Looking for a Feat: Improved Animal Companion

[Klaus]

In order to have a tiger from Level 1, just use the following progession for stats, but assume it's the same tiger kitten that grows to adulthood during the campaign:

1st level -> Wild Cat (free download at www.fierydragon.com , under "Unfamiliar Familiars" web-enhancement for CC5)

4th level -> Leopard

7th level -> Tiger

Using a lion isn't feasible, since lion and tiger are both available at 7th level.

 

[Koewn]

Using a lion isn't feasible, since lion and tiger are both available at 7th level.

And bears.

Oh my.

At any rate, reducing the apparent HD of the animal (recalculating attacks/saves as well) and bringing it up as the druid levels, finally getting the true animal at whichever level they technically qualify for it, is probably OK, along with reduced damage die if you're really going down in HD.

You might have to do some thinking about at what HD some of the special trip/rake or whatever attacks really can come into play.

But since we're just 'reducing' a 'cat', Klaus' idea is just as good, and requires less thinkin

Koewn

 

[Lord Pendragon]

Using a lion isn't feasible, since lion and tiger are both available at 7th level.

Ah, my mistake. From an earlier post I got the impression that a lion was available at level 6. In any case, as you and others have pointed out, using the stats for a weaker creature as an immature tiger is a simple and very servicable way to go.

 

[Klaus]

One of the reasons I wrote up the stats for the Wild Cat for Fiery Dragon was to fill a gap in the feline size progression. Now you can go from Tiny (cat) -> Small (wild cat/lynx) -> Medium (cheetah/leopard) -> Large (lion/tiger).

I also did the same for the Dog (just go to www.fierydragon.com and click on the Dragon's Breath logo and then choose the article "Good Boy!" from the list). I divided the Dog in Tiny (pug to poodle to daschhound in size), Small (beagle to retriever) and Medium (german shepherd, mastiff, great dane).

I might do the same for hunting birds, from Tiny (Hawk) to Small (Falcon) to Medium (Eagle).

Edit: Here's a Medium Tiger for your druid:

Juvenile Tiger: Medium Animal; HD 6d8+6 (hp 33); Init +3; Spd 40 ft; AC 14; BAB/Grap +4/+6; Atk Claw +6 (1d6+2); Full Atk 2 claws +6 (1d6+2) and bite +1 (1d8+1); Space 5 ft.; SA Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d6+1; SQ ll-vision, scent; Saves Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3; Str 15, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6; Balance +7, Hide +8*, Listen +3, MS +10, Spot +3, Swim +7; Feats Alertness, INA (bite, claw).

To it, apply the abilities of an animal companion of a 1st-level (druid). When your druid reaches 7th level, do not change the companion abilities (keep as 1st level). Instead, just advance size to Large:
+8 Str, -2 Dex, +4 Con, +2 natural armor, -1 attack/AC, increase damage to 1d8 (claw/rake) and 2d6 (bite) and increase hit points to 45 (accounting for the Con increase to the bonus hp from 6d8+6 to 6d8+12). Size also adds +4 to Grapple and -4 to Hide checks.

 

[Squire James]

You can go with the "smaller tiger" option, or you can let the druid get the tiger one level early... but not quite the tiger she had in mind.

Gve the tiger an "activation check" of DC 12 (DC 1 + 1 per 1,000 XP below requirement). Each time the druid expects the tiger to do something, roll d20. If the check fails to reach the DC, the tiger does either nothing useful (plop down and scratch/lick something) or something mildly undesireable (like run away and return after the noise stops). The tiger will NOT harm the druid or her companions, but if the roll fails he shouldn't harm enemies either.

Lower the DC by 1 per 1,000 XP the druid earns until she has a "normal" tiger when she reaches level 7. Enforce this "activation roll" even if the druid's in danger... the bond isn't "full strength" yet!

The other thing to consider is "what if the tiger dies". If the tiger turned out to be an unbalanced mess, you are within your rights to say that tigers won't have anything to do with the druid for a while (the "while" happens to be until she attains next level).

 

[Fiendish Dire Weasel]

Edit: Here's a Medium Tiger for your druid:

Juvenile Tiger: Medium Animal; HD 6d8+6 (hp 33); Init +3; Spd 40 ft; AC 14; BAB/Grap +4/+6; Atk Claw +6 (1d6+2); Full Atk 2 claws +6 (1d6+2) and bite +1 (1d8+1); Space 5 ft.; SA Improved grab, pounce, rake 1d6+1; SQ ll-vision, scent; Saves Fort +6, Ref +8, Will +3; Str 15, Dex 17, Con 13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6; Balance +7, Hide +8*, Listen +3, MS +10, Spot +3, Swim +7; Feats Alertness, INA (bite, claw).

No way a 6HD critter is valid for a level 1 Druid. Level 1 Druid animal companions are ussualy 1 or 2HD. What you're doing has merit, but I found most monsters don't scale properly when you change their size and compare them to something oringaly the new size. Hell, even PHB races break the rules for stat adjustments for size.

My advice, since you're starting at 6th level, would be use a leopard (Druid level -3) as a "young tiger" then advance it to a full tiger when you hit the proper tiger level (Druid level -6). Then go normal from there. I can't say as I could see a problem with balance.

 

[Klaus]

I wasn't saying Medium Tiger for a 1st level Druid. What I meant is take it instead of taking a leopard (Level -3), then increase its size to Large when you reach 7th level, but keep the companion abilities at 1st level (becoming thus Level -6).

And btw, a druid can start with a heavy horse as an animal companion, and that's 6HD worth of muscle.