Strongest Core Animal Companion

[Nameless Void]

I'm looking at building a druid who focuses on buffing his Animal Companion to dizzying heights and casting other utility spells.

Is there a way to make the Druids Animal Companion a very potent combatant?

We'll likely be about 14th level and there is a possibility of encountering a Great Wyrm Blue Dragon (though in an underground setting). I would prefer to stick with say a Dire Lion?

[AndyJames]

The Brown Bear is probably one of the better ones. Generally, though, I like the Ape simply because it is humanoid, and so you can give it feats like Simple Weapons for a quarterstaff. Warbeast it and you can even put it in platemail. It is just for the humour value, though...

[skydragonknight]

Is the entire build Core or just sticking to the MM for pets?

[carnivore]

Dire Bear gives the Strongest(Best Combat Stats), Polar Bear/Dire Boar would be second .... Leopard has the best Skills

surprisingly Dire Bat is a very good Companion at this level with Flight,Blindsense and decent combat abilities ...and you can ride it(or someone in your party can)

 

[Rebel7284]

Psychic Reformation IS core (or at least SRD).  Give the bear better feats

[Tshern]

So not core.

[skydragonknight]

Rhinos make good mounts for charging. You can even make Rhino Hide barding for the rhino to increase its gore damage while charging.

[Nunkuruji]

Totem Druid (dr335) / Wizard / Arcane Hierophant / MT

Preferably with early entry
Natural Bond
Enspell Familiar

I like T-T-T-Tiger Uppercut!

[Tshern]

Rhinos make good mounts for charging. You can even make Rhino Hide barding for the rhino to increase its gore damage while charging.

Where is Rhino Hide barding from?

[archangel.arcanis]

Rhinos make good mounts for charging. You can even make Rhino Hide barding for the rhino to increase its gore damage while charging.

Where is Rhino Hide barding from?

Rhino Hide armor

Armor For Unusual Creatures
Armor and shields for unusually big creatures, unusually little creatures, and nonhumanoid creatures have different costs and weights from those given on Table: Armor and Shields. Refer to the appropriate line on the table below and apply the multipliers to cost and weight for the armor type in question.

Size   Humanoid   Nonhumanoid
Cost   Weight   Cost   Weight
Divide armor bonus by 2.
Tiny or smaller1   ×½   ×1/10   ×1   ×1/10
Small   ×1   ×½   ×2   ×½
Medium   ×1   ×1   ×2   ×1
Large   ×2   ×2   ×4   ×2
Huge   ×4   ×5   ×8   ×5
Gargantuan   ×8   ×8   ×16   ×8
Colossal   ×16   ×12   ×32   ×12

[wotmaniac]

as far as buffs go -- MUST HAVE NATURE'S AVATAR (from SC)!!!

[Nameless Void]

Sorry, wrong wording I guess.

I meant of the animals from the Monster Manual. So no Fleshraker etc.

More-so looking at ways I can show my gaming group how tough an Animal Companion can be. So what classes/spells/feats (Druid based and preferably full casting) will make an absolute beast out of an Animal Companion, and what should that Companion be?

Is a fully buffed Dire Bear better in combat than say a fully buffed Dire Lion? The Bear is stronger granted, but the Lion has more attacks/pounce so could do more damage in any given round..

All non-setting specific books are available, some setting material might be allowed but third party and dragon magazine is not.

[Rebel7284]

All non-setting specific books are available, some setting material might be allowed but third party and dragon magazine is not.

Eberron Campaign Setting has horrid animals as companions.  Some of them are certainly worth it.  INA on ALL natural weapons+4 Con+Significant Acid damage.

[Endarire]

Monster Manual II 219 has the Warbeast template for Animals.  It works.

[ninjarabbit]

It really depends.

Yeah lots of attacks are nice but DR can really limit the effectiveness of those attacks. You might be better off with one big attack.

T-Rex can swallow whole and that's almost worth it all by itself. A triceratops's gore attack can be devestating.

[AndyJames]

The best animal companion build that don't gimp your character I could come up with is:

Druid 7/Sorcerer 1/Beastmaster 1/Arcane Hierophant 10/Druid +1

Use Heighten Spell and Versatile Spellcaster for early entry.

Effective Druid Level of 22, Effective Sorcerer level of 11. Your Animal Companion will have 11 Intelligence. Anything above 3 will allow you to talk to it, and so don't need tricks or Handle Animal checks.

Train it in Warbeast (MM2) for an extra HD and +3 Str/Con, +2 Wis.


Alternatively, if you really want the AC to shine, use this:

Halfling (Strongheart from Faerun)
Ranger 4/Cleric 1/Prestige Paladin 3/Beastmaster 2/Halfling Outrider 10

1 - Mounted Combat, SF Handle Animal(b)
3 - Mounted Archery
6 - Devoted Hunter
9 - Dragonsteed

Animal companion - 12 (ranger) + 15 (beastmaster) = 27
Paladin Mount - 16 (prestige paladin)

Devoted Hunter allows you to add them together into one uber mount. Dragonsteed turns your mount into a Dragon. 16th Paladin level nets you a Very Young Gold Dragon as a mount.

The halfling might be a bit redundant, though.

[Caelic]

The halfling might be a bit redundant, though.

Not at all.  The halfling is the guidance system.  Besides, someone needs to shout "Tally ho!" as the gold dragon goes careening down dungeon corridors.

[Nameless Void]

 

Thanks AndyJames, I like the look of the first build. I'll have a look and see what I can do with it.

Anyone have some recommended feats that may help?

Thanks for all the help thus far!

[Havok4]

The companion spellbound (PHB2) feat would be useful when buffing with share spells as it increases the range to 30 feet rather than 5.