I've got a trex animal companion, his dex at level 7 will be 16 and obviously get higher as he levels. Would it be viable to get combat reflexes and then bodyguard in order to protect me his master? Or is the feat not very good?
Should work fine.
Should work fine.
Is the feat underpowered though? I don't see many guides recommending it or people advising to get it.
You are having your animal companion sacrificing attacks of opportunity to boost your AC by +2 for one attack. It really only makes a difference when the attack is only just likely to hit. Now, if you have ways to boost the bonus you get from aid another, this becomes more of an option.
You are also giving up the possibility of flanking with your animal companion because it has to be right next to you to use this feat.
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With a T-Rex animal companion I would recommend making him full offense instead of a bodyguard. Improved Natural Attack for your Rex and Evolve Companion for you would crank his bite attack to 4d6.
You could take Evolve Companion again to add 1d6 Bleed to it's bite making him even more terrible to get bit by.
Vital Strike chain is destructive with a base 4d6... that not including any size increase, Animal Growth, or Strong Jaw spells >:)
Now, Im assuming you have the Bodyguard archetype for your animal companion to make this more effective and if you do, I think that gaining those feats would work nicely with that archetype. I still recommend your character taking the Evolve Companion feat for this but instead of getting *Improved Damage or *Bleed, get *Reach evolution... now your Rex can make better use of Combat Reflexes, offensively, by being able to chomp anything within 10ft of it. ;)
With a T-Rex animal companion I would recommend making him full offense instead of a bodyguard. Improved Natural Attack for your Rex and Evolve Companion for you would crank his bite attack to 4d6.
You could take Evolve Companion again to add 1d6 Bleed to it's bite making him even more terrible to get bit by.
Vital Strike chain is destructive with a base 4d6... that not including any size increase, Animal Growth, or Strong Jaw spells >:)Now, Im assuming you have the Bodyguard archetype for your animal companion to make this more effective and if you do, I think that gaining those feats would work nicely with that archetype. I still recommend your character taking the Evolve Companion feat for this but instead of getting *Improved Damage or *Bleed, get *Reach evolution... now your Rex can make better use of Combat Reflexes, offensively, by being able to chomp anything within 10ft of it. ;)
Thank you very well put. I don't have any type of archetype just was looking at ways for him to be somewhat of a shield for us but if he isn't suited for that than I probably won't do that. Would the trex at Large size automatically get reach? I can't really get evolve companion because I have a 7 Cha :( I wish there was some sort of way I could get that awsome feat
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I'm not too impressed with Bodyguard, for the reasons given by DeathlessOne.
The best defense against melee attackers is not being in melee with them. If your PC isn't a melee PC, then giving the T-Rex Combat Reflexes is a solid move. It allows it to take AoOs even while flat-footed, meaning it can intercept enemies trying to close in on you at the start of combat. Since at level 7 the T-Rex gains Grab on its bite attack, it could stop enemies from getting to you. Another argument in favor of Combat Reflexes is that there aren't actually a lot of feats that animal companions can take at level 1 that are good, because they don't gain BAB+1 until 2HD. So there isn't much competition for it.
I would invest the dino's remaining feats in Weapon Focus (bite), and improving the dino's defenses.
The low CHA is a bummer, that feat is awesome. Your Rex would be considered Large-Long, like a Tiger, and only have a 5ft reach... Large-Tall creatures, like an Ogre, would have a 10ft reach.
Animal Growth spell would make him Huge with a 10ft reach if that helps.
Look into the animal companion archetypes... there is one called Bodyguard that would definitely be improved with the Bodyguard feat if that is how you want to use your Rex. Outflank is a really good Teamwork feat for you and your Rex as well. Throw out some buff spells at the beginning of combat then Wildshape and wreck house with your Rex.
He can be suited for what you want him to be by the feats he takes. He could be Grimlock to an extent if you take the armor proficiencies and deck him out in full-plate. He can be a Bodyguard and play a defensive/protective role. He can be a frontline warbeast rivaling or even surpassing a fighter or barbarian in damage output.
Here are some other feats for animal companions that you might like...
Prerequisite(s): Wis 13, animal companion class feature.
Benefit(s): Select one animal aspect from the list presented in the hunter class's animal focus class feature. Your animal companion has natural coloration suggestive of this aspect—a bear might have a dark spot in the shape of a bat, or a hawk might have unusual tiger striping in its feathers. Your animal companion gains the benefits of the selected animal aspect, treating its Hit Dice as its effective hunter level for this ability. This bonus doesn't stack if the animal companion is already under the benefit of the same animal aspect because of the actual class feature.
For example, an animal companion with Totem Beast (snake) under the effect of the snake aspect from its hunter owner would get a +2 bonus on attack rolls when making attacks of opportunity, not a +4 bonus.
Prerequisite(s): Animal companion class feature or familiar class feature.
Benefit: At the start of the day, you can choose to commune with a single shaman spirit. (Although a shaman would need an hour of preparation, this takes you no time.) Once during the next 24 hours, you can spend a standard action to grant your animal companion or familiar that shaman spirit's spirit animal ability for 1 minute per level in the class that grants your animal companion or familiar.
(personally I liked the older version more because it was constant until you prepared spells again or 24 hours
Prerequisite(s): Knowledge (nature) 3 ranks, Survival 3 ranks, no levels in a class that has the animal focus class feature.
Benefit: Choose a single type of animal to emulate from the hunter's animal focus class feature. Once per day, you or your animal companion (if you have one) can gain the benefit of that animal focus for 1 minute. Treat your character level as your hunter level for the purpose of determining the benefits granted by your chosen animal focus.
Special: If you gain levels in a class that has the animal focus class feature, when you gain that feature you gain 1 additional minute of use each day of your animal focus class feature.
I used Aid Another and Bodyguard feat on an animal companion build, but that was for an archer and the animal companion served as a mount.
I also found a few different tricks to increase the bonus granted from aid another.
Harrying Partners, Combat Stamina can increase the bonus granted, Benevolent Armor, Ring of Tactical Precision, Virtuous Creed.
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I have a bodyguard animal companion with In Harms Way. That works really well. Here are a few thing I did to make it work.
- Increase aid another like Claxon said.
- If you have the HP to spare cast Shield Companion on the AC
- Cast resinous skin on the AC (now you have DR and debuff when you get hit)
- Get menacing amulet to help out the team
- Not for a t-rex but trample is great on this build for getting in position
- Defending bone is good here if you have access to it
I made a mammoth like this because and it has worked out great. I actually think a In Harms Way AC with shield companion is more effective than most other In Harms Way/Bodyguard builds because of the improved action economy, extra bodies make group healing more efficient and the larger pool of hit points with shield companion. The right AC also have very competitive Armour Class.
The non-companion tyrannosaurus is Tall; why should the AC be Long?
I know the Tyrannosaurus has reach of Tall but Tall is usually for humanoid shaped creatures. The Rex is 40' long and around 14' tall, so definitely longer than it is tall.
I believe the reach is based on a mechanic similar to Dragons... so if a Rex were to somehow get any other natural attack, that attack would have the normal reach of 15' for a Gargantuan-Long.
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The non-companion tyrannosaurus is Tall; why should the AC be Long?I know the Tyrannosaurus has reach of Tall but Tall is usually for humanoid shaped creatures. The Rex is 40' long and around 14' tall, so definitely longer than it is tall.
I believe the reach is based on a mechanic similar to Dragons... so if a Rex were to somehow get any other natural attack, that attack would have the normal reach of 15' for a Gargantuan-Long.
It's not at all limited to humanoids. Quadruped animals do tend towards Long, but a Tyrannosaurus is a biped.
It's not at all limited to humanoids. Quadruped animals do tend towards Long, but a Tyrannosaurus is a biped.
Being a biped is a good point... I guess that is what determines it's designation because other biped creatures I looked at, that were also longer than they were tall, still had "Tall" creature reach. Thanks for the correction.
That being said, the *Reach evolution would increase his reach to 15' instead!
Reach isn't a valid choice for evolved companion though.
Also would the druid have the 13 cha required? Many don't.
Reach isn't a valid choice for evolved companion though.
How so? It says you can choose a 1-point evolution from the list. *Reach is a 1-point evolution.
Reach isn't a valid choice for evolved companion though.How so? It says you can choose a 1-point evolution from the list. *Reach is a 1-point evolution.
I could have sworn when I looked at it earlier it said pounce and reach weren't valid options from the 1 point evolution list.
But I can't find that restriction now.
Weird.
Reach isn't a valid choice for evolved companion though.How so? It says you can choose a 1-point evolution from the list. *Reach is a 1-point evolution.I could have sworn when I looked at it earlier it said pounce and reach weren't valid options from the 1 point evolution list.
But I can't find that restriction now.
Weird.
I also saw it say Reach and Pounce were not valid, but I don't see it anymore.
I could have sworn when I looked at it earlier it said pounce and reach weren't valid options from the 1 point evolution list.But I can't find that restriction now.
Weird.
You are correct. I just found the feat with the change... bummer.
Benefit: Select a 1-point evolution other than pounce or reach from those available to a summoner's eidolon. Your animal companion gains this evolution. The animal companion must conform to any limitations of the evolution. For instance, only an animal companion of an appropriate size and base form can have the mount evolution.
If you gain a new animal companion, your old animal companion loses this evolution, and you can select a new 1-point evolution for the new animal companion.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Each time you do, select an additional 1-point evolution for your animal companion.