Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Divisionbyzer0 02-13-08, 12:19 AM	The natural bond feat adds more effective druid level for the purposes of the animal companion and its stats. So can a ranger take this feat, and just take half the level of whatever the feat adds? Never mind, I guess just adding the number to the ranger level and dividing by two is equivalent, and the only prerequisite is "animal companion", so I answered my own question.
dman11235 02-13-08, 12:25 AM	No, you didn't. It adds to your effective druid level. Meaning a level 10 ranger with this feat has a druid level of 8 (it's a +3 boost right?). You add afterwards.
Divisionbyzer0 02-13-08, 02:06 AM	No, you didn't. It adds to your effective druid level. Meaning a level 10 ranger with this feat has a druid level of 8 (it's a +3 boost right?). You add afterwards. Ah I see. Yeah it is a +3 increase. So it's basically better than I thought it was for rangers. Good, maybe I can get a decent companion afterall. Now if I can just get the DM to house rule the ranger-3 variant :D...
SolenVlos 02-13-08, 03:14 PM	Now if I can just get the DM to house rule the ranger-3 variant :D... Good luck with that! When I showed my dm the Wild Cohort feat, granting anyone an animal companion that was stronger than my ranger's one, arguing that it was kind of unfair and I needed a small boost and all... well, he just banned the feat, considering it broken.
dman11235 02-13-08, 03:48 PM	Well, it is quite powerful. Broken, probably not. It's not as powerful as a druid animal companion, but that doesn't say much. But the ranger animal companion is quite terrible.
Gnarl 02-13-08, 04:08 PM	Good luck with that! When I showed the Wild Cohort feat, granting anyone an animal companion that was stronger than my ranger's one, arguing that it was kind of unfair and I needed a small boost and all... well, he just banned the feat, considering it broken. That's lame... It's not like an animal companion is a major contribution to a party.
dman11235 02-13-08, 04:10 PM	I've seen ACs that are more useful as a meatshield than fighters. Druids just pwn buffing themselves and their animal companions.
Divisionbyzer0 02-13-08, 06:40 PM	Good luck with that! When I showed my dm the Wild Cohort feat, granting anyone an animal companion that was stronger than my ranger's one, arguing that it was kind of unfair and I needed a small boost and all... well, he just banned the feat, considering it broken. What book is this feat in?
Divisionbyzer0 02-13-08, 06:44 PM	Well, it is quite powerful. Broken, probably not. It's not as powerful as a druid animal companion, but that doesn't say much. But the ranger animal companion is quite terrible. It does seem fairly terrible, especially if you multiclass. Right now I'd have to be ECL 18 just to get a frigging dire wolf. The ones off the first level list would just die after a round or two.
dman11235 02-13-08, 07:07 PM	That's why I get rid of it for any of a number of ACFs out there.
Divisionbyzer0 02-13-08, 10:27 PM	double post
Divisionbyzer0 02-13-08, 10:32 PM	My DM seems lenient about it. With a wild empathy check or a few he'd probably just let me get what ever I want and come across. The druid in our party is 8th level straight druid and has a deinonychus as her companion. Once I actually get books with alternative features I'll probably trade it in for something else.
dman11235 02-13-08, 10:58 PM	PHBII? Or CChamp. Those are my two favorites.
Divisionbyzer0 02-13-08, 11:19 PM	PHBII? Or CChamp. Those are my two favorites. PHB II should be here along with a bunch of other stuff within the next few days. Unfourtunately CC wasn't a part of the bunch. Unearthed Arcana, Ebberon Setting, Spell Compendium, Complete Divine, Book of Exhalted Deeds, all the 3.0 class books, and some other stuff I can't remember.
Ovistavin 02-14-08, 10:43 AM	What book is this feat in? Check the Wild Life link in my sig. That will take you to the page with the articles.
Dog_O_War 02-14-08, 11:15 AM	Ah I see. Yeah it is a +3 increase. So it's basically better than I thought it was for rangers. Good, maybe I can get a decent companion afterall. Now if I can just get the DM to house rule the ranger-3 variant :D... There are other options you have that will increase your companion's effectiveness without increasing hit dice. Ask your DM if you can choose a better compainion; and by better, i mean an elite version of what you want. Basically if you wanted a wolf, ask if you can choose the "alpha", a wolf with elite array on top of its basic statistics. Also, if you have the MMII look at the "Warbeast" template; this is something you can train any companion to have. You should ask your DM if you can train your companion with this template as well. This gives you a very effective buddy.
justicar347 02-14-08, 02:20 PM	It does suck that Rangers get low powered animal companions. Then there is the fact that a lot of the classic animal companions don't work at high levels anyhow. A normal wolf companions is pretty much crazy for even a druid to have at high levels even though it is pretty much the archetyple animal companion. Of course I guess you can pick up a Legendary Wolf (MMII), but what do you do in the middle levels. I ended up just creating a prestige class that solved the problem, for me at least.
Shular 02-14-08, 02:39 PM	Y'know, if you're not expecting to progress too high into the teens, you could go 6 levels of Ranger (with Natural Bond), then take 1 level of Beastmaster (CAdv.) You'd be 7th level with a 10th level DRUID'S animal companion. If you then went back to ranger, then even at Ranger 12/BM 1 you'd still have the animal companion of a druid of your character level. (And Beastmasters get full BaB). If you're really keen on a powerfull animal companion, this may be the way to go. Of course, being a druid would save you a feat, and at thirteenth level you could be a 12th level druid, 1st level beastmaster, with the equivalent companion of a 16th level druid. But, that may be too powerful (and how will that T-Rex fit in the dungeon, anyway).
Divisionbyzer0 02-15-08, 05:07 PM	Check the Wild Life link in my sig. That will take you to the page with the articles. Checkin it out. Thanks.