Wildshaping druid mount for PFS?

[claudekennilol]

I just had the idea of having a druid that would act as a mount for my wife's character. I wouldn't be able to reliably be a mount, though, until level 6 when I can be a mount for 12 hours a day.

Is there any good way to pull this off earlier (and be an actual quadruped, not just a humanoid with a saddle)?

I've never made a druid before, but it looks like the feats I'd want will be something like

1) Teamwork Feat
3) Teamwork Feat
5) Natural Spell
7) ..Wild Speech..? Other than being able to talk (which I may need..) this does seem kinda useless. Also.. the 1 minute per level thing to talk to animals of my assumed form...? Is this putting a limitation on something wild shape already gives me or is it just redundant because wild shape itself already lets me do it? There's gotta be something else that'll let me talk to people..
9) Powerful Shape
11) Teamwork Feat

(probably a teamwork feat for 7.. Or maybe retrain it out for Vital Strike at lvl 8)

Advice on how to pull this off?

[Jodokai]

The trait Beast of the Society will let you wildshape for 2 hours/level instead of 1 if you're small or medium. If your wife takes the feat that allows her to ride a mount her size (can't remember the name at the moment), this will give you 8 hours at level 4.

EDIT: Wow I feel dumb, the feat is called, aptly enough, Undersized Mount

[Magda Luckbender]

Seems like you could both do this starting at level 4 if she is Small or has away to get Small. You are right, though, this combination will not really work well until 6th level. I don't know of any way to pull it off earlier.

This seems like a flavorful approach that will also be extremely effective! Will your PCs be a couple in-game, also? There are lots of ways you can do the teamwork feats, but here's one that works outstandingly well, from a mechanical perspective. Paired Opportunists is the primary teamwork feat with this approach, with many other good options for the second. Escape Route makes you both immune to provoking movement AoOs. Broken Wing Gambit, combined with Paired Opportunists, is another powerful option that can give you many extra attacks.

One of my PFS characters uses this approach. This PC often gets AoO melee attacks with an extra +10 to hit. That's +4 from Paired Opportunists, +1 from a trait, +1 from higher ground (mounted), and +4 because the mount just tripped the foe at reach as the first half of a paired AoO. Note that combat maneuvers (generally trip) get that sweet +4 AoO bonus. Having an extra +10 to hit really helps dish out damage.

I have no useful suggestions for how to get this working at low level. I will point out that your PCs could use Paired Opportunists together at much lower level, so long as at least one of you wields a reach weapon. Druids, sadly, are not proficient with any reach weapon, not even the simple longspear.

[claudekennilol]

What kind of character would go well with this? I'm thinking fighter simply for the surplus of feats. That way she can get the mount feats and the teamwork feats that I'll be taking. I'm not familiar enough with "mounted classes" to know if they would function well enough (or if they're even needed) without them being on their class mount.

Hm, here's an idea, she could be a cavalier and I could be my druid. And we could both have a wolf animal companion just for funsies.

[Magda Luckbender]

Any class proficient with a reach weapon works for the rider. Thus excluded are Wizard, Druid, and Monk. It works well for any class able to hit reasonably hard. Inquisitor yields especially large numbers, oddly enough, because Bane gives a large damage bonus without a corresponding to-hit bonus on a 3/4 BaB chassis. This because of the extra +5 to +10 to hit this approach gives on most attacks.

A full caster would also work quite well as the rider, since most damage will be inflicted via AoO and the big to hit bonus compensates for less-than-full BaB. Mine is a martial-heavy Cleric.

Your allies are more likely to cooperate with your combined tactics if the pair of you are collectively able to dish out a lot of damage. This combination can fill the 'front line tank' role very well. The worst problem you are likely to face are tactically challenged allies who always want to rush the foe. If you choose to support your tactically inept ally (which you should, since it's a team game) this denies your paired AoOs, thus minimizing your damage output, and maximizes the damage output of the foe by guaranteeing full attacks. Often, when this happens, your 'ally' inflicts far less damage than your ally prevents you from inflicting and could have acted in a way that let you both inflict damage, but did not. Also your 'ally' has acted to successfully maximize the damage you both receive. Like I said, tactically inept. I've found it's easier to get allies to cooperate with your tactics after you demonstrate your ability to curbstomp tough foes with massive damage.

[Paladin of Baha-who?]

Expect numerous jokes about your wife 'mounting' you. Just saying.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Well, you could take a level in Fighter, then levels in Druid, saurian shaman. At level Fighter1/Druid4 or Fighter3/Druid4, take Shaping Focus, and then you can Wild Shape into a Triceratops. You could get a Wand of Strong Jaw, and your Gore Attack would go from 2d10 to 5d8. You would have a Reach of 15', so you might get Combat Reflexes early.

I would start taking lots of levels in Fighter after that, because I'd be very Feat hungry. I like the idea of getting Great Cleave, Quick, Great bull rush, and Paired Opportunist via a level in Cavalier. While using Paired Opportunist, you can substitute some of your attacks with Bull Rushes, and both you and your wife get the Attacks of Opportunity. Maybe Awesome Blow?

You could develop Charging directly with Greater Overrun and Charge Through, maybe Wheeling Charge and/or Elephant Stomp, bridging into Bull Rushing with Minotaur Charge.

You would start being able to turn into a triceratops at level6 or 7, depending on whether you take Natural Spell or Shaping Focus at level 5 or 7.

You could get Great Cleave by level 6. Fully developing either Bull Rushing or Overrunning would happen by level 12.

Acquire Barding for while you are in your ceratopsian form, and get Armor Spikes. Learn Spiked Destroyer. Since a Triceratops is Huge, appropriately sized Armor Spikes do 2d6. Acquire a Wand of Lead Blades, and they can do 3d6.

You might develop Grappling early on by taking Hamatula Strike, using your Gore Attack as your piercing weapon, impaling your opponent on your horns doing more and more damage every time, maybe inflicting Armor Spike Damage, too. Or you might take 2 levels in White Haired Witch, gain Constrict, then take the Final Embrace Feat, so you Gore Attack gains Grab and Constrict. And Double Damage is the word of the day.

Your wife might take a level or 2 in Paladin and/or Ranger so maybe she could use a Wand of Swift Girding on you to put you in your spiked barding as a Standard Action, sort of like He-Man turning Cringer into Battle Cat. She might want a Wand of Lead Blades for herself to cast it on her Lance, upping the base damage from 1d8 to 2d6, 4d6 on her charging mount, which would be you. Spirited Charge would raise it to what? 6d6? If she takes Trample, she would activate your Trample Special Attack.

[claudekennilol]

That's a good idea, I hadn't thought about multiclassing because I didn't want to lose out on my wild-shaping ability. But with Wild Shape I could still keep my shaping-level up.

So I can take a 4 level dip.. Hm, will probably pick from the following..

Fighter 1/2 for 2 full bab and 2 bonus combat feats
cav 1 for full bab and a free teamwork feat
monk sohei 1/2 for full saves (!), act in surprise round (!), and 2 bonus feats (combat reflexes and...?) (also for sohei it says "A sohei may select mounted combat feats as bonus feats." does this replace or alter bonus feats? The mounted combat feats would be pretty useless for me as the mount..)

I can't think of any other classes that give bonus feats at first level.

[Jodokai]

Something to think about: Clicky