Bodyguard Build?

[Ursus the Grim]

Hey, all. I tried to google this but the terms aren't as specific as I would like. Google construct build and see what you get, or bodyguard build. Not much.

Anyway, I recently played a venerable gnome Druid with an Ape animal companion and I realized how much fun it is to have a sidekick do all the fighting for you. Right now I'm looking to create a character with one single bad-stuff-mother-lover henchman/sidekick/automaton.

There is some cheese I could try to pull with Druid animal companion, but I don't think thats the best out there. I really like the fluff of the Effigy Master, but the Effigies don't get enough to make up for, well, being a construct.

Is the playground aware of common builds for the vision I have? Or shall this become a brainstorming thread. Suggestions, pointers, and lightly-salted criticism all welcome.

[Flame of Anor]

You could try a cohort.

[hivedragon]

You could just play two characters at once, no class feature required.
There is also a metacreativity psion.

[Urpriest]

Google the Supermount. I think you'll be amused. Just as a teaser: Gold Dragon with a giant pile of Animal Companion bonus HD.

[IthroZada]

The Summoner in Pathfinder does pretty much exactly that. An Eidolon to fight for you, and other summons as well.

[*.*.*.*]

I would pick up a crusader/knight so they can draw all "aggro" off of you

[dextercorvia]

Wild Cohort is pretty awesome if you play it by RAW. (You get to advance it along the druid table, albeit slower, and give it HD bumps). If you are playing an RaistlinWizard or other Arcanist, you can take 5 levels of Silverwood Arcanist (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031209a), to get Share Spells and some other goodies.

If you really like Effigy Master, remember that you can add templates to your critters without increasing their HD, therefore cost.

[Ursus the Grim]

I would pick up a crusader/knight so they can draw all "aggro" off of you

Yeah, but when they die, I get a bad rap. -_- Something about humanoid lives, blah blah.


The Summoner in Pathfinder does pretty much exactly that. An Eidolon to fight for you, and other summons as well.

I. . . like it! I'd have to talk to my group about it, but I can't imagine much retrofitting required to make it work in 3.5.


Google the Supermount. I think you'll be amused. Just as a teaser: Gold Dragon with a giant pile of Animal Companion bonus HD.

I like it and it would be easy to throw it all together, though I need to remember how to play a Lawful Good Druid. I guess a Ranger would technically work too.


You could just play two characters at once, no class feature required.
There is also a metacreativity psion.

Saw right through me, ya did. Roleplaying two different characters is kind of a pain, and my fellow players would be irked. Also, the group is a bit psionphobic, and cheesing up a psion would just prove the "point".


You could try a cohort.

That would be the simplest answer, though by nature it would be weaker than the primary character.

[Flame of Anor]

I need to remember how to play a Lawful Good Druid.

You'll have to think very hard to recall that one, considering a druid can't be LG... :smallbiggrin:

[Ursus the Grim]

You'll have to think very hard to recall that one, considering a druid can't be LG... :smallbiggrin:

Exactly. Which seems to be a fundamental issue with the build. Most builds appear to be Paladin/Beastmaster but I thought you needed animal companion before you got Beastmaster, and ranger would cripple it slightly.

[dextercorvia]

Exactly. Which seems to be a fundamental issue with the build. Most builds appear to be Paladin/Beastmaster but I thought you needed animal companion before you got Beastmaster, and ranger would cripple it slightly.

Beastmaster gets its own AC. It just stacks with other stuff that grants/advances AC.

[Ursus the Grim]

Beastmaster gets its own AC. It just stacks with other stuff that grants/advances AC.

Oh, derp. So I would start off with Pally until I could get into Beastmaster, skipping Druid entirely.

That's what I get when I try to understand a build and create it from the ground up instead of just completely copying one that's pointed out to me.