Durable Cohort Creature

[SolEiji]

I'm looking for a durable companion of sorts, and I only have one feat and no class levels to spare.  The goal is for the companion (be it a cohort, animal companion, familiar, purchased golem, undead, or even just an intelligent item) to be tough as nails.  Super DR/hardness is superior to hp but it really needs both, and it need not be competent anywhere else.  Oh, and it has to be a creature, otherwise I'd just get a wall of obdurium and be done with it.

My best bets so far seem intelligent item or animated construct.  The animated construct can keep the hardness of whatever I make it out of, but it won't have much hp if I make it a small enough size to go places.  Intelligent items are technically creatures, and also keep the fab hardness, but their hp seems similarly limited, if easier to stack upgrades on. It's unclear what the hardness/hp of intelligent objects are that aren't weapon/armor/shields, or how obdurium interacts with it.

Indestructible materials (like Riverine) are out.  My cheese can only go so far.

What to do...

[phaedrusxy]

Just how durable are we talking? And what level? A cohort with 7 levels in MoMF could turn into a War Troll complete with its Regeneration.

[SolEiji]

The thing will be soaking a lot of damage, possibly within the hundreds, on a regular basis.  It's 18th level, and things are kind of crazy town.

[Maat Mons]

You could have a cohort who uses haunt shift, mindswitch, or similar to acquire hardness. 

Oerthblood (Dragon 351, p45) and pure ore (Dragon 347, p47) each double the hardness of a metal they're alloyed with, so you can get up to 90 before whatever +Xs you find. 

On a cheesier front, you could have a cohort with one of those absurd caster level builds cast hardening (Spell Compendium, p109). 

[awaken_D_M_golem]

Handle Animal to Train a Roc.

Flesh Golem racial prog in Savage Species, as standard cohort.
Minimal investment to heal it up, and there's a feat to keep it un-berserk.
It's around here (idk) somewhere.

[snakeman830]

You could have a cohort who uses haunt shift, mindswitch, or similar to acquire hardness. 

Oerthblood (Dragon 351, p45) and pure ore (Dragon 347, p47) each double the hardness of a metal they're alloyed with, so you can get up to 90 before whatever +Xs you find. 

On a cheesier front, you could have a cohort with one of those absurd caster level builds cast hardening (Spell Compendium, p109).

Hauntshift trick to get your psion cohort into the manufactured body of your choice, then have him manifest Matter Manipulation on himself whenever he wants.  That's +5 Hardness each time, just costs some XP.

[ketaro]

Better than an animated construct, an awakened construct. Make it as big as you want, give it an at-will wondrous item built in to shrink item itself.

Maybe a Prismatic Golem?

Better yet, use an Effigy. You don't need to be an Effigy Master PrC to make one, they are accessible through Craft Construct feat as well.
Think up a disgustingly over-templated creature and then make an Effigy based on it. Note: You lose Supernatural abilities. Ex. is your best friend.

[SolEiji]

Sadly Shrink Item only works on nonmagical stuff.  Otherwise I'd be shrinking colossal animated constructs. 

I'll consider some of these others.  I forgot about Effigies.

[ketaro]

Point to note: Constructs are not magical items and do clarify themselves as counting as objects. Not magical objects. Just objects. To be a magical object would mean no Construct would be able to function in any way within an AMF.

[SolEiji]

Point to note: Constructs are not magical items and do clarify themselves as counting as objects. Not magical objects. Just objects. To be a magical object would mean no Construct would be able to function in any way within an AMF.

That's....

.....that's....

....huh.  You are correct.  I have a feeling it is very very un-intentional.  But what about the fact they are also creatures?

[ketaro]

But what about the fact they are also creatures?

It's kinda an "Or" situation rather than an "And" one. Where they are creatures when necessary for stuff that calls out "Creatures" or they are objects. When necessary. But then they ARE also Creatures, yes. But they are also objects. Being both doesn't close the door on options available only to one and not the other.

Essentially, they're just animated objects. Also, Animated would also not make the object a magical item either (even if permanencied because that just takes it back around to Constructs are also Objects (not magical objects) point just made), simply it is merely being affected by magic. Anything can be affected by magic, that doesn't make it magical.

 

[wotmaniac]

Hows about a leveled-up treant?

If alignment isn't an issue, slap on the Corrupted template:

(click to show/hide)

Corrupted
(creature tainted by magical pollution that results in them becoming hardy, infectious, & insane. Template either acquired from exposure / experiments or inherited from corrupted parents living in a toxic landscape)
(DR350 p46)

Twisted, cancerous, & insane versions of the base creature.
Acquired or Inherited Template that can be added to any Corporeal Living creature.
An Animal becomes a Magical Beast (augmented animal).
Alignment becomes Evil (usually)
Str +4
Dex –2
Con +8
Int –2
Wis –4
Cha –2
Lvl +5
CR +2
+4 improvement to Natural AC
Darkvision 60’
Fast Healing (HD / 2) (max 10)
Immune to Disease & Poison
Acid Resistance 10
–10’ land speed (min 10’)
Reduce flying maneuverability (if any) by one category (min Clumsy)
Gain 2 Claw attacks (1d6 for Medium) and 1 Bite attack (1d4 for Medium).
Contamination – a creature that takes damage from a Corrupted creature’s Bite attack becomes infected (FortNeg, DC is Constitution-based). Treat as Slimy Doom, except that Natural and Magical Healing does not work on the victim until the disease is removed.

Saint template also.  Fast healing is good.

In one more level, there's Monster of Legend.

Point being, plants are badass.