Every time I play something with an animal companion, I tend to always lean towards the Large creatures with high Str. However I'd love to see a useful BIRD companion to shake things up.

Bird Companion:
10 HD
Stats: Str 16, Dex 19, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6
+9 Nat Armor (24 AC)
Feats: 5, + Multiattack (bite, talon x2)
Free ability score increase x2

The only way I can see it doing decent damage is taking Weapon Finesse, throwing an agile AoMF on it, maybe permanent reduce animal...
How to make flying creatures awesome??

iirc as a human you can take the huntsmaster feat, which treats you as +1 level for your companion's stuff, and it applies to birds (as well as horses, dogs, and another that slips my mind). it also grants handle animal bonuses for the selected animal, but that is slightly less important.

Andoran falconry feat from the Inner Sea Guide would boost your feathered friend.

Death From Above feat. Gives an ungodly bonus to hit if attacking from above. Have the bird fly up first round, swoop down on a low armored opponent, etc, etc.

Just get a Roc.

Looks like you have some free feats.. you need this chain:
Dodge, Mobility, Spring attack.
Mix in Death From Above and you are set.
Might want to go with Weapon Finesse and pump Dex instead of STR?

You will need to use the 4th level stat increase to get Int up to 3 so you can go outside of the Animal only feats for Death from Above.

You shouldn't need to take Multi-attack since none of the attacks are listed as secondary? (oh you are adding in the free from 9th...)

Looks like you have some free feats.. you need this chain:

Dodge, Mobility, Spring attack.

Flyby attack does the same thing for one feat.

Be small.

Use Permanent Reduce Person on yourself and use it as a mount.

Archery from bird back could be rather epic.

BltzKrg242 wrote:

Looks like you have some free feats.. you need this chain:

Dodge, Mobility, Spring attack.

Flyby attack does the same thing for one feat.

not true... flyby attack wont prevent an AOO...

And that AOO prevention is the whole point with a fragile Animal Companion.

Flyby Attack (Monster)

This creature can make an attack before and after it moves while flying.

Prerequisite: Fly speed.

Benefit: When flying, the creature can take a move action and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.

Normal: Without this feat, the creature takes a standard action either before or after its move.

BltzKrg242 wrote:

Looks like you have some free feats.. you need this chain:

Dodge, Mobility, Spring attack.

Flyby attack does the same thing for one feat.

Not quite the same.

Flyby Attack provokes AOO. Spring Attack does not.

Flyby Attack allows for any standard action with the move. Spring attack allows only a melee attack.

Spring Attack is good if your critter does not have reach.
Flyby is good if you want it to use other actions beyond melee attacking whilst zipping by.

Mileage varies.

Using the chain I outlined before, your critter can dive bomb in, with a good chance of hitting, and then be back in the air with out taking a hit.
And you get a spiffy +1 AC against any and all pesky attacks AND if anything ever gets close you can have your critter retreat/attack someone else with additional +4 to AC vs that AOO.

Flyby attack CAN do the same but that AOO can take them out pretty quickly.

Play on orc that alternativ favorit class bonus will gant you a +6 damage to all attacks

If its a Ranger's bird, it has the advantage of sharing his Favored Enemy bonus's, which can make it pretty crazy. Couple that with a Aasimar who uses the Celestial Servant feat to give it smite...you wouldn't have to worry much about the foe being there to retaliate.

Definitely build with Weapon Finesse and Agile AoMF. I'm also a big fan of custom barding(ex:mithril chain shirt), built such that it has no Armor check penalty, allowing them to use it without proficiency and no negatives.

I had a Druid with a bird, but I focused it into a Stealth/Disarm machine, which ended up being hilarious cause it'd snatch a foes weapon, then fly into some cover and disappear.

There's a ranger Archetype that allows a special trick at 6th level that gives 4X crits and 2d4 attacks.

Be aware that Hero Lab let's you select it even if you don't meet the criteria...

Just get a Roc.

Which defeats the entire purpose of using a not-large companion :P

Forgot about the custom barding, thats a good tip! I'll have to try and sneak Celestial in there for the DR10/evil and Smite as well. And SR... how does this only cost one feat?!

I'd love to go the disarm route, but I'd be scared of getting the thing killed when it provokes an attack every time (animals can't get combat expertise, not even close to enough Int!)

The character I'm specifically building with an animal companion is SGG's Magister, which I'm using to build an homage to the Fochlucan Lyrist (3.5, CA). So no ranger stuff, no archery.

Caster with an animal companion, pewpew. Investing 3 feats (Magister Companion, Boon Companion, and Celestial Servant) so it better be worth it :) Might even take Huntmaster if I have room in my build (which is not looking good).

Not really a fan of Death From Above, 1 feat to give +3 on an aerial charge.. /shrug. It's attack bonus should be good enough with Greater Magic Fang.

Put Rhino Hide Armor on it and then you will always use it to charge.

would spring attack stop the rider from provoking if the animal companion is using the feat? how would that work? i would think a rider would provoke normally in that case, if so is there any way to stop it? i wouldn't think RAW would allow the rider to use his own spring attack simultaneously, if he had it

Take the falconer ranger archetype. You get a fully-leveled bird companion that gets a few unique tricks from level 1.

But that is at 1/2 HP until 4th...

Well it's better than not having one at all, and it saves you a feat on boon companion.

And that AOO prevention is the whole point with a fragile Animal Companion.

Flyby Attack (Monster)

This creature can make an attack before and after it moves while flying.

Prerequisite: Fly speed.

Benefit: When flying, the creature can take a move action and another standard action at any point during the move. The creature cannot take a second move action during a round when it makes a flyby attack.

Normal: Without this feat, the creature takes a standard action either before or after its move.

again - it doent say - any where - that the movement wont provoke...