Away from my Races of the Wild...

[Hypersmurf]

Trying to remember how Arcane Heirophant's companion works.

Do Arcane Heirophant levels stack with druid levels for companion progression?
Do Arcane Heirophant levels stack with wizard levels for companion-as-familiar progression?
Do the familiar natural armor improvements stack with the companion natural armor improvements?

-Hyp.

 

[youspoonybard]

You can add your A.Hierophant levels to Druid (or, oddly enough, ranger) levels to determine your Animal Companion status.

You add your A.Hierophant levels to your Arcane Spellcasting class level and determine the intelligence and special familiar abilities (apparently the Animal Companion Natural Armor is used instead of the Familiar's). It specifically mentions intelligence and special familiar, and missing is the natural armor of the familiar.

 

[Hypersmurf]

You can add your A.Hierophant levels to Druid (or, oddly enough, ranger) levels to determine your Animal Companion status.

It's not that odd, given that rangers get animal companions. It's odd that the class (from memory) notes that you'll have to take druid or ranger levels to meet the class requirements.

I can only assume they're talking about Trackless Step... which rangers don't get!

You could get it with Scout levels, though, if you had the divine casting from elsewhere.

You add your A.Hierophant levels to your Arcane Spellcasting class level and determine the intelligence and special familiar abilities (apparently the Animal Companion Natural Armor is used instead of the Familiar's). It specifically mentions intelligence and special familiar, and missing is the natural armor of the familiar.

Right. Cool. I thought the stacking armor was probably too good to be true, but I couldn't remember... and then I had the horrible thought that the AH levels might not count, since most PrCs don't advance familiars...

Thanks!

-Hyp.

 

[youspoonybard]

I thought it was kinda odd, since most things that advance Animal Companion advancement advance your effective Druid level (so ranger/2 instead of ranger). Or maybe I'm just mistaken that way.

 

[Gez]

Personally, I use ranger level -3 = effective druid level rather than ranger level/2 = effective druid level.

But it isn't odd at all. Just look at this formula:

Animal Companion Master Level = Druid Level + 1/2 Ranger Level + Arcane Hierophant Level.

Rangers that become Arcane Hierophants are already penalized on the spellcasting (since ranger spellcasting is about a halved druidic spellcasting, with a shorter spell list). There's no reason to penalize them as well on the companion.

 

[Bront]

Personally, I use ranger level -3 = effective druid level rather than ranger level/2 = effective druid level.

level/2 for ranger was the old 3.0 animal friendship spell. Animal companion is level-3 for ranger.

 

[Gez]

I didn't even notice my house-rule was now mainstream.

 

[Diirk]

level/2 for ranger was the old 3.0 animal friendship spell. Animal companion is level-3 for ranger.

This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name, except that the ranger’s effective druid level is one-half his ranger level.

Nope.

 

[youspoonybard]

Oh, personally I do the -3 thing instead as well : )

Hmm, checking the Halfling Outrider, I guess it's the same thing. Oh well.

Although this is kinda interesting - Halfling Outriders stack with paladin, druid, and ranger levels. Druid 1 / Ranger 6 / H.Outrider 10 (CL 16, Mount level 11 + = 18). Hmm, not that great. If only I could sneak that paladin in there : )

Paladin 5 / Beastmaster 5 / HalflingOutrider 10 with Devoted Tracker? 15th level paladin mount (+8 HD, +10 NA, +4 strength, 9 int), 18th level Druid Animal Companion (+12 HD, +12 NA, +6 Str/Dex, 7 bonus tricks)...*shivvers*. That's pretty beefy.

Without equipment -

Riding Dog Mount (It is a halfling, after all : ) )
Medium Magical Beast
Hit Dice: 22d8 + 44 (143 hp)
Initiative +5
Speed: 50 feet (10 squares)
Armor Class: 41 (+5 Dex, +26 Natural Armor), touch 15, flat-footed 36
Base Attack/Grapple: +16/+26
Attack: Bite +26 (1d6+15)
Full Attack: Bite +26/+21 (1d6+15)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./ 5 ft.
Special Attacks: Trip (See wolf)
Special Qualtities: Low-light vision, scent, Emphatic link, improved evasion, share spells, share saving throws, Improved speed, Command, Spell resistance 20, Link, Devotion, Multiattack
Saves: Fort +15 Reflex +18 Will +7
Abilities: Str 30, Dex 21, Con 15, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 6
Skills: Whatever
Feats: Pick 7 feats you qualify for : ), Alertness, Track(B)

And that's just your Mount; you're still a 20 BAB character pimped for mounted combat. Unfortunately, you only have 2 available feats (barring Strongheart Halfling or the like). Fortunately, your mount can beef up his combat presence with his 7 feats.

Oh, and you get a weak little animal too : )