Best Route to Full-Level Familiar AND Animal Companion?

[Ms. Pleiades]

I've been debating a character concept that is basically a friend to all things living, and to reflect that I wanted a character that had both full-powered (As in, Effective Wizard and Druid Levels equal to character HD for determining powers of each) Animal Companion and Familiar.

Several classes/archetypes can grant these, in addition to feat chains.

I could grab Nature Soul > Animal Ally > Boon Companion to get a fully-levelled Animal Companion.

I could grab Skill Focus (Knowledge Anything) >Eldritch Heritage (Arcane) > Boon Companion.

With Eldritch Heritage, I'd need a character with 13 charisma, and with an animal companion, a decent charisma is wanted for Handle Animal skill checks.

That's three feats for either side regardless however, but there's one slightly shorter route I'm wondering about.

A Cleric can select two domains. The Animal Domain grants an Animal Companion at 4th Level at Cleric Level-3 for effective druid level. I also know however that there exist animal domains like the eagle domain that grant familiars.

What I wonder however is if a cleric can take the animal domain and the eagle domain? From what I've read it seems like the Eagle Domain is for druids only.

If that's possible, I could have a full-power familiar and a full-power animal companion at level 4 with the spending of Boon Companion.

Any other suggested routes for getting an animal companion and familiar at effective levels equal to my character level?

[Dafydd]

As far as I can tell, if you can take domains, you may take animal and terrain domains. The issue is you need to find a god who gives the animal domain and the animal domains. IIRC, there are no gods who RAW grant the familiar bearing domains. That said, you could make the argument that the animal domain means the deity should also grant the animal domains.

That is probally the best route, however you have hit on the other ways to get it on any class.

A side note that is related. A shaman of Nature or Mammoth can turn her familiar INTO an animal companion with the True Spirit power. Not what you were going for I think, but worth a mention.

Edit: Robes of Arcane Heritage might also bump up Eldritch heritage. Better then boon companion because you then get a familiar of your level+2. It is a grey area in rules that has been debated lately, so ask the GM before you bank on that.

[Ms. Pleiades]

Yeah, at 16,000, I don't know if that's the best route, and it still leaves the animal companion side.

Alternatively, I can consider classes that aren't very feat intensive, and provide either a full animal companion or a full familiar.

I know witches are pretty good for not needing many feats and get a familiar, but I'm not sure about other possibilities.

How feat-intensive would you say a hunter is?

[Dafydd]

I have looked at Hunter a lot, and I have to say, it is crazy good if you have other people willing to take teamwork feats.

Without other people in the teamwork boat, you just get a good character. As for feat intensive, it depends. You realistically only need 1 feat (weapon finesse) to make a very strong flanking agile character (I am looking at Tengu with an ECB and a velociraptor AC) since it's main power comes from the teamwork feats it gains. Also trading attacks back and forth is awesome, you have an 18-20 range and the pet has 5 natural attacks, before feats(keen and improved critical).

An archery focused Hunter is a little harder on feats, but you at least get precise shot for free.

Since Animal ally does not come online till 5th (need character level 4) it is easier to main class the AC, not the familiar. Half Elf can also ease the trouble with that free SF at 1st level, meaning you can get a real feat to make yourself not feel like dead weight.

Half Elf Nature Oracle, pick up the mount first level, can do this too. You want a high CHA for your spells, which is great for your handle animal and Eldritch heritage. You can also take the elven FCB to pump your AC up to crazy levels (I will let you do the searching, but here is a linky to the thread discussing it, kinda, page 3)

[Derrick Winters]

The classic, simple build:

Cavalier 4/Druid 16.

Pick an Animal companion NOT available as a Cavalier mount at 5th Level.

Take Boon Companion for your Druid AC, Horse Master for your Cavalier AC.

Use Eldritch Heritage for a Familiar.

=> Two full-power AC's, one familiar at -2.

4 Feats required(Horse Master, Boon Companion, Skill Focus, Eldritch Heritage).
If the full-power familiar is important, a fifth feat(Boon Companion(Familiar)) fixces that.

[Eigengrau]

Oracles of nature theme can have a favored class bonus to up their animal companion by a lot. Also half-orcs can take boon companion and beast rider to level up their companion to a +6 as well

[Arch_Bishop]

Although no less feat intensive as your example, you could have a Summoner base class with one of those "natural" archetypes, for a fey (i think) eidolon, summon nature's ally, instead of summon monster, for an even more nature love theme.

As for the Witch you mention, she has the beast bonded archetype to boost your familiar should you wish to. Also keep in mind that your character sheet affects greatly the power of your familiar/improved familiar. Classes with good base saves/ BAB/ and hit points are important for a more battle oriented familiar.

[JiCi]

The Wild Child Brawler archetype offers a companion. Pick Eldritch Heritage to gain your familiar as well ^_^

BTW, the Cavalier/Druid combo is good... although... does that include the Beast Rider archetype in the calculations?

Problem I see is that you're likely to pick animals that aren't "domesticated" in the first place, like a horse. You're likely to pick a bear for your Beast Rider, a tiger for your druid and a hawk for your familiar.

Could be wrong though... Please tell me what actual animals you might have in mind for that one.