[PF] Optimizing Ranger Animal Companions?

[Yorae]

A friend asked for help with optimizing her Ranger for an upcoming campaign - ideally flavor-wise, he'd wield a two-hander and focus on combat with his animal companions.

Unfortunately, it looks like companions are quite a bit different in PF, and I'm not really well-versed in optimizing for them. Some stuff I've read involves giving them teamwork feats? And it looks like Boon Companion is pretty much a requirement, I think? The rest of the party will probably be reasonably optimized, so having this guy be as effective as possible is definitely a goal - I don't want her to feel useless.

Sources open for the campaign in question include all wizards and paizo products, though PF material takes priority if there are conflicts.

[grarrrg]

And it looks like Boon Companion is pretty much a requirement, I think?

The Falconer (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/ranger/archetypes/paizo---ranger-archetypes/falconer) Archetype gives a full progression companion at the cost of Wild Empathy, your level 6 bonus feat, and the fact that you MUST choose a "bird".
But is is a fairly low-impact archetype overall.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Boon Companion is required to optimize the companion, yes.

What the best companion is depends on how the DM interprets the rules. In core, ranger is given a crappy partial list to choose from. Since core, the bestiaries and UM have added lots of new companion options, with no mention of which are "ranger approved." Any sane person will take this to mean that they are all ok for ranger, as shafting them with 0% of the new options is just dumb when druid is a more powerful class to begin with.

If your DM is not sane, however, I'd say ultimately best ranger companion is the Roc. At level 7, it has nice stats and flight. And its entry specifically allows for rangers to get them, so yes, it is a valid choice no matter how harshly your DM rules.

If you can choose from any of the newer options...there's a lot of good ones. I like the dinosaurs myself. T-Rex and Allosaurus are good. I forget if Akylosaurus gets daze, but if it does, then it is also a top pick. Anything with pouce is good, too. Preferably you pick something that ends up with a +8 str boost at effective druid level 7.
UM added the option of vermin. But you either have to accept they'll never get feats or skills; or bump their Int up...which removes Mindless which was the biggest draw for getting a vermin companion in the first place. And then you're at Int 1, and need another 8 HD advancement to get that Int up to 3 to take actually good feats. So...IMO, only take a vermin if you're ok w/ the pet not learning anything, you want to keep the Mindless quality.

Pre- (effective druid) level 7, how it tends to work is...
Before level 4: The animals that are best post-level 7 are the best here
Level 4-6: The animals that get their bump in power might be the strongest in this range, although many of them are still pretty weak

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

okay. According to the devs at Paizo forums, the secondary additions for animal companions are NOT for rangers, just for druids.

Boon Companion is indeed a good feat.

Sable Company Marine (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/ranger/archetypes/paizo---ranger-archetypes/sable-company-marine) is an excellent archetype for a flying, tough companion. Better than a Roc in my opinion. Hippogriff for the win.

Beastmaster (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/ranger/archetypes/paizo---ranger-archetypes/beastmaster) is a good animal companion archetype in general.

Out of the basic animal companions in the PHB, the small cat and the wolf are the best options. at level 10 (7 with Boon companion) the wolf will be large and you can ride it, it will also be great for tripping things. Small cat is faster, has more attacks, and can also trip, but it will not become large.

[Stone Heart]

okay. According to the devs at Paizo forums, the secondary additions for animal companions are NOT for rangers, just for druids.

Boon Companion is indeed a good feat.

Sable Company Marine (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/ranger/archetypes/paizo---ranger-archetypes/sable-company-marine) is an excellent archetype for a flying, tough companion. Better than a Roc in my opinion.

Beastmaster (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/ranger/archetypes/paizo---ranger-archetypes/beastmaster) is a good animal companion archetype in general.

Out of the basic animal companions in the PHB, the small cat and the wolf are the best options. at level 10 (7 with Boon companion) the wolf will be large and you can ride it, it will also be great for tripping things. Small cat is faster, has more attacks, and can also trip, but it will not become large.

Ooh, that is unfortunate, can I get a link to where they said it?

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

"As a ranger, what list of companions can I select my animal
companion from?
As a ranger, if you choose an animal companion for your hunter’s bond, you may only select the animals listed on page 66 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook.
There is no expanded companion list for rangers."

this does not prevent you from using archetypes, as those specific rules trump the general Ranger rules. A Beastmaster can take any legal animal companion, like a Druid. A Falconer can take any bird of prey, provided you have the appropriate book with its stats. A Horselord can take any legal mount based on their level.

a discussion (http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz1vsp?Ranger-Companion-Heartbreak#0)

ANOTHER link (http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz32u9?Companion-Confusion#0)

This last one has an official response from a Dev. There are others, but I was too lazy to look for them.

[CTrees]

The text of the beastmaster archetype makes it pretty clear they intended to gimp the ranger selection in perpetuity, without resorting to FAQs/dev questions.

Why? Because while they made a mostly good game, the devs continue to be a little derp.

[StreamOfTheSky]

"As a ranger, what list of companions can I select my animal
companion from?
As a ranger, if you choose an animal companion for your hunter’s bond, you may only select the animals listed on page 66 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook.
There is no expanded companion list for rangers."

this does not prevent you from using archetypes, as those specific rules trump the general Ranger rules. A Beastmaster can take any legal animal companion, like a Druid. A Falconer can take any bird of prey, provided you have the appropriate book with its stats. A Horselord can take any legal mount based on their level.

a discussion (http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz1vsp?Ranger-Companion-Heartbreak#0)

ANOTHER link (http://paizo.com/forums/dmtz32u9?Companion-Confusion#0)

This last one has an official response from a Dev. There are others, but I was too lazy to look for them.

And those very same links have that same dev personally disagreeing with that ruling and thinking it'd be fine to rule otherwise. And basically (justifiably) mocking the idea that "rangers are better warriors than druids, so they should get a crappier companion." And then still another poster pointing out that CLERIC with the animal domain ends up with a better freaking companion class feature than the ranger if you don't give them the expanded list!

So again...ask your DM. Even if you want one of the core choices anyway, this would be a great early opportunity to see what kind of DM he is. If he's strictly rigid even on this utterly ridiculous RAW...I'd consider it a red flag for future issues in the campaign. Just IMO.

[Duncan_Ruadrik]

Its not utterly ridiculous to say a ranger has a lesser animal companion than a druid, thematically...

It is ridiculous that a Druid has 9th level spells and wildshape. Mechanically both are superior to an Animal Companion.

Its just the rules of the game, I just play the game. Yes, the rules are arbitrary boundaries that are nothing more than made up constructs, but without them, the game isn't any fun. Feel free to add or eliminate any rules you don't like, but...

It doesn't make the DM a "bad" DM, and you shouldn't consider it a "flag" for future issues. Because, you know... Its just a game. Whatever.

[Novawurmson]

From a DM's prospective, I let my Ranger player pick up a triceratops, and everything's been fine.

[Larkas]

Why? Because while they made a mostly good game, the devs continue to be a little derp.

So true. I still haven't gotten over what they did with Brass Knuckles. Stupid devs.