Druid companion question

Could someone please let me know any advantage to continue to use an attack dog over a panda in later levels? The rulebook for ToEE makes some passing comment to the earlier pets getting a bonus as the druid increases in level. Is this implemented in ToEE and, if so, what are the advantages as I have not noticed any differences (although I freely confess I haven't tested it to any great degree)?

Muchos gracias

Zeb

 

I'm not sure how closely ToEE follows the druid animal companion progression layed out in the PHB, but there is a definite benefit given to lower level companions as a druid goes up in level.

I've noted my attack dogs and wolves having aditional attack bonuses and the like as my druid goes up in level.

I personally think you're better off with something like a brown bear (I'm not too up on the Panda's stats) which has a fair amount of starting hitpoints and impressive strength.

The bonuses for the lower level companions are supposed to keep them relatively in line with the higher level companions, but I'll take a brown bear over an attack dog any day. They are especially nice at higher druid levels when they finally get evasion.

 

The attack dog should get evasion a lot faster than the bear, if they followed the PHB rules.

 

Pandas get...

...unlimited A.O.O. vs targets in bamboo armor...

 

Thank you - you've made this a lot clearer.

/bonk Lord Spike. Don't make me laugh or I shall name my next pet after you and not after one of my ex girlfriends :shock:

 

About animal companion, as it should be

take as sample a wolf and a polar bear, available only at Druid 10th.
Wolf: initial stats:
2D8+4 (13HP)
AC: 14 (+2 DEX, +2 Nat)
Bite +3: 1D6+1
STR 13, DEX 15, COS 14, INT 2, SAG 12, CAR 6
Weapon focus: bite; Track, Improved trip

Polar bear:
8D8+32 (68HP)
AC: 15 (+1 DEX, +5 Nat, -1 size)
X 2 claws +13 (main weapon): 1D8+8 and bite +8: 2D6+4
STR 27, DEX 13, COS 19, INT 2, SAG 12, CAR 6
Run, Phisical Endurance (or something), Improved trip

An animal companion for a 1st level druid gains what follows:
+6 Hit Dices, +6 natural armor, +3 to STR and DEX, +4 additional commands (impossible to reply this function in ToEE), evasion, devotion (+4 vs charme), multiattack or a secon attack at -5 if the animal as only one main attack.
So a wolf would reach the next size level and will become:

Wolf DR 10th:
6D8+32 (59HP)
AC: 22 (+3 DEX, +10 Nat, -1 size)
Bite +13, +8: 1D8+10 (applies strenght 1 x 1.5)
STR 24, DEX 16, COS 18, INT 2, SAG 12, CAR 6
Weapon focus: bite; Track, Improved trip, evasion, devotion.
(I don't know if, with more H.dices, the wolf gains some more feat or not)

So, after all the animals are aproximatively at the same level. The point is that ToEE doesn't seem to grants all those bonuses, probably for a lack of time and so a 10th level druid's wolf sucks. :s