Rapidstrike

[Fizban]

So, I was just wondering: why can't animals take the rapidstrke feat? It'd be great for animal companions, and I don't see any reason except that the designers decided it should only apply to "monstrous" forms.

Further more, why not allow it for single natural weapons? The creature still needs to spend a feat and have a high BAB to get the extra attacks, and while it'd make say a T-Rex a lot more intimidating, it'd be nice to make some of the classic animal companions (wolf) useful at high levels.

Thoughts?

[Ramza00]

Because animal companions don't need a boost. Rapidstrike was designed as a npc feat but it wasn't made one directly.

[Ranis]

What feat is this? What's it do?

[Fizban]

Rapidstrike and Improved Rapidstrike, from the Draconomicon.

Think like two-weapon fighting for natural attacks, in that they provide extra attacks at a penalty. The catch is they require the creature to be of a certain type, and can only be used with pairs of natural weapons (2 claws, 2 wings, etc).

Now, I've always liked the wolf as the classic animal companion, but even the dire wolf lags at higher levels by not having extra attacks. It only ever has one. Rapidstrike gives a way for monsters to get extra attacks with natural weapons, but it annoys me that to do so, they must already have multiple attacks. There is no way short of haste and AOO's to give the wolf more attacks.

Checking the tables, an animal companion couldn't even qualify for rapidstrike until it's 15th hit die, which wouldn't even come before epic, so I guess it's moot.

Grrr, how to fix this...

[JaronK]

You can always give your animal companion Improved Unarmed Strike/Superior Unarmed Strike. Unarmed Strikes can have iterative attacks.

JaronK

[marjan]

Now, I've always liked the wolf as the classic animal companion, but even the dire wolf lags at higher levels by not having extra attacks.

Not quite true. Wolf does get second attack when the druid reaches 9th lvl instead multiattack. Although it is at -5 an attack is still an attack.

[AtomicKitKat]

Nod. Animal Companions already get a pseudo Rapidstrike.

(Improved) Rapidstrike are fairly unclear though. What happens if you have 3 limbs(Athach)? Four? What qualifies as a "pair"?

[Logic]

Not quite true. Wolf does get second attack when the druid reaches 9th lvl instead multiattack. Although it is at -5 an attack is still an attack.
Every attack is at -5 from the one before it (There are some exceptions such as the Monk's Flurry of Blows, and Two Weapon Fighting)

Is there some reason you feel inclined to mention that the second attack is at -5 from the one previous?

[marjan]

Yes there is. Since it was mentioned that other companions get more natural attacks and some of them get two primary attacks (both without penalty) I just wanted to mention that it is not quite as good as it could be.