Animal Growth v. Bite of the Weretiger

[cowsay]

Your druid has just hit 9th level and you can now cast fifth level spells. You like buffing your animal companion so want to prepare either Animal Growth or Bite of the Weretigrer; which would you prepare under what circumstances? (Let's say your druid has a fleshraker, which you like to buff from your avian form.) They each seem to have different advantages and I'm trying to figure out which one to prepare and what I should think about when deciding. (I'm sure that for some of you this is a no brainer; if it were for me, I wouldn't be asking.)

[Akal Saris]

I'd say that for straight damage, weretiger beats animal growth, especially because it grants power attack. For defenses, I'd say animal growth wins out if your foes don't typically use magical weapons, and if they do then weretiger is better.

Keep in mind that animal growth lasts 10x as long and that you can buff up to 4 animals with it as well, so if you use summoning a bit then it becomes the obvious choice. It also stacks with any magical +str items you give your pet. It's also medium range, while you'd have to touch the mount for weretiger.

Personally, I'd prepare animal growth, but both are very good. Just think about next level, when you can have both active on your AC - with your druid boosts, that's a large fleshraker with 8HD, 40 Str, 23 Dex, 25 Con, 2 claws at 2d6+10 each, a bite for 2d8+10, +11 natural armor, DR 10/magic, and +4 resistance on saves. Pretty crazy!

[Zaydos]

Me I liked Bite of the Weretiger when I was playing a druid/wizard with a tiger companion, but I also eventually had the feat that let me share spells from a range with your animal companion (companion spellbond from PHBII). Huge size can also inconvenience movement which may or may not factored into my decision (I forget now).

Animal Growth is +3 to hit, +2 hp/hit die and +2 to its poison DC, as well as grants it the ability to trip large sized creatures and a +6 to its trip attempt. Damage becomes d8s so +3 damage per hit with primary weapons and +2 per hit with secondary, and I'm not sure about rake (normally it deals damage as a primary natural weapon but in the MMIII it deals damage in between for fleshraker... weird). Also +4 to saves and DR 10/magic.

Bite is +6 to hit, +7 AC, +3 hp/hit die, and +3 to its poison save DC. It also grants a +6 to trip attempts and +7 damage per hit with claws, +6.5 with bite, and +3 with its other natural weapons; but it can't trip large creatures with its free trip. It also grants an additional +3 to hit with your bite if you don't have multiattack yet (haven't checked what level you'd get that; it's been a while since I've played a druid), and depending upon how the DM rules Imp Nat Weapon interacts with the spell possibly another +2.5 damage per hit with claws.

If you were the type who turned into a melee creature and waded in beside your AC I'd definitely say Bite, but as you seem more focused in fly high out of trouble and buff the beast (which is what I did) it becomes a little less clear.

So some questions:
How long do you generally have (in game) between encounters? Is it several minutes (would the 9 minute duration of animal growth carry to a second battle). If animal growth would work reliably for 2 or more battles that is a major note in its favor.
Do you fight mainly medium (or smaller) creatures, large creatures, or huge + creatures? If you fight large creatures animal growth gives you a better (albeit not huge) chance of tripping them, while if you fight mainly medium creatures that advantage is negated.
Finally: Do you have enhancement bonus granting items on your animal companion?

[cowsay]

So some questions:
How long do you generally have (in game) between encounters? Is it several minutes (would the 9 minute duration of animal growth carry to a second battle). If animal growth would work reliably for 2 or more battles that is a major note in its favor. It's hard to say. Sometimes they're spaced apart and at other times thy come unexpectedly in clumps. We kill wha'ts in the romm and then something else bursts in, etc. But I can see why you ask this question. If there are going to be many in a row, there is quite a bit of benefit to the longer duration spell.
Do you fight mainly medium (or smaller) creatures, large creatures, or huge + creatures? If you fight large creatures animal growth gives you a better (albeit not huge) chance of tripping them, while if you fight mainly medium creatures that advantage is negated. Again, it tends to vary. The bul of what we've fought so far have been medium or smaller, with the occasional large and huge crature thrown in.
Finally: Do you have enhancement bonus granting items on your animal companion? No items on this AC. Items are fewer and farther between in this campign and there are even fewer Ye Olde Magik Shoppes.

[ShriekingDrake]

I'd say that it depends. I'd say more often than not, I'd go with Bite. But it could change, say if the character has some rebuked animals from Initiate of Nature, in which case, the benefits to those creatures you'd get from Animal Growth would change the calculus. You're good to go with either spell, but the context should dictate.