[3.5] Beastmaster in Gestalt...

[Zovc]

It seems to me like the Complete Adventurer's Beastmaster would be like, well, a beast in gestalt for a Ranger//Druid.

You get your druid animal companion, you get your ranger animal companion, and you get more animal companions, all with a boosted level!

A Druid 5//Ranger 5 would have a level 5 companion and a level 2 companion... one level of beast master makes that level 9 and level 6. Eventually you get extra animal companions.

I know there are feats that grant animal companions, but are there any other classes?

[9mm]

Healer, Paladin both give you extra animals via mount.

[Zovc]

Are those considered "animal companions?"

[Eurus]

If you can stop your DM from hitting you, you can gestalt Paladin and Ranger, taking the Devoted Tracker feat to make your animal companion and paladin mount the same creature. You lose out on that "army of animals" feel, but you end up with a companion that's tougher than you are. :smallamused:

[Sir.Swindle]

Theres a PrC in Dungeonscape (Beastheart Adept me thinks) that gives you a monster pet, could that synergize well?

[AirGuitarGod32]

I also suggest, if running NG, Lion of Talisid, which gives ANOTHER lion familiar, so focus on big cats

[Danin]

Having spent a lot of time playing with that class, I do feel as though I should point out a few things.

1) The Beast Heart Adept provides a "Monstrous Companion" which functions much like an animal companion but does not qualify for feats and the like specifically related to them. As such, no, being a beast master would not advance it.

2) With the army of animals in mind, I hate to be the one to point this out, but the additional animal companions you receive do NOT stack with your other classes that grant an animal companion, only your first one. So a Druid 5 / Beast master 4 would have one animal companion ECL 12, and one ECL 1. Yeah, suddenly it gets less impressive.

3) The mount provided by the healer and the paladin do not advance from beastmaster levels, but as has been mentioned, a gestalt Paladin / Ranger with a 1 level dip in beast master has an animal companion beefy beyond belief.

4) Check with your DM if the feat Natural Bond can be used to offset the loss in your effective druid level due to picking a more powerful animal companion. By RAW it does and it makes playing an animal companion based character far more viable, but some DM's (Re: Mine) disapprove.

I'll post more as it comes to me. I'd throw my vote in for the tiger as your little friend. With proper stacking of natural bond and beastmaster levels, you can have a Tiger with all 20 levels of animal companion benefits. That and improved grab, pounce, and decent damage. I approve.

For extra awesome, go hulking hurler on one side of the gestalt. Throw tigers, win for style.

[Zovc]

2) With the army of animals in mind, I hate to be the one to point this out, but the additional animal companions you receive do NOT stack with your other classes that grant an animal companion, only your first one. So a Druid 5 / Beast master 4 would have one animal companion ECL 12, and one ECL 1. Yeah, suddenly it gets less impressive.

What do you mean by this? Both the Ranger and Druid entries don't really say anything as to whether or not they stack with one another.

The way I'm reading it (which, is rather prone to being wrong, I suppose) is: Druid gets an animal compaion, Ranger gets a 'half' animal compaion... they each get their own, even if multiclassed.

To be a Druid//Paladin, DM has to waive alignment restrictions, but this is theoretical, so we'll see what can be done with this.


If a beastmaster already has an animal companion from another class, her beastmaster class levels stack with class levels from all other classes that grant an animal companion.

This leads me to believe that you do, in fact get multiple animal companions... although I suppose it could be interpreted that a Druid 1/Ranger 4/Beatmaster 1 would get 1(druid)+2(ranger)+3(beastmaster) effective druid levels for his one animal companion.

[Zovc]

For extra awesome, go hulking hurler on one side of the gestalt. Throw tigers, win for style.

Also, welcome to my signature.

[Danin]

Alas, you made the same mistake I did when I first read the prestige class. Don't look at the "Animal Companion" rules that you get at level 1, but rather the "Extra Animal Companion" rules you get at levels 4, 7 and 10. Under that it explicitly states that you are treated as a druid = your beastmaster level - 3, meaning you don't even get to add the beastmaster's usual +3 to your effective druid level.

It goes on to state that "Other class levels in classes that offer an animal companion don't stack for the purpose of determining the power of a beastmaster's additional animal companions...". Sorry mate, but that's the long and short of it. A common fix is in fact allowing it, but it isn't RAW and would have to be allowed specifically by your DM.

If you are truly intent on making an army of animal companions grab the feat that grants you a slightly weaker version of the normal animal companion and get a lion. Gestalt druid on one side and get into Lion of Talisad (Sp?) on the other with a 1 level beastmaster dip. Take leadership, extra cohort and improved cohort and make them awakened lions. Refer constantly to "The Pride". Spend most your life in lion form. Name yourself Simba, and take your rightful place as king...

If you can find a way of getting a spirit guide, call it Mufassa for extra win...


Also, welcome to my signature.

Why thank you. I shall make a happy home.