Expanding Handle Animal Targets

[Curelomosaurus]

I'm trying to make Handle Animal apply to as many things as possible.

By the PHB, it works on anything with Int 1 or 2, albeit with a penalty for non-animals, IIRC. Dragon Trainer lets you use it to train dragons with Int 6 or less, though I don't think you can handle them with it. Handle Humanoid lets you do similar things to Handle Animal, but it works on any giant, humanoid, or monstrous humanoid.

Are there any other ways to get Handle Animal or similar stuff to apply to intelligent creatures, or to reduce the penalties associated with handling a non-animal?

[ShurikVch]

Arachnomancer (Drow of the Underdark) at 1st level get +5 bonus on Handle Animal checks with spiders

Beast Heart Adept (Dungeonscape) at 1st level can make Handle Animal checks with Magical Beasts and Aberrations without penalties (still Int 1 or 2 only)

Vermin Keeper (Underdark) at 1st level can apply Handle Animal skill to Vermin

Feats:
Arachnid Rider (Races of Faerûn) allow to use the Handle Animal skill to affect Monstrous Spiders up to Large size
Vermin Trainer (Drow of the Underdark) allow to use the Handle Animal skill to handle and train vermin as if they were animals with Int 1
[Creature Type] Trainer (Arms and Equipment Guide):

Benefit
When you take this feat, choose a type of creature other than animal or beast. You may rear and train creatures of that type, using the Handle Animal skill, as if they were beasts, provided their Intelligence score is 4 or lower.

Special
You can gain this feat multiple times. Its effects do not stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a new creature type. Exceptions: This feat does not increase the DCs for training creatures presented in the Monster Manual, such as the pegasus. However, it lowers them when appropriate.

[Psyren]

Pathfinder has the Train Plants feat as well as the Headband of Vermin Control.

[TheCount]

Pendant of Draconic Empathy for dragons and Amulet of Aberrant Empathy for aberrations. from Complete Adventurer, p134 and p132 respectively.

Beast Tamer's Circle Soulmeld from Magic or incarnum, p60 lets you TALK with both normal and magical beasts..... so not exactly what you want.

and the above mentioned PRCs.

[Curelomosaurus]

Pendant of Draconic Empathy for dragons and Amulet of Aberrant Empathy for aberrations. from Complete Adventurer, p134 and p132 respectively.

What do they do?

[Thurbane]

Pendant of Draconic Empathy for dragons and Amulet of Aberrant Empathy for aberrations. from Complete Adventurer, p134 and p132 respectively.

Nice find! Always love discovering items that didn't make it into the MIC.


What do they do?

The Amulet lets you use Handle Animal in place of Diplomacy for aberrations with 9 or less Int; the Pendant does the same for dragons of Int 11 or lower (you'd probably be better off with the Dragon Trainer feat for dragons).

So not exactly the full range of what you can do with Handle Animal, but you can use the skill to influence attitudes. Similar to Wild Empathy. Useful if you've maxed out HA and not Diplomacy.