what are good feats for an animal companion to take?

[Phaederkiel]

The srd says that the bonus HD of an Animal Companion give it feats.
Assuming this does not mean evasion, devotion, etc, I'd like to know some good feats to give an animal companion, especially the fleshraker(magebred, wartrained) of an 7th lvl druid with natural bond

Important: Combat feats are good, this much is clear. But Animal companions, especially fleshrakers, are already quite good fighters. Perhaps we can find some utility feats that help not further unbalancing, but makin the beast more feasible out of combat...

some feats I found to be interesting:

Ability focus: poison (if the beast has an poison attack)
Virulent Poison (the same +2 to dc, stacks with focus)
Rapid strike (+improved) probably the quintessential sample of an further overpowering feat
Travel devotion (usable only once per day, but great for any charger)
Animal devotion teach your bear to fly. RAW it says "character level" but I think few DM will not let you apply HD
Martial study Should be quite a hoot. but what to take?

Darkstalker (especially great on sneaky-like beasts)

Imp Ini, if your DM rules the AC to have its own initiative


if you get your DM to allow it, you can have take an celestial AC Vow of poverty, but honestly, that means going deep into cheddarland.

[Gavinfoxx]

Charging feats, mostly... Powerful Charge, Shock Trooper, Power Attack, Battle Jump, Leap Attack.

Also, for the poison stuff? You left off Deadly Poison from your list.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

It also gets skill points for those extra HD. Give it enough cross-class Spellcraft ranks to take the Mage Slayer line of feats in CA.

Power Attack + Leap Attack is pretty good. Give it Armbands of Might and teach it to always Power Attack for -2 to hit, for +4 damage. Leap Attack will make that +8 damage, and it combines well with its Leaping Pounce. Yet another example of further-overpowering feats.

If you give it Martial Study, take it twice for Wall of Blades and Iron Heart Surge. Martial Stance for Punishing Stance is also pretty good with so many attacks.

Open Minded (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#openMinded) could actually be pretty useful, especially if you want to give it some Skill Tricks from CS.

[Rubik]

I saw a psychic warrior build with Wild Cohort to get himself a dire (fruit) bat, and then retrained its feats to give it Shape Soulmeld (Phase Cloak) (and since he had levels in totemist, he got a phase cloak too). Then he used Psionic Open Chakra and some ML-boosters to bind it to both their shoulder slots. Then he used an animal trick to teach it to go ethereal when it moved on command.

Having perfect maneuverability at half-speed and the ability to move through creatures and objects and to ignore AoOs and terrain came in REALLY handy, I hear.

[Phaederkiel]

yep, I left deadly poison off the list, because I never saw any fight long enough that a secondary damage would kick in. Fights hardly go ever for one minute, much less against a charging fleshraker.

The ability to spit the poison is much more interesting, i think. and yet, i am afraid, not good enough.


I like the maneuver that allows you to jump as a swift action. That gives mr.34 to jumpchecks a real nice moveability once per encounter.

Punishing stance looks good, indeed. The Raker in question has some 30-ish AC, so it would not matter much if he would reduce it.

step of wind could be used to ignore DM hosers against charge (or self-imposed ones cast by the druid.

Battleleaders charge give a flat 10 damage on nearly every attack the raker makes. Better for a rhino-type Companion, though.

child of shadow makes the beast harder to hit. Probably better than +AC after you hit 30 ac.


Imp Initiative is a feat one could consider.

[Fitz10019]

Imp Initiative is a feat one could consider.

Normally, the animal companion acts on the player's turn in the init, so Improved Init wouldn't be useful as a feat taken by the animal.

[Phaederkiel]

unfortunately, having a stance (which is far better than having a single maneuver without any recovery method) needs having a maneuver first.

one more thng about the poison feats:
It escaped me to notice that an animal Companions poison dcs increase even without the help of feats. (the raker in question has not a 14, but a 19 without the feat) thus rendering the DC-increasers less important than I thought.


by the way, what happens if an Animal Companion gains Multiattack while already having it?

[deuxhero]

No mention of Hidden Talent yet?

It's always got some tricks to grant. Minor Creation for poison is one of the best uses for a Blackguard's pretty cruddy servant.

[Flickerdart]

by the way, what happens if an Animal Companion gains Multiattack while already having it?
Gaining the same feat multiple times, unless it has provisions for stacking, means that additional copies do nothing. You still have the feat twice for the purpose of things that care about numbers of feats, but you gain no additional benefit beyond having it once.

[FearlessGnome]

Personally, I have a Swindlespitter (MM3) with Lucky Fingers and Skill Focus: Sleight of Hand. We have a very unruly rogue in our party, and one day when he steals something too valuable I'm just going to have my dinosaur steal it back.

[tyckspoon]

Normally, the animal companion acts on the player's turn in the init, so Improved Init wouldn't be useful as a feat taken by the animal.

Actually, as a separate creature the AC should also have its own initiative count (the exception is if you're using it as a mount, since your initiatives have to be synched for the mount rules to work.) DMs and players will often just set the companion to whatever the player's initiative is as a matter of convenience, but there's no rule I know of that says this is actually how it's supposed to work.

[Phaederkiel]

is there a good way to make an animal companion a magical beast?
as to give it rapidstrike?

[SirFredgar]

is there a good way to make an animal companion a magical beast?

I'm pretty sure if your animal companion becomes a magical beast, it can no longer be your animal companion, because it is no longer an animal. Unless there is some feat/feature somewhere I am not aware of. However, with that said, easiest way I know would be to Awaken it. It becomes a magical beast along with now being able to talk. It might even still help you out if you ask (but now it's an NPC, not an AC)

[Phaederkiel]

Actually, as a separate creature the AC should also have its own initiative count (the exception is if you're using it as a mount, since your initiatives have to be synched for the mount rules to work.) DMs and players will often just set the companion to whatever the player's initiative is as a matter of convenience, but there's no rule I know of that says this is actually how it's supposed to work.

and it would be quite inconvenient if you have any dex-based companion while you yourself dumped dex completely. Our druid has an ini of -1, her raker one of 7. Since the rule says "in doubt for the player", we always ruled ini to be seperate.

[gorfnab]

Mage Slayer is a fun feat for animal companions. Eats up what very few skill points they get though.

[Urpriest]

is there a good way to make an animal companion a magical beast?
as to give it rapidstrike?

Celestial Companion, Book of Exalted Deeds. Also lets it take Vow of Poverty if you don't feel like buying it gear.

[ShriekingDrake]

Celestial Companion, Book of Exalted Deeds. Also lets it take Vow of Poverty if you don't feel like buying it gear.

Exactly. The Exalted Companion feat will let you choose a celestial fleshraker, which is a magical beast.

[Urpriest]

Exactly. The Exalted Companion feat will let you choose a celestial fleshraker, which is a magical beast.

Ah yes, Exalted Companion, my bad.

[SirFredgar]

Exactly. The Exalted Companion feat will let you choose a celestial fleshraker, which is a magical beast.

Oh wow, I knew about Exalted Companion but never much liked it because... well... I don't like exalted stuffs. I didn't realize that making it celestial would make it a magical beast.... those two concepts never connected lol. I think the last time I looked up the template was my first ever game I GMed... and then it was only to slap onto whatever the paladin's mount was as a freebie.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Fleshraker doesn't combine well with exalted feats, since one of the restrictions of maintaining an exalted status is to not use poison. Granted, it's your character maintaining the exalted status and his companion using the poison, but that's still a slippery slope.

Note that with Exalted Companion on a non-poison-using critter like a Dire Eagle (RoS), your companion can also take exalted feats such as VoP.

[ShriekingDrake]

Fleshraker doesn't combine well with exalted feats, since one of the restrictions of maintaining an exalted status is to not use poison. Granted, it's your character maintaining the exalted status and his companion using the poison, but that's still a slippery slope.

Note that with Exalted Companion on a non-poison-using critter like a Dire Eagle (RoS), your companion can also take exalted feats such as VoP.

Not wishing to dive into the perennial discussion about the differences between ravages and poison or the distinction between killing with pain and the more harmless vectors of some poisons--I do wonder whether there is a distinction between choosing to use poison and exuding it naturally. My dog is not evil merely because she is an allergen to my brother. Anyway, the BoED is for mature players and DMs, and, as with everything--especially those things associated with BoVD and BoED--DMs will have to make decisions about what works for balance, enjoyment, and flavor. Myself, because exaltedness is a state of mind and about choices, I would not rule that a creature that naturally exudes poison cannot be exalted. But I would also not quibble with a DM who ruled otherwise. We are, after all, on the periphery of the game when dinosaurs can consider being exalted.

[Coidzor]

Improved Unarmed Strike, Superior Unarmed Strike, and/or Snap kick are sometimes mentioned as a way to give the AC iterative attacks and more of them, especially if it's a pouncer.

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

Celestial Companion, Book of Exalted Deeds. Also lets it take Vow of Poverty if you don't feel like buying it gear.

How does it qualify for VoP by gaining the Celestial Template?

[Andion Isurand]

I would like to add the Darkstalker feat from LoM to the list of feats being considered.

[Acanous]

Fleshraker usually can't be celestial due to the poison. If your DM lets it pass, kudos. If not, Arcane Heirophant's "Familiar Companion" ability would make it count as a Magical Beast. Plus give it all the other benefits of a familiar.

[Phaederkiel]

how can improved Unarmed Strike & co work, when the creature in question clearly has natural weapons (and in the rakers case, even a weapon focus...)

i will update Darkstalker, though.

Is there a way to give sneak attack via feats? Craven could be quite fantastic on an AC.

[Coidzor]

Unarmed strike is not incompatible with having other natural weapons. Further, one can make an unarmed strike in many, many unorthodox ways. Having the ends of all of one's manipulating appendages wrapped up in claws and talons isn't really that much of an impediment.

Considering that a gore from a horn + bite attack is able to fly, there's no reason a bite attack can't combo with headbutting.


How does it qualify for VoP by gaining the Celestial Template?

It makes the familiar intelligent enough to be able to choose to undertake the vow and Good, so it qualifies.


Fleshraker usually can't be celestial due to the poison. If your DM lets it pass, kudos. If not, Arcane Heirophant's "Familiar Companion" ability would make it count as a Magical Beast. Plus give it all the other benefits of a familiar.

No rules about poisonous creatures being unable to be Celestial. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/celestialCreature.htm)

No rules against good creatures having poison, either. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/couatl.htm)

BoED's rules on poison-use by creatures being evil are, well, just plain horse pucky and are one of the top things that should be discarded by any group and they should be encouraged rather than discouraged.

[Togath]

Fleshraker usually can't be celestial due to the poison. If your DM lets it pass, kudos. If not, Arcane Heirophant's "Familiar Companion" ability would make it count as a Magical Beast. Plus give it all the other benefits of a familiar.

One problem with the idea that a creature with natural poison can't be exalted is the couatl, a lawful good creature with a poisonous bite, basically they just didn't think about that part of an exalted creature(paladins can even have a ashworm[from sandstorm] as a mount, which possesses a poison sting) when they wrote BoED.

[Andion Isurand]

As far as unarmed strikes go... don't forget about the Beast Strike feat from Dragon 355. It basically allows a creature to add their claw or slam base damage to their unarmed strike or grapple damage.

[candycorn]

Feats I like for creatures that already pounce:
Shape Soulmeld (Bloodtalons) -Good for keeping it up in negative HP
Shape Soulmeld (Dread Carapace) -1 attack with natural weapons, +2 damage on bite, +1 damage on other natural weapons. If you get the guy essentia (Bonus Essentia feat), every essentia increases penalty by 1, and bonuses by 2 and 1, respectively.
Shape Soulmeld (Impulse Boots) - Uncanny Dodge
Shape Soulmeld (Lightning Gauntlets) - Electric Touch as standard action (not very good) 1d6 damage, +1d6 per essentia.
Shape Soulmeld (Lucky Dice) - +1 luck bonus to several different things (Choose 1: Attack and damage, all saving throws, or all skill and ability checks)
Shape Soulmeld (Thunderstep Boots) - Melee attacks at the end of a charge deal +1d4 sonic damage, +1d4 per essentia.
Shape Soulmeld (Astral Vambraces) - DR 2/magic, +2 per essentia.

Open Least Chakra (Varies):
Dread Carapace - Feet, +60 to speed for 1 round, once per minute. each essentia gives +10 more.
Lightning Gauntlets - Hands, Electric damage can be added to one natural attack per round (1d6, +1d6 per essentia). Makes it a bit better.
Lucky Dice - Hands, luck bonus applies to all allies within 30 feet.
Thunderstep Boots - Feet, Creatures that take sonic damage from meld are stunned for a round, fort negates.
Astral Vambraces -Hands, Gain 2 slam attacks. 1d6 for medium, 1d8 for large creatures.

Bonus Essentia: If it has 6 HD, and you gave it Shape Soulmeld? It gets 2 essentia.

[Ryu_Bonkosi]

It makes the familiar intelligent enough to be able to choose to undertake the vow and Good, so it qualifies.

Ah, I thought he qualified for VoP outright bypassing Sacred Vow by being Celestial. Makes more sense now.

[Diarmuid]

I was under the impression that additional HD gained by an AC did not grant things like size bumps or feats and the like.

Heck I think there was just a thread about that very thing on here a couple weeks ago.

Was that debate ever fully fleshed out?

[tyckspoon]

I was under the impression that additional HD gained by an AC did not grant things like size bumps or feats and the like.

Heck I think there was just a thread about that very thing on here a couple weeks ago.

Was that debate ever fully fleshed out?

Nah. Your pet gets HD, it gets everything that comes with HD- skill points, BAB, saves, feats and ability score bumps on the appropriate markers. The reason it doesn't get size bumps is because those aren't something that is strictly associated with HD- the size increases for monsters/animals are something you use when you're making an advanced whatever, one that is bigger and nastier than the usual specimen. It's kind of a weird distinction to think about, but your Animal Companion wolf with 5 HD is not an advanced wolf for purposes of game mechanics; it's just a wolf with 5 HD.

[Urpriest]

I was under the impression that additional HD gained by an AC did not grant things like size bumps or feats and the like.

Heck I think there was just a thread about that very thing on here a couple weeks ago.

Was that debate ever fully fleshed out?

Grants feats because they're HD and that's what HD do. Doesn't grant size bumps because the animal isn't advancing in HD. In any case the two discussions are pretty much never linked.

[Rubik]

And yet a dire wolf animal companion is almost strictly superior to a regular wolf animal companion if it hasn't been size-boosted, and is about on par if it is.

Make of that what you will.