[3.5] Animal Companion - Speak Language

[TallerSpine]

Are you referring to this line on that page?




That says that the DM has control of changing the rules about familiars, not that DMs have control of familiars.

You are correct. In that case page 104 describes animals as NPCs (controlled by the DM). Animal companions would fall under that bucket. I have seen sage advice advising that if you let players control their animal companion, be wary they do not attribute too much intelligence to them. Tactics would be beyond an animal companion.