Maximizing a trip companion

[JamesTheDonkey]

I am building a Bloodrager and have some spare feats. I decided to take the Animal Ally feat set, (Nature Soul, Animal Ally, Boon Companion). I want to take a wolf and have it trip enemies for me.

The feat Dirty Fighting will let me bypass needing 13 Int on the wolf, since it counts as 13 Int and Combat Expertise for Improved Trip.

Unfortunately, the wolf needs 3 Int to take Dirty fighting, so it cannot get it until it has 4 HD. This leaves 2 feats before I access Dirty Fighting that are not in my trip selection. Is there any way to recover those feats?

Note, the trip feat set contains: Dirty Fighting, Improved Trip, Greater Trip, Fury's Fall, Extra Magic Item Slot: Hands. Also desirable: Outflank, Tandem Trip.

[avr]

Retraining is a rule, yes. Ask your GM whether it'll be available and practical in-game.

Humans with eye for talent can have +2 int on their AnC from the start.

[kinevon]

Weapon Focus: Bite would also benefit the Trip attempt from a wolf.

[JamesTheDonkey]

I don't yet have a GM for this build, so I have been trying to keep it PFS legal for now. As a GM, I would probably put it on par with teaching a trick or two. Week of time. DC 20 +5 if you do not have the feat yourself.

Eye For Talent will do what I want. I should have enough combat prowess at level 5 on my own to be able to lose power attack for 2 levels. I will mock up a progression shortly. Let me know what you think.

[JamesTheDonkey]

Kinevon, I also considered Weapon Focus Bite, but I still cannot get that till the wolf as 3 HD, which means there is 1 unusable feat. Until Eye For Talent.

Human Bloodrager (Metamagic Rager, Primalist)
S 16+2 D 12 C 14 I 8 W 12 C 13

Traits: Reactionary (+2 init) Adopted: Toothy (1d4 bite attack)

Feats:
Level 1: Power Attack
Level 3: Nature Soul
Level 5: Animal Ally (Wolf), Retrain Power Attack into Boon Companion
Level 6 Bloodline Feat: Quicken Spell
Level 7: Power Attack (or maybe Tandem Trip) (or maybe Combat Reflexes)

Wolf Companion (Effective Druid Level 5)
S 13+1+1 D 15+1 C 15 I 2+2 W 12 C 6
Feats:
Dirty Fighting, Improved Trip, Fury's Fall
CMB to Trip: 3 BAB + 2 Str + 3 Dex + 2 Misc = +10

Level 7
S 21+1+2 D 13+2 C 19 I 2+2 W 12 C 6

CMB to Trip: 4 BAB + 7 Str + 2 Dex + 1 Size + 2 Misc = +16

Since I cannot get Greater Trip until 10th level, take Tandem Trip at 7th level for the character and 8th level for the wolf. Roll twice and take the better on every trip attempt. Seems good.

Thoughts and critiques?

[avr]

CR 7 CMDs vs. trip range from 20-33, with most 24 or in the low 30s. Success odds aren't bad, especially if there's anyone in the party who does buffs. The problem comes when you realise that about half of them can fly or are otherwise immune to trip, and a wolf can't use the weapons which make tripping flyers possible; PFs rules make trip a sometimes thing.

[X Texasaur]

Would an Amulet of Mighty Fists +1 (worn as a collar) also increase the CMB?

If not, then get a Dire Collar to increase its size by one step. The size increase would improve STR and CMB

[lemeres]

Narrow Frame and Power attack.

You people make it sound like this is hard. Those are two basic feats that work well with what you want (a large creature with a single powerful natural attack).

Power attack is particularly good since you get x1.5 on the attack since it is your only natural weapon, and you get a fake iterative for that attack later on due to the multiattack ability. And from the stat blocks of enemy animal companions, you still get the x1.5 on both hits. Maybe get haste on there, and it suddenly has the better part of a 2 hander's full attack.

Narrow frame since it makes getting it into the dungeon easier. Obviously.