Editing Animal Companion (section)

==1E & 2E==
The concept of animal companions in [[Dungeons & Dragons]] first took form in [[Advanced Dungeons & Dragons]], and here they were associated exclusively with the [[Ranger]]; the [[druid]] instead had to rely on its [[magic]] to summon, talk to and control animals, which is a different thing.

In 1st edition, rangers gained followers as they leveled up, just like [[cleric]]s and [[fighter]]s, and these followers could be '''[[human]]s''' ([[cleric]]s, [[druid]]s, [[fighter]]s, [[ranger]]s and [[wizard]]s), '''[[demihuman]]s''' ([[dwarf]], [[elf]], [[gnome]], [[half-elf]], [[halfling]]), '''animals''' (black & brown bears, blink dogs, giant lynxes and giant owls), '''mounts''' ([[centaur]]s, [[hippogriff]]s, [[pegasus|pegasi]]), creatures ([[brownie]]s, [[pixie]]s, [[pseudodragon]]s, [[satyr]]s, [[sprite]]s) or '''special creatures'' ([[Metallic Dragon#Copper Dragon|Copper Dragons]], [[Storm Giant]]s, [[Treant]]s, [[Werebear]]s, [[Weretiger]]s). It all depended on what the dice gods decided when you made that followers check.

2nd edition stripped this concept away from the ranger in the default, making no mention of it in the [[Player's Handbook]] or the [[Dungeon Master's Guide]], only to then bring it back in the [[Complete Book Series|Complete Ranger's Handbook]]. The basic concept here is the same, except now that each different biome has its own unique d100 table of followers, which ranges from various native beasts and even a few monsters to humans. To score an animal companion under these rules, the ranger needs to roll low; they end up with a boring old human or demihuman follower on a 71+ in Arctic environments, a 66+ in Mountain or [[Underdark]] environments, a 61+ in Aquatic, Desert, Forest, Hill, Jungle or Swamp environments, and finally a 56+ in Plains environments.