Animal Companion Help

[Man With Dog]

Ok, so i have managed to get a Druid Animal Companion as follows:
(I am level 8 by the way)

Tiger > Magebred Tiger > WarBeast Magebred Tiger.
((I know there are arguments this wouldnt be allowed, but i have it so its all good for me :smallsmile: ))

Basically, i was wondering how to make him even better.

I think he is classed as 6HD tigerwise, 7HD as a warbeast.
I have permission to go over my level with Natural Bond although i think that makes my creature 5th Level? so an extra 2HD.
So is my Magebred Warbeast tiger a 9HD creature? Giving him 4 feats?
So maybe Steadfast Determination or Shock Trooper and Leap Attack? (obv need to check on pre req also)

Also i assume inc to strength is better than giving Nat AC?
And how (if i can) do Animal Companions increase their skill points?


I love all and any help and will take on board most suggestions

[ex cathedra]

I hear that Vow of Poverty is pretty solid on Animal Companions.

[Man With Dog]

I hear that Vow of Poverty is pretty solid on Animal Companions.

I was planning on armouring him and saddling him.
Couldnt do that with this vow could I?

[ex cathedra]

You couldn't use Barding, but the Vow provides bonuses to armor. You may be able to use the saddle, because your animal companion will neither own the saddle or use it. That's really open to interpretation.

However, at this level your companion would get something like +9 AC, +2 to any one stat, +1 to all saves, three or four bonus feats... it's really pretty silly.

[Man With Dog]

You couldn't use Barding, but the Vow provides bonuses to armor. You may be able to use the saddle, because your animal companion will neither own the saddle or use it. That's really open to interpretation.

However, at this level your companion would get something like +9 AC, +2 to any one stat, +1 to all saves, three or four bonus feats... it's really pretty silly.

I cant find a clear write up of what Vow Of Poverty would do to an animal companion - any better links you have?
(Dont have access to that book til i get to a friends)

[ex cathedra]

This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64691) is a terrible psuedo-"fix" of the feat. It actually just copies most of the abilities, changes the levels at which you gain others, plays with the amount of bonus feats, lowers the attribute bonuses, and adds a handful of his own material. Ignore "Clear Sight" and "Vigilance," change Ascetic Strike's name to Exalted Strike and make it scale faster, change the numbers on a few of the abilities, and you'll more-or-less have it. Also, get rid of the fast healing.

[Man With Dog]

This (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=64691) is a terrible psuedo-"fix" of the feat. It actually just copies most of the abilities, changes the levels at which you gain others, plays with the amount of bonus feats, lowers the attribute bonuses, and adds a handful of his own material. Ignore "Clear Sight" and "Vigilance," change Ascetic Strike's name to Exalted Strike and make it scale faster, change the numbers on a few of the abilities, and you'll more-or-less have it. Also, get rid of the fast healing.

Think i will have to try and find an actual write up of the real Vow otherwise i would be making figures up with no back up as to whether its right or not

[ericgrau]

Also i assume inc to strength is better than giving Nat AC?
And how (if i can) do Animal Companions increase their skill points?
I'd put them at roughly 2:1 strength modifier:AC, or 1:1 strength:AC. Though really it depends how many physical attacks you must absorb vs. non-physical. Animals can't get skill points because their int is less than 3.

[Man With Dog]

I'd put them at roughly 2:1 strength modifier:AC, or 1:1 strength:AC. Though really it depends how many physical attacks you must absorb vs. non-physical. Animals can't get skill points because their int is less than 3.

I guess i say that because as the level gets higher and higher, AC levels seem to be pointless

[ericgrau]

Common myth. You'd have to go from 10-15 higher than the enemy's attack bonus to less than his attack bonus, which only increases at maybe 1.25 per level. Even the lowest AC creatures don't usually fall that far behind and can get at least some benefit. AC often comes cheap. And even the high AB monsters might have iterative attacks at less AB. So, yeah, not worth as much as strength +X for +X, but almost never worthless. Be skeptical about superlatives you read on the internet in general, people are overeager to use them.

[Man With Dog]

Just trying to work out how to make my Animal Companion a big big Animal Companion.
He is pretty big as it is

[tyckspoon]

Animals can't get skill points because their int is less than 3.

Not true; only mindless creatures are denied skill points entirely (so some undead and most Vermin.) Animals just only get 1/HD because of their Int penalties. They usually have them assigned to movement skills (the SRD-standard Tiger seems to have some in Swim, for example) and/or perception and stealth skills.

Re: Vow of Poverty
Vow of Poverty requires 2 feats (Sacred Vow as a prereq and then the Poverty vow itself) and the creature taking it must be Exalted-level Good. It is generally rather difficult to get a Tiger to take a moral stance, let alone make it Exalted- the feat is generally suggested for Paladin Mounts or special companions/familiars acquired through feats, which are already Good, intelligent, and make sense to devote themselves to being Exalted.

[FuryOfMetal]

When you get it you could cast awaken (5th level spell i believe) so it'll get extra HD and additional intelligence. That's another nice bonus for making your companion even awesomer

:edit: Also having a much higher intelligence wouold arguably give it a moral standpoint? Even if it just adopts yours it could then take VoP etc. ...assuming you're also good.

[Man With Dog]

When you get it you could cast awaken (5th level spell i believe) so it'll get extra HD and additional intelligence. That's another nice bonus for making your companion even awesomer

:edit: Also having a much higher intelligence wouold arguably give it a moral standpoint? Even if it just adopts yours it could then take VoP etc. ...assuming you're also good.

I am good yes, interesting thoughts there too.

What about general attack feats too? Worth it?
I mean does Leap Attack and Shock Trooper work well with Pounce for instance?

[tyckspoon]

What about general attack feats too? Worth it?
I mean does Leap Attack and Shock Trooper work well with Pounce for instance?

Well now that's an interesting question, let me check my resources on that..


YES. It's the standard charger setup for a reason. :smalltongue:

[Man With Dog]

Well now that's an interesting question, let me check my resources on that..


YES. It's the standard charger setup for a reason. :smalltongue:

w00t.
That would be an immense opening round

[23minds]

In case it matters, it says somewhere that awakened animals can't be companions, even if they were an animal companion before they were awakened. Idk if your DM minds though.

Also: the natural bond feat is great for making your animal companion ridiculously powerful if you use it right. Most druids I've run with have used it at some point.

[Man With Dog]

In case it matters, it says somewhere that awakened animals can't be companions, even if they were an animal companion before they were awakened. Idk if your DM minds though.

Also: the natural bond feat is great for making your animal companion ridiculously powerful if you use it right. Most druids I've run with have used it at some point.

Yeah, thats already been used and is why he is so powerful.
Well, i think i have done it right