Feats for a Pseudodragon that has gained HD?

[Crichton]

Got a player who's playing an Avenger (not the prestige assassin Avenger, the variant Paladin class from Dragon 310).

The Avenger class trades the Paladin's special mount for an 'animal minion' that can serve as a scout, combatant, or guardian. The only limitations it puts on them is that the minion must be equal in size or smaller than the character, since they cannot be used as mounts. In all other ways it advances as per the Paladin mount advancement rules.

So the player has chosen a pseudodragon as her animal minion, and is now at level 5, so the pseudodragon gets 2 more HD, and thus, another feat. But what feat is good for a pseudodragon to take? I'm kind of at a loss. Combat damage is crap. The poison is great but is only a sleep effect, so maybe something that'll boost attack rolls? Don't see any obvious way to boos the poison's save DC. Or something sneaky, like Darkstalker?


I need help brainstorming for ideas to pitch. Y'all got any good ones?

[DrMotives]

You can boost the poison DC with the ability focus feat. It's on the SRD and in the MM, but not the player's handbook or dmg. I do have a pseudodragon DMPC with "awaken frightful presence" from Draconomicon, mostly because it's funny that every time a cat-sized creature attacks it triggers a fear save in opponents.

[Thurbane]

Mindsight (LoM p.126) is pretty nice: good for defense, hard for most creatures to get within 60 feet of you without you knowing.

Just FYI, unless the ACFs allow for something different, a Pseudodragon doesn't qualify to be an Animal Companion. Has the DM/you approved it?

[Bronk]

I'll second both the Mindsight feat and that you're being very nice allowing the pseudodragon as an Animal Minion.

Beyond that, maybe Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty? That'll save money equipping it, and the Avenger basically has to keep their chaotic good alignment up anyway, and would require that of their mount. Then just start taking all the exalted feats it qualifies for while it racks up the bonuses. When it gets to have an ability score increase, take it in constitution to boost the poison DC.

Then for the general feats, beyond mindsight, darkstalker, and the other usual things, they can take martial study and stance feats for more usefulness.

[Deophaun]

The poison DC will scale with HD, so it's now DC 15 (1/2 HD + Con + Racial bonus).

As for feats, anything that helps it with UMD. Giving it a wand of snake's swiftness goes a long way to helping out a beatstick.

And yeah, the thing about the animal minion is that it be, you know, an animal, not a dragon, not an aberration, not Pun-Pun...

[Crichton]

Just FYI, unless the ACFs allow for something different, a Pseudodragon doesn't qualify to be an Animal Companion. Has the DM/you approved it?


And yeah, the thing about the animal minion is that it be, you know, an animal, not a dragon, not an aberration, not Pun-Pun...

Yeah. Decided that a 2HD, CR1 pseudodragon wasn't too far out of line for a trade for the usual 4HD heavy warhorse, even taking progression into account. Knowing the group, not gonna be too crazy high OP