Author Topic: extra animal companion?  (Read 7498 times)

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Unbeliever

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extra animal companion?
« on: April 25, 2010, 04:04:38 AM »
Is there a way to get a second animal companion that isn't a ton of levels behind your level?  I know there are the Beastmaster, etc. type abilities, but the extra companions they give you are significantly weaker.  Combine w/ the natural bond feat to boost the weaker animal companions? 

My goal is to create a character who has a "pack" of wolves or hounds -- 2 would be enough to make me happy. 

Negative Zero

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #1 on: April 25, 2010, 04:10:54 AM »
Short answer: Yes.

Longer answer involves prestige classes I don't know off the top of my head.

PlzBreakMyCampaign

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #2 on: April 25, 2010, 06:22:18 AM »
As the reigning super mount record-holder I've looked.

Basically beastmaster is your best shot. There are other options, but they probably are not what you want at all.
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Nunkuruji

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #3 on: April 25, 2010, 11:50:23 AM »
Totem Druid

ninjarabbit

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #4 on: April 25, 2010, 12:43:21 PM »
The wild cohort feat gives you basically a slightly weaker animal companion

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Unbeliever

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #5 on: April 25, 2010, 02:25:59 PM »
Thanks, I had completely forgotten about Wild Cohort, although anything that is akin to leadership (mechanics-wise) is often dodgy in my gaming group.  That may be the most efficient way of doing it.

I'm not aiming for anything like a supermount build.  Right now, it actually looks like a fairly standard Druid w/ an animal companion focus -- buffing spells, companion spellbond, and some battlefield control and then let the ACs do the beating.  Probably w/ a dip into Beastmaster for better ACs (I know it' s suboptimal, but if I'm playing a druid hobbling it isn't an issue).  Was just hoping for a second AC. 

Havok4

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #6 on: April 25, 2010, 02:36:13 PM »
You could try the initiate of nature (PGtF) feat which lets you command animals which would let you keep a pack of animals around you under your control.

Unbeliever

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #7 on: April 25, 2010, 03:04:09 PM »
You could try the initiate of nature (PGtF) feat which lets you command animals which would let you keep a pack of animals around you under your control.
That certainly works for flavor, although it doesn't have the same buffing capacities of the Animal Companion route.  Although there is of course Animal Growth and the like. 

Hmmm ... I do wish there was simply an easier way of getting an extra AC, that way I could use identical stats for the two of them.  I might just trade my Wild Shape for it, if the DM will go for that, although I'd prefer a less horse trady option. 

Thanks.

Nunkuruji

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #8 on: April 25, 2010, 03:54:29 PM »
You could try the initiate of nature (PGtF) feat which lets you command animals which would let you keep a pack of animals around you under your control.

There's a 3rd level spell in PGTF for worshipers of Malar, let's you possess an animal, fwiw.

Chando

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #9 on: April 25, 2010, 08:26:06 PM »
Remember that you only get to Share Spells with your animal companion if you go beastmaster. But you do lose a caster level and a level of wildshape.
Beastmaster it is technically better then Wild Cohort in stats, you get one animal companion at your Level +3 and one at your Level. Maybe with nature bound you could make both be at your level +3, but thats probablly arguable.

Wild Cohort or the Initiate of Nature feats don't give you Share spells. Initiate of Nature beats the crap of Wild Cohort, but the later is simplier and therefore should be easier to get away with(without having to find the animals and fascinate/rebuke them).

That said, you can share spells with your main animal companion and cast spells like Animal Growth and the excelent Nature's Favor (Druid 2 swift action, SC) in your other animals, and they would be just as deadly.
And you could always summon some additional Dire wolves :P

Garryl

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #10 on: April 25, 2010, 09:11:12 PM »
Remember that you only get to Share Spells with your animal companion if you go beastmaster. But you do lose a caster level and a level of wildshape.

Share Spells works for normal animal companions. A Druid's companion gets it a 1st level, though you have to remain within 5 feet.
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ninjarabbit

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #11 on: April 25, 2010, 09:50:10 PM »
Now you got me thinking about my old hexblade wolfpack build

hexblade 20

1-wild cohort, power attack
3-practiced spellcaster
6-obtain familiar
9-improved familiar: winter wolf
12-improved toughness
15-minor shapeshift
18-brutal strike

1 dire wolf via wild cohort, 1 winter wolf, and the hound of doom spell gets you another dire wolf-type

Anklebite

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #12 on: April 25, 2010, 09:52:21 PM »
Now you got me thinking about my old hexblade wolfpack build

hexblade 20

1-wild cohort, power attack
3-practiced spellcaster
6-obtain familiar
9-improved familiar: winter wolf
12-improved toughness
15-minor shapeshift
18-brutal strike

1 dire wolf via wild cohort, 1 winter wolf, and the hound of doom spell gets you another dire wolf-type
needs leadership filled with wolves. the level 1's can be puppies.
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Chando

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #13 on: April 26, 2010, 03:41:45 AM »
Remember that you only get to Share Spells with your animal companion if you go beastmaster. But you do lose a caster level and a level of wildshape.

Share Spells works for normal animal companions. A Druid's companion gets it a 1st level, though you have to remain within 5 feet.
Well, that much is obvious :P
I was making a comparasion to the animals you get from Wild Cohort and the Initiate of Nature rebuke ability, none of wicht gain the share spells ability.

Ivory Knight

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #14 on: April 26, 2010, 07:43:09 AM »
Druids can get into Knight of the Raven(PrC from Expeditions to Castle Ravenloft)?
How about DMM: Persist some of your summoned (Dire-)Wolves?

For 2 Animal Companions you could use:
Druid/ Bard(UA-Variant Nature's Bard) /Arcane Hierophant /Fochlucan Lyrist(needs Evasion, various ways to get it)
Loses out on Wildshape, but gets some arcane spells(fit in Sublime Chord, if you want).

Brainpiercing

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #15 on: April 26, 2010, 10:20:23 AM »
Dragon Compendium has the Urban Druid which gets Charm monster as a 3rd level spell, 1 lower than normally. Of course the class is gimped due to an overall smaller spell list, but... Charm Monster is your easiest normal route for a herd of stuff, since it lasts days instead of just hours/level.

Unbeliever

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #16 on: April 26, 2010, 03:45:59 PM »
Druids can get into Knight of the Raven(PrC from Expeditions to Castle Ravenloft)?
How about DMM: Persist some of your summoned (Dire-)Wolves?

For 2 Animal Companions you could use:
Druid/ Bard(UA-Variant Nature's Bard) /Arcane Hierophant /Fochlucan Lyrist(needs Evasion, various ways to get it)
Loses out on Wildshape, but gets some arcane spells(fit in Sublime Chord, if you want).
There's also a druidy class in Libris Mortis I think who gets Turn Undead.  It all loses you a caster level, but what're you gonna do?

I was trying to find the Bard variant, but I couldn't remember what it was called.  Thanks.  I've always like Arcane Hierophant, and wouldn't mind making a build featuring it.  It will all depend on how complicated I want it to be, though a bit of arcane casting plus share spells could be really helpful ...  And, I don't think this type of concept loses too much in losing out on some Wildshape. 

Chando

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #17 on: April 27, 2010, 04:30:10 AM »

There's also a druidy class in Libris Mortis I think who gets Turn Undead.  It all loses you a caster level, but what're you gonna do?

If you are going to lose a level of druidic casting and wild shape to gain Turn Undead, might as well take a (closiastric) cleric dip and gain 1-3 devotion feats ou of it, or domain powers such as luck.

Surreal

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #18 on: April 27, 2010, 04:52:41 AM »
(closiastric)

That must be the most butchered spelling of "cloistered" I have ever seen...
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dark_samuari

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Re: extra animal companion?
« Reply #19 on: April 27, 2010, 05:01:13 AM »
What about wolflord from Complete Adventurer?