Totem Animal (3rd): The Banor archaist gains a totem animal as a companion. The totem animal physically represents the archaist’s relationship with Banor. The Totem Animals table, below, lists the benefits and abilities of several sample totems. The Judge can create additional totems at his discretion. The totem animal should be a creature appropriate to the character’s attributes. For example, an archaist with high STR might have a bear totem, while an archaist with high WIL might have an owl totem and one with high CHA might choose an eagle totem. At a minimum, the archaist must possess an attribute of at least 9 in his totem animal’s key attribute. Over time, the archaist will come to resemble his totem animal. A wolf archaist might develop yellow eyes and sharp canines, while a bear archaist might grow husky and hirsute.
Totem Animals
Totem Animal Key Attribute Totem Benefit Characteristics Bear Str Berserkergang Spd 120’, AC 13, HD 4, #AT 3 (1d3/1d3/1d6), hug Cheetah Dex Running Spd 360’, AC 15, HD 2+2, #AT 3 (1d2/1d2/1d4), pounce Crocodile Con Combat Ferocity Spd 60’/90’ swim, AC 14, HD 2, #AT 1 (1d8) Crow / Raven Int Divine Blessing Spd 330’ fly, AC 11, HD ¼, # AT 1 (1d2-1) Dog Cha Alertness Spd 180’, AC 12, HD 1+1, # AT 1 (1d4) Eagle / Hawk Cha Command Spd 480’ fly, AC 11, HD 1, #AT 2 (1d3/1d3), dive Elk Con Contemplation Spd 180’, AC 12, HD 4, #AT 1 (1d10) Goat Wil Climbing Spd 150’, AC 12, HD 1, #AT 1 (1d4) Horse Con Mounted Combat Spd 210’, AC 12, HD 2, #AT 2 (1d4/1d4) Hyena Cha Weapon Focus Spd 150’, AC 12, HD 2+1, #AT 1 (1d8), bone crush Jackal Int Combat Trickery Spd 180’, AC 12, HD 1-1, #AT 1 (1d4) Lion Cha Divine Health Spd 150’, AC 13, HD 5, #AT 3 (1d4+1/1d4+1/1d10), pounce Monkey Dex Prestidigitation Spd 120’/120’ climb, AC 12, HD 1, #AT 1 (1d3) Rat Wil Quiet Magic Spd 120’/60’ swim, AC 12, HD ½, #AT 1 (1d3) Owl Wil Sensing Power Spd 300’ fly, AC 11, HD ½, #AT 2 (1d2/1d2), dive attack Python Str Laying on Hands Spd 90’, AC 13, HD 5, #AT 2 (1d4/2d8), constriction Viper Dex Combat Reflexes Spd 90’, AC 13, HD 2, #AT 1 (1d4), poison Wolf Wil Ambushing Spd 180’, AC 12, HD 2+2, #AT 1 (1d6)
The totem animal has human-like intelligence, with Intellect equal to half the archaist’s Intellect. It can understand the archaist’s speech, and the archaist can understand his totem animal’s speech, though no one else can without resorting to speak with beasts. So long as the archaist upholds his service to Banor, the totem animal will be utterly loyal to the archaist and will fight for him, perform services, and obey his commands.
While the totem animal is alive, the archaist receives the animal’s totem benefit. The totem benefit is a bonus proficiency related to the totem. For example, an archaist with a cobra totem animal has the Combat Reflexes proficiency so long as he is within 30’ of his totem animal.
Because it is partly a creature of the archaist’s own spirit, the totem animal always has a number of Hit Dice equal to one less than the archaist’s own (1/2 HD when the archaist is 1st level) with 4 hp per HD. If a totem animal has fewer Hit Dice than those normally possessed by such an animal, it will appear as a smaller, younger creature of its type. If it has more HD, it will appear as a larger, fiercer variant. The animal’s baseline characteristics are adjusted based on its current Hit Dice relative to the Hit Dice of an ordinary animal of its type:
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Attack throws are as a monster of its HD, saving throws are as a fighter of half its HD.
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AC increases or decreases by 1 per 2 HD of difference, to a minimum of 0 and a maximum of its own ordinary HD.
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Average damage for its entire attack routine increases or decreases by 2 per HD of difference. The judge will determine specifics.
If the totem animal is ever killed, the archaist must save vs. Death or instantly take damage equal to its maximum HP. It cannot be restored to life or resurrected, but a creature of the same type will appear the next time the archaist gains a level of experience.