Handle Animal (Apath)
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Additional Uses
This skill has a number of additional uses.
Domesticate Animals
It is always easiest to domesticate an animal while it is growing up, as covered in the "rear a wild animal" rule. But it is possible (if difficult) to domesticate a wild animal as an adult.
Domesticating an animal generally takes 3 months. The trainer must feed the animal must have some way to restrain and discipline the animal and defend himself from it's attacks. This can be done by physical means (cages, leashes, whips) or by magic such as charm spells.
The difficulty depends on the animal's hit dice, it's normal group behavior, and the ties your race has to animals.
| Race | Animal affinities |
| Boggard | Frog |
| Cyclops | Cockatrice, pig, goat |
| Dark Creeper | Bat |
| Elves, Drow | Spider, monitor lizard |
| Dwarf | Ram, goat, raven, bear |
| Elf | Eagle, stag, horse |
| Giant, Cave | Lizard |
| Giant, Cloud | Griffon |
| Giant, Fire | Fire subtype |
| Giant, Frost | Winter wolf |
| Giant, Hill | Dire wolf |
| Giant, Stone | Cave bear |
| Gillmen | Squid |
| Gnoll | Hyena, hyaenodon |
| Gnome | Badger, weasel |
| Goblin | Goblin dog, wolf |
| Grippli | Frog |
| Halfling | Dog, squirrel, pony, pig |
| Hobgoblin | Leopard |
| Human | Hawk, horse, dog, house cat, cattle |
| Locatah | Fish |
| Merfolk | Aquatic mammals |
| Orc | Boar |
| Ratfolk | Rat |
| Sahaugin | Shark |
| Tengu | Flightless birds |
| Vishanka | Snake |
| Lizardfolk | Monitor lizard |
| Animal | DC |
| Animals living in small groups (wolves, eagles, lions) | 20 + hit dice |
| Herd animals (antilope, zebra) | 25 + hit dice |
| Solitary animals (most cats, bears) | 30 + hit dice |
| You have a racial affinity for the animal | -10 |
Racial affinities are cultural and physiological traits that make certain animals easier to train. A matter of shared perceptions, modes of communication, social organization, and food, these traits create a strong affinity between certain humanoid races and animal species. Any animal listed under "organization" in a humanoid race's description is one that race has affinity for.
Handling Different Creatures
The handle animal skill handles animals, but can also be used to handle and train other types of creatures, and can even be used to enslave intelligent creatures, conditioning them as slaves. In general, there are two things to consider, intelligence and creature type.