Animal Companion feats

[Hypersmurf]

As a druid's animal companion increases in hit dice, it gains feats as normal. So once a druid hits 3rd level, and his wolf jumps from 2HD to 4HD, it gains a feat at 3HD; similarly, when the druid hits 6th, the wolf hits 6HD as well, and gains another feat.

What are some good choices?

Improved Natural Attack at 6HD seems a bit of a waste - 1d6 to 1d8, a whole +1 average damage. Spring Attack could be nice, but not until Drd12, which is a long time to wait for a concrete benefit from Dodge and Mobility.

Power Attack and Cleave at 3HD and 6HD is a definite possibility.

I notice that technically, the wolf qualifies for the Draconic Aura feat from Dragon Magic at Drd3; with 3HD, he meets the 'Character Level 3rd' prerequisite. An animal companion granting everyone a +1 to initiative checks (or whatever) is an interesting idea...

Even further outside the box, there's the Wild Talent and Psionic Fist combination, to give the Bite attack a little extra 'zing'. Of course, Concentration is a cross-class skill for the wolf, but he can regain his focus outside of combat by Taking 20...

By spending some cross-class skill points, the wolf can qualify for Mage Slayer at Drd6...

Any other contenders?

-Hyp.

 

[Darklone]

Improved Trip? Best feat ever for wolves, especially if you can make them become large somehow.

 

[shilsen]

Improved Trip? Best feat ever for wolves, especially if you can make them become large somehow.

Unfortunately, that wolf's going to have a hard time meeting the Int 13 prerequisite

Animal companions tend to be a little fragile in my experience, so Improved Toughness can be a lifesaver.

A weird one to try would be Armor Proficiency (Light) so that you can put some decent barding on the wolf, but it's unnecessary if you can get your mage buddy to cast Mage Armor on it every day.

 

[cmrscorpio]

Shilsen hit it spot on with Armor Proficiency. Because barding can be enchanted just like regular armor, in the short run it can give a good boost to your animal's AC, and in the long run you can add some pretty worthwhile enchantments.

Blindfight is a good one for a wolf because it pairs pretty well with the wolf's ability to detect invisible creatures by scent.

Run, then Fleet of Foot (Complete Warrior) would allow your animal companion to charge without maintaining a straight line.

Improved Initiative, then Death Blow (Complete Adventurer) would allow your animal companion to make a coup de grace as a standard action.

Power Attack, then Leap Attack (Complete Adventurer) would allow your animal companion to double Power Attack damage on a charge.





If I were your DM and you wanted to give your animal companion special feats that aren't part of the creature's nature, like Psionic Fist, I'd require you to spend a tricks in order to be able to do that. At the very least you'd have to train it to Gain Psionic Focus.

 

[nittanytbone]

Skip armor proficiency. You can put masterwork studded leather or mithral chain barding on an animal with no problems at all, as the ACP is -0.

It all depends on what you use your animal for:

- Defensive Meatshield: Combat Reflexes, Hold the Line, and Ability Focus (Trip) all work quite nicely to create a tripping meatshield in front of you that can stop foes in their tracks.

- Swift Mounted Critter: Run (useful to run down horses and such in open terrain), Fleet of Foot (change direction on a charge -- great ability!), Dash (every bit of speed helps)

- Offensive Powerhouse: Weapon Focus (Bite), Power Attack, Leap Attack

- Defensive Brick Wall: Improved Toughness, Dodge, Iron Will

- The dodge --> mobility --> spring attack --> elusive target chain is nice as well. It allows your companion to jump out, nail someone, and come back to your side.

 

[Nifft]

Wild Talent + Speed of Thought + Up the Walls? No need to expend your Focus. Later, Psionic Body.

Improved Natural Attack gets good when he gains some size increases, from HD or spells. The 1d8 -> 2d6 thing is gold.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Shayuri]

Animal companions don't get size increases from HD.

But! Once you're level 7, I believe you can trade in that old wolf for something in a Dire model. Then you're packing some power. A lenient GM will let you use Natural Bond to either get it quicker, or give it some bonuses when you do get it. Or snap up a level of Beastmaster.

As for Wolfy the Wolf, you're never really going to make him a damage-dealer past the early levels unless you spend a comparatively large amount of time buffing him. I'd choose feats that boost his defense (Dodge, Improved Natural Armor, etc) and his battlefield mobility (Mobility, various speed enhancing, etc), and use him to harass spellcasters, flank, and Aid Another.

And remember, if you choose feats that turn out not to be as good as you thought, you can dismiss that companion and get a new one in a day.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Power Attack, then Leap Attack (Complete Adventurer) would allow your animal companion to double Power Attack damage on a charge.

8 ranks in a cross-class skill, at 1 skill point per hit die, will take a while to accumulate

If I were your DM and you wanted to give your animal companion special feats that aren't part of the creature's nature, like Psionic Fist, I'd require you to spend a tricks in order to be able to do that. At the very least you'd have to train it to Gain Psionic Focus.

Yup - fortunately, animal companions are rarely short of tricks by the time they're getting extra feats, I've found.

But! Once you're level 7, I believe you can trade in that old wolf for something in a Dire model. Then you're packing some power. A lenient GM will let you use Natural Bond to either get it quicker, or give it some bonuses when you do get it. Or snap up a level of Beastmaster.

I'm definitely eyeing Beastmaster. Natural Bond pretty explicitly forbids "get it quicker", but not the increasing the bonus... though that bit definitely depends on the DM.

... and use him to harass spellcasters, flank, and Aid Another.

Yeah - that's why I was looking at Mage Slayer with interest... and also the Vexing Flanker line.

-Hyp.

 

[Kmart Kommando]

best improvement would be: take Leadership. Build an awakened animal as a cohort with class levels and feats.

I had a Halfling Outrider with an Awakened Wolf Druid. Funny thing was, the wolf had an animal companion, who had less hit dice but better Evasion.

 

[Korak]

If you do upgrade to Dire Wolf, the large size and high strength make Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Grapple a nice pair of feats. Even on a regular wolf, it will be a capable grappler against medium sized opponents, as well as having the option to do lethal damage with grapple checks. It will also allow the wolf to full attack with unarmed strikes to take advantage of higher BAB (as opposed to single bite attack).

Edited: because spelling is hard