Nature's Companion Talents

Companion Evasion (Ex)

• Requirements: Companion HD 5, Nature's Companion, 10 EXP

If the Companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Companion Evasion, Improved (Ex)

• Requirements: Companion HD 10, Companion Evasion, 30 EXP

When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, a companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw, and only half damage if the saving throw fails.

Devotion

• Requirements: Companion HD 7, Nature's Companion, 15 EXP

Your Companion gains a permanent +4 bonus to a single Save of your choice.

Disruptive Companion

• Requirements: Companion BaB 3, Nature's Companion, 10 EXP

The DC to cast spells defensively increases by +4 for all enemies that are within the Companion's threatened area, and hostile creatures within this area may not take 10 on D20 rolls. This increase to casting spells defensively only applies if they are aware of the enemy’s location and are capable of taking an attack of opportunity. If the Companion can only take one attack of opportunity per round, and have already used that attack, this increase does not apply.

Feral Grace

• Requirements: Companion BaB 3, Companion HD 3, 10 EXP

Choose one of the Companion’s natural attacks. When the Companion makes a melee attack with the chosen natural attack using its Dexterity bonus on attack rolls and its Strength bonus on damage rolls, it adds 1/4 of its Hit Dice as a bonus on damage rolls. This bonus damage doesn’t increase or decrease based upon whether the natural attack is a primary or secondary natural attack.

Ferocious Beast

• Requirements: Nature's Companion, 5 EXP

Your Companion may now add half of it's Prowess (minimum 1) to Intimidate checks. In addition, your Companion can now make Intimidate checks as a Move Action.

Ferocious Feint

• Requirements: Companion BaB 3, Nature's Companion, 15 EXP

The Companion may now add half of it's Prowess (minimum 1) to Bluff checks to Feint an opponent. In addition, the Companion may make such checks as a Move Action.

Forceful Charge

• Requirements: Companion BaB 3, Nature's Companion, 15 EXP

Once per round when your Companion hits an opponent with a charge attack, it can initiate a Bull Rush against that target as a Free Action. If it moves its full speed as part of the charge, it gains a +4 bonus on its combat maneuver check to resolve this Bull Rush.

Forceful Charge, Improved

• Requirements: Companion BaB 7, Forceful Charge, 15 EXP

Your Companion can bull rush a target that is up to two size categories larger than itself. If it pushes the target at least 10 feet as a result of this bull rush, it can attempt a trip combat maneuver check against the target as a free action. This trip combat maneuver provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.

Hefty Brute

• Requirements: Companion BaB 3, Companion HD 3, Nature's Companion, 15 EXP

Your Companion treats itself as one size category larger for the purposes of calculating it's CMD, CMB, Carrying Capacity, and any size-based special attacks or Talents (such as grab, swallow whole, trample, etc).

Intercept Blow

• Requirements: Companion BaB 1, Nature's Companion, 10 EXP

Whenever the Companion is adjacent to its master and its master is the target of a melee attack, the Companion can expend an attack of opportunity as a free action, even if it isn’t its turn, to attempt to intercept the attack. The Companion makes an attack roll at its highest attack bonus with one of its natural attacks, as if it were making an attack of opportunity, with a –2 penalty for each size category the attacking creature is larger than the Companion. If the result of this attack roll is greater than the attacking creature’s attack roll result, the Companion’s master takes only half damage from the attack, and the other half of the damage is dealt to the Companion. Effects that trigger on every successful hit (such as bleed or the trip special ability) affect both the Companion and the master, as if both were hit by the attack; however, if it matters (such as for a touch spell that expires after a single hit), treat the Companion as if it had been hit first.

If the Companion knows the Defend trick, the Companion can use Intercept Blow and any Talent that lists it as a prerequisite to protect any ally that it is adjacent to and defending (as per the Defend trick).

Intercept Blow, Improved

• Requirements: Companion BaB 5, Intercept Blow, 15 EXP

When the Companion uses Intercept Blow to intercept an opponent’s melee attack and succeeds, it can take all the damage from the intercepted attack, in which case its master takes no damage from the intercepted attack and doesn’t suffer effects that trigger on a hit.

Jumper

• Requirements: Companion Acrobatics OR Athletics 5, 10 EXP

Your Companion always counts as having a running start when making jump checks. Acrobatics and Athletics are considered Key Skills for the Companion.

Link (Ex)

• Requirements: None (Free)

You may Handle your Animal Companion as a Free Action, or Push it as a Move Action, even if you lack ranks in the Handle Animal skill. You gain a +4 circumstance bonus on all Handle Animal and Wild Empathy checks towards the Animal Companion.

Multiattack

• Requirements: Companion BaB 7, Nature's Companion, 20 EXP

Your Companion gains the Multiattack Monster Talent - they now only take a -2 penalty with secondary natural attacks, instead of -5. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the Companion instead gains a second attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a –5 penalty.

Reflexive Interception

• Requirements: Improved Intercept Blow, Companion HD 7, 25 EXP

Whenever the Companion is adjacent to its master and its master is attempts a Reflex save, the Companion can expend an attack of opportunity as a free action, even if it isn’t its turn, to attempt a Reflex save to intervene. When using this ability, the Companion loses the benefits of evasion (and improved evasion if it has it), but if the Companion succeeds at its saving throw, its master gains the benefit of the Companion’s Evasion (or Improved Evasion, if the Companion has the Talent).

Share Spells (Ex)

• Requirements: None (Free)

You may cast any spell with a range of Personal as a Touch range spell on your Companion instead of yourself, and vice versa. You may cast such spells on your Companion, even if they would not normally affect creatures of the Companion's type. This Talent does not allow the Companion to share abilities that are not spells, even if they function like spells.

Tenacious Hunter

• Requirements: Companion Perception 3, Companion Stealth 3, Nature's Companion, 10 EXP

The Companion gains a +2 bonus on Perception checks to oppose Stealth checks. When using Perception to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location, this bonus increases to +10. In addition, whenever the Companion successfully uses Perception to notice a creature using Stealth or to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location, that foe is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against the next attack the animal companion makes on or before the Companion’s next turn.

Tenacious Hunter, Greater

• Requirements: Companion Perception 10, Tenacious Hunter, 25 EXP

The Companion can attempt a Perception check as a Swift Action to intentionally search for a stimulus. When using Perception to attempt to pinpoint an invisible foe, the Companion’s bonus from the Tenacious Hunter Talent increases to +20. In addition, whenever the Companion successfully uses Perception to oppose a Stealth check or to pinpoint an invisible creature’s location, that foe is denied its Dexterity bonus to AC against all attacks that the Companion makes before the start of the Companion’s next turn.