Animal Bond

Step

 * Rank + CHA

Action

 * Standard

Strain

 * 0

Skill Use

 * Yes (Novice)

Description

 * The adept develops a bond of trust with an animal, making an Animal Bond test against the animal’s Social Defense. If successful, the animal takes a Neutral attitude toward him (the Gamemaster’s Guide has more information on attitudes). The adept may make additional tests to further improve the animal’s attitude, but must spend at least one day with the animal between tests, treating it well during that time.
 * Each subsequent improvement requires an additional success on the Animal Bond test (so it requires two successes to improve from Neutral to Friendly).
 * Once the animal’s attitude increases to Loyal, it willingly takes risks for the adept and expects appropriate rewards for doing so. (This is more easily accomplished for an animal than for a Namegiver friend. For example, all a dog really wants is lots of affection and enough food.) A Loyal animal will accompany the adept on adventures if he so desires, and is referred to as an animal companion. An adept can maintain a number of animal companions equal to his rank in Animal Bond.
 * An animal will not maintain a better attitude towards an adept than the adept shows to it. As a result, mistreatment, neglect, or abandonment can offset the talent’s effects, worsening the animal’s attitude towards the character. If an animal companion’s attitude drops below Neutral, talents or abilities that target animal companions will no longer work.
 * This talent can only be used on non-sentient, natural creatures. It cannot be used to improve the attitudes of Horrors, Horror constructs, or sentient beings of any kind.
 * Skill Use: The non-magical version of this talent requires one week of time to pass between tests to improve the animal’s attitude beyond Neutral.