Swift Hunter with a good animal companion

[Yogibear41]

Is it possible to have a pretty good animal companion as a swift hunter if you take things like natural bond, and maybe a 1 level dip into beastmaster just to get an effective 4 level boost? Would doing these things be worth it? What are some other feats/dips that could potentially improve the build?

[Rebel7284]

Typically, the ranger animal companion is too weak to optimize. Even if jumping through hoops you can eventually make it as powerful as a druid's AC, you have to consider that even THOSE eventually drag behind in power.

You can also take the Wild Cohort feat.

[Fax Celestis]

Sure, but you might be better served by just going into Beast Heart Adept (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070209a&page=4) instead: less hoops, better base companions, and the fringe benefit of being able to provide mounts for your buddies if you take the right companion.

(I did a worg bard/beast heart adept/tribal chieftian once who took Leadership and had a pack of worgs and wolves. Pretty awesome.)

[Fouredged Sword]

Unless you are going for something fancy, I would recommend just taking wild cohort and trading your companion away for a class feature. A level 1 dip in silverwood outrider will get you free action control of your mount. This allows your mount to be better than a ranger standard companion.

I always thought it odd design that the druid got full companion progression on top of everything else. I would have switched that and had the ranger be a beast master type character and the druid having a weak companion for utility.

[Yogibear41]

(I did a worg bard/beast heart adept/tribal chieftian once who took Leadership and had a pack of worgs and wolves. Pretty awesome.)


Seems pretty legit :smallcool: How did you play your instruments?


If a wild cohort gains enough hit die to increase it a size category due to MM advancment tables, does it advance in size and gain the stat increases/decreases that go along with it?

[Daftendirekt]

Unless you are going for something fancy, I would recommend just taking wild cohort and trading your companion away for a class feature. A level 1 dip in silverwood outrider will get you free action control of your mount. This allows your mount to be better than a ranger standard companion.

Not familiar with this PrC, but if it only works with mounts (and not just ACs in general) it's no use here. Mount movement does not trigger skirmish. It has to be YOU moving.

[lsfreak]

Sure, but you might be better served by just going into Beast Heart Adept (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ex/20070209a&page=4) instead: less hoops, better base companions, and the fringe benefit of being able to provide mounts for your buddies if you take the right companion.

(I did a worg bard/beast heart adept/tribal chieftian once who took Leadership and had a pack of worgs and wolves. Pretty awesome.)

Unless I'm missing something, though, aren't Beast Heart Adapt and Swift Hunter pretty mutually exclusive? Grabbing one severely limits the benefits of the other because you won't be leveling the right thing.

Wild Cohort is probably the way to go, trading out the animal companion for something else. Or just forgetting it altogether.

[Fax Celestis]

Unless I'm missing something, though, aren't Beast Heart Adapt and Swift Hunter pretty mutually exclusive? Grabbing one severely limits the benefits of the other because you won't be leveling the right thing.

Wild Cohort is probably the way to go, trading out the animal companion for something else. Or just forgetting it altogether.

No, I mean just dropping swift hunter entirely. It's not that amazing of a feat, honestly.

[Urpriest]

If a wild cohort gains enough hit die to increase it a size category due to MM advancment tables, does it advance in size and gain the stat increases/decreases that go along with it?

Nope! The extra hit dice are bonus HD, not HD advancement.

[Daftendirekt]

No, I mean just dropping swift hunter entirely. It's not that amazing of a feat, honestly.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg/300px-Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg

...An archer ranger with full skirmish is one of the best archers available in 3.5

[Fax Celestis]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3b/Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg/300px-Paris_Tuileries_Garden_Facepalm_statue.jpg

...An archer ranger with full skirmish is one of the best archers available in 3.5

I am aware.

It's still not very impressive.

I would hands-down play a marksman, despite its third-partyness, any day of the week.

[Fouredged Sword]

Actually the cohort just has to be ABLE to act as your mount. The first level ability functions weather you ride your cohort or not.

You don't have to ride it around in combat. I like a dire wolf personally, and you hop off at the start of combat.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I am aware.

It's still not very impressive.

I would hands-down play a marksman, despite its third-partyness, any day of the week.
Assuming that your GM allows third party material, which many don't.

In any case, I'm with the folks recommending Wild Cohort-- especially if you're going to do more than the minimum Scout dip to pull off Swift Hunter. A generally superior companion that scales off total level? Sold.

[Yogibear41]

I am aware.

It's still not very impressive.

I would hands-down play a marksman, despite its third-partyness, any day of the week.


Our DM lets us full attack after moving(monsters do the same) so yeah it buffs it just a weee bit.


Seems awesome for melee at first, til you see your level 6 rogue friend go from 100% health to dead in one round by an average troll lol