Animal Companion

[RogueJK]

What's the best choice for a single, 12HD animal companion, and why? I'd prefer something with high survivability.

The choices are:
Polar Bear
Giant Crocodile
Elephant
Rhinoceros
Giant Constrictor Snake
Huge Viper
Tiger
Dire Bat
Dire Ape
Dire Wolverine
Dire Wolf
Dire Boar
Dire Lion
Dire Bear

Thanks!

 

[MythandLore]

I'd go with Dire Bear, Fast, good AC, Very Strong, High HP, Big Damage, why would you pick something else?

 

[Rashak Mani]

Only the Dire Bear is 12 HD... and has the highest challenge rating = 7 ... so easy choice... the elephant is the only one that gets close to combat and hitpoint potential.

 

[RogueJK]

Only the Dire Bear is 12 HD...

The other animals on the list can be advanced to 12 HD.

 

[gfunk]

In terms of going one on one with your foes, the Giant Constrictor is pretty bad ass. I believe it is the largest creature on your list (Huge) and can grapply and squeeze the heck out of opponents of Large size or smaller. This ability, coupled with Improved Grab is a lethal combination. IIRC, the bite is +13 and the damage is 1d8+11. So on a successful hit and grab we are talking about an automatic 2d8+22 points of damage + opponent immoblization + pain in the ass for spellcasters.

 

[RogueJK]

If an animal becomes a magical beast (by application of a template like Celestial or Fiendish) is the change retroactive? That is to say, do his HDs change from d8s to d10s? Does it gets any feats (1 feat per 4 HDs for a magical beast, none for an animal)? Do its' base saves change? Does it gain any extra skill points?

If not, do they advance as animals or magical beasts?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

If an animal becomes a magical beast (by application of a template like Celestial or Fiendish) is the change retroactive? That is to say, do his HDs change from d8s to d10s? Does it gets any feats (1 feat per 4 HDs for a magical beast, none for an animal)? Do its' base saves change? Does it gain any extra skill points?

If not, do they advance as animals or magical beasts?

The Fiendish and Celestial templates are usually applied to a creature at birth. As in, the creature was born on a fiendish or celestial plane, and is therefore a magical beast rather than an animal from the start. So yes, all its HD would be appropriate for a magical beast.

The only way that I know of for an animal to become a fiendish or celestial creature is through the 3rd-level spell, Planar Familiar which was introduced on the WoTC website, in the Spellbook feature article. Planar Familiar turned a familiar into a templated creature. The spell could be used on an Animal Companion, but by becoming a magical beast, the effects of the Animal Friendship spell would immediately be broken...

 

[Morose]

Coming from experience, the Giant Constrictor is hard to beat for a companion. We had a guy with a Rod of the Python and we eventually had to come up with a reason for destroying it because we felt guilty using it... it was just sick.

 

[Artoomis]

If an animal becomes a magical beast (by application of a template like Celestial or Fiendish) is the change retroactive? That is to say, do his HDs change from d8s to d10s? Does it gets any feats (1 feat per 4 HDs for a magical beast, none for an animal)? Do its' base saves change? Does it gain any extra skill points?

If not, do they advance as animals or magical beasts?

Here's the official rules:

"Celestial" is a template that can be added to any corporeal creature of nonevil alignment (referred to hereafter as the "base creature"). Beasts or animals with this template become magical beasts, but otherwise the creature type is unchanged.

A celestial creature uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

and:

Saves: Same as the base creature
Abilities: Same as the base creature, but Intelligence is at least 3.
Skills: Same as the base creature
Feats: Same as the base creature
Climate/Terrain: Any land and underground
Organization: Same as the base creature

Challenge Rating:
Up to 3 HD, as base creature
4 HD to 7 HD, as base creature +1
8+ HD, as base creature +2

Treasure: Same as the base creature
Alignment: Always good (any)
Advancement: Same as the base creature

Feats/skills/attack bonus advancement/save advancement don't change.

It kind of makes sense, since animals still only a 1 or 2 intelligence.

And a side note: Only the Polar Bear can be advanced to 12HD, the other bears don't go that high (exceot, of course, the Dire Bear).

 

[Happiest_Sadist]

Have you considered splitting it between two animals. Two 6 hd dire apres might be more powerful than most anything else. They could go anywhere (unlike a huge bear). Also two of them increases the effects of that animal growth you memorize.