Discussing various class options in our group for a Hell's Vengeance AP campaign and one of the guys is wanting do something different. He wants to have a Monster Handler class where instead of animal companion he can use a monster in place of the animal for purposes of using it in the same game mechanic you would use animal companion.
Is there any class that lets you do that? He wants to use it like the Dark Elves from Warhammer that have monster handlers that control monsters like manticores or hydras. He specifically wants to use a hydra that can grow and gain ranks like an animal companion but I don't know how he can do that within normal rules.
Hopefully someone knows if this is possible. I can't find anything that substitutes animal types for monster types.
What about a summoner? It might be close enough.
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Totally ninja'd by the previous post.
Doesn't the summoner just have eidolons? He specifically wants monsters and not summoned creatures. I'm kinda surprised there isn't something that lets you use monsters for animal companion choices.
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Well, technically Monstrous Mount will change your animal for one of four kinds of magical beast, however I doubt that's what you were looking for. Also, Monstrous Companion is basically leadership to get a monster companion, but I don't know too many GMs who'd allow it or leadership in anything but a 3 player game.
I think a Druid with that Monstrous Companion feat would work if the hydra had a monstrous cohort level -- and even then he would be stuck with a standard animal of some sort for at least six levels.
The summoner is probably his best bet, as an eidolon can be shaped as desired and thus will have something resembling the right look a lot sooner than a druid's Monstrous Companion.
Any thoughts on how to build an eidolon that could closely resemble a hydra?
Well, the Sable company marine gets a hippogriff (like a griffon, but horse instead of lion) as their mount. And it appears to arrive at level 2- low enough that it isn't lame.
You have to spend one of your style feats to get it, but you would likely go with a nice 2 handed lance anyway since you have a mount.
Any thoughts on how to build an eidolon that could closely resemble a hydra?
Serpentine base form, add heads and bite attacks till satisfied.
Fast healing and a size increase could be picked up as time goes on.
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Monstrous mount and Monstrous Mount Mastery give you your choice of griffon, hippocampus, hippogryph and worg as animal companions.
Evolved Companion lets you add multiple evolutions to customize it.
If you convinced your GM to let you use a Hunter and these feats along with the primal companion archetype can get you pretty far.
Beast Rider archetype for Cavalier is one I haven't seen mentioned yet.
Hmm,a ranger or a druid can get a wild hydra on their side with wild empathy, but it won´t level like an animal companion or mount would.The monstrous companion does not permit a hydra, but some of the other creatures you can get are close, so it should be relatively easy to homebrew off the challenge rating. Evolved companion can´t give extra heads as far as I understand, because a head is a two-dot evolution. A primal companion hunter could do it, using a dynosaur or a snake as a base creature, but still, a head and a bite cost a total of 3 evolution points so it might be tricky. The Hunter works great as an animal handler, but isn´t really great at managing mythical monsters.
The summoner´s eidolons are a lot smarter than a typical hydra, but you can get close enough as others already said. I would probably advise to use that if you don´t feel like homebrewing and want a class with a single big pet and other summonables.
All of this assumes that you are unwilling to look into 3rd party items.
Northwinter Press has a Monster Trainer that is possibly OP, but might also be sufficient for what you are looking for.