Feats for "stupid" and "smart" animal companions

[Tim Bürgers]

Hey there -

is there a list of useful feats for animal companions that can only be taken with INT 3? (example big cat)

I had a look at the list of the ones you can take with INT 2

Spoiler:

Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, and heavy), Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Overrun, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, and Weapon Focus

and it seemed already pretty good to me, so that I'm tempted to just put the ability points into the (odd numbered) physical abilities.

Thx all :-)

[avr]

If you've no special plan that's fine. It's not that the feats are necessarily better, it's that going for a feat chain or some feats which synergise will probably require going outside that list.

[Ascalaphus]

The only obvious chain I can think of for the big cat would be to get to Greater Grab. Maintaining a grab as a Move action is nice. Leaves you a standard action...

[avr]

Cats like to charge so you might want IUS & Dragon Style, or else Charge Through and more overrun feats. Combat Reflexes, Bodyguard and In Harm's Way is another chain that you might want on your companion. & yeah, grapple feats.

[Darksol the Painbringer]

Tim Bürgers wrote:

Hey there -

is there a list of useful feats for animal companions that can only be taken with INT 3? (example big cat)

I had a look at the list of the ones you can take with INT 2

Spoiler:

Acrobatic, Agile Maneuvers, Armor Proficiency (light, medium, and heavy), Athletic, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Diehard, Dodge, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Armor, Improved Natural Attack, Improved Overrun, Intimidating Prowess, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Power Attack, Run, Skill Focus, Spring Attack, Stealthy, Toughness, Weapon Finesse, and Weapon Focus

and it seemed already pretty good to me, so that I'm tempted to just put the ability points into the (odd numbered) physical abilities.

Thx all :-)

Fixed your Spoiler tag. Make sure you put "/" and not "\" or your tag won't work.

It all depends on what you want your Animal Companion to do, and if you can circumvent the 3 Intelligence discrepancy another way (the Human Alternate Racial Trait "Eye for Talent" can give an Animal Companion 3 or 4 Intelligence starting out).

Several types of builds do require the Animal Companion to take feats that require Intelligence 3 or higher, but if you aren't building them that way, then you don't have to. As for what constitutes that, I'm not 100% sure. My guess are for things like Teamwork Feats and such, though several of the feats you listed are certainly going to be things that most people will take.

There's also the matter of teaching your Animal Companion extra "tricks," so that you can better control what you do with it during combat, so pumping Intelligence is still a solid tactic, regardless of whether you want the feats or not.

[Ascalaphus]

Oh right, Dragon Style obviously. So you'd be looking at:

Improved Unarmed Strike -> Improved Grab -> Grater Grab
Improved Unarmed Strike -> Dragon Style