Early Feats for a Mystic Ranger

[A Ladder]

I was thinking of playing a Human Mystic Ranger with Shooting Star Substitution levels and Sword of the Arcane Order.
Using some ACFs for Wildshape Ranger, Trapfinding, and trading out Ride for Tumble and Arcanists for Favored Enemy.
Focus would be on Scout, Trapfinder, and melee support (or I could go ranged).

But I need help flushing out the early level feats.
Here's what I had in mind.
1 Track
1 (Human)
3
6 Sword of the Arcane Order
9 Natural Spell
12 Arcane Disciple

What would you guys add for the 1st and 3rd level feat?
I was thinking either Apprentice (Knowledge Arcana and the Planes) and then Knowledge Devotion. But that would really suck all my skill points down the drain...
Or maybe Power Attack and Darkstalker.

TL;DR: what 1st and 3rd level feats would you put on a mystic ranger with arcane spells?

[Keld Denar]

Quick Recovery (Lords of Madness) if my favorite "filler" feat. If you don't know what else to take, Quick Recovery is awesome. Extra so if you have a good Fort and/or Will save.

Improved Toughness is another good filler feat. You can NEVER have too many HP, especially since HP are conserved between forms.

EDIT: You get 4th+ level spells eventually, right? Minor Shapeshift is amazing if you can keep a Polymorph subschool spell prepped. Temp HP every turn to refresh as a swift action as needed is almost like having Fast Healing equal to your caster level.

[deuxhero]

Don't take track, it's more useless than weapon focus. The DM won't give you anything you need to track if no one in the party has track (Possible exception is in a premade adventure, but that's it).

Drop your fighting style for wildshape (UA).

[nedz]

Improved Initiative ?

Able Learner - Human 1st level only
(All skills are always in class) Might be useful ?

Nymph's Kiss
+1 Skill point per level, and some other stuff. Its exalted though - so you have to be good.

What rules interpretation are you following for CL ?
Practiced Spellcaster might be useful - it sort of depends on the answer to the above question really.

What weapon style are you going for ?
There might be feats that would pad this out ?

[A Ladder]

Don't take track, it's more useless than weapon focus. The DM won't give you anything you need to track if no one in the party has track (Possible exception is in a premade adventure, but that's it).

Drop your fighting style for wildshape (UA).
I see your point... hrmmm... more feats to pick...
I was planning on dropping the fighting style for wildshape.


Improved Initiative ?

Able Learner - Human 1st level only
(All skills are always in class) Might be useful ?

Nymph's Kiss
+1 Skill point per level, and some other stuff. Its exalted though - so you have to be good.

What rules interpretation are you following for CL ?
Practiced Spellcaster might be useful - it sort of depends on the answer to the above question really.

What weapon style are you going for ?
There might be feats that would pad this out ?

Rule interpretation might go the route of Ranger Level = Caster Level. Due to not having a caster level at 1st if it was 1/2 ranger level. But that would be a good filler.

No weapon style, traded it out for Wildshape.

[deuxhero]

Hidden Talent is neat if you have psionics, though a little less useful than for most as you are alreddy a caster and IIRC, it keys off Cha, not Wis.

Martial Study is neat if you are allowed to take ToB stuff.

[Keld Denar]

Oh...Shape Soulmeld(Sphinx Claws) + Open Lesser Chakra (Hands). Great combo there. Gives you Pounce in all natural forms, even if they don't already have Pounce. Pouncing Octopus GOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Dumbledore lives]

Like the poster above said if you took martial study twice and martial stance you could get into jade phoenix mage later, which is always cool.

[deuxhero]

If all else fails, you have good summoning spells till the Mystic Ranger stops progressing, so Spell Focus: Conjuration+Augment Summoning.

[Keld Denar]

If you plan on grappling much, taking either Martial Study(Mountain Hammer) + Martial Stance(Crushing Roots of the Mountain) or Shape Soulmeld(Kraken Mantle) + Open Lesser Chakra(Arms) will grant Constrict, which is amazingly useful for adding substantial damage to grappling.

[A Ladder]

thanks a lot guys. great suggestions. I'll have to put some of those in once I get more info from my DM.

[gorfnab]

Magical Training will get you a spellbook for SotAO if your DM is being stingy about the rulings of SotAO.

Nemesis + Wise to Your Ways + Arcane Hunter ACF is amusing.

Education is better than Apprentice for getting Knowledge skills.

[A Ladder]

Magical Training will get you a spellbook for SotAO if your DM is being stingy about the rulings of SotAO.

Nemesis + Wise to Your Ways + Arcane Hunter ACF is amusing.

Education is better than Apprentice for getting Knowledge skills.

Apprentice gives 2 free skill points to put into your skills per level though. More efficient on my skill points.

[gorfnab]

Apprentice gives 2 free skill points to put into your skills per level though. More efficient on my skill points.
I am only seeing that it gives you 2 bonus skills points for use on the two skills chosen. Nowhere am I seeing that it gives you two bonus skill points per level.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Definitely get Magical Training, it gives you a free spellbook into which you've already scribed several spells, thus your character is capable of learning additional Wizard spells and scribing those into his spellbook as well as per the Spellbook class feature of the Wizard class.

Note that the Shooting Star Ranger sub levels may not be entirely compatible with Mystic Ranger. Shooting Star Ranger 3 replaces the Endurance feat, but Mystic Ranger 4 is where that falls. Shooting Star Ranger 4 replaces the animal companion class feature, which a Mystic Ranger never gets in the first place. Check with your DM regarding how this will work.

I'd suggest using the Wild Shape Ranger (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#ranger) variant, and take the form of a Fleshraker Dinosaur (MM3) for melee combat. You'll definitely want Natural Spell if you go this route, and probably get Multiattack at some point as well.

[A Ladder]

I am only seeing that it gives you 2 bonus skills points for use on the two skills chosen. Nowhere am I seeing that it gives you two bonus skill points per level.

Ahhh. Missed that. I guess I got excited about the extra skill points and assumed they'd be there.

[Coidzor]

If dragonlance is on the table and you want Sword of the Arcane Order for a sort of "Swordshape Mystic Ranger," the feat from Legend of the Twins Intellectual Priest, IIRC, sets casting from Wis to Int, so that both ranger and wizard casting would be keyed to Int score. On the other hand, if you're wildshape and you're able to start near to or after gaining wildshape, you can afford low physical stats and higher mental ones which will help with the abysmal will save.

...Alternatively, do the thing that sets will saves to being keyed off of con or martial study for one of the maneuvers that lets you sub it for a will save?

[gorfnab]

If dragonlance is on the table and you want Sword of the Arcane Order for a sort of "Swordshape Mystic Ranger," the feat from Legend of the Twins Intellectual Priest, IIRC, sets casting from Wis to Int, so that both ranger and wizard casting would be keyed to Int score.
Academic Priest - DL:LotT - page 12