Animal Companion as a weapon

[jorgelrr]

One of my players recently had a character slain and decided to create a druid, and he asked me to help him create a build in wich he could use his animal companion as a weapon. I've done a little research and i've found no way to do this to his animal companion(probably a snake or something small) without also killing the poor thing in the process....
Anyone knows how to do this? is there a way to make this concept work?

[Troacctid]

You could be an Urban Druid and literally have an animated weapon as your companion.

If you want your companion to be a ray gun instead of a bludgeon, you can also Share Soulmeld + Dissolving Spittle. Or take two levels of Totemist for Share Soulmeld + Manticore Belt and make them a machine gun.

[SangoProduction]

You can use them as an improvised weapon of its size, and weapons often don't take damage from being used as weapons. If in Pathfinder, then be a Resourceful Halfling, and go to town.

In 3.5, you can take Drunken Master, along with Fist of the Forest, and take some unarmed damage items like Monk's Belt. Wild Cohort will let you get another companion. "None may match my Twin Catanas!"

[Allanimal]

In 3.5, you can take Drunken Master, along with Fist of the Forest, and take some unarmed damage items like Monk's Belt. Wild Cohort will let you get another companion. "None may match my Twin Catanas!"

Trouble with drunken master is that when you roll a 1, “that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless.”

So have some spare animals handy, like a bag of tricks.

[Zaq]

An animal actually as a weapon? I'm reminded of this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20372695&postcount=223) delightful off-the-wall idea from our beloved daremetoidareyo:


Imagine, for a moment, a medusa spellthief watching an ogre in the distance. She takes a moment, casts delay death her dung snake familiar, and then proceeds to smash its skull with a hammer. She then huffs the fumes, shapes a soulmeld and invests a little essencia everywhere, unleashes a soulspark familar maxed all out and then...

Titillated by the noise, the ogre approaches.

The spellthief picks up her limp dungsnake, and because she's proficient in "snakes", whacks him with the husk, modified by bloodwar gauntlet (+1 damage per essencia filled up), incarnate avatar (+2 melee damage filled up), and indigo strikes (essencia *2 additional damage) the dude with the soul spark flanking. I don't know how much damage a snake takes when being used as the WEAPON for a sneak attack, but I'm sure that it takes some damage. Which in turn...Well you know, you get all that essencia again...because the power activates "Whenever you reduce a living creature to —10 or fewer hit points with a sneak attack", the living creature being the disabled snake in your hands, as well as possibly the ogre itself...

Share soulmeld + Healing soul can be used to make your snake based weaponry gain a bunch of HP back as a swift action, although this would be...feat intensive.

The original context was Thief of Life, so I believe that this medusa was assumed to have Thief of Life levels. Which is the source of the "whenever you reduce a living creature to –10 or fewer HP with a sneak attack" ability in question. But either way. Medusas are proficient with snakes.

[Darrin]

You can use them as an improvised weapon of its size, and weapons often don't take damage from being used as weapons. If in Pathfinder, then be a Resourceful Halfling, and go to town.


This is what I was going to suggest. Check out my King of Pong (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?107248-3-5-quot-King-of-Pong-quot-Hulking-Hurler-Dungeon-Crasher-War-Mind-Mashup) build for ideas. Improved Grab + Hulking Hurler means you can pick up your mount/animal companion as a touch attack and throw it as an improvised weapon. Improvised projectiles in D&D don't take any damage.

[Anthrowhale]

Races of Stone has the "Fling Ally" feat. This isn't precisely attacking with the AC, but it would let you hurl an AC to a square up to 100' (with improved rock hurling) away where they could then attack on their own. No AOOs are incurred and this costs no actions from the AC, so this is sort of like a short range teleport.

[SangoProduction]

Trouble with drunken master is that when you roll a 1, “that weapon breaks apart and becomes useless.”

So have some spare animals handy, like a bag of tricks.

Ah. Be a chaos gnome then. Even if you were concerned, they are easily replaceable lol.

[daremetoidareyo]

if you can choose feats for the animal companion, you can have it nab blood spikes charger feat from phb2.


Spiked Avalanche: When you are using the charge action while wearing spiked armor and carrying either a spiked shield or nothing in your hands, you throw yourself into the air, transforming yourself into a deadly, spiked projectile.

give mount spiked armor, ride your mount, make it charge, swift action masters touch to become proficient in the use of the spiked projectile, the animal attacks, and you attack with the animal as a weapon.

[Celestia]

You could always use some bear-chucks. (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Bear-chucks_(3.5e_Equipment))

[Ellrin]

You could always use some bear-chucks. (http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/Bear-chucks_(3.5e_Equipment))

And it's a light weapon, so you could get away with TWF without taking much of a penalty.

[Jormengand]

Races of Stone has the "Fling Ally" feat. This isn't precisely attacking with the AC, but it would let you hurl an AC to a square up to 100' (with improved rock hurling) away where they could then attack on their own. No AOOs are incurred and this costs no actions from the AC, so this is sort of like a short range teleport.

This is great in conjunction with Deliver Touch Spells, but animal companions don't get that. I know there's a way to combine your paladin mount with your animal companion, but there might be a way to give it a familiar's abilities too.

[jorgelrr]

An animal actually as a weapon? I'm reminded of this (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showsinglepost.php?p=20372695&postcount=223) delightful off-the-wall idea from our beloved daremetoidareyo:



The original context was Thief of Life, so I believe that this medusa was assumed to have Thief of Life levels. Which is the source of the "whenever you reduce a living creature to –10 or fewer HP with a sneak attack" ability in question. But either way. Medusas are proficient with snakes.

This is probably one the funniest and at the same time wicked things i've seen :smallbiggrin: but is there a medusa playable race in 3.5? i dont know where it is.


This is what I was going to suggest. Check out my King of Pong (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?107248-3-5-quot-King-of-Pong-quot-Hulking-Hurler-Dungeon-Crasher-War-Mind-Mashup) build for ideas. Improved Grab + Hulking Hurler means you can pick up your mount/animal companion as a touch attack and throw it as an improvised weapon. Improvised projectiles in D&D don't take any damage.

Right now im going with half giant 1 level druid for animal companion and fighter, hulking huller and warmind, inspired by the build quoted above. But my friend said he would prefer to be hitting in melee. so, could i maybe work something like Druid 1/Monk 2/fighter 2/ drunken master 1 and then sacred fist or something? any help or better ideas how to this melee? he could then pick power attack or go with flurry of blows(power attack seems better).

[Anthrowhale]

This is great in conjunction with Deliver Touch Spells, but animal companions don't get that. I know there's a way to combine your paladin mount with your animal companion, but there might be a way to give it a familiar's abilities too.

Arcane Hierophant's Channel Animal seems to work.

[Darrin]

This is probably one the funniest and at the same time wicked things i've seen :smallbiggrin: but is there a medusa playable race in 3.5? i dont know where it is.


Savage Species pp. 184-185.

However, Monster Class Levels lock you into that progression until you've finished them. That being said... Medusa isn't one of the worst. You get 10 character levels to play around with after you're done with Medusa.



Right now im going with half giant 1 level druid for animal companion and fighter, hulking huller and warmind, inspired by the build quoted above. But my friend said he would prefer to be hitting in melee. so, could i maybe work something like Druid 1/Monk 2/fighter 2/ drunken master 1 and then sacred fist or something? any help or better ideas how to this melee? he could then pick power attack or go with flurry of blows(power attack seems better).

Druid 1/Monk 1/Fighter 2/Drunken Master 2 might be better... I like to pick up Stagger because when you don't charge in a straight line, you can literally charge every single round. So load up on Power Attack, Shock Trooper, and Leap Attack. If I'm trying to pick up my animal companion and hit things with it, then I might want to stick with Druid, then Wild Shape into a legendary ape. With Str 30 and the Natural Heavyweight feat (Planar Handbook), you can bench-press most large animals, such as a bison or brown bear. You could also replace the Druid with Wild Shape Ranger (Unearthed Arcana). If you need to get Improved Grab in there, add the amphibious template (Stormwrack, -2 Dex) to go into Scaled Horror (Savage Species).

There's also a 3.0 PrC in Dragon #295 called "Brawler" that grants proficiency with all improvised weapons. This would include animal companions. Prereqs are not so pleasant, though: BAB +7, Intimidate 5, Alertness, Combat Reflexes, IUS.