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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jack Simth" data-source="post: 3162840" data-attributes="member: 29252">Not similar in type, no... but at the same time, most deadly encounters the party faces are such that the party has a pretty reasonable chance of survival.  Usually a bit worse than what a pack of wolves going after a few horses will deal with, granted, and more often, granted.  RAW, covered by training (using two tricks on Attack).  Also RAW, setting up to fail by not training (animals don't, by default, attack things like abberations, undead, or constructs.... refuse to, in fact... and is occasionally amusing, when the DM finds out that the only valid clearly hostile target in the flat-footed room for the AC to go after is the BBEG.... who's squishy).  Pointless to target a wolf on something that's naturally flying and probably out of reach.  A Dire Bat, sure - it's used to hunting in three dimensions.  Probably more effective to have the critter permit you to carry the fight to the thing - e.g., setting someone with a reach weapon on a Dire Wolf to so he can reach to Full Attack the beholder that's 20 feet up against the cieling, or using the same strategy with Jumping rules for a single attack at a higher altitude.  But then, I'm fond of ways to move in three dimensions before you'd normally be permitted to do so on a regular basis.  Of course, when I'm playing a Druid, the animal companion gets healed first.  To the consternation of just about everyone else at the table.....Well, even pushing it and letting Natural Bond mitigate the alternate companion list, the AC stops being meaningfully more effective than the Fighter at hurting things after about 8th or so.  You notice my comparison didn't go past the Dire Wolf?  A Druid-16's Tyrannasaurus, even with Natural Bond, is only attacking at +22.  He won't be able to touch a tank.  Sure, you can beef him up with Animal Growth (+3 attack, +6 damage), Greater Magic Fang (+5 attack, +5 Damage if you go with a Bead of Karma in the morning) ... but in no way is he going to keep up with a decked-out Fighter at that level.  At 1st, a Riding Dog is a respectable melee combatant.  At 3rd, a Riding Dog with Druid bonuses is a useful melee combatant if armored.  At 4th, a leapord is a acceptable meelee combatant, and can surpass the Fighter at breaking faces if you let Natural Bond work with them, or if you buff up the Companion in some way.  At 7th, one or the other lets him match, to accel, you'll need both.   At 10th, you can probably trick out a Dire Lion or Megaraptor to routinely match an NPC Fighter-10.  After that?  Not so much.  At 20th, you're better off using a Dire Bat for a permanent, undispellable, AMF capable, flying and almost freely replaceable mount than you are selecting an AC as a melee combatant.  Meat shield?  You can probably find something that will soak up attacks, or delay an opponent due to the complexities involved with getting around / disposing of something Huge with 250 HP to attack you.  Using a Druid to skip a Fighter works for low levels reasonably well.  At high levels, you want a Planar Binding Sorcerer or a Golem crafting Wizard or Cleric for the purpose.</blockquote>

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