Uses for Urban Companion

[FocusWolf413]

I'm getting a crow familiar instead of an elfhound companion at my next level. Besides flanking and spying, what should I use it for?

[The Viscount]

A raven speaks, so it can be used to relay messages. Note that a raven has 0 reach so cannot flank. Because it has ranks in everything you do, it can use aid another whenever you are using skills, and potentially expert assistance with enough ranks. On some checks, like tracking, it might be worth it to simply let the raven roll independently, and take the higher of the two.

The big other use for a raven people talk about is activating spell trigger items like wands, because it can speak. Wands of spells from your list can be used without checks, so if you have the spare cash it's a good use of the familiar.

[FocusWolf413]

I'm a little disappointed. I was told that I can't have the bird train a bird army with my handle animal skill, nor can it craft poisons or set traps.

Because of shenanigans, I have martial maneuvers instead of spells. It's a good trade off.

[tiercel]

The big other use for a raven people talk about is activating spell trigger items like wands, because it can speak. Wands of spells from your list can be used without checks, so if you have the spare cash it's a good use of the familiar.

Spell trigger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm#spellTrigger) items require the user to have the spell on his or her spell list, so a familiar/Urban Companion wouldn't normally be able to use wands anyway--without the master having ranks in Use Magic Device, at least. (This is where bards and beguilers, for example, get extra action economy out of Obtain Familiar, though having taken the Apprentice(spellcaster) feat from DMG II would help out an Urban Companion ranger.)

Command-word items work just fine . And a ranger's Urban Companion generally adds an extra scout to the party, with all of its master's Spot/Listen/Hide/Move Silently ranks, the latter two aided by the fact that is, actually, a bird (and less likely to draw the same retaliation if spotted that a spying humanoid might, for instance).

[Thurbane]

Even with ranks in UMD, you may want to check with your DM if a Raven can use a wand. I've seen it argued both ways that birds to not have the right manipulative appendages to wield a wand.

Personally, I think it would be perfectly reasonable, but I have seen others argue strongly against it (I desperately tried to convince the Conjuror in my current level 2 party to take a Raven familiar for the awesome, but he went with a Toad for 3 extra HP).