Animal Companions at higher Level

[mzsylver]

Animal

Yeah, we just fought a black dragon that power attacked for 12 and still hit him like 6 times...

He didn't make it.

Well... fighting a dragon toe-to-toe... If you are not a fighter or cleric with a wicked AC, I assume you go down. That's what dragons do.

My friend's wolf companion is very presentable. Consider having your companion taking Improved Natural Armor over and over as its feats. Also, get that tiger some mithril barding. Shiny tiger pouncin' in for the kill. Try casting Barkskin on your kitty all day. Magic items will help them stay up, too. You wouldnt see a fighter in combat without his +6 Con amulet, would ya!

As someone else said, animal companions make great blockers for you. They can also help the party fighters out a bit.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I agree that at level 10+ the AC is not a primary combatant as is. He should usually hang back and protect the spellcasters, or protect the frontline fighters' flanks from mooks. The exception would be if/when you buff him up. An Animal Companion with Animal Growth is very respectable. I would suggest holding you companion back until you feel like Wildshaping and casting Animal Growth.

Consider some of the tactical benefits other than raw damage. Any Large animal that can Trip or Improved Grab will cause real tactical problems for Medium Humanoids. It is not a matter of killing the target but putting an enemy at a disadvantage and letting your other party members finish the job. It is very unhealthy to be prone or in a grappled in the middle of a fight. Very unhealthy.

 

[Jack Simth]

Yep. And it's really, really hard to resist the trip from a Druid's Animal Growthed Dire Wolf - that +8 Str adds four to the Dire Wolf's already impressive +11 modifier, and the size increase adds yet another +4 - and then when you consider that at the minimum needed to pull this off (9th, as it's a 5th level spell), the critter is getting a +1 str (base 25 - the druid's +1 adds yet another +1 to the check from thresholding to 26 before Animal Growth) and you have a final trip strength check of +20.... and an attack to go with it, and an AoO whenever the traget attempts to stand back up (with a free trip if the AoO is successful). This is even before any enhancement bonuses to the AC's strength. A Druid's Animal Companion can be quite the support character, if so designed.

 

[mzsylver]

Consider some of the tactical benefits other than raw damage. Any Large animal that can Trip or Improved Grab will cause real tactical problems for Medium Humanoids. It is not a matter of killing the target but putting an enemy at a disadvantage and letting your other party members finish the job. It is very unhealthy to be prone or in a grappled in the middle of a fight. Very unhealthy.

Good call. If an enemy monster is being grappled by a giant cat it is time for the rogue to stabbity stab stab away! It also keeps the enemy monster from eating you as it must deal with a giant cat!

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

(with a free trip if the AoO is successful)

Other than the above, Jack's got excellent advice.

The AoO for the creature standing is resolved while the creature is still on the ground. Accordingly, the -4 penalty to AC applies, but since the target is still prone, he cannot be tripped again.

 

[Klaus]

At your druid levels, you should really be buffing up your animal companion with spells and items you no longer need. Your tiger can wear bracers of armor and amulets of natural armor to buff up its AC. On top of that, you should cast Animal Growth, making it a Huge tiger. If you have Natural Spell, wildshape into a tiger or dire tiger and then cast Animal Growth on yourself, sharing the effects with your companion. TWO Huge tigers with Damage Reduction go a long way.

Next time your companion go into combat with a big baddie (and any dragon immediately qualifies), slap Bull's Strength, Barkskin, Animal Growth and Greater Magic Fang on it before sending it off to pounce upon a foe.

IIRC, the additional HD also give your companion additional feats and skills. If so, get Power Attack and watch the damage increase exponentially on all your attacks.

 

[pbd]

At your druid levels, you should really be buffing up your animal companion with spells and items you no longer need. Your tiger can wear bracers of armor and amulets of natural armor to buff up its AC. On top of that, you should cast Animal Growth, making it a Huge tiger. If you have Natural Spell, wildshape into a tiger or dire tiger and then cast Animal Growth on yourself, sharing the effects with your companion. TWO Huge tigers with Damage Reduction go a long way.

Next time your companion go into combat with a big baddie (and any dragon immediately qualifies), slap Bull's Strength, Barkskin, Animal Growth and Greater Magic Fang on it before sending it off to pounce upon a foe.

IIRC, the additional HD also give your companion additional feats and skills. If so, get Power Attack and watch the damage increase exponentially on all your attacks.

That is pretty much the tactics I use; the tiger has bracers and an amulet to get his 25 AC, and in battle the druid will buff, wildshape, and then they are facing 2 huge tigers. The problem with that is they are needed in the front pretty quick and I don't get a whole lot of time to buff. I must say that although he went down in the fight against the dragon, between the two tigers, they did some serious damage to it.

Unfortunately, in our group we have only one dedicated front line fighter. It is large group and we have fighter/ranger (front line), wizard (new spellcater player, not super effective and goes down quick), druid (tries to focus on melee) + tiger, bard (not a direct damage dealer, butinspiring courage is pretty good), rogue (sniper), cleric (not a front line guy). The druid and his companion have to be able to do some front line fighting or we are toast; however, the druid was built with that in mind so it works out. So the conundrum is the group needs the two quadrapedal front line fighters, but the companion at least has a way of getting into trouble.

At least we won't be facing any dragons for a while, but the DM has a way of throwing nasty encounters at us (an occasional non-all or nothing encounter would be nice) and I shudder to think what we will deal with next...

 

[Klaus]

Try to talk your DM into allowing your druid to reincarnate your tiger as a Dire Tiger. Stronger, deals more damage and the such, goes even better with Animal Growth.

And you can always try and take Ride + Mounted Combat and ride your tiger into battle. Negating 1 hit per round using your Ride check as the mounts AC can be a lifesaver. Complete Adventurer has a 3-level prestige class called Wild Plains Outrider that stacks with druid levels for animal companion purposes if it is large enough to be used as a mount. And Natural Bond is your friend here, too.

By the make-up of your party, you seem to be suffering from being forced into a role that your not best at (front-lining).

 

[mikebr99]

That is pretty much the tactics I use; the tiger has bracers and an amulet to get his 25 AC, and in battle the druid will buff, wildshape, and then they are facing 2 huge tigers. The problem with that is they are needed in the front pretty quick and I don't get a whole lot of time to buff. I must say that although he went down in the fight against the dragon, between the two tigers, they did some serious damage to it.

Unfortunately, in our group we have only one dedicated front line fighter. It is large group and we have fighter/ranger (front line), wizard (new spellcater player, not super effective and goes down quick), druid (tries to focus on melee) + tiger, bard (not a direct damage dealer, butinspiring courage is pretty good), rogue (sniper), cleric (not a front line guy). The druid and his companion have to be able to do some front line fighting or we are toast; however, the druid was built with that in mind so it works out. So the conundrum is the group needs the two quadrapedal front line fighters, but the companion at least has a way of getting into trouble.

At least we won't be facing any dragons for a while, but the DM has a way of throwing nasty encounters at us (an occasional non-all or nothing encounter would be nice) and I shudder to think what we will deal with next...

I'm not sure why the Cleric (with better weapon & armour choices) hasn't been forced to the frontline before the Druid...

Anyway. Might I suggest using some of your very good summoning spells to fill the frontline duties?

And don't think that the animal has to be as powerful as a frontline fighter... just realize that the Druid, with all his class abilities (the companion, etc.) IS more powerful then the Fighter.


Mike

 

[mzsylver]

Anyway. Might I suggest using some of your very good summoning spells to fill the frontline duties?

Rapid Spell is your friend.