Okay so Ive been reading alot of the posts Ive found about getting an animal companion for a barbarian and havent been able to come across anything matching my flavor.
Im trying to figure out if there is a way for a Titan Mauler Barbarian to obtain an animal companion or a familiar and which one would be more effective as a survivalist style character companion.
My guy is a monster hunter, so HP and combat abilities matter.
With boon companion, just to make sure im reading it correctly, that would mean the benefits my animal companion/familar would accrue based on my level would maximize at level 5? (One for druid, then the +4)
Well familiars aren't really combat capable. They can deliver touch spells or later as Improved familiars use wands maybe.
So animal companion is more like what you want i guess.
Eldritch Heritage with the Sylvan bloodline should get you one, Boon Companion feat to boost it's level is probably your best bet. (however there's controversity about if you can take Sylvan bloodline with Eldritch Heiritage)
For a Familiar, you could take Eldritch Heritage(Arcane) and get one, then Improved Familiar later on.
For the sylvan bloodline abilities, plus getting boon companion, that would mean the level dependant abilities would be based from my actual barbarian level wouldnt it?
I see the breakdown as having the sylvan bloodline(So druid level is level -3) and then adding 3 more from boon companion?
If thats right then I think that would be the best way to go.
Also, my GM isnt against using the sylvan bloodline with eldritch heritage at all.
familiar is easy, 1 level dip in sorceror (etc) or skill focus + eldritch heritage would work.
for animal companion it's a bit harder AFAIK, although there's lots of ways to get RAGE with other classes:
druid with rage domain/sub-domain (you need druid archetype to get the domain access), cleric with rage domain/s-d + animal domain, ranger archetype that gets rage MIGHT still get animal companion, and probably a few others...
So if you can multi-class so that you are progressing Rage Rounds (with the non-Barb class' Rage ability), you can just take enough Titan Mauler levels to get a Rage Power and use Extra Rage Power Feats from there. Boon Companion improves your Companion's effective level up to your Character Level.
familiars are still useful in combat: if you take 1 via eldritch heritage as a FULL barbarian, you will actually have a familiar with more HPs than anybody else's. i like improved familiar: pseudodragon or fairy dragon - good immunities/senses and their reach tail is good for flanking: free +2 bonus to you. the sylvanshee gets a lay on hands which could be nice for you.
since you said 'monster hunter', multiclassing with inquisitor seems appropriate, take the animal domain to get the companion, and take boon companion. you only get one domain (so no rage domain), but i think that would definitely be synergetic and more than workable.
For the sylvan bloodline abilities, plus getting boon companion, that would mean the level dependant abilities would be based from my actual barbarian level wouldnt it?
I see the breakdown as having the sylvan bloodline(So druid level is level -3) and then adding 3 more from boon companion?
Actually it's -5
Sylvan gives you an AC treating your druid level as sorcerer level -3Eldritch Heritage treats your sorcerer level as character level -2
So at level 7, you'd have sorcerer level 5 (for purpose of the bloodline only obviously), which means a druid level of 2. Before that it's 1.
You can boost that with Boon companion to 6 (will stay at -1 character level from then on)
I should make it notable that I want titan mauler to stay at least to level 6 so I can use an oversized weapon well.
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I believe that way is going to get the closest to having a same level animal companion for a barbian without level dipping. I can swap my feats around for that relatively easily.
Thanks for the help! If there are any other suggestions please keep posting.
Takes three feets though (skill focus, eldritch heritage, boon companion).
However has the advantage that the AC keeps leveling, which it doesn't with a level dip.
Question on the Falconer: Does it retain the 1st favored enemy and tracking abilities. It just swaps wild empathy for the animal companion?
Also, would falconer mean my falconer level would determine the AC's level?
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Question on the Falconer: Does it retain the 1st favored enemy and tracking abilities. It just swaps wild empathy for the animal companion?
Also, would falconer mean my falconer level would determine the AC's level?
Yep, he also loses the combat style feat gained at 6th level, but that won't effect you.
Hmm Im not sold on Falconer just because it will cap out at 5 for the equivalent level.
A 4 level dip in Inquisitor seems a bit high and still suffers from the cap out at 5 for a larger level dip. Im not sure thats worth it in the long run.