I have a pal who wants a Construct Animal Companion.

[UnholyD]

If it's not too late to offer another suggestion, the Effigy Master from Complete Arcane is designed to create Construct animals (and other creature types) using the Effigy Template.

If you had read the original post, you'd have known I already looked into the Effigy Template and was looking for a better alternative should one exist.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

I understand what it does, I'm just wondering since arcane casters require feats to get better familiars like Improved Familiar, would such a feat be necessary for the Ranger.

There's no need for a ranger (or druid) to take a feat to gain a more powerful companion because gaining a more powerful companion is already built into the system by virtue of being able to acquire different animals based on the character's effective druid level. For example, if the character started with a regular wolf but wanted a dire wolf later on, then all the character has to do is be 7th level or higher and dismiss the original wolf companion and then spend 24 hours on a ceremony to gain a dire wolf as a new companion since the dire wolf is listed as a -6 effective druid level adjustment.

Gah, now I have an urge to index all the possible animal companions printed and then run some statistical analysis on them to see what variances in HD and CR and such are among them.

 

[UnholyD]

There's no need for a ranger (or druid) to take a feat to gain a more powerful companion because gaining a more powerful companion is already built into the system by virtue of being able to acquire different animals based on the character's effective druid level. For example, if the character started with a regular wolf but wanted a dire wolf later on, then all the character has to do is be 7th level or higher and dismiss the original wolf companion and then spend 24 hours on a ceremony to gain a dire wolf as a new companion since the dire wolf is listed as a -6 effective druid level adjustment.

Gah, now I have an urge to index all the possible animal companions printed and then run some statistical analysis on them to see what variances in HD and CR and such are among them.

And now that you've said it, I want to do the same... Damned Warforged!

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

If you had read the original post, you'd have known I already looked into the Effigy Template and was looking for a better alternative should one exist.

Very sorry, not sure how I missed that.

 

[UnholyD]

Very sorry, not sure how I missed that.

It's alright, I only mentioned it the once. And it was hidden amongst the wall of text.

 

[UnholyD]

Well, looking into everything, it seems to me that:
1. A Feat would be unnecessary unless the Ranger wanted his Animal Companion to be a little better.
2. To offset the lack of an Int score, the Soulfused template can be used.
3. The Construct would more likely be treated as a higher level Companion.
4. If anything other than the Effigy Template is used, it requires looking into Pathfinder or otherwise making homebrewed adjustments onto other Construct creatures.

Thanks to everyone who contributed, as this has really helped a lot. In all honesty, I'd been working on this for a little over a month now trying to squeeze any improvement out of what was there. I'd only been able to make it as far as the Effigy Template, which having no Feats or Skills makes it utterly useless as a Companion.
Now, I think I know what we will be using and I'll clear it with the DM and let the Ranger know he can have what he's always wanted, a mechanized companion that understands him and his machine man ways, not just a mindless automaton that follows orders without question.

 

[Jackinthegreen]

One of the big advantages to having a companion with Int 3+ that knows a language is the ranger doesn't have to bother with Handle Animal anymore because he can just tell it what he wants it to do and the companion will understand it.