout the surroundings and its inhabitants.
CEASE: This will stop all commands that you have given to the companion, such as telling it to wander then stopping it.
TRACK: Requests your companion to locate a player, certain restrictions are involved with this as companions dislike to venture into some areas or to far from your side.
NUDGE: For all companions that don't fly, this allows them to propel various objects about by applying a modicum of nose-power.
MESSAGE: The flying companions can deliver messages to others adventurers. There are restrictions to what the companion can deliver. Beware what you write, most of the more intelligent companions have a slight understanding of the written word.
DRAG: The canine and feline companions will frolic about with corpses if asked politely. This allows you to ask them to drag the stiffs in certain directions.
GUARD: This requests your companion to shield you when you are in need of some help.
STAND: Requests your companion to stand up.
FLY: Requests your avian companion to get airborne. Hooyah!
LAND: What goes up must come down. Use this to request your avian companion to land.
Healing and Feeding
A ranger may use the proper healing herb or potion on their companion and it will heal the appropriate wound. Companions will only let their Ranger, or someone in their Ranger’s group, feed or heal them. Only the Ranger will see the link messaging when they feed their companion.