Is there any way to add an animal companion for say, a fighter? Or a Cleric? Or a wizard, outside of find familiar? My players like collecting pets and then totally forgetting about them. Thanks in advance!
This is a in-game RP thing. But, generally, yes. As long as the DM approves. It's a good use for the Animal Handling skill.
You can track your companion stats using the Extras tab on the Character Sheet.
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In the DnD Character Sheet, under Extras, Manage Extras, Add an Extra, Choose a Category - you can choose Pet, Mount, Familiar, or Beast Companion.
It doesn't seem to be class restricted.
Greetings Vedexent,
Can you explain (or post a link that explains) the differences between a 'Pet', 'Familiar' & 'Beast Companion'?
Thank you in advance!
Cheers :)
Not them, but I'll help.
A familiar is a creature summoned by the spell "find familiar." It has a specific list of qualities and usually takes the form of a small animal like a cat or a snake (though I get the sense owl is the most popular because it's one that has some of the best in-combat uses) Side note, some warlocks can have an even more powerful familiar than is granted by the base spell.
A beast companion is a class feature for a ranger with the beastmaster subclass. There are two versions of this companion, one in the player's handbook, the other in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
A pet is not a specific, defined game term. It can be used as a generic term to cover things like familiars and beast companions. As there are a number of other classes that get similar creatures, it can also cover them (for example, a paladin's mount, a drakwarden's drake, I've even heard it used to describe a necromancer's zombie). In addition, it can be used to describe something a character has for role playing purposes. Basically, a literal pet, a cat or dog or what have you, that follows the character around, but doesn't help in combat or with overcoming other challenges, it's just there for flavor for the character.
Or it can be a small intelligent creature that has decide you make a good pet for it like a psudodragons, faerie dragons and Tressym cats so the stick around you for the fun of it.
Pretty much any neutral/unaligned beast should be, at least potentially, tamable and able to be kept as a “pet” or potentially a “follower”. To follow up on Xalthu’s old post (above); a pet is a creature that doesn’t indulge in combat when you are in combat; a follower is one that does engage in combat alongside of you. Followers are not just animals but would include sidekicks and combat capable hirelings.
Special Notes for 2024 Rules: Find Familiar no longer has a size restriction, only a CR and type restriction, CR 0 and Beast, which opens up some unique options for Find Familiar: Giant Fly (buy an exotic saddle, and it can function as a Flying Mount for any PC who is not Large Size or bigger, ie. raging Path of the Giant Barbarians, Goliaths using their enlarge feature, Duergar using their Enlarge Feature, someone under the effects of Enlarge or an Potion of Growth, or similar effect or feature), Deer or Hyena (Buy any saddle, Medium Size Creatures with decent walk speed, which small creatures can use as mounts, also can be pack animals), Flying Monkey is a poor man's Imp (it has flight and opposable thumbs, which means it can manipulate items, carry potions, be instructed to feed a potion to you if you are downed)...
And all that is for the basic Find Familiar, the Pact of the Chain Warlock has even more options... especially since it can grant Swim Speeds and Fly Speeds to any Familiar with the right invocation, and has access to higher CR and non-Beast Options.
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Is there any way to add an animal companion for say, a fighter? Or a Cleric? Or a wizard, outside of find familiar? My players like collecting pets and then totally forgetting about them. Thanks in advance!
This is a in-game RP thing. But, generally, yes. As long as the DM approves. It's a good use for the Animal Handling skill.
You can track your companion stats using the Extras tab on the Character Sheet.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
Thanks! I was more meaning in the character builder than in game. I'm gonna check out your Character Builder Guide as well!
In the DnD Character Sheet, under Extras, Manage Extras, Add an Extra, Choose a Category - you can choose Pet, Mount, Familiar, or Beast Companion.
It doesn't seem to be class restricted.
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Perfect, thanks. That's exactly what I was looking for.
I recomend using the pet or other category. Beast companion automatically modifies the creature's stats if they are a beast master.
where do you find the extras?
On the digital character sheet in the panel on the right that has tabs for Action, Spells, Equipment, etc. the last one is Extras.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Thank you for being the one person to give simple and clear directions on this. I have been looking for this clear steps for too long. THANK YOU.
Greetings Vedexent,
Can you explain (or post a link that explains) the differences between a 'Pet', 'Familiar' & 'Beast Companion'?
Thank you in advance!
Cheers :)
Breathe, dragons; sing of the First World, forged out of chaos and painted with beauty.
Sing of Bahamut, the Platinum, molding the shape of the mountains and rivers;
Sing too of Chromatic Tiamat, painting all over the infinite canvas.
Partnered, they woke in the darkness; partnered, they labored in acts of creation.
Not them, but I'll help.
A familiar is a creature summoned by the spell "find familiar." It has a specific list of qualities and usually takes the form of a small animal like a cat or a snake (though I get the sense owl is the most popular because it's one that has some of the best in-combat uses) Side note, some warlocks can have an even more powerful familiar than is granted by the base spell.
A beast companion is a class feature for a ranger with the beastmaster subclass. There are two versions of this companion, one in the player's handbook, the other in Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
A pet is not a specific, defined game term. It can be used as a generic term to cover things like familiars and beast companions. As there are a number of other classes that get similar creatures, it can also cover them (for example, a paladin's mount, a drakwarden's drake, I've even heard it used to describe a necromancer's zombie). In addition, it can be used to describe something a character has for role playing purposes. Basically, a literal pet, a cat or dog or what have you, that follows the character around, but doesn't help in combat or with overcoming other challenges, it's just there for flavor for the character.
Or it can be a small intelligent creature that has decide you make a good pet for it like a psudodragons, faerie dragons and Tressym cats so the stick around you for the fun of it.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
any for golithis
and for warlock
Pretty much any neutral/unaligned beast should be, at least potentially, tamable and able to be kept as a “pet” or potentially a “follower”. To follow up on Xalthu’s old post (above); a pet is a creature that doesn’t indulge in combat when you are in combat; a follower is one that does engage in combat alongside of you. Followers are not just animals but would include sidekicks and combat capable hirelings.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Special Notes for 2024 Rules:
Find Familiar no longer has a size restriction, only a CR and type restriction, CR 0 and Beast, which opens up some unique options for Find Familiar: Giant Fly (buy an exotic saddle, and it can function as a Flying Mount for any PC who is not Large Size or bigger, ie. raging Path of the Giant Barbarians, Goliaths using their enlarge feature, Duergar using their Enlarge Feature, someone under the effects of Enlarge or an Potion of Growth, or similar effect or feature), Deer or Hyena (Buy any saddle, Medium Size Creatures with decent walk speed, which small creatures can use as mounts, also can be pack animals), Flying Monkey is a poor man's Imp (it has flight and opposable thumbs, which means it can manipulate items, carry potions, be instructed to feed a potion to you if you are downed)...
And all that is for the basic Find Familiar, the Pact of the Chain Warlock has even more options... especially since it can grant Swim Speeds and Fly Speeds to any Familiar with the right invocation, and has access to higher CR and non-Beast Options.