pack mentality

[riddles]

reading up on the beastmaster class, i was trying to get some sort of effective build out of it.

using wild cohort, and 4 levels of beastmaster, i can get 3 animal companions. one will be almost as good as an animal companion (1HD off), one will be on the level of an animal companion and one will be a little way off.

now, halfling outrider advances animal companions - so 10 levels in that advances all three companions.

I'm thinking a halfling Wilderness Rogue/Ranger with rapid shot, mounted on a riding dog with a charger build (wild cohort), working with a brown bear grappler (first animal companion with natural bond twice) and a sneaky companion, like a snake or a hawk.

alternatively, i could weaken the brown bear and spend the natural bonds on the other animal companion to bring it up to speed as a wolf. using the bear to grapple, i'll get some sneak attack. using the bear and the wolf together with the dog, i should be tripping, grappling, charging and sneak attacking.

has anyone ever played anything like this?

[AdamSmasher]

I'd like to pitch in an idea.

Kobold druid/beastmaster (Or ranger with wildshape variant) with Wild cohort.

With wildshape, a pack of:

FOUR FLESHRAKERS.



Your idea could work really will and be pretty fun, but make sure you have some way to heal your animal friends.

[Stephen_E]

now, halfling outrider advances animal companions - so 10 levels in that advances all three companions.

Problems.

Check Wild Cohort. I vaguely recall it specifying you can't use this if you have an animal Companion or special mount.

Wild Cohort gives you an animal that is a companion. It doesn't give you an Animal Companion. Thus no advancement from Halfling Outrider.

Beastmaster specifically states that the additional Animal Companions gain no advancement from other classes that advance Animal Companions. Yes this majorly sucks and makes the class pretty dumb after lev 2, but it's RAW. ( I consider Beastmaster a classic example of the designer not thinking about who enters the prestige class, and what do they gain/lose compared to staying in the original class.)

Stephen E

[riddles]

you can have a wild cohort and an animal companion - no problem

wild cohort benefits are based on character level, rahter than any class levels - no problem

the prestige class design - massive problem. i guess it could be done with two animal companions, and the natural bonds get spread around so i can get better animal companions.

cheers stephen e!

[Person_Man]

I'm not a fan of Beastmaster. Your extra animal companions are just far too weak (Beastmaster level -3, -6, and -9) to be useful. IMO, Beast Heart Adept is a much better written PrC as you can use Monstrous Tactics to gain extra attacks even if your extra companion is weak.

If you're set on using Beastmaster though, I think the key is to enter with a class that has access to UMD (Alter Self, Polymorph, Animal Growth, etc). Buff and Share Spells.