Animal Training: When players choose this proficiency, they must declare what type of creature their characters will learn to train. Suggestions include dogs, falcons, parrots, horses, pigeons, elephants, and ferrets. More exotic animals can be chosen at the DM’s option. Monsters with animal intelligence are another possibility, though they can be difficult to control—in effect, requiring more frequent proficiency checks.

Training of an animal requires a rather lengthy period of time—a matter of weeks, at least, for even the most basic tasks. A character who spends this amount of time will succeed at the training (no check necessary). Such tasks include dogs being trained to stay, come when summoned, and guard a specific location; pigeons returning to the roost; falcons hunting and killing game; and horses bearing saddles and obeying simple riding commands.

More elaborate tasks also take time to teach, and these require proficiency checks: dogs patrolling a circuit, or retrieving specific objects; and horses performing the maneuvers of a knightly charger are examples.

A character with the animal empathy trait gains a +1 bonus to this proficiency rating.

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