Druid animal companions

[Astragoth]

ok this is from a 12th lvl druid.

picture this: ring of animal friendhip (2 dire bear friends), rod of python, summon nature's ally 6, select giant constrictor (d3)

cast animal growth.

what we have now is a minimum of 92 and a maximum of 136 (sic!) hitdice in animals who will fight for you (2-4 gargantuan constrictors and 2 huge dire bears). That is prolly more then the entire party together.

you say low ac? I say animal growthed dire bears have 256 hps each (you have 2 of those) and animal growthed giant constrictors have 165 hps each. This means that if you roll max on the summoning you have 1172 hitpoints (!) in animals. Yup they can hit them... no prob.
All of them have the improved grab ability. The pythons have a grapple check with + 39 the bears a grapple check of +40 (against medium sized opponents)

These six buddies of yours will play a happy game of greek/roman wrestling with anything they encounter.

Don't ever make the mistake of underestimating animals.... they will choke you to death.

PS Is this a smackdown candidate?

 

[Pielorinho]

Hmm...I've played a druid through 9th level, and have only lost 2 animal companions. One was at 4th level, a hawk that I'd had since the game began; the other, a grizzly bear, died in the same battle that killed me.

Play smart with animal companions, and they're pretty difficult to kill:

-Buy a wand of mage armor for the party wizard and get yourself and your companion zapped with it. At 15 gp a zap, it's cheap wonderful armor that stays with you when wildshaping.
-Cat's grace is great for animal companions.
-There are other things that work, too (magic circle against evil, e.g.), for bumping up the AC, but there's diminishing returns. Mage armor is the best deal for that. Make sure you keep healing spells handy, and make sure your companion knows the tricks "stay" and "get THAT one!" and "Off!" You want them to disentangle from losing battles, to attack appropriate opponents, and to stay away from black puddings.

I've found that a tiger with appropriate enchantments is a lethal fighter, as is a brown bear. If I need cheap disposable critters, that's what summoning spells and bags of tricks are for.

Daniel

 

[Ferret]

And rangers?

 

[Crothian]

And rangers?

Rangers use of animal companions because next to useless if this rule is used. A 10th level ranger could only have a 5HD creature. Even if you try to keep it back and protected, by that lkevel area effect spells and abilities can easily catch it and kill it.

Personally, I diregard this for both Druids and Rangers. Allowing them to have caster level times two worth of HD has never been a problem.