Handle Animal

Description

Ability Score Used:	Charisma
Armor Check Penalty Applies?	No

You are trained at working with animals and other types of creatures, and can teach them tricks, get them to follow your simple commands, or even domesticate them. If you make a successful Handle Animal check, the animal performs the trick you ask of it, without hesitation, regardless of risk or peril. Most uses of this skill involve a responsible companionship between animal and player character, but take note that this skill is fraught with alignment peril! Abusive uses are easy to envision, and often advantageous to the character, but training animals blow themselves up with alchemical fire is likely to get people so mad they want to throw red paint on your baby-snow-leopard-fur coat.

You do not have to have this skill in order to use the Ride skill, but any creature with an intelligence less than 4 must have been taught the Riding purpose below, and for most adventurers, the Combat Training purpose is very useful.

If you have no ranks in Handle Animal, you can use a Charisma check to command and push domestic animals, but you can't teach, rear, or train animals. A druid with no ranks in Handle Animal can use a Charisma check to command and push their animal companion, but they still can't teach, rear, or train animals, including their animal companion.

As with all skills, the uses below are merely suggestions, and by no means the full gamut of possible ways a skill can be used. Players and GM's are encouraged to find additional ways to use each skill.

Command an Animal

This task involves commanding an animal to perform a task or trick that it knows. If your check succeeds, the animal performs the task or trick on its next action.
Action Required:	move action (A druid can command their animal companion as a free action up to once per round)
DC of Check:	5 + HD of animal
Modifiers to Check	Weary If an animal is Fatigued, all Command an Animal DC's for any purpose are increased by +10. If the animal is Exhausted it will not obey under any circumstances. Injured: If the animal is wounded, has taken any damage, or has any status conditions (other than Fatigued or Exhausted), the DC increases by +2. Dangerous Asking an animal to perform dangerous activities, such as crossing a high, narrow, icy ledge, inflicts a -5 penalty on the Command an Animal check. Extreme Peril Asking an animal to perform actions of extreme peril, such as swimming through lava or leaping into a spiked pit, infict a -10 penalty on the Command an Animal check. TREATS! Offering an animal a desired treat before attempting a Command an Animal check grants a +5 modifier to the roll. Of course, if you then welsh on the deal, this modifier stops working on that animal. Threats The good old 'whip and chair' routine beloved by lion tamers everywhere! Grants a +5 circumstance modifier on Command an Animal checks, but also runs the risk of the animal turning on you. If you roll a 1 while using threats to coerce it to perform tricks or work, it will attack you and never obey you again. Non-Intelligent, Non-Animal Monsters You can use this skill on Constructs, Oozes, Plants, Vermin and Undead with an Int score of 0. Yes, you can have an attack zombie, if you are very, very careful. Adds +10 to the DC. Non-Animals You can use this skill on Magical Beasts, Oozes, Vermin, and Plants, with an Intelligence score of 1, 2, 3, or 4. The DC of any such check increases by +5. Roles You can use this skill on creatures with Roles. The DC of any such check increases by +5 if the role is 'Heavy'. All other roles except Threat and Villain add +10. Threats and Villains add +15 to the DC. Underground / Indoors: If the animal is indoors or underground (and isn't native to an underground lifestyle), the DC to command the animal increases by +5.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Allies may not assist with a Command an Animal check if the animal is an animal companion.
Results of Success	The animal performs the trick or action requested of it, on its next turn.
Consequences of Failure	The animal obstinately refuses to perform the trick or action on its next turn. Instead, it uses the action normally required for the trick or action to act annoyed. (Okay, it's not really an act. It's annoyed.)
Retry Allowed?	Yes
Provokes AOO?	No

Push an Animal

To push an animal means to get it to perform a task or trick that it doesn't know but is physically capable of performing. This category also covers making an animal perform a forced march or forcing it to hustle for more than 1 hour between sleep cycles.
Action Required:	full-round action (A druid can push their animal companion as a move action up to once per round)
DC of Check:	20 + HD of animal
Modifiers to Check	Weary If an animal is Fatigued, all Push an Animal DC's are increased by +10. If the animal is Exhausted, all Push an Animal DC's are increased by +20. Injured: If the animal is wounded, has taken any damage, or has any status conditions (other than Fatigued or Exhausted), the DC increases by +2. Dangerous Asking an animal to perform dangerous activities, such as crossing a high, narrow, icy ledge, inflicts a -5 penalty on the Push an Animal check. Extreme Peril Asking an animal to perform actions of extreme peril, such as swimming through lava or leaping into a spiked pit, infict a -10 penalty on the Push an Animal check. TREATS! Offering an animal a desired treat before attempting a Push an Animal check grants a +5 modifier to the roll. Of course, if you then welsh on the deal, this modifier stops working on that animal. Threats The good old 'whip and chair' routine beloved by lion tamers everywhere! Grants a +5 circumstance modifier on Push an Animal checks, but also runs the risk of the animal turning on you. If you roll a 1 while using threats to coerce it to perform tricks or work, it will attack you and never obey you again. Non Intelligent, Non-Animal Monsters You can use this skill on Constructs, Oozes, Plants, Vermin and Undead with an Int score of 0. Yes, you can have an attack zombie, if you are very, very careful. Adds +10 to the DC. Non-Animals You can use this skill on Magical Beasts, Oozes, Vermin, and Plants, with an Intelligence score of 1, 2, 3, or 4. The DC of any such check increases by +5. Roles You can use this skill on creatures with Roles. The DC of any such check increases by +5 if the role is 'Heavy'. All other roles except Threat and Villain add +10. Threats and Villains add +15 to the DC.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Allies may not assist with a Push an Animal check if the animal is an animal companion.
Results of Success	The animal pushes itself on its next action (or actions), despite its own limitations. Doing so causes the animal to take 1d6+1 points of Primal (undefined damage type) damage and gain the Fatigued condition. If the animal is already Fatigued, it takes 4d6+5 points of Primal damage and becomes Exhausted, instead. If the animal is already Exhausted, it takes 10d6+20 points of Primal damage and becomes Incapacitated, once it completes the requested exertion. An animal brought to Incapacitated by the push an animal command will die unless all damage it has taken is cured within 1 minute of gaining that status condition. Primal damage caused by the push an animal command cannot be mitigated by an animal's DR or ER, or any other mitigation ability it may have, unless it specifically applies to reducing Primal damage.
Consequences of Failure	The animal refuses the command on its next action. Instead, it uses the action normally required for the trick or action to act annoyed. If the action requested takes longer than 1 round (e.g. Hustle or Forced March), the animal refuses all commands for 1 minute per point you missed the DC of the check by.
Retry Allowed?	Yes, once the animal stops being obstinate.
Provokes AOO?	No

Teach an Animal a Trick

You can teach an animal a specific trick with one week of work and a successful Handle Animal check against the indicated DC (see below). An animal with an Intelligence score of 1 can learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence score of 2 can learn a maximum of six tricks. Creatures with an int score of 0 cannot learn tricks, exactly, but can be conditioned to act as if they know 1 trick. Creatures with an Int score of 3 can learn eight tricks, while an Int of 4 or higher can learn up to ten tricks. The following tricks can be taught to animals by training the animal for a week and making a successful Handle Animal skill check against the listed DC. Aid (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal can use the aid another action to aid a specific ally in combat by attacking a specific foe the ally is fighting. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to aid, and another that you want it make an attack roll against, and it will comply if able. The normal creature type restrictions governing the attack trick still apply. Attack (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal attacks apparent enemies. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to attack, and it will comply if able. Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks. A creature trained as a mount with this trick is able to grant its rider bonus damage to all melee attacks the rider performs while mounted. The amount of this bonus damage varies by mount, and can increase if its Mounted CR (challenge rating) is advanced. Mounts will not attack creatures on their own, except to defend themselves at times that their rider is not present to protect them. Bombard (DC 15 + HD of animal): A flying animal can deliver projectiles on command, attempting to drop a specified item that it can carry (often alchemist's fire or some other incendiary) on a designated point or opponent, using its base attack bonus to determine its attack roll. The animal cannot throw the object, and must be able to fly directly over the target. Break Out (DC 15 + HD of animal): On command, the animal attempts to break or gnaw through any bars or bindings restricting itself, its handler, or a person indicated by the handler. If not effective on its own, this trick can grant the target character a +4 circumstance bonus on Escape Artist checks. The animal can also take certain basic actions like lifting a latch or bringing its master an unattended key. Weight and Strength restrictions still apply, and pickpocketing a key or picking any sort of lock is still far beyond the animal's ability. Bury (DC 10 + HD of animal): An animal with this trick can be instructed to bury an object in its possession. The animal normally seeks a secluded place to bury its object. An animal with both bury and fetch can be instructed to fetch an item it has buried. Come (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal comes to you, even if it normally would not do so. Defend (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command the animal to defend a specific other character. Deliver (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal takes an object (one you or an ally gives it, or that it recovers with the fetch trick) to a place or person you indicate. If you indicate a place, the animal drops the item and returns to you. If you indicate a person, the animal stays adjacent to the person until the item is taken. (Retrieving an item from an animal using the deliver trick is a move action.) Detect (DC 20 + HD of animal): The animal is trained to seek out the smells of explosives and poisons, unusual noises or echoes, air currents, and other common elements signifying potential dangers or secret passages. When commanded, the animal uses its Perception skill to try to pinpoint the source of anything that strikes it as unusual about a room or location. Note that because the animal is not intelligent, any number of strange mechanisms, doors, scents, or unfamiliar objects may catch the animal's attention, and it cannot attempt the same Perception check more than once in this way. Down (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. An animal that doesn't know this trick continues to fight until it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect, or the like) or its opponent is defeated. Entertain (DC 20 + HD of animal): The animal can dance, sing, or perform some other impressive and enjoyable trick to entertain those around it. At the command of its owner, the animal can make a Perform check to show off its talent. Willing onlookers or those who fail an opposed Sense Motive check take a -2 penalty on Perception checks to notice anything but the animal entertaining them. Tricksters and con artists often teach their animals to perform this trick while they pickpocket viewers or sneak about unnoticed. Exclusive (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal takes directions only from the handler who taught it this trick. If an animal has both the exclusive and serve tricks, it takes directions only from the handler that taught it the exclusive trick and those creatures indicated by the trainer's serve command. An animal with the exclusive trick does not take trick commands from others even if it is friendly or helpful toward them, though this does not prevent it from being controlled by other enchantment spells, and the animal still otherwise acts as a friendly or helpful creature when applicable. Fetch (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal goes and gets something. If you do not point out a specific item, the animal fetches some random object. Flank (DC 15 + HD of animal): You can instruct an animal to attack a foe you point to and always attempt to be adjacent to (and threatening) that foe. If you or an ally is also threatening the foe, the animal attempts to flank the foe, if possible. It always takes attacks of opportunity. The animal must know the attack trick before it can learn this trick. Flee (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal attempts to run away or hide as best it can, returning only when its handler commands it to do so. Until such a command is received, the animal does its best to track its handler and any creatures with him or her, remaining hidden but within range of its sight or hearing. This trick is particularly useful for thieves and adventurers in that it allows the animal to evade capture, then return later to help free its friends. Get Help (DC 15 + HD of animal): With this trick, a trainer can designate a number of creatures up to the animal's Intelligence score as "help." When the command is given, the animal attempts to find one of those people and bring them back to the handler, even if that means journeying a long distance to the last place it encountered the target creature. Guard (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching. Heel (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal follows you closely, even to places where it normally wouldn't go. Hunt (DC 15 + HD of animal): This trick allows an animal to use its natural stalking or foraging instincts to find food and return it to the animal's handler. An animal with this trick may attempt Survival checks (or Wisdom checks if the animal has no ranks in Survival) to provide food for others or lead them to water and shelter (as the "get along in the wild" use of the Survival skill). An animal with this trick may instead assist its handler with Survival checks, if ordered to do so. Perform (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal performs a variety of simple tricks, such as sitting up, rolling over, roaring or barking, and so on. Maneuver (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal is trained to use a specific combat maneuver on command. An animal must know the attack trick before it can be taught the maneuver trick, and it only performs maneuvers against targets it would normally attack. This trick can be taught to an animal multiple times. Each time it is taught, the animal can be commanded to use a different combat maneuver. Menace (DC 15 + HD of animal): A menacing animal attempts to keep a creature you indicate from moving. It does its best to intimidate the target, but only attacks if the target attempts to move from its present location or take any significant action (particularly a hostile-seeming one). As soon as the target stops moving, the animal ceases attacking, but continues to menace. Seek (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal moves into an area and looks around for anything that is obviously alive or animate. Serve (DC 10 + HD of animal): An animal with this trick willingly takes orders from a creature you designate. If the creature you tell the animal to serve knows what tricks the animal has, it can instruct the animal to perform these tricks using your Handle Animal bonus on the check instead of its own. The animal treats the designated ally as friendly. An animal can unlearn this trick with 1 week of training. This trick can be taught to an animal multiple times. Each time it is taught, the animal can serve an additional creature you designate. Sneak (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal can be ordered to make Stealth checks in order to stay hidden and to continue using Stealth even when circumstances or its natural instincts would normally cause it to abandon secrecy. Stay (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal stays in place, waiting for you to return. It does not challenge other creatures that come by, though it still defends itself if it needs to. Track (DC 15 + HD of animal): The animal tracks the scent presented to it. (This requires the animal to have the Scent ability) Throw Rider (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal can attempt to fling a creature riding it to the ground. Treat this as a Trip combat maneuver that applies to all creatures riding the animal, and that does not provoke attacks of opportunity. An animal that knows the throw rider and exclusive tricks can be instructed to attempt to automatically throw anyone other than its trainer who attempts to ride it. Watch (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal can be commanded to keep watch over a particular area, such as a campsite, and raise an alarm if it notices any sizable or dangerous creature entering the area. This trick is often included in the Guarding purpose. Work (DC 10 + HD of animal): The animal pulls or pushes a medium or heavy load.
Action Required:	1 week. You must spend 3 full days working toward completion of the training before you may attempt the Handle Animal check. If the check fails, your attempt to teach the animal fails and you need not complete the teaching time. If the check succeeds, you must invest the remaining 4 full days to complete the teaching. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to teach the animal automatically fails. You can train multiple creatures at a time, up to 1 per 5 full ranks of Handle Animal you possess (drop fractions), as long as they are all learning the same trick.
DC of Check:	Varies, see the trick descriptions above.
Modifiers to Check	Non Intelligent, Non-Animal Monsters You can use this skill on Constructs, Oozes, Plants, Vermin and Undead with an Int score of 0. Yes, you can have an attack zombie, if you are very, very careful. Adds +10 to the DC. Constructs, Unintelligent Oozes, Plants, Vermin, and Undead can be made to act as if they know 1 trick. Non-Animals You can use this skill on any creature, regardless of its Intelligence score. The DC of any such check increases by +5. Such creatures have the same limit on tricks known as animals do. Int 3 creatures can learn eight tricks. Int 4 or higher creatures can learn up to ten tricks. Roles You can use this skill on creatures with Roles. The DC of any such check increases by +5 if the role is 'Heavy'. All other roles except Threat and Villain add +10. Threats and Villains add +15 to the DC. Animal Companions A druid's animal companion knows one or more bonus tricks, which don't count against the normal limit on tricks known and don't require any training time or Handle Animal checks to teach. Hurry: (Epic Use – you must have at least 21 ranks in this skill to include this modifier) You may reduce the time taken to teach an animal by 1 day per +10 you add to the DC of the check (you may reduce the time to no less than 1 day).
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Allies may not assist with a Teach an Animal a Trick check if the animal is an animal companion. If you are attempting to hurry (see Modifiers, above), any assisting allies must also have at least 21 ranks in Handle Animal to assist you.
Results of Success	The animal learns the specified trick, and can perform it when commanded to do so (see Command an Animal above).
Consequences of Failure	The animal fails to learn the trick, and the first 3 days of the week required to teach the trick are wasted.
Retry Allowed?	Yes
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Train an Animal to a Purpose

Rather than teaching an animal individual tricks, you can simply train it for a general purpose. Essentially, an animal's purpose represents a preselected set of known tricks that fit into a common scheme, such as guarding or heavy labor. The animal must meet all the normal prerequisites for all tricks included in the training package. The number of tricks an animal can learn are limited by its intelligence. An animal with an Intelligence score of 1 can learn a maximum of three tricks, while an animal with an Intelligence score of 2 can learn a maximum of six tricks. Creatures with an int score of 0 cannot learn tricks, exactly, but can be conditioned to act as if they know 1 trick. Creatures with an Int score of 3 can learn eight tricks, while an Int of 4 or higher can learn up to ten tricks. If the package includes more tricks than the maximum possible for the animal, it cannot gain that training package (for example, an animal must have at least an int of 2 to gain the Combat Training purpose, since it includes six tricks). An animal can be trained for only one general purpose, though if the creature is capable of learning additional tricks (above and beyond those included in its general purpose), it may do so. Training an animal for a purpose requires fewer checks than teaching individual tricks does, but no less time. Air Support (DC 10 + HD of animal): An animal trained in air support knows the attack, bombard, and deliver tricks. Burglar (DC 20 + HD of animal): An animal trained as a burglar knows the come, fetch, maneuver (steal), seek, and sneak tricks. You can order it to steal a specific item you point out. Training an animal for burglary takes five weeks. Combat Training (DC 15 + HD of animal): An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes 6 weeks. You may also "upgrade" an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat by spending 3 weeks and making a successful Handle Animal check against the DC noted above. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Many horses and riding dogs are trained in this way. Fighting (DC 15 + HD of animal): An animal trained to engage in combat knows the tricks attack, down, and stay. Training an animal for fighting takes three weeks. Guarding (DC 15 + HD of animal): An animal trained to guard knows the tricks attack, defend, down, and guard. Training an animal for guarding takes four weeks. Heavy Labor (DC 10 + HD of animal): An animal trained for heavy labor knows the tricks come and work. Training an animal for heavy labor takes two weeks. Hunting (DC 15 + HD of animal): An animal trained for hunting knows the tricks attack, down, fetch, heel, seek, and track. Training an animal for hunting takes six weeks. Liberator (DC 20 + HD of animal): An animal trained in liberating knows the break out, flee, and get help tricks. Training an animal as a liberator takes three weeks. Performance (DC 10 + HD of animal): An animal trained for performance knows the tricks come, fetch, heel, perform, and stay. If they do not have the Perform Skill in their list of known skills, it is added at the base level. Training an animal for performance takes five weeks. Riding (DC 10 + HD of animal): An animal trained to bear a rider knows the tricks come, heel, and stay. Training an animal for riding takes three weeks. Servant (DC 15 + HD of animal): An animal trained as a servant knows the deliver, exclusive, and serve tricks. Training an animal as a servant takes three weeks.
Action Required:	One week per trick included in the training package. You must spend half the listed time for a training package (rounding down to the nearest full week), at the rate of 3 hours per day per animal being handled, working toward completion of the task before you attempt the Handle Animal check. If the check fails, your attempt to train the animal fails and you need not complete the remaining training time. If the check succeeds, you must invest the remainder of the time to complete the training. If the time is interrupted or the task is not followed through to completion, the attempt to train the animal automatically fails.
DC of Check:	Varies, see training packages above.
Modifiers to Check	Non Intelligent, Non-Animal Monsters Since creatures with an INT score of 0 can only emulate one trick, they cannot be taught a training package. Non-Animals You can use this skill on any creature, regardless of its Intelligence score. The DC of any such check increases by +5. Such creatures have the same limit on tricks known as animals do. Int 3 creatures can learn eight tricks. Int 4 or higher creatures can learn up to ten tricks. Roles You can use this skill on creatures with Roles. The DC of any such check increases by +5 if the role is 'Heavy'. All other roles except Threat and Villain add +10. Threats and Villains add +15 to the DC. Animal Companions A druid's animal companion knows one or more bonus tricks, which don't count against the normal limit on tricks known and don't require any training time or Handle Animal checks to teach. Hurry: (Epic Use – you must have at least 21 ranks in this skill to include this modifier) You may reduce the time taken to train an animal by 1 week per +10 you add to the DC of the check (you may reduce the time to no less than 1 week).
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Yes (up to 5 allies). Allies may not assist with a Train an Animal to a Purpose check if the animal is an animal companion. If you are attempting to hurry (see Modifiers, above), any assisting allies must also have at least 21 ranks in Handle Animal to assist you.
Results of Success	The animal learns the training package specified, and can perform tricks included within it when commanded to do so (see Command an Animal above).
Consequences of Failure	The animal fails to learn the training package, and half the listed time for the package (rounding down to the nearest full week) is wasted.
Retry Allowed?	Yes
Provokes AOO?	Yes

Rear a Wild Animal

To rear an animal means to raise a wild creature from infancy so that it becomes domesticated. A handler can rear as many as three creatures of the same kind at once. A successfully domesticated animal can be taught tricks at the same time it is being raised, or it can be taught as a domesticated animal later.
Action Required:	The rearing process typically takes 180 full days, and these must occur within a year of the first day spent rearing the animal. After 1 year, the creature is mature enough to be considered an adult, and if you haven't spent at least 180 full days rearing the creature during this time, it is not imprinted upon you, nor does it gain any of the benefits listed in the success section of this page. If you finish the 180 days before the year is up, the creature is more mature than normal for its breed, and is considered an adult from that time forward. Until the rearing process is complete, the animal cannot perform any tricks, nor can it be pushed. It is too immature to take commands, and if subjected to combat or threatening situations, it may become too feral to successfully domesticate. During the rearing process, you may never be more than 100 yards away from the animal for more than 3 days per week, cumulatively. If you are separated from the animal for longer than this, it will wander off, get lost, fall off of something tall, and then get eaten. If this happens, you lose the animal and are a bad parent. Maybe you should stick to houseplants.
DC of Check:	10 + HD of animal. You may only make this check at the end of the rearing process.
Modifiers to Check	Non Intelligent, Non-Animal Monsters You cannot rear undead, constructs, or other non-intelligent creatures. There are no baby golems (except for golems made of babies. Yuck!) Non-Animals You can use this skill on Magical Beasts, Oozes, Vermin, and Plants, with an Intelligence score of 1, 2, 3, or 4. The DC of any such check increases by +5. Roles You can use this skill on creatures with Roles. The DC of any such check increases by +5 if the role is 'Heavy'. All other roles except Threat and Villain add +10. Threats and Villains add +15 to the DC. Animal Companions A druid's animal companion is typically a mature member of its species before a campaign begins or when the companion is acquired. If it is acquired as a newborn animal and must be reared, it cannot be used as an animal companion until the rearing process is complete. Subjected to Violence: For each combat that the infant animal is subjected to before the rearing process is complete (meaning a combat in which it must defend its own life, or in which it takes hit point damage), there is a cumulative +5 to the DC of the handle animal check. Some animals which are particularly violent of nature may, at GM's discretion, inflict a smaller penalty to the DC. Hurry: (Epic Use – you must have at least 21 ranks in this skill to include this modifier) You may reduce the time taken to rear an animal by 30 days per +10 you add to the DC of the check (you may reduce the time to no less than 30 days).
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	Not unless they are present with the animal every day, just like you. If they are, up to 5 allies may assist. If you are attempting to hurry (see Modifiers, above), any assisting allies must also have at least 21 ranks in Handle Animal to assist you.
Results of Success	The animal grows to maturity and is particularly bonded to you, as though you are part of its family or pack. The animal knows a number of tricks equal to the animal's maximum, based on its intelligence. While it does not gain the benefits of being an animal companion (unless it is an animal companion, of course), it will be loyal to you for life. You gain a permanent +4 circumstance bonus to Command an Animal and Push an Animal checks with this animal.
Consequences of Failure	The animal doesn't bond to you as you had hoped. It can still be taught tricks or trained to a purpose, but you must spend the requisite 7 days per trick to do so. If you failed to stay within 100 yards of the animal for more than 3 cumulative days in any given week, the animal either abandoned you or died (or both) during the rearing process.
Retry Allowed?	No
Provokes AOO?	No

Speak With Animals (Epic)

You can make yourself understood by a single species of creature, and understand the body language and intent of that type of such creatures for 24 hours. (A species of creature is a single monster entry on the bestiary table (e.g., Astringent Green Slime), and all creatures of that exact type). Doing so is difficult on your vocal chords, and uncivilized in appearance, however, causing you to suffer a -4 penalty to all Charisma-based skills when interacting with creatures not of the selected creature type, while the skill use in in effect. You can dismiss it at any time as a free action, but you may not attempt it more than once per 24 hours. This ability may only be used on creatures with intelligence scores between 1 and 4, that do not speak a language. If the creature in question can communicate with an actual language, you must use Linguistics to communicate with it. This is an epic skill use, and requires at least 21 ranks in the skill before it may be attempted.
Action Required:	Standard action
DC of Check:	40
Modifiers to Check	More Intelligent: If the creature has an INT score greater than 4, but isn't capable of communicating with a language, or is only capable of understanding a language but not speaking it, you may still attempt to communicate with it, but suffer a penalty of +5 to the DC per point of INT above 4. This reflects the fact that such creatures, while without any real language, have more sophisticated non-verbal communication than less intelligent species. Exclusive Speech: Some creatures will only communicate with their creators. You may attempt to communicate with these creatures despite this limitation, by adding +10 to the DC. This is cumulative with the penalty above for having an intelligence score greater than 4.
Take 10? / Take 20?	No
Allows Assists?	No
Results of Success	You are able to communicate with the chosen creature species for up to 24 hours. You suffer a -4 penalty to all Charisma-based skills when interacting with any creatures not of the chosen creature species.
Consequences of Failure	You strain your vocal chords and make apish gestures to no avail. Your intentions are not understood by the target creature(s).
Retry Allowed?	No. This skill use may only be attempted once per 24 hours.
Provokes AOO?	No