Ability: Charisma.
Requires Training: Yes.
Classes: Druid or Ranger
Roleplay: Sometimes. This skill affects the game engine.
In Haze: Animal Empathy (also known as AE) has been heavily modified in Haze, starting with the way the DC is determined for success:
The Base DC of Animal will start at 20, and you will Auto20 on any attempt not in combat.
Restrictions: Animal Empathy can only be used on Animals, Beasts, and Magical Beasts, each with increasing difficult checks. The only exception is if you have the 'Vermin Heart' feat, which will let you use Animal Empathy on Vermin as though they were 'Animals'
The creatures you Empathy will also not blindly fight to the death for you, this means every time they are hurt, they will roll another AE check at a lower DC, determined by how much health they're missing, plus how much health they just lost that hit. If you succeed, they will continue fighting for you, on failure, they disengage and run away from the fight no longer in your service.
Creatures you Empathy will remain with you for 10 Turns/level of (Ranger or Druid).
Important Note: Animal Empathy represents a special understanding of animals that helps you present yourself to them in a way that makes you seem less hostile and more approachable. It's a skill that helps the character convey kinship with the animal, but it doesn't enslave the animal or communicate complex ideas. You should not use this as a chance to gain "meat shields" and not care for the animal, while using them in combat is allowed, if they're constantly being led to their death, there can be repercussions.