Druid Giving up Animal Companion

[Kesnit]

I am about to start a new 3.5 game (no Pathfinder) and am playing a Daggerspell Shaper. (Well, I will once I have enough levels to take the PrC.) It hit me today that DSS does not advance a Druid's Animal Companion. Rather than having a class feature that will stop progressing (and be stuck at LVL 5), I would like to find something that I can use to replace my AC.

I found The Druid Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=1354.0), but the only options I see are Druid Avenger (which loses spontaneous casting as well as AC) and Shapeshifter (which I cannot use since DSS requires wild shape). I cannot use Shifter Druid since the game is Skyrim themed and we can only use races that would be in Skyrim.

I've considered asking the DM if I can advance my AC anyway (since I am using a basic cat for fluff reasons and don't plan to use it for combat), but I would rather not go that route since the DM is my wife, and this is a new group for us. (I don't want the other players think I am getting special treatment since I am married to the DM.)

[Rebel7284]

There is a feat that can give you spontaneous summoning back if you really need it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Take Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a), dismiss both your animal companion and your animal cohort, and recruit a new companion that benefits from both. You'll need to be 7th level to get a 'level -3' companion such as a Fleshraker or Dire Eagle that benefits from Wild Cohort, but its benefits are still only at -3.

[Kesnit]

There is a feat that can give you spontaneous summoning back if you really need it.

I don't have any available feat slots until LVL 12. (We're starting at 5.)
LVL 1: Either TWF or WF (Dagger)
LVL 3: Weapon Finesse
LVL 6: Whichever feat I didn't take at LVL 1
LVL 9: Natural Spell

[Rebel7284]

You can use feycrafted weapons instead of weapon finesse if you are fighting outside of wildshape. In wildshape, more animals have nice strength anyway... You can also pick up two weapon fighting from Gloves of the Balanced Hand in MIC.

[A.A.King]

If you're going to get a cat anyway, you could trade away the Animal Companion feature for the Urban Companion feature from the Cityscape Web Enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a). The Urban Companion feature basically gives you a familiar like a Wizard/Sorcerer would with a few small changes.

The Cat Familiar of a 5th level Wizard is better then the Cat Animal Companion of a 5th level Druid for scouting purposes. The best thing is that a familiar keeps getting hit points and Base Attack Bonus based on the master's level instead of his own hit die

[Segev]

This may not help, but do recall that your animal companion still shares your spells and can take Personal-range spells. Perhaps you can make up for it not advancing with a surfeit of buffs? And, at level 12, you can pick up Natural Bond, which gives you +4 levels of animal companion (as long as that doesn't bring your animal companion levels over your real levels).

[Catalysis]

If you're going to get a cat anyway, you could trade away the Animal Companion feature for the Urban Companion feature from the Cityscape Web Enhancement (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a). The Urban Companion feature basically gives you a familiar like a Wizard/Sorcerer would with a few small changes.

The Cat Familiar of a 5th level Wizard is better then the Cat Animal Companion of a 5th level Druid for scouting purposes. The best thing is that a familiar keeps getting hit points and Base Attack Bonus based on the master's level instead of his own hit die

Yep, your urban companion gets 3/4 your hp, your BAB, your skill ranks, and your base saves. It scales pretty well. Think about taking 7 levels of druid and than taking exalted familiar to get a coure eladrin, they are awesome!

Have fun,

Catalysis