Animal Companion feats

[Ovistavin]

What's improved natural attack, and where?

It's in the Monster Manual or the SRD.

Improved Natural Attack [General]
Prerequisite
Natural weapon, base attack bonus +4.

Benefit
Choose one of the creature’s natural attack forms. The damage for this natural weapon increases by one step, as if the creature’s size had increased by one category: 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 2d6, 3d6, 4d6, 6d6, 8d6, 12d6.

A weapon or attack that deals 1d10 points of damage increases as follows: 1d10, 2d8, 3d8, 4d8, 6d8, 8d8, 12d8.

This feat may be taken multiple times, but each time it applies to a different natural attack.

 

[Hypersmurf]

That's the quote I was looking for. Warhorses are trained for war, by default, but I'd also include riding dogs in that. The description says under the equipment section that a riding dog is 'brave in combat like a warhorse' which I've always assumed meant it was trained for war. Then again, lots of DMs assume that taking the Combat training via Handle Animal trains an animal for war, and hence gains it the armor proficiencies.

It's possible to have a riding dog who isn't war-trained; their entry says "If trained for war, these animals can make trip attacks just as wolves do (see the Wolf entry)."

The implication is that only some are trained for war.

-Hyp.

 

[Pinotage]

It's possible to have a riding dog who isn't war-trained; their entry says "If trained for war, these animals can make trip attacks just as wolves do (see the Wolf entry)."

The implication is that only some are trained for war.

-Hyp.

That's true. I'd missed that. I guess a riding dog would need Combat training via Handle Animal to qualify as trained for war.

Pinotage

 

[RuminDange]

If there's one to make Jump a class skill, it could potentially open up Leap Attack... especially if the DM was happy for you to rework the base 2HD wolf's initial feat and skill points.

-Hyp.

These is Cosmopolitan from the FRCS that allows you can use to make a skill a class skill and gain a +2 bonus to it. It is 3E feat and don't remember how it was changed in the FRPG or what the prerequisites are since I am away from my books. But if allowed...

RD

 

[Hypersmurf]

It is 3E feat and don't remember how it was changed in the FRPG or what the prerequisites are since I am away from my books. But if allowed...

In PGtF, it was revised to a +2 to Bluff, Sense Motive, Gather Information feat.

-Hyp.

 

[Legildur]

Firstly, I'd only take a wolf over a riding dog for reasons of style (ie role playing). I believe that the riding dog is a superior companion and has the added benefit of being more civilisation friendly. The riding dog also helps out with the armour proficiency issue for barding if you assume it to be 'trained for war'.

Looking at potential feat choices, I think Spring Attack is a great choice for a dog/wolf because of the base speed and the risk-free trip ability. I know that can be a long wait, but it also depends on your DM. For example, from the SRD we have "A 1st-level druid’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below" and "A druid’s animal companion is different from a normal animal of its kind in many ways. A druid’s animal companion is superior to a normal animal of its kind and has special powers, as described below" and "Each of the monster entries describes a typical creature of its kind."

Now I'm not going to quote definitions from the dictionary for "typical" and "superior", but I believe that there may be enough wiggle room to argue that the MM entry for a wolf could be adjusted to replace Weapon Focus (bite) with Dodge (for example). That would enable Mobility at 3HD (3rd level) and Spring Attack at 6HD (6th level).

I can also see an argument for using a non-standard ability score array for an animal companion.

Other feats I favour for animal companions are Improved Natural Armor and Iron Will.

 

[RuminDange]

In PGtF, it was revised to a +2 to Bluff, Sense Motive, Gather Information feat.

-Hyp.

Well that sucks. I liked it being able to give skill as a class skill. Oh well.


RD

 

[blargney the second]

Distracting Attack from the Miniatures Handbook. Draconic Aura can also be good - raising the DC of energy attacks for a bunch of allies is pretty sweet, as is giving them a bonus on Spot, Listen, & Init.
-blarg