Some noob Swift Hunter questions

[Groshuk]

I am starting a new campaign with level 1 characters, I haven't played with this DM before and he seems pretty picky on roleplaying and having a viable reason for what you are doing multiclass wise so I am not looking to eek out every last bit of damage. I am more concerned about the style of it and getting the best result with those limitations.

My character will be deep halfling and my goal is to have a riding war dog and use him to move me around to get my skirmish damage and maybe do the odd trip or attack.

My plan is 3 levels of scout then ranger to get the dog (4 levels unless there's a way around that) maybe a dip in fighter for a bonus feat then back to ranger up to 20.

Looking at feats it seems the best order is point blank shot, precise shot, mounted combat, mounted archery, natural bond then I have no idea. Improved initiative?

Is there a related prestige class that would be helpful? Is fighter for an extra feat sensible?

We are open to all the core books and complete series for sure, any others might work with some convincing.

Thanks in advance

I should also add I doubt I could do a cloistered cleric because that implies being locked in a monastery for quite some time. A regular cleric level might make sense and work with Fharlanghn for travel domain and there's a feat to get extra turnings per day I think? What is the reason for cloistered rather than regular cleric?

[Namfuak]

A. Skirmish is not triggered by mounted movement per the errata. What possessed them to made that change, no one knows.

B. I honestly would recommend using a ranger alternate class feature that drops the animal companion for something else if your DM is not planning on using the PF animal companion rules (Ranger level -3 for benefits rather than half level). If you want the companion, you should get wild cohort, which is very similar and can be fluffed basically the same way, but is scaled to your HD rather than class levels.

C. Cloistered cleric is usually taken for 1 level dips because all the drawbacks (1/2 BAB, light armor, and less health) are either meaningless (0 BAB for one level anyway, and if you are going to wear heavy armor you are likely going to get it from another source, and in your case you are going to be wearing light armor) or inconsequential (d6 v d8 is 1 less health on average). Whether your DM would go for it based on fluff I can't answer.

D. I could go through more recommendations, but honestly you should read a guide for a more in depth explanation of all the possibilities. I recommend this one:
http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/09/swift-hunters-handbook.html

[TuggyNE]

Looking at feats it seems the best order is point blank shot, precise shot, mounted combat, mounted archery, natural bond then I have no idea. Improved initiative?

I'd advise dropping the mount idea and using Greater Manyshot (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/psionic/psionicFeats.htm#greaterManyshot) instead. Pretty straightforward: move, manyshot, get skirmish on all of the shots.

I should also add I doubt I could do a cloistered cleric because that implies being locked in a monastery for quite some time. A regular cleric level might make sense and work with Fharlanghn for travel domain and there's a feat to get extra turnings per day I think? What is the reason for cloistered rather than regular cleric?[/QUOTE]

Any time you've focused much more on study than on preparing to fight would be logical; exactly how you got to study that much is up to you to justify, as is your new focus on combat (although that could reasonably be explained by simply preferring to stay out of reach and on the move when you do have to fight, rather than wading into battle).

[Xervous]

Cloistered gives you a free domain (knowledge) which can be traded out for the juicy Knowledge Devotion. It also gives you an ability that functions much like Bardic Knowledge. Cloistered also has 6+int skill points, very useful if you take it at level 1 in builds that trudge off to classes with 2+ or 4+.

[Groshuk]

That's all very helpful, I think I can convince him to let the dog count as my move for skirmishing from a role play stand point and the cloistered cleric makes sense now thank you. That will be tougher but worth trying for.

I'll see what he says about levels for the dog and mention wild cohort if that is more appealing to him.

[Barsoom]

I'm not sure how well Skirmish interacts with Manyshot. It's stated that only one arrow in a burst deals "precision damage". It's not very well specified what precision damage is, but most interpretations I've seen include Skirmish. So not a combo.

I would suggest Travel Devotion to move and attack. My build would be:

Level 1: Elf Cloistered Cleric with the domains: Travel (trade for Travel Devotion), Knowledge (Trade for Knowledge Devotion), and Elf (keep this one, because it gives you the coveted Point Blank Shot). For a feat, take Precise Shot.

Levels 2-5: Scout.

Level 6: Ranger. Congrats, you now qualify for Swift Hunter

Levels 7+: More Ranger

[Verditude]

Manyshot

That's why you use Greater Manyshot, from the Expanded Psionics Handbook, instead. You apply precision damage to each arrow.

[TuggyNE]

I'm not sure how well Skirmish interacts with Manyshot. It's stated that only one arrow in a burst deals "precision damage". It's not very well specified what precision damage is, but most interpretations I've seen include Skirmish. So not a combo.

As Verditude said, that's why you use Greater Manyshot, at the link I gave, because it gives precision damage on every shot (including independent crits). (It also gives independent targeting, so you can fire at different targets at the same time, but that's more flashy than practical.)