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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Bremerton, WA
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    Male

    Default Druid animal companion

    I am currently playing a level 3 human druid and was wondering about the animal companion. Next level I plan on getting the leopard and was looking at changing the feats and skills around. I plan on dropping alertness for leap of the heavens (PHB2) and then picking up leap attack when I'm higher level. Would it be worth keeping weapon finesse or trading that out for power attack to get leap attack earlier? Or should I just ignore leap of the heavens? Not allowed to have dinosaurs as animal companions.

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    Titan in the Playground
     
    tyckspoon's Avatar

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    Nov 2007
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    Indianapolis
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    Default Re: Druid animal companion

    Drop Weapon Finesse. It's only a 1-point difference in AB over using Strength.. I'd probably trade it for Multiattack, since on a charge or other full attack sequence you should be looking at 4 secondary attacks. Getting the to-hit on those up to a respectable number is going to do more for you than putting Power Attack in there at this point.

    Let's see.. yeah, I'd skip Leap of the Heavens. Your best immediate returns for damage output would be Multiattack and either Power Attack (if you use buffs on your companion to increase its to-hit) or maybe Improved Natural Attack: Claw, which should carry through to the Rakes as well. You won't be getting a third feat on the Leopard until Druid level 9, at which point you'd likely be better off swapping for a Tiger or a Brown Bear.

  3. - Top - End - #3
    Halfling in the Playground
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    Apr 2008
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    Bremerton, WA
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    Male

    Default Re: Druid animal companion

    The problem with multiattack is that it would only raise the bite attack's to hit and the leopard would not qualify for improved natural attack until druid level 9.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Titan in the Playground
     
    tyckspoon's Avatar

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    Default Re: Druid animal companion

    The leopard specifically has Bite as primary, so the claws+rake would benefit from Multiattack. That reverses on the large cats, and I agree that it wouldn't be worth taking on them. You're right about INA; I always forget about the BAB requirement on that.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
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    Bremerton, WA
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    Default Re: Druid animal companion

    Your right about the leopard's attacks, thanks.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Titan in the Playground
    Join Date
    Dec 2004

    Default Re: Druid animal companion

    From the Druid Animal Companion class feature: "A 1st-level druid’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below." That means it has the typical feats and skill points as printed, you can't switch them around.

    An animal companion gets Multiattack for free at Druid 9, so you don't need to spend a feat on it. Be sure you take Natural Bond from Complete Adventurer to negate the 'level -3' for a more powerful companion.

    Since you can't get dinosaurs, consider a Dire Eagle from Races of Stone. It gets three attacks/round, 10 ft. reach, and it's big enough for you to use it as a flying mount. If your DM is letting you switch around feats, give it Improved Flight from Races of the Wild, and enough cross-class ranks in Spellcraft (anything can be trained to recognize what a spell looks like) to take Mage Slayer from Complete Mage.

    Edit: You could also get the feat Celestial Companion from BoED to get a Celestial (Int 3, good aligned) animal companion. It can then take Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty, and gain benefits as though it were wearing gear appropriate to a character of a level equal to its HD. This is extremely cheesy and likely to invoke the wrath of a DM, but it's definitely worth using if you can get away with it.
    Last edited by Biffoniacus_Furiou; 2010-05-02 at 09:13 PM.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Halfling in the Playground
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Bremerton, WA
    Gender
    Male

    Default Re: Druid animal companion

    The dm is allowing me to switch around feats and skills.

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