optimising a druids dire badger animal companion

[benjiamon]

Rewriting an old druid character who had a badger as an animal companion the DM reccomended I make it a dire badger and take the improved animal companion feat to compensate for the loss of 3 levels. Can you guys suggest any feats to increase the animal companions survivability. I know a dire badger is not as optimised as a flesh drake but at level 7 he should have 2 feats any suggestions?

[cru]

Dire badger (medium animal)
with 7 levels of effective druid AC progression
+4 HD, +4 NA, +2 str, +2 dex, stuff

HD: 7d8 + 28, ~60 hp

Abilities:
Str 16, Dex 20, Con 19
Int  2, Wis 12, Cha 10
(+2 Str, +2 Dex; +1 dex at 4 HD)

Saves:
dire animals have all saves good
base: 5/5/5; F9/R10/W6
evasion, devotion (+4 will)

AC 22: 10 + 5 dex + 7 natural
(increase either via barding or via mage armor (buy a first level Pearl of Power for your arcane spell caster friend))

Feats:
Track (B)
1 free (retrain alertness)
3 free (retrain toughness)
6 free
suggestions: reckless rage, mad foam rager, armor proficiency light, martial study/martial stance, mage slayer line, power attack

BAB/grapple: +5

Attacks: 2 claws +8 (1d4+3), bite +3 (1d6+1)
reckless rage: 2 claws +11 (1d4+6), bite +6 (1d6+3)
rage+bull's str: 2 claws +13 (1d4+8), bite +8 (1d6+4)
all+Gr.M.Fang: 2 claws +14 (1d4+9), bite +9 (1d6+5)
all and haste: 3 claws +15, bite +10
all and flank: 3 claws +17, bite +12

gear:
pearl of power 1000 gp (for mage armor) or leather barding
rod of extend lesser 3000 gp (for greater magic fang)
collar of healing (MIC, 5000 gp)

[BowenSilverclaw]

No need for Armor Prof., just get some armor without ACP

[Suin Bahhar]

Doesn't advancing in animal companion give increases in stats replacing the usual statbumps through normal Hit Dice advancement? So the one dexbump you gave it is lost. Not terribly bad for the build anyway.

[Anklebite]

Doesn't advancing in animal companion give increases in stats replacing the usual statbumps through normal Hit Dice advancement? So the one dexbump you gave it is lost. Not terribly bad for the build anyway.

doesn't REPLACE: you get both. 

[Ivory Knight]

Mithral Chainshirt Barding is expensive, but well worth the Investment(0 ACP, Enchantments and/or Armor crystals can further buff your badger).

Rage Feats, Multiattack, maybe Weapon Finesse for an easy +2 to hit

I guess, it might be worthwhile to somehow get immunity to fatigue if fighting multiple enemies.

[Jopustopin]

I want to make an argument that animals are proficient with armor when trained for war.  I also want to make an argument that the way it was intended you train an animal for war was by training it for "Combat Riding"

Here is the animal type; notice the part about armor.
http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typessubtypes.htm

Now how to train an animal for war is tricky since their is essentially no way to train an animal for war.  Ever.  Also, while it says that an animal is proficient with armor when trained for war it doesn't say what type of armor it is trained with.  These things were never cleared up.  However most DM's will look at the Pathfinder version and agree that this makes a lot of sense; I'll go a step further and say that it's what the 3.5 writers intended. (Because I'm psychic like that)

Pathfinder:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/rules-for-monsters/creature-types#TOC-Animal

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/pathfinder-faq#TOC-War-Trained-11-25-09-

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/skills/handle-animal

Everything is the same as the 3.5 stuff.  Except that it specifically says what the 3.5 writers forgot.  If you don't think it's RAI for 3.5 you gotta admit their is a strong argument to be had AND their is no reason why a DM should say no.  My 2 cents.

[Ivory Knight]

An argument could be made for the Warbeast template(MM II, was updated to 3.5).
It would make the base Dire Badger a 4HD animal, but still not more powerful than, say a Bison(5HD, also availible at Level -3).

Provided the druid has time(2 month, IIRC) and can make a DC 23(Dire Badger without bonus hit dice form AC/ template) Handle Animal check,
he could even add the template ingame.

[Banaticus]

Now how to train an animal for war is tricky since their is essentially no way to train an animal for war.

But 2 trick slots gives it the attack trick and a 3rd trick slot makes it attack things like aberrations (things it wouldn't normally attack), which I believe is what "training it for war" refers to.  The DMG spells it out fairly clearly -- the SRD isn't always quite as clear.

[Jopustopin]

Now how to train an animal for war is tricky since their is essentially no way to train an animal for war.

But 2 trick slots gives it the attack trick and a 3rd trick slot makes it attack things like aberrations (things it wouldn't normally attack), which I believe is what "training it for war" refers to.  The DMG spells it out fairly clearly -- the SRD isn't always quite as clear.

Where in the DMG?  I looked forever in 3.5 to find my answer...

[benjiamon]

Thankyou very much all of you your input has been brilliant I appreciate it

[McPoyo]

Now how to train an animal for war is tricky since their is essentially no way to train an animal for war.

But 2 trick slots gives it the attack trick and a 3rd trick slot makes it attack things like aberrations (things it wouldn't normally attack), which I believe is what "training it for war" refers to.  The DMG spells it out fairly clearly -- the SRD isn't always quite as clear.

Where in the DMG?  I looked forever in 3.5 to find my answer...

Incorrect: PHB Page 74, Handle Animal Skill, bottom right under "Attack". Teaching it attack once will attack humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching it to attack all creatures (including unnatural ones like undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks. It's only two tricks.

[bearsarebrown]

An argument could be made for the Warbeast template(MM II, was updated to 3.5).
It would make the base Dire Badger a 4HD animal, but still not more powerful than, say a Bison(5HD, also availible at Level -3).

Provided the druid has time(2 month, IIRC) and can make a DC 23(Dire Badger without bonus hit dice form AC/ template) Handle Animal check,
he could even add the template ingame.

I do this with all of my Animal Companions. Most DMs will allow it to be applied if you do it in game.

[altpersona]

did i just see badger vs. bison comparison?

i make the argument that badger > bison. badger is small, so +'s for size, not large w/ - for size.

badger has a much easier time going into town, or going unseen.

the only argument for bison, is badgers, we dont need no stinking badgers...

[McPoyo]

Dire Badgers are large...aren't they?

Also, Badgers burrow speed. And a first level druid spell adds 30ft to that speed.