Need help improving my anymal companion

[Max Caysey]

Hi...

So, I need some help improving my animal companion for a low op, low level campaign, set in a urban environment. I play an Urban Ranger, and I have chosen a dog as companion, I'm level 4

I would like to have suggestions for:


Feats
Items
Class options
Miscellaneous


I'm aware that at my current level, not many options exist. I'm also aware that in a low op campaign, not many options should perhaps be exploited, but I would like to know what might be out there for me to get.

Cheers!
Some years ago, I was fairly well versed in animal companions, but alas... haven't touched upon it in a long time, thus the plea for help :smallredface:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Your companion should be a Riding Dog (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dogRiding.htm) that's trained for war, which gives it a trip special attack.

You should take the feat Natural Bond in Complete Adventurer, which will help catch up your effective Druid level for the companion's benefits.

You should say you used Handle Animal to give it the Warbeast template in MM2.

It will gain skill points and feats as it gains hit dice. It should put enough cross-class ranks into Spellcraft to take Mage Slayer in Complete Arcane.

[Gorthawar]

Your companion should be a Riding Dog (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dogRiding.htm) that's trained for war, which gives it a trip special attack.

...

If you want an animal companion that fights for you do what he said. You could add some TOB stances or maneuvers to your dog as well.

An alternative that I quite like especially for an urban ranger is the Urban Companion (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a) which is a slightly improved familiar. Check with your DM how it interacts with improved familiar and you might have some very interesting options. But even standard choices like the raven are pretty good scouts / helpers when they use your 6+int skill ranks per level.

[bean illus]

... my animal companion for a low op, low level campaign, set in a urban environment. I play an Urban Ranger, and I have chosen a dog as companion, I'm level 4

I would like to have suggestions for:


Feats
Items
Class options
Miscellaneous


What race is the character? What does it specialize in? Why riding dog?

Dog is fine, but you can't ride it unless you're a size smaller? Either way, you can train more than one, and use them to flank, trip, confuse attention on your companion, etc.

At low level and low op you won't have many feats to spend, so the package reccomended is probably what you can afford. Maybe a cheap AC or save boost item.

Urban Companion acf
Warbeast template
Natural Bond feat
Train a pack

There's a 1 level dip in Totem Druid that grants 2 companion levels, and wildshape into your totem?

Wild Plains Outrider is an Animal Companion PrC with full BAB.

Wild Cohort feat is character HD based, and entirely separate from Ranger/Druid levels.

Animal Growth is a Ranger 4 spell. You could get a wand?



It will gain skill points and feats as it gains hit dice. It should put enough cross-class ranks into Spellcraft to take Mage Slayer in Complete Arcane.

Will it? Gain feats?

[NotASpiderSwarm]

Will it? Gain feats?
Animal Companions gain feats and skills through advancing HD just like they would as normal animals.

OP, grab the Natural Bond feat, which will let you have a Druid-level AC for a couple levels. Are you set on a Riding Dog? With that feat, you can get a leopard*, fluff it as a Maine Cat/American Longhair(larger than a halfling and smarter than the party fighter), stick a studded leather shirt on it, and go wild. For the future, look at the Beastmaster PRC from Complete Adventurer, which gets you +4 to your animal companion level for the cost of 1 useless entry feat and 1 level.

Now, on actually advancing the AC: In practical terms, you're only getting 1 feat and a handful of skill points by the time either the character, the companion, or the game dies. If your companion has a Claw/Claw/Bite routine, the feat's going to be Multiattack**, nothing else comes close. Otherwise, there's a handful of options, but don't bother with Martial Study. Grab Knockdown, Combat Reflexes, Weapon Finesse, Light Armor Proficiency* or the like. Bog-standard fighter options for killing things, no need to be fancy. Same with skill points, you get 1 per HD and the AC is proficient in basically nothing, so while you CAN go cross-class in Tumble, in all likelihood, just pumping them into the already-good Hide or Jump check is probably perfectly fine.

*Or a wolverine, bear, or similar, there's a few good lvl 4 ACs, but leopard is the best non-cheesy option.
**Yes, it gets multiattack as a bonus feat. At Druid level 9. You're a ranger, that's a long way off.
***Mithral Breastplate, if you have money to burn

[Khedrac]

Why riding dog?
Because a riding dog is 2HD compared to a basic dog at 1HD. It also has far better stats (16 str) and is comfortably the best druid 1 companion.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Why riding dog?

A Riding Dog (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dogRiding.htm) (guard dog, war dog) is medium size and 2 HD, a dog (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dog.htm) (lap dog, pupper) is small size and 1 HD. There's no reason to get the miniature version over the one that's widely considered to be the best 1st level companion available.

[bean illus]

Why riding dog?



Because a riding dog is 2HD compared to a basic dog at 1HD. It also has far better stats (16 str) and is comfortably the best druid 1 companion.

Well, yeah ... , but ...



Why riding dog?



A Riding Dog (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dogRiding.htm) (guard dog, war dog) is medium size and 2 HD, a dog (https://www.d20srd.org/srd/monsters/dog.htm) (lap dog, pupper) is small size and 1 HD.

Well, yeah ... . That's all good, but ...
That's not really what i asked.


What race is the character? What does it specialize in? Why riding dog?

Dog is fine, ... (etc) ...

Though i could have repeated "riding", what i was asking is "what does the character specialize in?

So, a ranger that's small enough can ride a riding dog, or enlarge it. And can Handle Animal on another+ riding dog(s).

You can also (i believe) Wild Cohort a mount, and it's advancement is independent of druid level, while still gaining Urban Companion and Natural Bond. I like the owl's scouting skills.

While you're at it, train another owl also. These duplicate companions are a confusion to your target, effectively a non magic mirror image. Anyone who wants to target your companion needs to choose which owl, or which dog.

Which is not how people usually do it, hence why I was asking what the character specializes in. Thanks. I hope you helped me be more clear.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

In a few levels, purchase a trained war beast (MMII) titanic (MMII) riding dog and a shrink collar (10,000 gp, A&EG). Now it's Small sized, but it has 25 HD and still has the stats of a Ginormous Gargantuan riding dog. The dog is cheap. The collar, not so much.

Feel free to take off the collar when you're outside and need to ride someplace fast.

[Batcathat]

In a few levels, purchase a trained war beast (MMII) titanic (MMII) riding dog and a shrink collar (10,000 gp, A&EG). Now it's Small sized, but it has 25 HD and still has the stats of a Ginormous Gargantuan riding dog. The dog is cheap. The collar, not so much.

If you do this, you should look into changing its appearance into a chihuahua or some other silly interesting looking small dog, the visuals (well, "imagined visuals" since it's role playing) of a chihuahua tearing through your enemies would be kinda funny.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

If you do this, you should look into changing its appearance into a chihuahua or some other silly interesting looking small dog, the visuals (well, "imagined visuals" since it's role playing) of a chihuahua tearing through your enemies would be kinda funny.We have three chihuahuas right now. Two are sweet as can be. The other can be, but she's also really, really neurotic. She's wearing holes in the carpet with how much she chases her tail trying to eat it.

I think her tail is scared of her. It keeps running away.

[Biggus]

The spells Enrage Animal (SpC) and Magic Fang (PHB) might be worth considering. The latter can be made permanent if you can afford it and can find a Wizard willing to cast it.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

The spells Enrage Animal (SpC) and Magic Fang (PHB) might be worth considering. The latter can be made permanent if you can afford it and can find a Wizard willing to cast it.It's great for monks and their little dog unarmed strikes, too, so if you have a level in monk and Share Spells with your companion, you can get two for the price of one.

[PoeticallyPsyco]

You should say you used Handle Animal to give it the Warbeast template in MM2.

The rules aren't clear on whether Warbeast is an inherited template or an acquired one. The fluff implies inherited, but if your DM rules acquired the template is a great way to improve an animal companion's stats and capabilities.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

We have three chihuahuas right now. Two are sweet as can be. The other can be, but she's also really, really neurotic. She's wearing holes in the carpet with how much she chases her tail trying to eat it.

I think her tail is scared of her. It keeps running away.Oh, and for anyone wondering...

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49732208083_c226ed2a24_c.jpg

[bean illus]

The rules aren't clear on whether Warbeast is an inherited template or an acquired one. The fluff implies inherited, but if your DM rules acquired the template is a great way to improve an animal companion's stats and capabilities.

I've heard that. I believe the idea comes from

Bred for exceptional strength, aggression, and surefootedness, ...

But it clearly is an acquired template, as all 3 examples include training. Warbeast can be trained from "any Medium-size or larger animal, beast, or vermin". I would argue, though, that all prospective warbeast need average or above HP, etc, as per "exceptional".

There's this ...

If the base creature is a domestic animal, the creature need no(t) be specially reared, but it must be trained for two months (Handle Animal DC 20) to develop its abilities.

I read it as 'can be applied to exceptional domestic animals', which a druid or ranger should have no trouble picking (and paying extra for) from from the corral.

[Max Caysey]

Thank you all for your replies...

I play a human, since its a primerilly human settlement, I'm playing a local "Bountyhunter" dude...

I had forgotten about a lot of the things mentioned here. Especially the Warbeast template, which I'm going to apply and argue for through my backstory, which I'm required to write... since I'm joining the groupd later, as in 6 sessions in...

Since its a low op campaign, I probably wont be getting a Titanic creature and shrinking that down... its a super cool trick, but I think some heavy frowning would come my way from me DM if I suggest that... Also, Urban Ranger, from standard can only have up to medium sized animal... so I'm propbably going to (in light of the campagn level of optimization be keeping the Riding Dog, trying to get the Warbeast Template and training it for Hunting as per the Handle Animal skill...

I would love to give it Knock-Down, but it requires Improved Trip, which in turn requires Combat Expertise, which again requires 13 int. My dog has Int 2, so thats out... I'm probably just going to give it Weapon Focus (Bite) at HD 3, and at HD 6 give it Improved Natural Attack..: I know thats not very interesting or creative, but I kind of feel that thats it... unlesss I go down some higher levels of optimizations... which does not fit this particular group well... I say group, when I really mean campagn. All the players are pretty hard core optimizers normally, including the DM, but they wanted to try something a little differently... so its probably run at a level equal to the NPCs in the printed material...

I'm unsure whether I'll be taking Natural Bond or Improved Favored Enemy at level 6... Both seem to fit the Bountyhunter concept well enough... But I'm torn. I definatly see a very good argument for taking Natural Bond, but I also might not want to place all my proverbial eggs in the Animal Companion basket... So the jury's still out on that... It will depent on how the animal fares now... if it can keep up I'll probably go Improved Favored Enemy if the dog suck, I'll probably go Natural Bond...