Animal companion choice

[Cakeking]

I am making a mad dog barbarian, which gets an animal companion, and i am stuck between a hippopotamus and a Tyrannosaurus

The Tyrannosaurs seems better statwise in almost every respect, but the hippo is 10ft faster (only thing better) and has trample (with no listed damage)

is there any reason a hippo could be better choice than a t-rex, stats aside?

[Black Feather]

1) If your GM gives your companion the capsize attack and you want it. 2) If you think a hippo is better thematically.
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Otherwise, just pick what you want. At 1, you probably want something as tough as possible. At 4, critters that become large early are better stat-wise, and then at 7 you can go for either huge strength, toughness, or attacks. If you're at 9, I think it might be amusing to have a deinonychus with Int raised to 3 and Cha raised to 15 and the Flagbearer feat, holding your standard with one of its claws while it full-attacks with the other claw, two talons, and bite...but I like unusual stuff like that sometimes.

[threemilechild]

Your smart, charismatic deinonychus companion could take eldritch heritage and have a deinonychus familiar. (This would be a bad, if amusing, idea.)

[Hawriel]

Hippos are ill tempered, hostile, creatures with huge appetites. Who fling poo with their tails like water a sprinkler. So no, can't think of any reason why you would not use one.

As a GM I would smile amusingly and say yes, you can have one.

Edit

I forgot to mention that the hippo excretes a bright pink greasy oil from pores in the skin. This oil covers most of the hippo's body. It is used to protect against sun burn.

HAVE FUN!

[Cakeking]

you just named off a bunch of good reasons to get a hippo.

would the amused smile be because you think it's a silly choice? hippos arent bad statwise and, at least to me, flavor wise they are top notch

[Claxon]

If you give the hippo vital strike...wait, thats the hippo druid

[Gauthok]

Not to make this tougher, but I like the Allosaurus. 3 attacks, eventually gets pounce and grab. Pretty good stats too, and is fast like the hippo.

I think the hippo is fun, but T-rex is mechanically better. So that I think is your choice between those two: mechanics or flavor.

[Michael Sayre]

You're all wrong. What the man needs is a Panda. Double STR bonus to damage and no one ever sees the hurt coming before it's too late.

Besides, chicks dig pandas.

[Gauthok]

T-rex has that too, and he's stronger.

But yes, Pandas are the stealth killer. "oh, look, it's a cuddly pan...ARGH!! IT'S EATING MY FACE!!"

[Michael Sayre]

Gauthok wrote:

T-rex has that too, and he's stronger.

But yes, Pandas are the stealth killer. "oh, look, it's a cuddly pan...ARGH!! IT'S EATING MY FACE!!"

Plus their smaller size makes it easier to get the adorable little death machines to the enemy. You just Rage and use Throw Anything to fastball special the Panda.

[♣♠Magic♦♥]

I love pandas.
I can see the trex being good flavor, too, I mean... dinosaur, man....
I wish animal companions other than the frogs got swallow whole.

[Cakeking]

Mmmm pandas.....i will look into this

[♣♠Magic♦♥]

If you go panda, you could flavor your barbarian as a Hun.