Animal Companion woes...

[Terraism]

I've got two - mainly unrelated - concerns about animal companions, or something like them. Looking for any advice people have.

1. In a campaign I'm currently running, one of my players is going to be playing an urban ranger (UA variant,) and, though we've discussed it quite a bit, an animal companion doesn't seem to fit his character. What could a suitable - balance-wise - replacement be? I've had this issue before, where for some roleplaying reason, the character wouldn't have a companion, and I've never been sure what to do. I believe the classes that grant companions are balanced to account for them, and by voluntarily forgoing this... what might work as a substitute? A feat every five levels, perhaps? (Every ten for an urban ranger, who gets 1/2 of a companion. ) Something else?

2. In a campaign I'm playing in, I'm running a wizard who's also an exceptional rider, and he is rather fond of his horse. Unfortunately, I'm starting to see survivability issues, and I'm looking for advice as to how to best protect her. Both general advice and suggestions for magical means are welcome. I'd thought about something similar to the progression animal companions gain, but otherwise am firmly commited to being a wizard (taking levels of druid or ranger wouldn't fit the character.) Also thought about taking her as a modified familiar, but I've already got one of those well established. Complete Arcane includes a feat for gaining a familiar - would having two familiars we awkward? Would a similar feat that gives an animal companion instead be balanced?

(Big overall question here is how powerful, balance-wise, an animal companion is. Worth a feat? Three? Not even?)

 

[LazerPointer]

I don't see balance issues in taking away the companion, but tossing in a free feat is an option that more than makes up for the loss, imo.

For your wizard, I'd just be very protective, maybe carrying around a wand of mage armor for it or something. If you really wanted to pamper it, you could get some magic bling for it.

 

[Corlon]

Animal companions can be pretty useful, but then again they aren't that great, especially for the ranger.

I'd probably just throw in a bonus feat.

The wizard thing...that does generally become a problem in higher levels. The first powrful enemy that sets his eyes on your horse instead of the rest of the party will, almost undoubtably, kill it. You could get him some barding, carry around protective wands, permanitize some spells, get him some expensive magical jewelry, or even find some way (probably just a feat) to make him into a familiar and use a familiar pocket to protect him if need be...

Awakening him for the extra HD and maybe hashing out a way with the GM for him to gain levels could be a way for him to survive longer,

but all of those things seem a bit costly just to keep a mount around, and no matter how much money you spend on him, chances are that at some point he's going to die.

Then again, if your DM isn't a guy that revels in killing the parties animals just because they're weaker (and focuses his monsters on fighting against the powerful other party members or even the fireball wielding wizard on top of the horse), and if you generally aren't on the front lines (like most wizards), then the only thing you'd really need to worry about most of teh time would be area effects, and I'd say some spell immunities or counterspells should do the trick for protecting him.

 

[John Q. Mayhem]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031209a

The first link is to Wild Cohort, a feat that allows any character to pick up a non-magical animal companion. The second is the Silverwood Arcanist, a 5-level mage PrC based on that feat. Useful for your horse-wizard, I think. I haven't compared the Wild Cohort companion to druid/ranger companions, but you might use it as a baseline to determine the compensation for losing a companion.