Animal companions have evolved a good bit with changes of Pathfinder, and most of them are good changes. Something I've noticed is that most companions seem to lose steam in the higher levels, notably past 12-ish. They struggle to hit as often, their AC falters, and they end up becoming little more than a flanking bonus for your melee oriented characters.
This got me to thinking: what are some other ways to use an animal companion that goes beyond simply attacking and doing damage? Once you increase the companion's intelligence to 3 you gain a wide expanse of options for feats.
So far I've only been able to come up with the following:
Mount: Fairly obvious, sure. Animal companions make the toughest mounts for any class choosing to pursue this concept.
Combat Maneuver Master: While most companions won't ever get enough feats to be decent at more than one, they can still pimp out a single combat maneuver. Large cats make good grapplers (against medium foes), and Wolves make excellent trippers- especially with multiattack. Apes could even reliably steal in combat with the right build.
Intimidation Expert: Pick an animal with a high strength and go up the intimidation tree. Eventually able to grab Dazzling Display, your animal companion could do well to intimidate large groups of foes.
Condition Applicant: Similar to the Combat Maneuver Master, this form of animal companion focuses on debuffing your foes while leaving them free to be attacked by your allies. Vipers have a poison that could probably be pumped up with magic & ability focus, and multiattack would allow them to apply the poison more than once a round on successful strikes. Camels can apply the sickened condition with relative ease (no save), which would pair well with an Intimidation Expert.
Ideas?
Ideas?
Cannon fodder: Send it off, it dies, you don't!
Emergency Rations: What? You know you're going to at some time.
GM: Why do you want a cow as your animal companion?
Player: ...| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
GM: Why do you want a cow as your animal companion?
Player: ...
... "Because you don't allow a chicken swarm!"
I am reminded of a comic form Dragon Magazine back in the 80's about the multiple uses for the monster known as the Flumph I believe the ones that tickled me were parasol and wagon wheel.
Tracking Most animal companions have scent and a wisdom bonus.
The druid/ranger will probably be better at tracking than the animal, but Tracking is a skill that frequently only one member of the party will have, which means the entire tracking task can hinge on a single roll. Two rolls are much better than one!
Or, if the master is really squeezed for skill points, tracking could be left up to the animal altogether.
Tracking Most animal companions have scent and a wisdom bonus.
The druid/ranger will probably be better at tracking than the animal, but Tracking is a skill that frequently only one member of the party will have, which means the entire tracking task can hinge on a single roll. Two rolls are much better than one!
Or, if the master is really squeezed for skill points, tracking could be left up to the animal altogether.
Scent is also a poor mans see invisibilty/blindsight, and it can work on just silly stealth ranks. Which can be handy even as the party levels up. By no means is it guranteed however.
Scent is also a poor mans see invisibilty/blindsight, and it can work on just silly stealth ranks. Which can be handy even as the party levels up. By no means is it guranteed however.
Ah, but Dire Bats get Blindsense, which is freakin' amazing.