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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack Simth" data-source="post: 3160923" data-attributes="member: 29252">Shrug.  So the Druid's got what's effectively a bodyguard of equal level.  That's one of the big things casters need anyway.  Helps that the bodyguard is basically utterly loyal (if not very bright).  Was also planning on a mounted druid (which, while forbidden in 3.0, isn't in 3.5....).  At 4th, the difference between NPC equipment and PC equipment is about 2k.  NPC -> PC, the fighter gets maybe 1 point of AC and a point of saves, from a +1 Cloak of Resistence and adding +1 to his shield or armor.  Unless he's optimizing, of course, which isn't something I was doing for the Druid or animal companion in the examples.  The Druid thinks for the companion - in character, even; it's what Handle Animal covers.  The Druid took six weeks and trained him specifically for that kind of thing.  Take a look at the Handle Animal skill - Combat Riding gives attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel (in addition to letting you mount it).  Attack lets you point out a foe, and explicitly lets you specify a particular creature.  Come specifies that it comes to you, even if it normally wouldn't (because, say, there's a fire involved).  Defend lets you tell him to go guard someone else (perhaps the glass cannon or the Batman).  Down tells him to stop attacking (normally, they don't do so until it "must flee" or it's opponent is "defeated").  Guard lets the druid have someone else take a watch.  Heel convinces the AC to follow when it normally wouldn't (through flames, maybe).  As, for the Druid working with his Animal Companion, it's a free action to give an order, "Down" and "Come" covers retreat rather well.  Magic Fang and it's Greater counterpart will let the critter hurt Incorporeals (50% of the time, anyway).   Druid's Bonus Trick, even for an effective Druid-1, can be used to upgrade the attack so it will even go after golems, undead, and other things it normally wouldn't.  You'd be amazed what you can accomplish with simple commands in sequence.  Most computer processors have under 200 of them.  Okay, so Fido won't be running Diablo IV anytime soon, but there's a surprising amount of tactics you can manage.  Oh, and Wolves have standard tactics - for Flanking and Tripping - listed in their MM entries.  No Bull Rush, disarm, et cetera, sure (well... you might be able to make Fetch work for that....) but you can do a surprising amount.  Especially when using one as a mount, so that you have explicit control of it's movement.I doubt you've had anyone push that aspect.... or you've had characters who push everything else, too.</blockquote>

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