Feeble Eberron Animal Companions

[heirodule]

Why do most Eberron animal companion regions provide such feeble animal companions? This is especially hard on the Ranger class: why would I want a dire rat, when I could have had a wolf or a horse?

Some regions have horses I see, though. I can accept that for some reason eberron has no wolves (does it?) but was there a balance reason for downgrading most region's choices?

Is medium snake the best choice? I'm playing a gnoll ranger in Xen'Drik Expeditions, and having a snake friend doesn't seem very thematic for a gnoll. Makes me consider taking Distracting Attack from the PHB II

 

[Klaus]

The lists of Animal Companions by Region are meant to exemplify what sorts of animals exist in certain regions of Eberron. If you want a wolf as your animal companion, you have to travel to one of the northern regions where wolves are indigenous to (Cyre, Aundair, Lhazaar Principalities, Thrane and Karrnath.

 

[Stone Dog]

I really wouldn't want a wolf from Cyre as my animal companion. I would be too worried that it would go all John Carpenter's The Thing on my ass.

 

[The Lost Muse]

In the little blurb on Druids in the ECS, it mentions that the druids animal companion is a wolf.

 

[RangerWickett]

Can't you get a velociraptor (clawfoot)? I'm a halfling druid who rides one. It got bonus hit dice, took multi-attack, and is awesome in combat.

 

[arwink]

Feeble is a matter of perspective. In a campaign I ran, the druid wasted a large chunk of his spell-power casting spider climb on his wolf companion every time the low-level party needed to climb somewhere. He also ran into huge problems trying to sneak it into civilized areas.

The ranger who took a dire rat had his animal comanion nearly everywhere he went, largely thanks to a decent Hide check, a climb speed and the fact that rats (even giant ones) were a relatively common sight in the urban environment they were adventuring in.

 

[Klaus]

Can't you get a velociraptor (clawfoot)? I'm a halfling druid who rides one. It got bonus hit dice, took multi-attack, and is awesome in combat.

Only if he travels to the Talenta Plains.

Looking over the Xendrik table, I think your best choice would be eagle. If you want something suitable for a gnoll, take a vulture and use eagle stats. Hyenas and vultures are both carrion eaters, so there's your connection.

 

[caudor]

I'd really go for a dire ant lion; however, carrying around a huge bucket of sand might get old. It would be a fun tool for intimidating Kobolds.

 

[Perun]

Only if he travels to the Talenta Plains.

Looking over the Xendrik table, I think your best choice would be eagle. If you want something suitable for a gnoll, take a vulture and use eagle stats. Hyenas and vultures are both carrion eaters, so there's your connection.

Sandstorm has stats vor vultures and dire vultures (available to 1st- and 10th-level druids as companions, respectively). Compared to D&D eagles, they're somewhat weaker, but with more hp.

Regards.

 

[brehobit]

Can't you get a velociraptor (clawfoot)? I'm a halfling druid who rides one. It got bonus hit dice, took multi-attack, and is awesome in combat.

Sure, but you can't have one until 4th level, and you don't get the bonus HD until 5th since it is a -3 beasty.

Some other options, like Apes, are much nicer (other than being large)