Animal or Elemental Companion?

[TechnOkami]

I'm just going to say that I think the answer is Animal Companions, but am I right or wrong?

Oh whoops, forgot to put a generic question down. Which is better?

[Magikeeper]

For combat power, animal companions win out at mid+ levels. There are fun out-of-combat uses of EC though. Being sentient is a boost, and both earth and air elementals have interesting movement modes. Whirlwind can give you cover and earth elementals combine gliding with okay combat stats. Don’t pick fire, as ECs are not as good at combat as ACs are.

Anyway, does the druid really need a pet fighter? A pet scout would serve some druids better. Also, ECs can not be targets for animal-only buffs, but they are better at using items.

[TechnOkami]

So really its a matter of personal preference... but I think I'll take animal companion. There's more option.

[Fizban]

Earth Glide is a pretty dang awesome ability, but Magikeeper's got the right of it. Of the elementals, only earth is really worthwile, since fire will burn down the countryside, air is fast but really weak on damage, and water takes massive penalties against anything that isn't also in the water while being weaker than earth and lacking earth glide. The effective HD progression of the elemental companion is slower than an animal companion's, and even worse than that if you take the option to decline a size increase. Elementals never get more than 2 slam attacks, while bears get 3 and lions/tigers get 5 on a pounce (though I would love to see a druid that taught any sort of companion Improved Unarmed Strike: kung fu wolf!). For generic combat power you want the biggest baddest dire whatever you can get. For intelligent earth glide-fu, go with the elemental.

[Runestar]

Earth elemental means you will always know the entire layout of any dungeon before you even enter. :smallbiggrin:

[KillianHawkeye]

Pet rock!! :smallwink:

[DragonOfUndeath]

a pet rock or a bear? hmm tough call (not!!!)

[Coidzor]

well, with a wizard or cleric friend, a pet rock can become many pet rocks. With fast healing.

and the ability to lurk in the very earth beneath your opponents before leaping out and beating them to death.

[Killer Angel]

So really its a matter of personal preference...

Pretty much.
An armored Dire bear magical enhanced? cool
An earth elemental that strikes from below (while you say "we Rock!")? cool

Either way, you tear the enemy apart. :smallwink:

[Murphy80]

Air is fun if you play a small (say, a halfling) druid and use it as a mount. Nothing says "MOVEMENT" like riding an Air elemental. It's like having a jet while everyone else is using bi-planes.

[TechnOkami]

I think I'll just get an animal companion and awaken it at appropriate levels.

[Magikeeper]

I think I'll just get an animal companion and awaken it at appropriate levels.

Alas, this does not work. The spell states that an awakened animal cannot serve as an AC. So it turns ACs into ex-ACs.

--------------------------------
On earth vs air, I think flight makes for a better scout in some (dungeon-lite) games and whirlwind at the start of every combat is nice. The dust cloud has a number of uses. Air also has the speed to flank just about everything, even if the enemy flies. It is a nice partner for tactical combat. If you can somehow teach it to use a reach weapon it gets even better (or just have it hold one for better flanking).

A question I've never been able to find the answer to : Can you attack an air elemental in the whirlwind state via physical attacks?

[Psyren]

a pet rock or a bear? hmm tough call (not!!!)

Don't mess with pet rocks! (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/monsters/psicrystal.htm) :smallbiggrin:

[Jack_Simth]

A question I've never been able to find the answer to : Can you attack an air elemental in the whirlwind state via physical attacks?It doesn't specifically say you can't, so by RAW, yes. Sorta like how Gaseous Form doesn't give you immunity to weapons - just DR/Magic.

As for the choice of Elemental Companion / Animal Companion, it becomes a question of: what are you looking for?

For a combat brute? Just with the Core options and the Elemental Companion option, you either want one of the pouncing cats, or you want the Ape (beyond that, there's a fleshraker dinosaur that wants to eat your opponents alive).

For flight? Air Elemental (if you're small), or the Dire Bat if you're not.

Scouting? Either an Earth or Air elemental - animal companions aren't, by default, intelligent enough to relay stuff well.

Night Watch? Dire Bat. Very little beats blindsense, and it's got hefty bonuses to Spot and Listen besides.

A place to hole up? Dire Badger... although you'll usually want to get that one through Summon Nature's Ally II and Speak with Animals.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Earth Glide is a pretty dang awesome ability, but Magikeeper's got the right of it. Of the elementals, only earth is really worthwile, since fire will burn down the countryside, air is fast but really weak on damage, and water takes massive penalties against anything that isn't also in the water while being weaker than earth and lacking earth glide. The effective HD progression of the elemental companion is slower than an animal companion's, and even worse than that if you take the option to decline a size increase. Elementals never get more than 2 slam attacks, while bears get 3 and lions/tigers get 5 on a pounce (though I would love to see a druid that taught any sort of companion Improved Unarmed Strike: kung fu wolfpanda!). For generic combat power you want the biggest baddest dire whatever you can get. For intelligent earth glide-fu, go with the elemental.

FTFY:smallwink:
Sorry, couldn't resist

[Fizban]

Hehe, wasn't even thinking about that. The kung-fu wolf came from trying to find a way to give a wolf form full attacks to stat up Link's wolf form. Then I realized you could totally do that with an animal companion, and lo, kung-fu wolf was born.

[Leon]

I'm just going to say that I think the answer is Animal Companions, but am I right or wrong?

Oh whoops, forgot to put a generic question down. Which is better?

What is better is going to be a choice that is different for each person.

For me i say neither for most of the time ive played a Class with a compaion ive ACF'd it out for something else and the times ive kept it its been a small unobtrusive animal.

But if i were playing a Druid focused more on elemental attacks a Elemental pet would make more sense to have than a animal.

[Zaydos]

Personally I never really gave elemental companion a second glance after realizing how much worse the companions would be in melee. I ought to have, since they could make a really flavorful character. Even so I think I prefer animal companions, I like my kittens.

[DragonOfUndeath]

Personally I never really gave elemental companion a second glance after realizing how much worse the companions would be in melee. I ought to have, since they could make a really flavorful character. Even so I think I prefer animal companions, I like my kittens.

all hail the might Housecat :smalltongue:

[Zaydos]

all hail the might Housecat :smalltongue:

Meant tiger in this case, but they're both just so adorable.

[Akal Saris]

I'd always go with the AC myself. Better in combat, and generally fits my "idea" of druid much better as well =)