Rangers, Deepwardens, and Natural Bond

[Tokuhara]

DM has decided that I am the unofficial "Tank."

So I was looking over the Deepwarden class, and fell in love.

However, I am going in as a Planar Ranger (from UA, the only variant I haven't played. DM ruled I still get Knowledge: Dungeoneering) and my animal companion is going to suck.

So here's the question: Does the Natural Bond feat from CAdv work well for Rangers, since it states:



NATURAL BOND
Your bond with your animal companion is exceptionally
strong.
Prerequisite: Animal companion.
Benefit: Add three to your effective druid level for
the purpose of determining the bonus Hit Dice, extra
tricks, special abilities, and other bonuses that your
animal companion receives (see page 36 of the Player’s
Handbook). This bonus can never make your effective
druid level exceed your character level.

[dgnslyr]

I don't see why not.

SRD says:

This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name, except that the ranger’s effective druid level is one-half his ranger level. A ranger may select from the alternative lists of animal companions just as a druid can, though again his effective druid level is half his ranger level. Like a druid, a ranger cannot select an alternative animal if the choice would reduce his effective druid level below 1st.

All the same, you have an effective druid level.

[Tokuhara]

I don't see why not.

SRD says:


All the same, you have an effective druid level.

so what companion should I choose? It also gets the Celestial/Fiendish template

[Darrin]

However, I am going in as a Planar Ranger (from UA, the only variant I haven't played. DM ruled I still get Knowledge: Dungeoneering) and my animal companion is going to suck.


You could trade your animal companion for an ACF and pick up a Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) instead, which scales up by character level.