Animal Companion for a 18th level Druid - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Animal Companion for a 18th level Druid

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
douglasm
Feb 29, 2008 17:30:08 I've never actually played a Druid before, but I'm building one now as part of a level 18 party for an extremely high powered "dungeon" crawl game, and I'd like suggestions for what his animal companion should be. Preferably it should have some significant out-of-combat abilities that are not easily duplicated by spells. I'll be piling on enough buffs that even a flea would be a dragon-killing powerhouse, including Shapechange into a Solar, so its base combat ability is unlikely to be particularly relevant outside of an Anti-Magic Field.

Suggestions for optimizing the Druid himself would also be welcome. I'm currently planning on Druid 15/Divine Oracle 3. I'm not willing to lose caster levels without something major in return for it, and Timeless Body gets me free Venerable bonuses so taking more levels in any PrC would have to be worth losing that. I guess the main possible thing would be if there's a way to make Wild Shape superior to Shapechange. I am aware of Planar Shepherd, but I don't the DM would interpret the outsider wild shape as giving "casts as X" abilities such as a Planetar's cleric casting, and I'm not sure just spell-like abilities would be worth the reduction in max HD of the assumed form compared to Shapechange.
#2
redodysseus
Mar 10, 2008 17:37:53 Although i am not going to post them here i have run the numbers before- i played a Druid- and the best thing to take is a brown bear. With level adjustment it will be considered 17th lv and will therefore recieve:

+10 HD
+10 Natural Armor Adj.
+5 Str/Dex
Plus feats of link, share spells, evasion, devotion (very important as its low will save is the most vulnerable aspect of an animal companion, increase this if you can), multiattack, improved evasion.

The best thing about a bear is they have Imp. Grapple which is intiated when only one of its claws hit. Without any buffs it will have a +18 to Grapple, with spells that can easily be increased. That makes them quite formidable.

Even if you do not want a bear, any animal from the 7th lv chart will be superior with lv adjustment than animals taken from higher lv charts.
#3
Previn
Mar 10, 2008 18:58:04
Although i am not going to post them here i have run the numbers before- i played a Druid- and the best thing to take is a brown bear. With level adjustment it will be considered 17th lv and will therefore recieve:

+10 HD
+10 Natural Armor Adj.
+5 Str/Dex
Plus feats of link, share spells, evasion, devotion (very important as its low will save is the most vulnerable aspect of an animal companion, increase this if you can), multiattack, improved evasion.

The best thing about a bear is they have Imp. Grapple which is intiated when only one of its claws hit. Without any buffs it will have a +18 to Grapple, with spells that can easily be increased. That makes them quite formidable.

Even if you do not want a bear, any animal from the 7th lv chart will be superior with lv adjustment than animals taken from higher lv charts.

Might I suggest looking up the Dire Polar Bear?

18 HD compared to the brown bear's 16 HD. The Dire Polar Bear is faster and can swim, more HP, more damage from attacks, better attack bonuses, reach, base grapple check of +35 and improved grab and better saves. About all the brown bear has going for it is the barely noticeable higher AC and Initiative.

To Douglasm: What do role do you want the companion to fill? Before anything else you have to know that since it quite literally will determine what you take as an animal companion.
#4
douglasm
Mar 10, 2008 20:09:24 Desired roles: combat ability in an Anti-Magic Field, plus whatever else you can think of. The rest of the party can already fill any role I can think of quite well when their magic isn't negated, the animal companion is just adding redundancy and overkill. As if five casters and a martial adept with a list of persistent buffs (Incantatrix + Body Outside Body abuse) several pages long weren't enough :D .

The Dire Polar Bear looks nice, but it doesn't seem to be on the list of available animal companions at any level, even the updated one in the book it appears in. Considering the list for 16th or higher level druids is all CR 8 or 9 creatures and the Dire Polar Bear is CR 11, I don't think the DM would let me add it to the list.
#5
aftercrescent
Mar 10, 2008 20:32:47 Check PHB 2. Dire Polar Bear is a 16th level druid animal companion option.
#6
moody
Mar 15, 2008 16:35:39
Although i am not going to post them here i have run the numbers before- i played a Druid- and the best thing to take is a brown bear. With level adjustment it will be considered 17th lv and will therefore recieve:

+10 HD
+10 Natural Armor Adj.
+5 Str/Dex
Plus feats of link, share spells, evasion, devotion (very important as its low will save is the most vulnerable aspect of an animal companion, increase this if you can), multiattack, improved evasion.

The best thing about a bear is they have Imp. Grapple which is intiated when only one of its claws hit. Without any buffs it will have a +18 to Grapple, with spells that can easily be increased. That makes them quite formidable.

Even if you do not want a bear, any animal from the 7th lv chart will be superior with lv adjustment than animals taken from higher lv charts.

This is wrong. Hard to believe that no one has said anything about this.

At the druids 17th lvl a brown bear will only have 12 HD, not 17. The Dire Bear will always be better at 13th lvl, and you might concider the Dire Lion at 10th, as it has pounce, but less damage.

When you choose alternative animal companions you get subtractions to your druid lvl concerning the bonus HD that you animal gets. Reread the Animal Companion section please.

Shapechange will always be better than wild shape, But that spell is broken.

Animal Growth is amazing and solves most problems, a shame you can't cast it on yourself anymore. Always ask your dm if you can play the pre errata druid.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 douglasm Feb 29, 2008 17:30:08	I've never actually played a Druid before, but I'm building one now as part of a level 18 party for an extremely high powered "dungeon" crawl game, and I'd like suggestions for what his animal companion should be. Preferably it should have some significant out-of-combat abilities that are not easily duplicated by spells. I'll be piling on enough buffs that even a flea would be a dragon-killing powerhouse, including Shapechange into a Solar, so its base combat ability is unlikely to be particularly relevant outside of an Anti-Magic Field. Suggestions for optimizing the Druid himself would also be welcome. I'm currently planning on Druid 15/Divine Oracle 3. I'm not willing to lose caster levels without something major in return for it, and Timeless Body gets me free Venerable bonuses so taking more levels in any PrC would have to be worth losing that. I guess the main possible thing would be if there's a way to make Wild Shape superior to Shapechange. I am aware of Planar Shepherd, but I don't the DM would interpret the outsider wild shape as giving "casts as X" abilities such as a Planetar's cleric casting, and I'm not sure just spell-like abilities would be worth the reduction in max HD of the assumed form compared to Shapechange.
#2 redodysseus Mar 10, 2008 17:37:53	Although i am not going to post them here i have run the numbers before- i played a Druid- and the best thing to take is a brown bear. With level adjustment it will be considered 17th lv and will therefore recieve: +10 HD +10 Natural Armor Adj. +5 Str/Dex Plus feats of link, share spells, evasion, devotion (very important as its low will save is the most vulnerable aspect of an animal companion, increase this if you can), multiattack, improved evasion. The best thing about a bear is they have Imp. Grapple which is intiated when only one of its claws hit. Without any buffs it will have a +18 to Grapple, with spells that can easily be increased. That makes them quite formidable. Even if you do not want a bear, any animal from the 7th lv chart will be superior with lv adjustment than animals taken from higher lv charts.
#3 Previn Mar 10, 2008 18:58:04	Although i am not going to post them here i have run the numbers before- i played a Druid- and the best thing to take is a brown bear. With level adjustment it will be considered 17th lv and will therefore recieve: +10 HD +10 Natural Armor Adj. +5 Str/Dex Plus feats of link, share spells, evasion, devotion (very important as its low will save is the most vulnerable aspect of an animal companion, increase this if you can), multiattack, improved evasion. The best thing about a bear is they have Imp. Grapple which is intiated when only one of its claws hit. Without any buffs it will have a +18 to Grapple, with spells that can easily be increased. That makes them quite formidable. Even if you do not want a bear, any animal from the 7th lv chart will be superior with lv adjustment than animals taken from higher lv charts. Might I suggest looking up the Dire Polar Bear? 18 HD compared to the brown bear's 16 HD. The Dire Polar Bear is faster and can swim, more HP, more damage from attacks, better attack bonuses, reach, base grapple check of +35 and improved grab and better saves. About all the brown bear has going for it is the barely noticeable higher AC and Initiative. To Douglasm: What do role do you want the companion to fill? Before anything else you have to know that since it quite literally will determine what you take as an animal companion.
#4 douglasm Mar 10, 2008 20:09:24	Desired roles: combat ability in an Anti-Magic Field, plus whatever else you can think of. The rest of the party can already fill any role I can think of quite well when their magic isn't negated, the animal companion is just adding redundancy and overkill. As if five casters and a martial adept with a list of persistent buffs (Incantatrix + Body Outside Body abuse) several pages long weren't enough :D . The Dire Polar Bear looks nice, but it doesn't seem to be on the list of available animal companions at any level, even the updated one in the book it appears in. Considering the list for 16th or higher level druids is all CR 8 or 9 creatures and the Dire Polar Bear is CR 11, I don't think the DM would let me add it to the list.
#5 aftercrescent Mar 10, 2008 20:32:47	Check PHB 2. Dire Polar Bear is a 16th level druid animal companion option.
#6 moody Mar 15, 2008 16:35:39	Although i am not going to post them here i have run the numbers before- i played a Druid- and the best thing to take is a brown bear. With level adjustment it will be considered 17th lv and will therefore recieve: +10 HD +10 Natural Armor Adj. +5 Str/Dex Plus feats of link, share spells, evasion, devotion (very important as its low will save is the most vulnerable aspect of an animal companion, increase this if you can), multiattack, improved evasion. The best thing about a bear is they have Imp. Grapple which is intiated when only one of its claws hit. Without any buffs it will have a +18 to Grapple, with spells that can easily be increased. That makes them quite formidable. Even if you do not want a bear, any animal from the 7th lv chart will be superior with lv adjustment than animals taken from higher lv charts. This is wrong. Hard to believe that no one has said anything about this. At the druids 17th lvl a brown bear will only have 12 HD, not 17. The Dire Bear will always be better at 13th lvl, and you might concider the Dire Lion at 10th, as it has pounce, but less damage. When you choose alternative animal companions you get subtractions to your druid lvl concerning the bonus HD that you animal gets. Reread the Animal Companion section please. Shapechange will always be better than wild shape, But that spell is broken. Animal Growth is amazing and solves most problems, a shame you can't cast it on yourself anymore. Always ask your dm if you can play the pre errata druid.