Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Eytan 03-23-05, 05:15 AM	I am interested in playing an Arcane hierophant with a super duper animal companion/familiar. There are lots of improved familiar feats, but very few for animal companions. I don't think it is likely that my DM will allow anything from the exalted book which is the only one I can recall that allows for an improved animal companion. Are there any other books printed with such a feat? If so, what would be a good choice. I am thinking to super-buff the companion with permanencies - greater magic fang, enhance familiar, fortify familiar, collar of resistance, etc... I have a feat I've created (similar to the obtain familiar feat) that makes all familiars/animal companions based on character level instead of class level. I think this build is most likely going to be: Drd 3/Wiz 3/MT 4/AH 10 for 9th level spells in both and a 20th level animal companion/familiar. I've thought about wildshaping and I am still debating the possibility of Druid 5/Wiz 5/AH 10 (in order to gain wildshape and the wizard bonus feat) ofr 8th level spells in both. Might suck a bit at low levels. I am completely disinterested in builds in which the two classes don't cast at the same level - call me a bit compulsive, but I really favor symmetry over anything else in builds. They have to have a nice, neat flow, but creative decisions are always welcome - as long as they don't create lopsided builds. I want complete equality in spellcasting.
snb1131 03-23-05, 10:18 AM	If your DM doesn't allow your homebrew feat, there's a feat in CA called Natural Bond which allows you to treat your effective druid level as three levels higher...that would compensate for the Wiz3 portion of your build (it won't let it go higher than your hit die, though). If you take a level of Beastmaster (from CA as well), the first level allows you to treat your effective druid level as three levels higher, but with no hit die cap...meaning, if you took that level and the Natural Bond feat, you could have a 23rd-level companion at level 20. The feat from BoED, by the way, is Exalted Companion...it allows you to choose from five or six alternate companions (blink dog, osquip, and others) or you may apply the celestial template to your existing companion.