Animal Training

General proficiency — see Proficiencies for the rules and the Proficiency Index for the full list.

The character knows how to breed, groom, and train animals of various sorts. With one rank of Animal Training, the character can train domestic animals such as dogs, falcons, and horses. With two ranks, he can train wild animals such as bears and lions. With three ranks, he can train dire, giant or prehistoric animals such as cave bears or giant hawks. With four ranks, he can train monstrosities of animal intelligence, such as griffins or owlbears, as well as vermin such as carrion horrors or black worms.

Every animal has a training period, typically between one to three months, determined by its type. Assuming that the training process begins when the animal is young (a baby or child), it takes one training period to initially tame the animal and one additional training period to teach the animal its first trick. After the animal has learned its first trick, additional tricks can be taught in half a training period each. (If the taming and training process begins when the monster is already an adult or adolescent, then the training period is increased 6x for taming and 2x for each trick.) Each animal can normally be taught a maximum of 2d4 different tasks or tricks, though particularly agreeable, stubborn, stupid, or smart animals might be able to learn more or less. The animal trainer will only learn the animal’s limit when he reaches it.

A single trainer can train and manage up to six animals at once as a dedicated activity. However, if a trainer works one-on-one with a particular animal for its entire course of training (a process sometimes called animal whispering), the animal’s maximum number of tricks is increased by two. Once an animal is tamed and trained, a trainer can control up to one mount or warmount, 6 workbeasts, 6 droving creatures, or 20 guard creatures at once. The trainer gains a +1 bonus to reaction rolls when approaching tame but uncontrolled animals of any type he can train.

Animal Training Proficiency Progression

Title	Ranks	Monthly Wage	Trainable Animals
Apprentice	1	25gp	Domestic animal (Dog, hawk, horse, etc.)
Journeyman	2	75gp	Wild animal (Bear, cat, etc.)
Master	3	150gp	Dire, giant, or prehistoric animal (cave bear, dire wolf, etc.)
Grand Master	4	250gp	Monstrosity or vermin (griffin, owl beast, giantbear, black worm, etc.)