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<blockquote data-quote="airwalkrr" data-source="post: 2909870" data-attributes="member: 12460">I don't see that it would be game-breaking to allow a shifter variant to have an animal companion. If the DM really thinks it needs to be limited, maybe the shifter druid's AC advances like a ranger's, but I wouldn't have any problem with tossing that part of the shifter variant requirements out. The shifter-druid eschews the utility of wild shape (whose uses/day isn't really a restriction at high levels) for a few forms that are mostly just good at fighting. Although ACs can be a good help in combat, IME they are usually little more than a speed bump, which isn't much different from just summoning animals every combat.Another possible idea is to give the shifter druid a spell, maybe it costs a minimal amount of XP or GP, maybe not, called Summon Animal Companion, like they had in previous editions. The animal companion would only stick around for 1 hour/level, you could only have one at a time, and the type would vary according to spell level. E.g. there would be SAC I, SAC II, and so on. Use the summon nature's ally table as a guideline. Or yet another possibility is to make the animal companion like a paladin's mount. A shifter-druid can only summon it for a prescribed period of time per day, and once the AC is sent away, it can't be recalled until a new day arises.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="airwalkrr, post: 2909870, member: 12460"] I don't see that it would be game-breaking to allow a shifter variant to have an animal companion. If the DM really thinks it needs to be limited, maybe the shifter druid's AC advances like a ranger's, but I wouldn't have any problem with tossing that part of the shifter variant requirements out. The shifter-druid eschews the utility of wild shape (whose uses/day isn't really a restriction at high levels) for a few forms that are mostly just good at fighting. Although ACs can be a good help in combat, IME they are usually little more than a speed bump, which isn't much different from just summoning animals every combat. Another possible idea is to give the shifter druid a spell, maybe it costs a minimal amount of XP or GP, maybe not, called Summon Animal Companion, like they had in previous editions. The animal companion would only stick around for 1 hour/level, you could only have one at a time, and the type would vary according to spell level. E.g. there would be SAC I, SAC II, and so on. Use the summon nature's ally table as a guideline. Or yet another possibility is to make the animal companion like a paladin's mount. A shifter-druid can only summon it for a prescribed period of time per day, and once the AC is sent away, it can't be recalled until a new day arises. [/QUOTE]

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