Creature Companion

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Overview & Creation

An Adaptation of Bridgett's Guide to Animal Companions

This is a homebrew version of leveling up animal/creature companions players may acquire through capture, gift, purchase, or otherwise that they may train as fellow allies in combat. The companion's initial statblock would be determined by the specific creature itself, so this guide is for rules on leveling up along with the players and skills they can be trained in. A creature must be trained up to a certain level of loyalty in order to become a companion. This can be done through roleplay and/or multiple successful Animal Handling checks, but the details are always specific to the situation.    

General Control

In combat, the owner player would have full control of their companion. It acts on its own initiative unless being used as a mount and can follow simple commands even though it doesn't understand any languages. It is completely loyal to its owner and generally friendly toward the owner's allies. Outside of combat, it is up to the DM and player who is control of roleplaying the creature depending on the situation.  

Items and Armor

Barding armor for your creature can be custom-made by skilled artisans or the players themselves, but they would cost at least twice as much as the humanoid equivalent to create. Creatures cannot handle humanoid weaponry but things such as wraps, claw extenders, wraps, etc. could be used to enhance their natural weapon attacks. Magical items to boost the creature's abilities would also be rare and require creation by a skilled artisan or found as treasure.
 

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Class Features

Natural Talent

At 2nd level, a natural talent has emerged from your companion. They gain an additional Natural talent at 10th level. They cannot choose the same natural talent more than once.

• Natural Armor gains +1 AC
• Tough gains 1 hp per level
• Precise attacks have +2 to hit
• Ferocious attacks have +2 to damage

 

Companion Tactics

At 3rd level, through training, your companion has developed one of the following tactics. They learn an additional tactic at 7th, 13th, and 17th level.

• Protective. When a creature your companion can see attacks a target other than them that is within 5 ft of them, they can use their reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll.
• Multiattack. When you (the owner) takes the attack action, your companion may use their reaction to make a single attack as well. They do not add their ability score modifier to the damage of this attack.
• Swift. Your companion can Dash as a bonus action.
• Agile. Your companion can Disengage as a bonus action.
• Sneaky. Your companion can Hid as a bonus action.
• Fast. Your companion has +10 ft to its movement speed.
• Charging. When your companion moves 20 ft before attacking a target, they have advantage on their next attack roll.
• Territorial. Other creatures provoke opportunity attacks from your companion when they enter its reach.
• Punishing. When your companion takes the Dodge action, if they are the target of a melee attack, then they can make an attack against that target as a reaction.

 

Ability Score Increase

When your companion reaches 4th level, and again at, 8th, 12th, 14th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two Ability Scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra attack

Starting at 5th level, your companion can attack twice when taking the attack action.  

True Ally

If you fall unconscious, your companion can stabilize you. Beginning at 6th level, your companion can stabilize creatures, making a DC 10 Survival check. How your companion specifically stabilizes a creature is up to the DM. As examples, your companion may lick your wounds or attempt to move a contorted unconscious body into a more natural position.  

Offensive Tactics

At 11th level, chose one of the following options to improve your attacks.

• Quick. Your companion can attack 3 times when taking the attack action. At 20th level, your companion can attack 4 times when taking the attack action.
• Brutal. Your companion's attacks deal an extra 1d6 damage and deal a critical hit on an attack roll of 19 and 20. At 20th level this damage is increased to 2d6.

 

Defensive Tactics

At 15th level, your companion gains one of the following defensive features.  

• Relentless. Your companion can keep you fighting despite grievous wounds. If they drop to 0 Hit Points and don't die outright, they can make a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If they succeed, you drop to 1 hit point instead. Each time they use this feature after the first, the DC increases by 5. When they finish a short or Long Rest, the DC resets to 10.
• Evasion. When your companion is subjected to an effect that allows them to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, they instead take no damage if they succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if they fail.
• Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that your companion can see hits them with an Attack, they can use their reaction to halve the attack’s damage against them.
• Enduring. Your companion gains +1 AC and +1 HP per companion level.

 

Unwavering Loyalty

Beginning at 18th level you have mastered your bond with your companion. As long as they can see you, your companion has advantage on saving throws against fear and being charmed.