Wildshaping/Shapeshifting Animal companion

[Phasics]

Not quite sure what you'd need to do to balence it but conisder this.

Wildshape option:
You animal companion can wildshape based on your druid level (perhaps minus some number of levels).

so that instead of being stuck with one animal in all situations you companion is as flexible as you are. need to fly you both can, need to swim burrow etc etc. Can have the companion walk around as an un-assuming cat and then pounce on an usupecting prey turning into a dire tiger.

Perhaps even have it become a Large Elemental while you roam around as a huge elemental.

What would be a good balence for this ? Delay druid spell progession perhaps ? Have it cost some feats or have it use wildshape's per day from the druids pool ?

Alternatively

PHB II shapeshifting:
Animal companion begins with the base stats for the creature you choose including extrodinary abilites etc e.g. badger . And progresses with the shapeshifting ability as you do ,you mentally control the shapeshifting.
so a Bader (small) at first level could shapeshift into a small Predator Form get +4 STR +4 Natural armour etc, get a 1d4 bite, and still be able to Rage as a badger.
(would need to limit inital animal companion choices to medium or small creatures), creature would progress normally as any animal companion as well (perhaps without the extra natural armour adjustments)

So at later levels you and your ainimal companion could both fly into combat and shift into 2 Large Treants looking things and start pounding away.

Again suitable penalty for this ? delayed spell progression ?

Thoughts ?

 

[Machiavelli]

Oooo, this is a cool idea. I'm not sure that you grasp just how powerful it is, but it definitely is NEAT. There would need to be significant drawbacks to having a shapeshifting animal companion. I'd say that you'd have to trade spontaneous summoning and perhaps take a hit on your wildshapes. Maybe regress in wildshape abilities by two levels, but your animal companion wildshapes into a duplicate form one size smaller than yours?

Or perhaps make this an attribute of a 3-level prestige class with minimal-level entry requirements. Offer 1-for-1 spellcasting advancement and have the PrC levels count as Druid levels for determining animal companion stats, then add some tweaks for your animal companion's wildshaping abilities. Season to flavor and serve.

 

[Phasics]

heh the more I think about the more I agree that its a very very nice bonus, although I think the PHB II version would require less nerfs to balence it simply becuase its based on a weaker druid than the wildshaping version.

Perhaps lose the ability to cast summon nature's ally all together ?? basically trade off a very versatile spell for a very verstaile animal companion ?

as far as RP goes you are so completly bonded and empowered with your animal companion that you've lost the ability to call other creatures of the wild focusing this divine energy instead on you animal companion.

i.e. the animal companion becomes a hybrid between a normal animal companion and the verstality of the summon nature's ally spell.