Smilodon got nerfed?

[Die Dame des Berges]

I used to remember that Smilodon is the best pet in the game, or maybe it was only for Kingmaker? I started a new playthrough, and took nature domain for Sosiel with Smilodon pet, and it barely deals any damage. It can kill human enemies, but when it comes to demons and ghosts, damage is reduced to 0

[Uzkin]

Ghosts are immune to non-magical weapons and take 50% reduced damage from many damage sources due to being incorporeal.

Most demons have some damage resistance; you typically need good-aligned and/or cold iron weapons to bypass it, or high enough weapon enhancement bonus.

[Die Dame des Berges]

Originally posted by Uzkin:

Ghosts are immune to non-magical weapons and take 50% reduced damage from many damage sources due to being incorporeal.

Most demons have some damage resistance; you typically need good-aligned and/or cold iron weapons to bypass it, or high enough weapon enhancement bonus.

I also have a dog pet with Lann and it doesn't seem to have a trouble damaging demons, I am not sure why is that

[Uzkin]

Can be due to many reasons; amulet of mighty fists, magic fang, mythic beast ability, etc.

Dog's damage per attack is also higher than that of smilodon's claws (even though the number of attacks is lower), so it can overcome damage resistance easier.

[Uzkin]

That said, dog is quite likely the best companion pet available. Better than smilodon for sure.

[jonnin]

there are many ways to get your pet's attacks to pass DR. Early on you can just throw spells on them.
the leopard is maybe slightly better assault pet due to trip. But several pets are good due to either # of attacks (this takes the most work to make it pay out), strength of the attacks, or their raw AC and defenses. Its pretty easy to hit 30 AC on a pet long before any character (other than a tank built dex monk with 20/20 dex/wis) can do so. Somewhere around mid to end of act 2 the pet damage starts to catch up as you have plenty of bypass DR options available from that point forward to make their attacks pay out.

Don't sell the horse short either, it has massive movement, high str, and 3 attacks.

[Die Dame des Berges]

Originally posted by Uzkin:

That said, dog is quite likely the best companion pet available. Better than smilodon for sure.

Originally posted by jonnin:

there are many ways to get your pet's attacks to pass DR. Early on you can just throw spells on them.
the leopard is maybe slightly better assault pet due to trip. But several pets are good due to either # of attacks (this takes the most work to make it pay out), strength of the attacks, or their raw AC and defenses. Its pretty easy to hit 30 AC on a pet long before any character (other than a tank built dex monk with 20/20 dex/wis) can do so. Somewhere around mid to end of act 2 the pet damage starts to catch up as you have plenty of bypass DR options available from that point forward to make their attacks pay out.

Don't sell the horse short either, it has massive movement, high str, and 3 attacks.

So the smilodon does not damage and has no trip, the pet is essentially worthless. Looks like Ill have to respec Sosiel ...

[mk11]

Smilodon is the best pet for doing damage but really only once 7th level for the big bonus to STR and getting Pounce so can do full damage from charge.

Pets can be used for tripping, as mounts, as damage dealers, to soak damage and effects. Depending what you want the pet for they have varying value, it also depends what mythics you are willing to invest. A Smilodon with a rider that has Perfect Cavalry, Mythic Beast, Spirited Charge, Mounted Combat, Indomitable Mount is devastating. If you aren't going to invest in mythics/feats then you are best just going for tripping when dog, leopard, wolf are good. If not being ridden I prefer leopard because they take less space.

[hilburnashua]

Originally posted by Darkstar:

I used to remember that Smilodon is the best pet in the game, or maybe it was only for Kingmaker? I started a new playthrough, and took nature domain for Sosiel with Smilodon pet, and it barely deals any damage. It can kill human enemies, but when it comes to demons and ghosts, damage is reduced to 0

Ok, there could be a few things going on here but I am going to talk about the simpliest one first.

I assume that you gave Sosiel Impossible Domain - Animal in order to get the animal companion. Realize that a cleric's animal companion is -3 levels compared to a druid (or the wolf/dog an Oracle with Nature mystery has). So you need to take Boon Companion to bring it's level up to your character's level. Once the cat hits level 7 it gets a huge (+8) increase to it's Strength as it increases in size. Another thing is that dog/wolf only has one attack so it gets Strengthx1.5 bonus damage but the cat, having multiple attacks, only gets Str bonus damage. Which is probably why you are seeing the dog seems to be doing so much more damage if you are only looking at the end results and not delving into the specifics of the combat log.

As others have said, your problem is most likely opponent DR. You run into demons and other creatures with DR very early in this compared to Kingmaker. Amulet of Natura Fists will overcome some DR. A +3 one will act as silver/cold iron, +4 acts as adamantine, +5 acts as aligned for overcoming DR.

However, there is an item that you should have been able to make once you reach the encampment outside of Kenabras called the Covenant of the Inheritor (talk to Storyteller). It makes it so long as you have it in one of the utililty slots and have it turned on any ally within 30' of that character has their attacks aligned "good". Which means that they should be able to bypass demon DR. And with that, and so long as you keep the kitty within range, it should start doing solid damage again. There is an option to give it to the Queen when you meet her but there isn't much downside to doing that so I would recommend keeping it. Basically it gives you more positive faction with her if you are going to try to romance her.

[jonnin]

Originally posted by Darkstar:

Originally posted by Uzkin:

That said, dog is quite likely the best companion pet available. Better than smilodon for sure.

Originally posted by jonnin:

there are many ways to get your pet's attacks to pass DR. Early on you can just throw spells on them.
the leopard is maybe slightly better assault pet due to trip. But several pets are good due to either # of attacks (this takes the most work to make it pay out), strength of the attacks, or their raw AC and defenses. Its pretty easy to hit 30 AC on a pet long before any character (other than a tank built dex monk with 20/20 dex/wis) can do so. Somewhere around mid to end of act 2 the pet damage starts to catch up as you have plenty of bypass DR options available from that point forward to make their attacks pay out.

Don't sell the horse short either, it has massive movement, high str, and 3 attacks.

So the smilodon does not damage and has no trip, the pet is essentially worthless. Looks like Ill have to respec Sosiel ...

Its not worthless at all. It may not be what you wanted (raw dps machine) but its far from worthless.
mmm.. the sim can
- tank well enough
- with a lot of effort, do 20-30 damage/attack so around 100/round by mid act 3 but it doesn't scale up rapidly after that
- knock mirror image off most of those kinds of enemy in 2 rounds by itself
- outright kill archers & mages & such
- exploit those wonderful things you get that add flat damage per weapon attack, like the mythic one that does 2d6+ 1d6/2ranks holy damage per hit. That stuff is boss killer material when applied to high attack per round hasted targets...

sim is probably still one of the top 5 picks. And the top 5 are a mixed bag of tanks, trippers, and dps. My favorites (I don't claim these are the best 5) are the leopard, mammoth, triceratops, similadon, and the plain old horse. I mostly tank with them and if they can also damage or knock down, great, if not, ok.

[Zara]

As mentioned, Boon Companion perk for Sosiel to catch up those 3 levels, and Mythical Beast Mythic Ability is something I always pick up so that my animal companion ignores DR except N/-.

I also assume that you actually leveled your smilodon up, and gave it whatever gear you had lying around.

[Soul]

having covenant of the inheritor repaired by start of chapter 2 helps with giving a holy aura to your damage attacks....

[reidj062]

Originally posted by Darkstar:

I used to remember that Smilodon is the best pet in the game, or maybe it was only for Kingmaker? I started a new playthrough, and took nature domain for Sosiel with Smilodon pet, and it barely deals any damage. It can kill human enemies, but when it comes to demons and ghosts, damage is reduced to 0

Not really a shock that animals aren't equipped to handle ghosts and demons without proper gear. Mythic animal companion and amulet of mighty fists are your friend.

[Brother Santodes]

TRICERATOPS is best.
has also pouch agli like a cat.

now serious talk
you can give every pet trip so dog has actually very little.
smilodon can easily do 40+ dmg per hit with pouch
this pet has pretty much all.
a triceratop can hit harder a lot harder but the number of attacks is relative low.
they can get like 80 str.

[Uzkin]

Originally posted by Brother Santodes:

you can give every pet trip so dog has actually very little.
smilodon can easily do 40+ dmg per hit with pouch
this pet has pretty much all.

Dog's free trip attempt with every bite is much better than the trip combat maneuver feat (and dog's doesn't cost a feat).

Smilodon doesn't get iterative attacks when its BAB increases but the dog does. In the end, with Transformation and the opportunity strike from trip, dog has the same number of attacks per round as smilodon and each dog bite delivers MUCH more damage than smilodon's scratches. Thus, dog is not only more useful (trip) than smilodon but also deals more damage.

Dog can also easily gain pounce via skald, which you should have in your party anyway if you aim for a melee party.

[渺羽 (Nihilmace)]

I don't think Smilodon has been nerfed.
Smilodon still good, except that you have to give its natural weapon some "enchantment level" for it to do damage to ghosts.
And demons, do you remember needing a cold iron weapon to penetrate their DR?
It's a little tricky, if you've missed The Covenant of the Inheritor.

Although I prefer wolves and leopards.