Regarding Wild Cohort feat...

[Baalzebub]

So I have a player who wants to take the Wild Cohort feat, here's the link to the feat (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd%2Fre%2F20031118a)

He is asking me, if he takes the feat at 6th level can he choose to have the wild cohort to appear when he reaches 7th level? He wants a dire badger.

Any help?

[Ellowryn]

Yes he can, although to be honest he can just take what is available to him now and the "trade out" the companion next level as it explicitly states it works like a druids/rangers AC.

[Baalzebub]

Yeah, well, he is 2nd level so I guess he is just planning ahead :smalltongue:

[eggynack]

Yes he can, although to be honest he can just take what is available to him now and the "trade out" the companion next level as it explicitly states it works like a druids/rangers AC.
It should work like that, but it probably doesn't. I don't think there's an explicit allowance to trade out wild cohorts, and the closest thing there is something saying that alternate cohorts work like alternate companions. That could just mean that you pick them the same way, however, rather than that you can swap for them. In any case, whether the rules are this way or not, just make them work this way. It's just the way the feat should operate.

[Psyren]

It should work like that, but it probably doesn't. I don't think there's an explicit allowance to trade out wild cohorts, and the closest thing there is something saying that alternate cohorts work like alternate companions. That could just mean that you pick them the same way, however, rather than that you can swap for them. In any case, whether the rules are this way or not, just make them work this way. It's just the way the feat should operate.

Well, by RAW once you have a feat (and meet its requirements) you gain the benefit - so even if your GM says you can't swap the companion, you can wait until level 7 and just slit your first companion's throat. A replacement animal should show up at some point, much like a cohort from Leadership (but without Leadership's cohort death penalty.) This is the same argument folks use if their psicrystal dies.