Comments

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  Poutine_Paladin

  Posts: 285 May 2011

  I would probably read that as "animal companions can not be assigned more ranks in a skill than they have HD" so your 3 HD animal companion could not have more than 9 ranks in jump because you could not assign more than 3 to add to his starting ranks of 6 at 1 HD.
  
  But that's only if I'm understanding your question correctly?
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  KMcCollam

  Posts: 9 May 2011

  It's been a while since I played 3.5, but if I remember right, they automatically factor the animal's ability modifiers into the skill ranks presented in the bestiary entries (which I assume you're talking about). So the animal has a 20 Dex, it could still have a total modifier of +6 on it's Jump at 1 HD. Also, some critters get Racial Modifiers to skills which they are particularly good at. Like snakes getting a +4 to Escape Artist or rats getting +8 to Hide (these are just examples, I don't really know if they're true). I know Pathfinder points out these Racial Modifiers in the stat block, but I can't remember if 3.5 does. If it doesn't, that may be where your discrepancy is (the companion may have a Racial Modifier of +5).
  
  I don't really know if that'll be of any help to you, but I hope between this and Paladin's answer you can figure something out!
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  Deadseid

  Posts: 14 May 2011

  i'm pretty sure you are understanding the question correctly, but allow me to be refine my question.
  When the druid made his character, her decided he wanted to be from a tribal jungle community. I ruled that he had to have a beast native to the jungle as his companion. After some research, he asked me if he could have an ocelot, a creature not on any list in any supplement. After some consideration, i said yes. I could find no stats for an ocelot, so we used the stats from the Serval entry in sandstorm. A serval is a savanna cat, but is it roughly the same size and weight as the ocelot, so with just a few aesthetic changes, Targ the druid got to have his ocelot. Here are the serval stats thatwe are using for Tusk the ocelot:
  
  Hit Dice: 1d8+1 (5 hp)
  Initiative: +3
  Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares)
  Armor Class: 15 (+1 size, +3 Dex, +1 natural), touch 14, flat-footed 12
  Base Attack/Grapple: +0/
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  Poutine_Paladin

  Posts: 285 May 2011

  I have played a druid in 3.5 numerous times (and am in fact currently playing one who has a Jaguar as a companion) and I have never worried about advancing animal companions. I'm not sure if GM's generally assign them experience, now that you've got me thinking about it. I would assume however, that if you've looked as hard as you seem to have, that there must not be a cap (though there also seem to be many rules/ideas in a lot of game systems that are counter-intuitive, so the "based on what it started with at 1 HD" system might be a good guideline, too).
  
  I think in this case you just go with what you think is balanced, and make it a house rule...You've done your best to find the answer, and since you couldn't...just answer it yourself and call it done, I think.
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  Deadseid

  Posts: 14 May 2011

  good call poutine. Thanks for the help. My game is tomorrow, and i'm happy to have gotten some sage advice before we meet. Hopefully i should have this thing worked out next session.
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  Poutine_Paladin

  Posts: 285 May 2011

  I conversed with another reliable source, and he agrees with my assertion that you would go with the "can't add more from their base numbers than their # HD" assessment of the situation. Take what they start with as "bonus ranks" if you will, and then work from them as if they weren't there.
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  gaaran

  Posts: 740 May 2011

  According to the Monster Manual, a creature may have maximum ranks in a skill equal to their HD+3, same as for characters. This information is listed on page 301 in Chapter 5: Making Monsters. That's for skill ranks, but a creature can have any number of bonus skill ranks due to their race (i.e. that ocelot having a +17 to jump, it would have to have a +12 racial bonus, which it might, in the 3.5 books those are usually mentioned in the description). Anyway, there is the hard fast rule for you. HD+3 is the maximum ranks any creature, be it PC or monster, can have in a skill.
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  Deadseid

  Posts: 14 June 2011

  Thanks Gaaran. That is exactly what I was looking for. Much appreciated.