[3.5] Help with my Hunter?

[IonDragon]

So I'm playing in a play by post game, and the GM has OK'd all Completes, and some acronyms I'm not familiar with: UA + SpC + MIC

Any how, I wan to play a hunter, focusing mostly in bow damage and Animal Companion. My build so far is:
Ranger 5
Beastmaster 1 (Complete Adventurer)
Ranger 7
[If the GM OK's it]Deepwood Sniper 2 (Masters of the Wild)

I'm thinking about rounding off with 5 Druid, but it looses BAB, and I'm not really going to use any of the special abilities. Wild Shape is kind of nice, but 1/day, and with all the feats I'm putting into bows, it doesn't really seem worth while.

I'm ok with 3/4 BAB if the class get's me 1/1 Animal Companion druid levels. Beastmaster is an option because it gives me BAB, and 4 levels in I get an additional Animal Companion... but with effectively 6 fewer Druid levels.

Are there any warrior variants that grant Animal Companion maybe?

[Pharaoh's Fist]

The Archery Handbook, which Eldariel should really finish one of these days as soon as he posts the rest of the Barbarian guide. (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=642.0)

[IonDragon]

Thank you, this looks perfect, I'll start reading right away!

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I recommend you go Ranger/Prestige class for archery and use your feats to boost your Animal Companion.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Ranger isn't all that great at archery to be honest, and it's not great at having an animal companion, either. You can stick Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a) onto any decent archer build and get an animal companion that's better than what a Ranger would have.

With that in mind, maybe go Scout 4/ Ranger 16 with the feat Swift Hunter in Complete Scoundrel. Use Greater Manyshot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#greaterManyshot) to get your Skirmish damage to every arrow, and get Wild Cohort to have a useful animal companion from level 1. Another option would be to go Savage Bard (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#bardVariantSavageBard) focused on archery and Inspire Courage. Make the character a Wild Elf or a Wood Elf to get bow proficiency.

[IonDragon]

Ranger isn't all that great at archery to be honest, and it's not great at having an animal companion, either.

I'm starting to really feel that. I am not liking the Savage Bard option as much though. Is there a reason for specifically 16 Ranger? 12 seemed to be about where it dies.

[Glimbur]

So I'm playing in a play by post game, and the GM has OK'd all Completes, and some acronyms I'm not familiar with: UA + SpC + MIC

UA is Unearthed Arcana. It's also mostly available on the srd (http://www.d20srd.org/index.htm).

SpC is Spell Compendium. This is good news for a ranger, there are nice ranger spells in there.

MiC is Magic Item Compendium. This is good news for everyone, it gives you a lot more options in what to use.

I'll throw my lot in for Scout4/Ranger16 with Swift Hunter, this gets more BAB but fewer skills and other Scout class features than Ranger4/Scout16.

[RagnaroksChosen]

if you wanted a more powerfull animal companion and being a ranger..
You could be an elf and take the elven ranger sub levels from Races of the wild.
They get elven hounds wich I belive are better then riding dogs.
Or you could be a gnome and get a borrowing animal like a badger...
Irrigardless make sure you pick up the improved animal companion feat from complete adventurer(i belive)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'm starting to really feel that. I am not liking the Savage Bard option as much though. Is there a reason for specifically 16 Ranger? 12 seemed to be about where it dies.

There really aren't any good archery prestige classes, and more Ranger continues your Skirmish ability thanks to Swift Hunter. Another option would be to make an Elf Cleric with the Travel and Elf domains, and Wild Cohort. Maybe go Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) for more skill points/level, or possibly even go Archivist (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20051007a&page=3) to get all the best buffing spells. Archery is really only good if you have a reliable source of extra damage, whether from Skirmish or Greater Weapon Specialization and Ranged Weapon Mastery or buffing spells like Divine Favor and Greater Magic Weapon. If you go with a spellcaster you can make your bow an Item Familiar (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm) and put all the necessary properties on it yourself for half price, plus that feat is just too good to pass up.

[9mm]

wild cohort > Ranger AC, as the rangers AC is permently gimped because it only advances every 2 ranger levels, take cohort which will advance as you advance, regardless of class; and drop AC entirely for an AFC if you can, or use the gimped AC as a small wall if possible.

[IonDragon]

Is anyone aware of any class/PRC that gets Good BAB and Druid levels to animal companion at 1:1 other than Beastmaster?