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Action: Train Animal

concentrate, manipulate, move

  • 24 hours
  • Skills: Nature (Proficiency Required)

You teach an animal a new command. The duration of a creature to learn the new command is 24 hours, but this action only takes upwards of 5 hours over the course of the 24 hours. The most common commands are listed below with their DCs. Only indifferent, friendly, or helpful domesticated animals can be trained in this way, and they can only be taught one new command every 7 days. Wild animals can only be trained using the Wild Empathy trait.

  • Attack (DC 25). The commanded animal attacks an indicated opponent until that opponent is unconscious, the animal is badly hurt, or you command the animal Down. The Attack command can be used to end a Friend command.
  • Come (DC 15). The commanded animal comes to you if it is able to. This also ends any Guard, Seek, Stay or Track command.
  • Defend (DC 20). The commanded animal defends the creature you indicate until the animal is badly hurt or you command the animal Down.
  • Down (DC 20). The animal stops its previously commanded action of Attack, Defend, Perform, or Work and waits for another command.
  • Drop (DC 15). The animal drops anything it is holding. This ends any command to Fetch.
  • Fetch (DC 15). The animal retrieves a specific object that you indicate. This can be ended with a Drop command if necessary.
  • Friend (DC 15). You indicate a creature that the animal should treat as a friend for the purpose of the Guard command. If you are unavailable, the animal might take commands from any creature designated as Friend with a successful Nature check. A Friend command can be overwritten with a command to Attack the former friend.
  • Guard (DC 20). The animal guards a location you indicate, attacking any creature that enters the area except yourself or anyone designated friendly through the Friend command. Come commands end a Guard command.
  • Heel (DC 15). The animal follows you closely. If this would make the animal walk through an area it does not like, the DC increases by 5.
  • Perform (DC 15). The animal does tricks such as lie down, roll over, stand up, make noise, and so on. A Perform action can be ended with a Down command.
  • Seek (DC 20). The animal moves into an area to search for anything alive or dangerous. This can be ended with a Come command.
  • Stay (DC 15). The animal stays when you indicate. While it does not defend the area, it can still defend itself if provoked. Stay can be ended with a command to Come.
  • Track (DC 20). The animal tracks a scent, if it is capable of this, that you provide. This command can be counteracted with a Come command.
  • Work (DC 15). The animal pulls or pushes loads as you indicate. This can be ended with a Down command.