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I'm a level 1 Druid with +8 on handle animal checks (4 ranks + 4 animal companion bonus + 0 Cha bonus) which gives me a 10% chance on failing a 10 DC check.

  1. When failing the "Attack" trick check in combat, considering my Wolf knows the attack (all cratures) trick, how should he behave? Should my DM play the Wolf as if he was acting on instinct or would he just stand still ignoring my order?

  2. The Monster Manual entry for the wolf says:

    A favorite tactic is to send a few individuals against the foe’s front while the rest of the pack circles and attacks from the flanks or rear.

    Considering this is an "innate" strategy of the wolf, would I still need to spend one trick slot to teach him how to flank to use the handle animal with 10 DC?

  3. Would ordering the Wolf to "Charge" with DC 10 require another trick slot, or is this part of the "Attack" trick?

  4. The Wolf has the "Trip" special attack; would he automatically attempt to trip the enemy every time he lands an attack?

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    \$\begingroup\$ You've got a lot of questions here, and we generally try to keep it to 1 question per post, or at most a set of very closely related questions. This probably needs to be split into two posts: one about tricks & trip, and one about hit dice. \$\endgroup\$
    – Oblivious Sage ♦
    Commented Feb 26, 2016 at 14:09
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    \$\begingroup\$ Welcome to rpg.se! We use a "one question per post" format. Please edit your post so that it asks one question which we can answer. By splitting up your current post into multiple questions, you may actually find that others have already asked these questions in one form or another, thus answering your question! If you find any of the related questions helpful, give them an upvote. If you don't find anything, feel free to post a new question. \$\endgroup\$
    – Marc Dingena
    Commented Feb 26, 2016 at 14:10
  • \$\begingroup\$ @MarcDingena I did some research first but I couldn't find the answers to my questions, I will do as Oblivious Sage said and split the questions in two or three. Sorry about that. \$\endgroup\$
    – Manner
    Commented Feb 26, 2016 at 15:05

1 Answer 1

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  1. An animal only performs tricks when you tell it to. The wolf is a hunter, not a fighter; unless you are fighting deer or rabbits it is definitely not the wolf's natural instinct to attack. You will need to successfully order the wolf to attack before it will do so, unless the enemy has provoked the wolf to anger somehow.
  2. There is no "flank" trick in the book. It is sensible to suggest that an animal commanded to attack will do so to the best of its ability, and flanking is definitely the best of its ability.
  3. Like flanking, there is no trick to charge. A predator like the wolf would naturally lean towards a fast dash followed by an attempt to take down the target, so it makes sense to say that the wolf will charge as part of the Attack trick.
  4. The wolf has no reason not to try and trip - it's a free action, no retaliation is possible, and it's not listed as a separate trick.
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  • \$\begingroup\$ For #1, it may be worth mentioning training the animal for a purpose. If I remember correctly, part of their point, in addition to being a suite of tricks, is that they affect the animal’s behavior when not being explicitly commanded. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Commented Feb 26, 2016 at 17:50
  • \$\begingroup\$ Not according to handle animal - the only advantage of training for a purpose is that it reduces the number of checks. \$\endgroup\$
    – SPavel
    Commented Feb 26, 2016 at 19:07

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