Is an Wild Cohort Worth the Trouble?

[Snownine]

Pretty much what is in the title. Would taking the wild cohort feat be a viable option for a fighter or would my feats be best invested elsewhere? If it is worthwhile, is there any reason to take the badger over the wolf? I have a thing for mustelids and was hoping to get a wolverine if I took the feat but saw that I would have to wait until level 7 as a non druid and figured a badger is the next best thing. As always, thank you for your time and advice.

[eggynack]

Wild cohort is pretty good, though it's less good when you're already your own beatstick, which you are. As for badgers, they're not all that great. There're a lot of attacks, but they don't do much in the way of damage, even with rage, and they also don't have much HP, once again, even with rage. Instead of the wolf, however, I would advise looking into the war trained riding dog (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dogRiding.htm). Apart from the marginally lower speed, it's just a strictly better option.

[hymer]

The advantage of the badger over the wolf is the ability to burrow. If you can think of useful ways to use this ability, then the badger will probably be a more useful companion out of combat.
You should ask your DM exactly how he intends to run this feat. If you're stuck with a badger or wolf for the rest of your career, then it's probably not worth the feat unless you can get rid of it by retraining later.
But if the DM is willing to let you switch to new animals easily (say, with druid-like ease, also with regard to replacing dead ones), then it's a highly useful feat, which basically gives you a whole other (albeit not too powerful) character to play.

[Snownine]

Would you say the riding dog is better than the wolverine? According the MM2 I can get a war trained wolverine and that sounds super awesome. I also think that a wolverine suits a dwarf better than a dog (flavor wise).

[hymer]

According the MM2 I can get a war trained wolverine and that sounds super awesome.

Are you referring to the warbeast template? Applying templates to a Wild Cohort is a little iffy, but your DM may decide to go with it, perhaps with some modifications.
Anyway, I'd definitely suggest you go with awesomeness over mere practicality, or else what are we playing a RPG for? At the time you can get a wolverine, it's probably better than the riding dog anyway.

[Snownine]

Are you referring to the warbeast template? Applying templates to a Wild Cohort is a little iffy, but your DM may decide to go with it, perhaps with some modifications.
Anyway, I'd definitely suggest you go with awesomeness over practicality, or else what are we playing a RPG for? At the time you can get a wolverine, it's probably better than the riding dog anyway.

Yeah, I meant warbeast. I will ask my DM what he thinks about using the template on a wild cohort.

[Chronos]

Wolves are the most powerful companions, but badgers are still pretty good, and either one is worth the feat slot.

[Vaz]

Do Wolves have Scent?

[hymer]

Do Wolves have Scent?

They do (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/wolf.htm) indeed.

[Dunsparce]

It says right in the feat description that you can choose more powerful animals down the road, you just have to treat yourself as a druid three levels lower than your character level to determine what choices you have available. So you could only choose a level 4 option at level 7, a level 7 option at level 10, ect.

[Graypairofsocks]

It may or may not be breaking the intended spirit of the feat, but apparently you can Awaken the Animal Cohort.

[Donny_Green]

It may or may not be breaking the intended spirit of the feat, but apparently you can Awaken the Animal Cohort.

And after awoken and cohorted, said animal has the qualifications to start gaining Professional Class levels.

We have a stupid little halfling knight with a riding dog with levels of barbarian.

[Snownine]

It says right in the feat description that you can choose more powerful animals down the road, you just have to treat yourself as a druid three levels lower than your character level to determine what choices you have available. So you could only choose a level 4 option at level 7, a level 7 option at level 10, ect.

That is why I said in the original post that I would have to wait until level 7 for a wolverine, because it is a level 4 druid companion.

[Graypairofsocks]

We have a stupid little halfling knight with a riding dog with levels of barbarian.

One question: is the dog smarter than him?

[Suteinu]

My daughter plays a Ranger, currently 4th level. Her Animal Companion is a wolf, but she wanted to expand the "pack" with the Wild Cohort feat. She wants a dire-wolf in addition to her Animal Companion, so for now her "dire-wolf" uses wolf stats, saying it is a cub. When she reaches the appropriate level for a dire-wolf Wild Cohort, the stats will be changed accordingly. One wolf, one dire-wolf, couple of PrC's, one happy daughter.

Maybe you can use badger/wolverine stats the same way?

[Coidzor]

Do Wolves have Scent?

IIRC, everything with the Animal Type will have Scent and Low-light vision.

Edit: Well, no, just the Low-light vision. Scent still seems to be fairly common amongst the animals worth investigating though.

[hymer]

IIRC, everything with the Animal Type will have Scent and Low-light vision.

Most do, I think, but its not quite universal. Aquatic creatures like manta rays and crocs don't have scent (sharks have something called keen scent instead), nor do MM1 bats or birds. Snakes don't have low-light vision. There are probably more examples.

[animewatcha]

I am thinking fleshraker as druid animal companion with the animal cohort of that raptor cousin beside the fleshraker. Main thing is that it can blind every few rounds.

[Coidzor]

I am thinking fleshraker as druid animal companion with the animal cohort of that raptor cousin beside the fleshraker. Main thing is that it can blind every few rounds.

The Swindlespitter?

[dascarletm]

One question: is the dog smarter than him?

I assume yes, and also that he has a time machine. The dog also has poor eyesight due to flaws, but compensates using glasses.

[Snownine]

My daughter plays a Ranger, currently 4th level. Her Animal Companion is a wolf, but she wanted to expand the "pack" with the Wild Cohort feat. She wants a dire-wolf in addition to her Animal Companion, so for now her "dire-wolf" uses wolf stats, saying it is a cub. When she reaches the appropriate level for a dire-wolf Wild Cohort, the stats will be changed accordingly. One wolf, one dire-wolf, couple of PrC's, one happy daughter.

Maybe you can use badger/wolverine stats the same way?


I really like that idea, it might be worth bringing it up with my DM.

[Donny_Green]

One question: is the dog smarter than him?

Hmmm, not sure about smarter. Probably wiser, and definitely way more awesome.