13. Animal companions and familiars

Adventurers sometimes take pets into the Underworld—hunting falcons, small but vicious dogs, trained dire moths, riding boars, and so on.

As a general rule, you may have as many animal companions travel with your guild as you can carry feed for. Animal companions need to eat each Camp Phase (just as you do). If they do not, they begin to starve. Starving animals might abandon you entirely in search of food.

Animal companions do not have slots for carrying items. You must carry your animal’s feed.

The Beast Master talent can train these animal companions so that they can serve at need during dungeon delves. Trained animals will perform one of their commands at your direction. Most normal animals can only learn three commands.

If necessary, commands might prompt a test of fate. If the animal is uniquely suited to the test (e.g., monkeys are great at climbing and grabbing stuff, horses are great at pulling), the test is made with favor. Otherwise, no bonuses are added to the test of fate.

If nobody in your guild has the Beast Master talent, you may pay animal trainers in the City to train your pets for you (see The Hippodrome of Amet).

War pigs

During Challenges, an animal companion does not act unless its owner uses the Command action to have it perform one of its known commands. The GM interprets the pet’s actions, as even well-trained animals will use their own logic and understanding in stressful situations. An animal companion shares its master’s Initiative.

Wounds and healing

Unlike adventurers, animal companions usually only have two conditions: Staggered and Injured. Animals do not have talents to Wound. Once an animal companion is Injured, the very next Wound it takes will kill it.

The exception to this rule is if the animal is a familiar: a familiar’s owner may spend a Resolve to reduce a killing blow (see Beast Master). These familiars are out of the action but not dead.

Animal companions lose the Staggered condition if fed during the Camp Phase.

A player may spend one of their charged Bonds to heal their animal’s Injured condition during step 4 of the Camp Phase. Animals can also benefit from the Heal effect.