War Dogs

[ghostwasp]

When every I play a fighter (and even sometimes when I don't) I almost always pick a riding dog has one of my first investments of hard earned loot, because the added firepower and detection ability. Unfortunately my current fighter has finally reached 14 level and there is no way the a riding dog will cut it any more (the last one died around level 11 while guarding the horses).
So my thought is this-in a world with powerful wizards and clerics, weird magic rituals and bloodlines, a monsters just about ever where it would make sense that someone would bred something to fill the "war dog" spot for high level adventurers to help fight monsters. I've been looking around and the dire wolf isn't a bad start but I was wondering if anyone can point me in a better direction? The critter in question can be no larger than a horse (preferably medium sized), look fairly normal (don't want to scare the peasants), can be intelligent (can take it as cohort, but doesn't need to be sentient) and cant be stack with piles of templates (max 2 probably)-other than that most 3.5 books are open including some Dragon Magazines. I usually get great answers from everyone and I really hope someone can help me out.

 

[SethDrebitko]

See if your gm will let you take this feat. It's from wizards wild encounters lets you get just the cohort part of the leadership feat to give you an animal companion lite.

Add some magic gear to that pup and you should b pretty good.

 

[RUMBLETiGER]

Dinosaurs. For Real.

They are animals, anything you can do training and giving commands to a dog, horse or whatnot, you can do with a dinosaur. Perhaps get a pack of 3.

Seriously, T-Rex is an option.

Alternatively, I'm a fan of Rust Monster Mounts...


I Have Found The Handle Animal Guide Very Helpful.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Why not ask your DM? In a game I ran, the party had a pair of dogs they had rescued from a villain's lair. They kept them and the dogs were loyal in return. Whenever they did tasks for the nature deities' clergy the dogs would receive their blessings and gain bonus HD.

I'm sure if you wanted to, you could even come up with even more blessings to give them different strengths and boosts. Blessing of Oak for natural armor. Blessing of Spring for speed. Stuff like that.

 

[James the Newbie]

Magical enhancements that you could try

quick things you can do is use magic buffs such as see invisibility (If you can persuade your dm to let you add it to someone else), giving them greater use to your party and give them enchanted Armour if they can use it. A good third is rarys telepathic bond if it can understand commands, or you need to know its condition from afar. Resistance isnt really worth it, but feel free, to. And magic fang is a nice toutch if it will stack!

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The creautres to choose from is a little harder, since I dont take companions too often, though I would like to

I'd stop worrying about peasants, a simple illusion cast around the most beastly creature wont be broken in city circumstances by a regular peasant - If you run into a mage with something too odd you may have to explain yourself

My number one choice, is an owlbear, I don't know why I love them so much, but I do, their strong fast and powerful, fit it with some enchantments and you have something I wouldnt want to fight against. Its scary factor may put you off using this one, even with illusions its pretty big.

It is large, but you can shrink it with spells if need be, one of my top choices, the hippogriff, strong and trustworthy creatures.

In a little less magic creature sense we have the choices of most of the large cats, Lions are a fairly good choice along with tigers. If people are to scared, I turn you back to illusions.

I dont know how you feel about snakes, but there pretty worth while, if better suited to a rogue.
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If you want to make them a little more magical, giving it elemental or celestial traits isnt a necesarily a bad idea, but if I was you id ask for something more unique or interesting that suits the region you venture too.

Find a creature that can run further on open plains
Use spider climb as it is in a rocky region
Has minor energy resistance due to the temperature
Paralyzing saliva (And an extending tongue)- probably a jungle creature
Can change size - magical creature
Good at swimming, or even grows fins in a plain that suffers floods
Improved jumping - mountain region
spit attacks and breath weapons - Magical creature
Psionic powers - Probably dealing with an intelligent creature here
Invisibility - Magical hunter
Teleport - Magical creature
Any kind of enhanced senses - hunter

While all those are good on their own, what if they where bread for a purpose

Magician hunter
Spell resistance (unfortunatly it would likly be immune to enchantments)
Reduce spells per day upon hitting an opponents (feed on it maybe)
Generate an antimagic field (Per day most likly)
Detect magic
Maybe see invisibility

Dragon hunter (This would be very strong, possibly too much so)
Immune (or highly resistant) to fear effects
DR to dragon breath, evasion or improved evasion
Dragon bane teeth/claws
Specialised enemy is a dragon
Probably need to have incredible flight speeds or teleport as a move action to keep up
+10 to spot and listen checks on finding a dragon
+4 on any resistance check against a dragon

Combat expert
Low DR/magic (between 1-5)
Might give it metalic skin, combine it with dex maybe natural armour +6 or +8
Dex bonus +2 or +4
Getting its AC between 18 and 22
Adamantine equivalent teeth
Attacks count as touch attacks maybe (Come up with some other armour bypass basicaly)
Could give it tumble, but it'd be iffy

Hunter
See invisibility
Detect life
Detect unlife
Blind sense
Move at about 120 feet per round
Low attack power 1d3/1d4 per claw at -2 and 1d6 bite at +0
Improved scent

 

[the Jester]

Riding dog + war beast template from MM2 or FF and you're good to go (assuming you're talking about 3e).

 

[Gray Lensman]

You can also add a class level to your dog. My halfling Snow Barbarian's War Dogs get the War Beast Template and a level of fighter just to get the BAB + and a extra feat to represent training.

[RANT]Since Handle Animal is NOT in the SRD[/RANT] hmm... that would improve their FORT saves... Have to remember that.

 

[Sekhmet]

You can also add a class level to your dog. My halfling Snow Barbarian's War Dogs get the War Beast Template and a level of fighter just to get the BAB + and a extra feat to represent training.

[RANT]Since Handle Animal is NOT in the SRD[/RANT] hmm... that would improve their FORT saves... Have to remember that.

Handle Animal :: d20srd.org

 

[frankthedm]

I'd say use Handle animal on some Dire Wolf pups.

 

[Samloyal23]

What about the cooshee? Has it been updated recently?