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I’m just curious if any supplement out there includes an Animal Companion that is not, in fact, an Animal. As in the type.

I mean that just any Druid of sufficient level can take; there are probably feats that allow you to get nonstandard Companions from other types, but I mean just ordinary “Animal” Companions.

Bonus points if the Animal Companion in question is an Aberration, Dragon, Elemental, Magical Beast, or Plant, and thus qualifies for Rapidstrike.

Super bonus points if you find a Construct or Undead, because that would just be weird.

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    \$\begingroup\$ I'd love to have an Undead Geranium as my "Animal Companion." \$\endgroup\$
    – Brian Ballsun-Stanton
    Jan 11, 2013 at 4:29

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Okay, let's take a look.

Other

  • This article provides a list of vermin to select 'animal' companion from. Note that it actually does not prohibit a non-vermin druid to select vermin companion. Also please note that vermin companion is actually considered magical beast.
  • Watchspider is a wonderful magical beast located on page 140 of City of Splendors: Waterdeep, which can serve as animal companion, requiring an effective druid level of 4 or higher. It can also serve as familiar or mount, but that's beside the point.
  • While we are at it, Tressym (detailed in *Forgotten Realms Campaign Settings) is permitted to be an animal companion at 1st level, as per Sandstorm, p48. Although it is just an animal, it is the only animal I know with Intelligence of 12, easily smarter than its druid master.

Important note: with a liberal interpretation of Wild Cohort feat you can use the above Animal Companion choice expansions with it. With a more liberal interpretation you can also use some of the expansions below (e.g. feats). Strict interpretation limits you to the list in Player's Handbook, though.

Alternate Class Features

  • Complete Mage gives an Elemental Companion ACF. Not exactly Animal Companion (no crazy abilities boost), though. Probably you're better off with Summon Elemental reserve feat.
  • Urban Companion ACF gives a familiar which is slightly better than a standard sorcerer familiar and is a magical beast. If it can be used in conjunction with Improved Familiar and other familiar-related goodness, then you are set, I believe. Note that Improved Familiar in DMG allows you to have a homunculus as a familiar, which is a construct. Bonus points if you can convince your DM to allow it to benefit from Improved Homunculus feat.

Feats

  • Exalted Companion (Book of Exalted Deeds) allows a druid to select from a limited list of magical beasts.
  • Beast Totem (Eberron Campaign Setting) allows to take Totem Companion - one more list of magical beasts to select from.
  • Devoted Tracker (Complete Adventurer) allows to select your special mount to be your animal companion, effectively giving you a magical beast companion.
  • Vermin Companion (Eberron Campaign Setting) allows to select from a limited list of vermin.
  • Spider Companion (Drow of the Underdark) allows to select from a limited list of spiders. Setting-independent, but steep prerequisites and you already can select vermin companions per aforementioned WotC article.

Prestige Classes

  • Arcane Hierophant (Races of the Wild)makes his animal companion his familiar, which is treated as magical beast from there on.

Dragon Magazine material

  • Monstrous Animal Companion (Dragon vol. 326), while requiring yet another feat (also Dragon vol. 326), allows to select your animal companion from yet another list of magical beasts. 8-headed hydra, anyone?
  • Plant Companion alternate class feature (Dragon vol. 357). Gain a plant companion instead of an animal. I'm afraid I don't know the details of the deal, though.
  • Spell Sovereign prestige class (Dragon vol. 357). Remember Urban Companion? This allows to have living spell as familiar. The details still escape me, I don't own Dragon Magazines.

Third party

Just stumbled upon this.

  • Ooze Companion feat (Dungeon Denizens Revisited, for Pathfinder). One of the Pathfinder books allows druid to select his animal companion from a list of oozes. Ew.

There may be more.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Awesome, +1, and most likely I'll be accepting this but I like to give a question time. I find the juxtaposition of Spell Sovereign and your 'ew' at Ooze Companion humorous: Living Spells are Oozes. Also, I want to try that PrC, that's awesome. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Jan 11, 2013 at 16:01
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    \$\begingroup\$ Finally found that undead familiar you can get via Urban Companion. See text for details. \$\endgroup\$
    – Jeor Mattan
    Jan 12, 2013 at 18:06
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The 3.5e book "Dungeonscape" has the "Beast Heart Adept" Prestige Class (pg. 48), which allows an eligible character to select from numerous monstrous companions, gain more monstrous companions (Up to a total of 3 by 9th level, not including any familiars or animal companions), and class abilities that improve teamwork between yourself and your monstrous companion.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Hi Tao, welcome to the site! This is a pretty good answer (citing sources, giving details on the option, etc.), but unfortunately it doesn't really match the question asked: I was looking specifically companions that "any Druid of sufficient level can take," which would not include the Beast Heart Adept's monstrous companions. So, +1 for good answer, -1 for not answering the question. In the future, answers like this are great, but take care to make sure they match the question asked. \$\endgroup\$
    – KRyan
    Feb 5, 2013 at 16:09

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