metaquad4 wrote:It's not like they are currently OP by any means.
metaquad4 wrote:In order to make your companions useful, you need to expend spell slots on them. That is the reason why I never use one (and still end up doing extremely well). To use nature's avatar (the thing that makes it very strong) you need to expend a valuable level 9 spell slot every 3 minutes of use.
Nature's Avatar gives +10 AB, +10 Damage, Haste Attack, and 30d8 extra hitpoints to the animal companion. With all the other buffs you can give to it, you are looking at something that is equal to a level 30 Fighter.
As for druid doing well without buffed up animal companion, well, all you need to do is use Wild Shape and sit underneath a Storm of Vengeance to grind mobs. But then again this is also what tends to seperate a 'dr00d' character from a druid character.
metaquad4 wrote:For solo grinding to 30, I suppose it is ok (nothing to write home about though, again, you do just fine on your own). But past that, its pretty much just a waste of your spell slots. Even during that grind, I consider it a waste of valuable spell slots since I've found its far better to stick to slotting in SoVs and Cocoons at those levels.
Some things are simple, like Storm of Vengeance spam. Some things are more complicated, like properly buffing and supporting your animal companion. The druid spell book has so much ground control that you wouldn't even believe it.
But then again, people have different preferences too.
metaquad4 wrote:Dragon Companion has 36 AC, 24 STR, 26 BAB and Dragon Qualities (Inherent True Seeing, Breath Weapon, Immune to Sneak/Mind Effecting/Paralysis). Its attack damage is 1d6, 1d6, 1d8.
Dino Companion has 38 AC, 29 STR, 13 BAB, and no special qualities. Its attack damage is 1d3, 1d3, 2d8.
The Dinosaur companion can be buffed up with everything that the druid spell book has. It has multiattack, so extra attacks are done at -2 AB, not at -5.
Not to mention that the stats you listed are incorrect: A level 30 druid with Epic Animal Companion gets the following dinosaur:
A level 25 BEAST:
Ability Scores, (and Modifiers):
STR: 32 (+11)
DEX: 28 (+9)
CON: 21 (+5)
INT: 2 (-4)
WIS: 14 (+2)
CHA: 10 (+0)
Saves:
Fortitude: 19
Reflex: 23
Will: 10
AC: 46
BAB: 18
Attacks done at:
+29/+27/+25/+23
HP: 375
And yes, you can buff it up with everything that the druid has access to. And yes, the above stats are unbuffed. Thus if you pit a fully buffed up 'Dragon Companion' against a fully buffed up 'Dinosaur Companion', the dragon gets turned into mincemeat.
Altough, since Valefort changed Nature's Avatar to work with animal companions, Nature's Avatar might now apply to the Dragon Companion as well, but the dinosaur will still just end up going nom-nom-nom on the dragon.
Edit:
I mean, just list the animal companion buffs and add them to the above stats. It is way better than any level 30 fighter.
If I see a druid buffing their animal companion, I know they are either new, low level or aren't using the class to its peak efficiency. 
