Unique druid animal companion

[Invader]

My original idea for a topiary guardian animal companion isn't going to work so I wondering what other unique animals companions would work for a level 5 druid. I'm familiar with the usual choices but im not looking for a freshraker just because it's the most optimized, I'd like some something a little more interesting.

[JusticeZero]

The list is pretty long; what sort've terrain are you usually in?

[Invader]

The list is pretty long; what sort've terrain are you usually in?
Basically all of Khorvaire.

[Greenish]

I've never seen nor heard of a druid whose animal companion was a monitor lizard:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VSb3Mk8vLic/TgzT_ZCQCNI/AAAAAAAAYw8/cP4E_VlwQt0/s400/monitor2.jpgSo, it's pretty unique in that sense. It can swim, it can sneak, and it has decent combat stats. On the other hand, Int 1 reduces the tricks you can teach it.


The environmental books had some interesting critters, too, if my memory serves. Sandstorm had coyote and serval, though I forget if either of them was animal companionable.

[Edit]: Coyote used same stats as dog. Anyway, yeah, serval is an option for 1st level druids. It's like the commoner-killing housecat on steroids, with pounce, rake, and improved grapple. The latter two are pretty useless though, since it's a small creature with strength penalty. It'd probably be from Valenar/Talenta Plains border.

[Invader]

The monitor lizard made me consider a shocker lizard but that seems underwhelming as well since technically it would only deal non lethal shock damage by itself.

[MilesTiden]

Shocker Lizards are only a Familiar option, not an Animal Companion option, if I remember correctly. However, there is the Urban Companion (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) ACF, which gives you a buffed Familiar instead of an Animal Companion. Might be worth looking into, especially if you can take Improved Familiar with it. A Pegasus or Hippogriff 'Companion' would be pretty unusual, but very cool.

[Invader]

Shocker Lizards are only a Familiar option, not an Animal Companion option, if I remember correctly. However, there is the [U thematically ww.wizards.com/default.aspxx=dnd/we/20070228a"]Urban Companion[/URL] ACF, which gives you a buffed Familiar instead of an Animal Companion. Might be worth looking into, especially if you can take Improved Familiar with it. A Pegasus or Hippogriff 'Companion' would be pretty unusual, but very cool.

I'm not so worried about legality of the mechanics as I'm the DM so I can bend the very fabric of the world to suit my needs but I would like it to fit thematically and have it be of an appropriate level.

[Invader]

Plant animal companion ideas would be most appreciated.

[Uhtred]

Grab the Carbuncle from Pathfinder! Months of fun. :)

[Invader]

Grab the Carbuncle from Pathfinder! Months of fun. :)

Doesn't sound like what I'm looking for but I'd love to see a link if you have one. lol

[LTwerewolf]

This isn't exactly within your level range, but a warhound impaler (lesser battlebriar) would be pretty epic.

[Vizzerdrix]

You want a pet plant? I give you a pet plant.
Dragon Mag #357 (page 90)

You want Monsters? I give you Monsters.
Watchspider: Waterdeep, City of Splendors.
Dragon Mag #326 (page 32)

[Leon]

Something with the Woodling template?

[Uhtred]

Doesn't sound like what I'm looking for but I'd love to see a link if you have one. lol

I hear and obey. :)

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/magical-beasts/carbuncle

It is indeed only available as a familiar, but others have mentioned the workarounds for that. And if you were looking at shock lizards, the Carbuncle is that weird cousin at the lizard family reunion that none of the other magical lizards are really sure they're related to.

[Fouredged Sword]

You have Handel animal as a class skill and class features that make it easier than normal.

Get a Shocker lizard using the urban druid ACF and train yourself enough shocker lizards to max out the damage burst. Then get immunity to electrical damage (or be a lesser version of that lawful outsider that gets healed by electricity).

Now let the 8d6 electrical burst each round keep the melee attackers at arms length while you throw magic around.

[Darrin]

Tressym is pretty unusual for an animal companion: flying housecat magical beast with above-average sentience. Sandstorm p. 48. A Hengeyokai Crab in crab form could use one as a flying mount. Pew-pew-pew battlekitteh can has laserbeam claws? (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=15813341&postcount=34)

In my first 3rd edition game, we had a treehugger half-orc druid that refused to take an animal companion because it "wasn't green enough". We toyed around with kitbashing a Purple Fungus into an acceptable Plant Companion (it's about on-par with the wolf/riding dog), but he turned it down and just went without.