Nature's Army

[Thrawn1138]

I ran into this idea while making a high level Druid NPC.

1. Be a Druid out to 20th level, or at least a class that continues to give you levels for the purpose of your Animal Companion.
2. Keep a first level animal companion until you reach level 20.  It will get +12 HD, +12NA, +6 STR/DEX, Evasion, Multiattack, Improved Ev.
3. Cast a Maximized Awaken on the animal companion.  This gives it a further +2HD, as well as +3 CHA and 18 INT.  The animal becomes sentient, can no longer be your animal companion, and is friendly towards you.
4. Get a new companion from the level 1 list.  It will get +12 HD, +12NA, +6 STR/DEX, Evasion, Multiattack, Improved Evasion, etc.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 as much as you'd like.

End result: A lot of animals which is friendly towards you, has 14 more HD, 12 more NA and 6 more STR and DEX than normal (not counting the stat ups and feats from all the extra HD!), and is a lot smarter than the average PC/NPC.  Whether or not your DM would let the animal keep the stat increases and/or feats from being an animal companion is iffy, but I'd let it through.  Basically, you can make yourself an army of very large animals that are willing to help you out.  Thoughts?

[SorO_Lost]

Durid's Animal Companion Bonuses apply to your Animal Companion.
One can point out, that since it is no longer an Animal Companion, it no longer benefit's from it's nonexistent-Master's Class Features.

Also the trick is about as impressive as a low level Bard running around spamming Charm on various (superior) humanoids. Maybe try Animating and Awakening a bunch of trees or something?

[Thrawn1138]

Yeah, the whole "not a companion anymore" is the giant hole in my argument.  Also, the xp loss.

If you awaken a tree, though, it gains the ability to move.  I'm not sure that I understand why you'd animate it first.  Can you enlighten me?

[SorO_Lost]

I was stabbing in the dark on the Animate/Awaken tree part for the most part.

[zook1shoe]

There's a 3rd level Dragon Magazine spell, called Summon the Pack and Herd, that summons 25/CL Summon Nature's Ally II creatures.

There's also a Summon Monster II version called Summon Monstrous Horde.

[Nytemare3701]

There's a 3rd level Dragon Magazine spell, called Summon the Pack and Herd, that summons 25/CL Summon Nature's Ally II creatures.

There's also a Summon Monster II version called Summon Monstrous Horde.

Is that a "War" spell with a high casting time? SCM says hi.

[zook1shoe]

Yeah

just add some of those crazy summon feats.

You could create, at 5th level, 125 greenbound crocodiles to pound your enemies into oblivion

[awaken_D_M_golem]

WOW.

  ... good thing they nerfed the Wilder + Astral Construct combo.

[SorO_Lost]

Meh. It's Dragon Mag.

Expected.

[zook1shoe]

Downside? 10 min casting time
upside? A crap-ton of minions

edit: Imbued Summoning works really well w this

[Halinn]

Downside? 10 min casting time
upside? A crap-ton of minions

edit: Imbued Summoning works really well w this

Shadowcraft. Even the lowly Shadow Conjuration would do it.

[zook1shoe]

Throw in Twin and Repeat Spell (dropped down 1 to 9th), and the min CL for a non-shadow one, gives you over 600 creatures at ~17th level