The hard truth is that the Pack Lord druid archetype isn't very good. The fundamental problem is that having one big, nasty animal companion is usually preferable to having multiple, small companions. It's easier to cast buffs on a single companion, they're less likely to die, they don't take up as much space on the battlefield, and they don't get mulched by AoE damage. Lastly, a lot of druids prefer to get their animal companion via the Animal domain (along with taking the Boon Companion feat), as it also gives you a few extra spells per day and some minor abilities; the Pack Lord doesn't have this option.
However, splitting off a single druid level into a small animal companion designed for scouting isn't so bad. It weakens your main animal companion, but only by a single hit dice at most, and provides you with a fairly capable scout, especially in conjunction with the level 6 ability which lets you share their senses. A wizard's familiar can do this just as well, really, but if there isn't a familiar in the party, a scout could be useful.
The other way to make it work depends on your GM's interpretation of the Boon Companion feat. A generous interpretation will let you recoup the levels you split off: for example, let's say at 8th level you split your druid level evenly between two level 4 wolf companions. If you buy Boon Companion twice, you would wind up with two level 8 wolf companions.
This can be pretty overpowered at low levels, but after 8th it starts to wane and becomes more balanced as you're once again unable to maintain two or more animal companions at the same strength of a single companion. You'll have to talk to your GM to see what he or she thinks about it.
Honestly CPB, I don't see how that is a generous interpretation at all. In fact, I do not see any other way to interpret it, could you elaborate?
Well, it's this part that causes problems: "The abilities of your animal companion or familiar are calculated as though your class were four levels higher, to a maximum effective druid level of equal to your character level."
It all depends on how you interpret what your effective druid level is. If you're an 8th level druid splitting up 4 levels on one companion and 4 levels on another, some GMs might argue that you already have an effective druid level equal to your character level, and that Boon Companion wouldn't apply.
The feat was designed two years prior to the Pack Lord archetype (2009 and 2011 respectively) at a time when there wasn't a way to split your effective druid level like this, so the wording is a little unclear in these situations. The fact that you can buy it twice was meant to accommodate characters who have both an animal companion and a familiar (such as a multiclass druid/wizard, for example).
Why focus on packs?
Get a Handy Haversack for stuff that you need in the heat of the moment, and augment that with bags of holding as you rise in level.
Why focus on packs?
Get a Handy Haversack for stuff that you need in the heat of the moment, and augment that with bags of holding as you rise in level.
I see what you did there...
At what levels do you intend to play this Druid? (The Pack Lord has some unusual math, which works out differently from levels 2-8 or 8+.) Also, what method are you using to determine attributes?
For me the best way to have two animal companions is tu multiclass 4 level of knight. If you take the horse master feat your mount (wich is exactly like a companion without the spell transfert) will be at last determined by your global level (so if you are druid 16 and knight 4) your mount will be level 20. And then, the boon companion let you have your druid companion at the same level, cause it give you back the 4 levels used on knight. Sorry for my bad english.
ps: use this combination with an human using the alternative racial trait "Eye for Talent: Humans have great intuition for hidden potential. They gain a +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive checks. In addition, when they acquire an animal companion, bonded mount, cohort, or familiar, that creature gains a +2 bonus to one ability score of the character's choice. This racial trait replaces the bonus feat trait." will make your 2 companions much more powerfull (you sacrifice one feat for 2 time +2 on ability score).
Thanks for reading this.