Animal Companion

[Man With Dog]

Hi there all,

Wonder if someone could help me with a Druid Animal Companion question.
If I want a specific pet, how do I work out if I can take it or not?

Secondly, I am level 8 and have natural bond.
I'd like a tiger (normal basic tiger is -6 I believe)
also, as a basically free ability I can take the warbeast template for said pet.
Is basic tiger the best basic pet I could take and is warbeast worth implementing? (Think I'd end up riding most places but would have trouble with it being large in dungeons)

[Frog Dragon]

Honestly, you're a druid. You get free Warbeast template. Go to town. You don't really need to optimize this, you're awesome already. So, take tiger, take warbeast if you want, doesn't matter that much.

[Rannil]

A Tiger isn't the best animal companion, but the differences aren't that big.
The druid handbook has a chapter over the best animal companions.
The handbook's advice: Magebred Ghost Tiger.

I wonder if you can war train that.

Edit: As for your first question, you need to work that out with your DM. The way to PHB seems to suggest is that you spend 24 hours doing a ceremony and suddenly the animal companion appears and is your buddy. Meaning all options are open.

Some DM prefer that actually go in the forest and catch your animal companion, which limits your options to the things that live in the area.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You can perform a ceremony consisting of 24 hours of uninterrupted prayer to get a new animal companion. I've always imagined this as at the end of the ceremony, it wanders up as though it had been traveling to your location the whole time and arrives just as the prayer ends. You could conceivably pray for any creature available to a character of your level, and there is nothing stating any reason why the desired companion wouldn't show up. All that is required of your character is 24 hours of uninterrupted prayer, and you can ask for anything that would be available based on your level. If your DM says you have to go out looking for it, you wander around the woods praying for 24 hours and you happen to find exactly the one you wanted.

A Fleshraker dinosaur from MM3 is probably going to be the most powerful choice, especially if you can cast Venomfire from Serpent Kingdoms. Dire Eagle in Races of Stone is also a superb choice, especially as a flying mount.

Consider taking the feat Celestial Companion from BoED to add the Celestial Creature template for -1 to your effective level for its benefits. This makes it good aligned, so it can take Sacred Vow and Vow of Poverty, and it will get bonuses based on its HD and you'll never have to buy it any gear.

[Amphetryon]

Tigers are not a bad choice, thanks to Pounce and Rake, even if they lack some of the goodies of the dinosaur companions.

Most players - especially but not exclusively less experienced ones - prefer to limit their Druid's focus to only a couple of their options of: Wildshape, Summon, AoE, Buff/Heal, and Companion. If you want the Tiger to be the focus of your build, you might consider Lion of Talisad, the PrC from the Book of Exalted Deeds. It focuses almost exclusively on increasing your connection to large felines.

[Man With Dog]

I am new to Druid so all advise is welcome and welcome again.

The first question i hd wasnt so much based on 'how do i get it', more of 'how do i work out if i am high enough level for it'

I am not allowed a Fleshraker - i already asked about this hehe.

But i will look at the other advise given right now

[AslanCross]

I am new to Druid so all advise is welcome and welcome again.

The first question i hd wasnt so much based on 'how do i get it', more of 'how do i work out if i am high enough level for it'

The Druid PHB entry has a chart that shows how high your level needs to be for you to get the animal.

Monsters found elsewhere typically have their own "You must be this advanced as a druid to get this monster" entry. If all else fails and it's not listed, ask your DM.

EDIT: Here's the online list.

[Man With Dog]

A Tiger isn't the best animal companion, but the differences aren't that big.
The druid handbook has a chapter over the best animal companions.
The handbook's advice: Magebred Ghost Tiger.

I wonder if you can war train that.

Edit: As for your first question, you need to work that out with your DM. The way to PHB seems to suggest is that you spend 24 hours doing a ceremony and suddenly the animal companion appears and is your buddy. Meaning all options are open.

Some DM prefer that actually go in the forest and catch your animal companion, which limits your options to the things that live in the area.

I think Magebred is a template isnt it? And Warbeast is a template too.
so i dont think i can warbeast a magebred creature

[AslanCross]

Nope, it's not a template. These are simply magically-engineered animals that are slightly stronger than their originals. They appear in various Eberron books. The Magebred Ghost Tiger is from Five Nations.

[Man With Dog]

Nope, it's not a template. These are simply magically-engineered animals that are slightly stronger than their originals. They appear in various Eberron books. The Magebred Ghost Tiger is from Five Nations.

So theoretically, i could have a Warbeast Magebred Tiger.
Think this gives me:
Str +3
Con +3
Wis +2
+1 HD
+2 Circumstance bonus on its rider’s Ride checks
+10’ to land movement.
+1 Racial bonus on Listen & Spot checks

and

+2 improvement to Natural
Armor
+4 to either Str, Dex, or Con.
+2 to the other two.
Gain one of the following:
- Swift Breed: movement +10’
- Thick-Skinned Breed: additional +2 to Natural Armor
- Tracking Breed: +4 bonus on Survival checks to follow tracks
Gain one of the following feats: Alertness, Athletics, Endurance,
Improved Natural Attack, or Multiattack

Is that right?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

A Magebred Ghost Tiger is still an animal, and Warbeast can be applied to any animal. It should actually be easier than normal to make it a Warbeast, since all Handle Animal DCs are reduced by 2 when dealing with Magebred animals.

[Man With Dog]

Is this right?
Seems a bit overly awesome for an Animal Companion


Str 23, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6 - BASE TIGER

Str 30, Dex 17, Con 22, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6 - Warbeast Magebred.

7HD.
60' Movement? Do they both stack?
Base AC: 16
Gain one of the following feats: Alertness, Athletics, Endurance,
Improved Natural Attack, or Multiattack

And other assorted goodies

[Kaskos]

Nope, it's not a template. These are simply magically-engineered animals that are slightly stronger than their originals. They appear in various Eberron books. The Magebred Ghost Tiger is from Five Nations.

I had a look and as much as i would love it - seems OP a bit doesnt it?

I agree with OP but if you are allowed, go with it?

[Eldariel]

Is this right?
Seems a bit overly awesome for an Animal Companion


Str 23, Dex 15, Con 17, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6 - BASE TIGER

Str 30, Dex 17, Con 22, Int 2, Wis 14, Cha 6 - Warbeast Magebred.

7HD.
60' Movement? Do they both stack?
Base AC: 16
Gain one of the following feats: Alertness, Athletics, Endurance,
Improved Natural Attack, or Multiattack

And other assorted goodies

Yeah, it's quite good. Indeed, it'll actually kick ass. Don't forget to give it Barding (Warbeasts have Armor Proficiencies; you can actually give it a Fullplate Barding just fine), buffs (Greater Magic Fang, Barkskin, later combat Animal Growth and so on) and Psychic Reformation for its feats. Do note that Ghost Tiger has one huge weakness in its poor Will-save. It may be worth it to spend some of its feats on improving that with e.g. Steadfast Determination.

And sure, speed increases stack just fine. Untyped increases from different sources stack as a rule.

[Man With Dog]

Firstly, how does 'Psychic Reformation' work exactly?

I get 3 feats i think with the Tiger so 'Steadfast Determination' would be a good idea for the Will save help.
I was also thinking Multi-Attack as its freebie from being Magebred or WarBeasted.

Would a tiger be suitable to Wildshape into or shall i go with my initial idea of a Polar Bear?

And hooray for speedy mounts.