The character is able to domesticate and train a specific type of animal, which must be chosen when the skill is taken.
Domesticate Wild Animal
To domesticate a wild animal, the animal trainer must make five successful Domesticate rolls over the course of time not to exceed 10 days. One roll per day is allowed. A Blunder at any time indicates that the trainer is not able to domesticate the animal. Each time a roll is made, add the value of the roll to an ongoing total and, when the total reaches 500, the animal is domesticated.
- Absolute Success = 150
- Success = 100
- Near Success = 75
- Partial Success = 50
- Failure = 0
- Absolute Failure = -50
- Blunder = Cannot be domesticated (or -100)
Only wild animals need to be domesticated. A stray dog found in a city may already be partially or fully domesticated.
Bonus to domesticate a wild animal is equal to ((WP - 15) x 3) + (Rank x 5).
If the animal trainer is able to speak with the animal, add 25 to their Domestication roll.
Train Animal
The trainer can teach the animal one complex "trick" per point of INT of the animal (Animal INT ranges from 1 to 4). A moderate trick is equal to half of a complex trick while a simple trick is equal to half of a moderate trick. Thus, an animal with an INT of 1 can be taught 1 complex trick, 2 moderate tricks, 4 simple tricks or 1 moderate/2 simple tricks.
To teach an animal a trick requires that it be taught to them over and over again every day for 10 days. A successful roll must also be made every day. Use the same rules as for Domesticating except the trainer must reach a total of 1000.
Chance of success is ((WP - 15) x 3) + (Level x 2) for a complex trick (level x 4 for moderate and level x 6 for simple).
Combat Training
This skill also allows the character to combat train an animal. Combat training can be done separately from teach tricks for the purpose of getting the animal to attack in self-defense or to attack the same target that the trainer is attacking. If you want to get your animal to attack a different target, you must teach them the "trick" to do so. Whether the trick is complex, moderate or simple generally depends on what kind of orders you have in mind.
Getting the animal to attack a nearby target that is different than the target attacking the trainer is a simple trick.
Getting the animal to attack a more distant target, but one that can easily be seen (or sensed) by both the trainer and the animal is a moderate trick.
Getting the animal to "go find Nyk and help him out" is a complex trick.
The basic stats for any given animal can be found in the monster manual or equipment list. The effects of combat training often depend on the size and/or weight of the animal though the GM can modify these as appropriate. For example, a small but very ferocious animal might use the medium chart for hit points instead of the small.
 | Tiny | Small | Medium | Large | Very Large | Huge |
| Hit Points | +2/rank | +3/rank | +4/rank | +5/rank | +6/rank | +7/rank |
| Strike Chance * | +5/rank |
| Damage ** | +1/3 ranks | +1/3 ranks | +1/2 ranks | +1/2 ranks | +1/rank | +1/rank |
| Defense | +4/rank | +3/rank | +3/rank | +3/rank | +2/rank | +2/rank |
| Saving Throws | +2/rank |
| # of Attacks *** | 2/round at rank 6, 3/round at rank 10 |
* Strike Chance - Animals that are not naturally aggressive, and start with a generally low SC, also gain a one-time bonus to the SC equal to their DEX when they are trained to Combat Level 1.
** Damage - (round up) A +1 damage can either be a straight add to damage or an increase in dice, as determined by the GM. As a guideline, it should be half and half. A +1 is equivalent to an increase in 2 sides of damage. Thus an animal that does 1d4 damage and gets a +1 might now do 1d4+1 damage or they might do 1d6 damage. As a general rule, every odd rank should be a +1 damage and every even rank should be an increase in dice size (or number of dice).
*** # of Attacks - Some animals start out with multiple attacks in which case this improvement is ignored until it reachs a point where they get mroe attacks than what they start with. For example, a horse starts with 2 attacks per round so they would not get an increase in attacks per round until they reach rank 10 combat training, at which time they get 3 attacks per round. |
Maximum combat rank is equal to one half Animal Trainer rank, rounded down. Thus, a rank 1 Animal Trainer cannot do Combat Training. A rank 2 or 3 Animal Trainer can combat train to rank 1, etc.
Bonus to combat train an animal is equal to ((WP - 15) x 3) + (Rank x 5). If the animal trainer can speak to the animal, add 10 to the skill roll for combat training.
Combat training takes five days per rank being taught and a successful Combat Training roll. Use the same rules as Domesticating. One roll is allowed every 5 days. To train to rank 1 of Combat Training requires a total roll of 100. Rank 2 requires 200, etc. |