Druid Animal Companion Trading

[Emperor Tippy]

So I'm making a Druid and the Animal Companion is pointless for the build but it has already traded away Wildshape.

Is there anything besides Druidic Avenger or Shapeshifter that you can trade the blasted pet for?

Ideally, as the build only get's up to 5th level spells, I would like to trade it for tacking on the Ranger spell list but I'll settle for a bonus feat.

I would prefer non homebrew solutions.

[eggynack]

I took a quick look through the ACF list, and it looks like the shifter druid substitution level from Races of Eberron might be the only one. There are some other trades, but they mostly just get you different animal companions.

[Emperor Tippy]

Race is human.

Blah, the thing is a waste. Literally it does nothing at all for the build and is a weakness more than a strength.

[buttcyst]

unless you make your animal companion a horse and go mounted, then it would be pretty useful, but doesn't sound like what you are looking for

[eggynack]

Yeah, shifter druid isn't that great. Why is your build unable to use an animal companion anyways? Based on that, there might be some animal companion replacement that more closely fits your needs. For example, if you just don't need to fight stuff, urban companion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) lets you switch out your animal companion for a slightly better familiar.

[Emperor Tippy]

Only 9 levels of Druid at ECL 20, spends all day in bird form and attacks from upwards of 2,000 feet away.

What does he need an AC for?

[eggynack]

Only 9 levels of Druid at ECL 20, spends all day in bird form and attacks from upwards of 2,000 feet away.

What does he need an AC for?
I don't think there's anything that trades for an animal companion that would help with that. I was thinking hummingbird familiar, for the improved initiative, but if you're attacking from that far, you might not even care about going first. In any case, the list of things you can trade an animal companion for is rather short, and the list of things you'd want to trade an animal companion for is also rather short on that sort of build. It's a pretty narrow intersection in general.

[Emperor Tippy]

I don't think there's anything that trades for an animal companion that would help with that. I was thinking hummingbird familiar, for the improved initiative, but if you're attacking from that far, you might not even care about going first. In any case, the list of things you can trade an animal companion for is rather short, and the list of things you'd want to trade an animal companion for is also rather short on that sort of build. It's a pretty narrow intersection in general.

Yeah, now I need to figure out how to manage to turn Ranger spells into Arcane spells (however convoluted the process) so that they can be learned by a Spell to Power Erudite (he might only have the one level but it will be made to count damn it).

[Tvtyrant]

I believe you can trade it out for a familiar (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) using the Urban Companion ACF, or a different type of animal companion that would match your playstyle better.

[ShriekingDrake]

Only 9 levels of Druid at ECL 20, spends all day in bird form and attacks from upwards of 2,000 feet away.

What does he need an AC for?

I'm curious about both the build and how you attack from that distance.

[Emperor Tippy]

I believe you can trade it out for a familiar (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) using the Urban Companion ACF, or a different type of animal companion that would match your playstyle better.

That is at least moderately more useful (or at least less useless).

[Vknight]

What is this build it has caught the playgrounds attention what beast today does the Tippy one brerw

[Menzath]

You can have it be the same type of bird that you transform into.
Since you get one for free after 24hrs if it dies it's not a big loss either way, and gives you a free hit or two that it might take instead of you.
But yeah if there was an ACF it would so worth it to trade the thing away.

[Chambers]

Only 9 levels of Druid at ECL 20, spends all day in bird form and attacks from upwards of 2,000 feet away.

What does he need an AC for?

Additional targets for the enemy. Specifically, targets that aren't your character. An animal companion also gives you extra actions in that it can attack. It's unrealistic to only assume that you'll be attacking from 2,000 ft away. Sometimes you'll be in melee, maybe only for a round until you can teleport away, but until you get away the AC can be making attacks.

A brown bear has a +16 grapple mod; have it try to grapple spellcasters. Not a great mod at that level and they'll have magic to escape it, but having the opportunity to at least make a roll is better than not having one and the enemy expending resources to deal with your AC is resources it isn't using to kill you.

[Urpriest]

Elemental Companion might be worthwhile, though probably everything you could do with an air elemental you could do with an Urban Companion (provided Improved Familiar is houseruled to work despite the lack of arcane spellcaster level).

[Tvtyrant]

That is at least moderately more useful (or at least less useless).

Have them use UMD on wands for you. One of them has permanent true sight as well, which is nice.

[Saintheart]

By RAW you could trade the Animal Companion for the Distracting Shot ACF from PHB 2? The flavor text certainly says a ranger Animal Companion, but the crunch just says fourth level, if you choose this feature "you do not gain an animal companion." Your "weapon" attacks, whether melee or ranged, now autoflank an enemy.

[Tvtyrant]

By RAW you could trade the Animal Companion for the Distracting Shot ACF from PHB 2? The flavor text certainly says a ranger Animal Companion, but the crunch just says fourth level, if you choose this feature "you do not gain an animal companion." Your "weapon" attacks, whether melee or ranged, now autoflank an enemy.

So the best ability for a Rogue of all time is a Ranger ability? Of course it is >_>

[Coidzor]

So the best ability for a Rogue of all time is a Ranger ability? Of course it is >_>

I believe it only lets everyone else gain the benefit of flanking, not the ranger itself though. So if you have a ranger ally with that, rogues will love it, but...

[Tvtyrant]

I believe it only lets everyone else gain the benefit of flanking, not the ranger itself though. So if you have a ranger ally with that, rogues will love it, but...

So it is! Nice. Get a cohort ranger with it for massive damage!

[buttcyst]

from what it sounds like, you are taking the natural casting feat and are going to spend most of your time wild shaping into a bird and casting spells, neat. I do suggest going with the eagle or hawk AC gained at 1rst lvl, it gets better as you get higher up. I also suggest 2 feats, spell focus (conj), and augment summoning. It's heavy but with being able to spontaneously cast SNA, having everything you bring out have a +4 str and +4 con is pretty nice. I'm imagining starting from far off, summon swarm on bad guy, fly in while casting SNA each round until you get there mixed with a couple more devastators like call lightning storm and the such, fight might be over by the time you actually get to the battle map and a good chance mostly done by you.


death from above

[Spuddles]

Have room for a lvel of arcane hierophant? That makes your companion intelligent. Use retraining methods to give it UMD and better feats.

Share Spells is the real cool part of an AC. Cast Mental Pinnacle on it. Now your pet is a psychic hawk that shoots mind bullets.

[Jeff the Green]

That is at least moderately more useful (or at least less useless).

This is for the eagle, right? Get a rabbit familiar. :smallamused:

[Teal]

If you could somehow acquire Magical Beasts of any variety as your animal companion, wouldn't you also be able to recruit a Primeval as your animal companion? It would have to be a Something 8/Primeval 10, but it wouldn't have more HD than you, and would technically be on the chassis of a 1 HD humanoid.

[Norin]

This is for the eagle, right? Get a rabbit familiar. :smallamused:

...halfling familiar that wears a ring of invis?! :smalltongue:

[Maginomicon]

If you're already taking Ranger, might you be able to use Wildshape Variant Ranger for wildshape and take the Storm Druid (Dragon Magazine #328 page 87; which loses wildshape and animal companion, but gains a number of storm-based abilities)?

Alternatively, you could play a Windwalker Druid (Dragon Magazine #311 page 57-59) as that has the Aerial Companion feature and other airborne-relevant abilities (but has no wildshape).