Level 5 swift hunter

[ramrod]

Hi guys, posting on behalf of a friend who is new to 3.5. Swift hunter describe the kind of character he wants to play to a tea.

Can anyone recommend a good starting layout for a swift hunter? He will have 4 base feats (1st, 3rd plus two flaws), plus any from being a scout if the level is high enough and could even play a race with bomus feats if needed.

There are no penalties for multiclass, but level adjustment races are not allowed. 32 point buy.

If anyone can recommend starting gear as well, it is standard wealth at 9k gp, however the first weapon is not subject to the +1 rule, so a +1 weapon enhancement can be gained for just masterwork plus 2000gp.


Any help appreciated, I'm looking it up for him as well, but figured that there are people that know this class better than I do and can do this more optimally and quicker than I, plus I'm also trying to help set up four others at the same time lol.

Thanks in advance, as always, you guys are awesome at this :P

[Nihilarian]

First: there's a handbook (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/09/swift-hunters-handbook.html).

The "standard" Swift Hunter takes a level in Cloistered Cleric. You'll want to get the Travel Domain and trade it for Travel Devotion (Complete Champion). I'd also recommend doing the same for Knowledge Devotion.

[ramrod]

I have read the handbook already, but was hoping that someone might have a simple x levels of x, x levels of x, pick feats x y z and b, blah race is ideal.

Lots of options of pick from and I'm in the idle of trying to help four people at once who are all new to 3.5 lol, time is precious :)

[TypoNinja]

Lots of people swear by the Cloistered Cleric dip, but I don't feel like its worth it personally. Nothing stops you from selecting Travel Devotion as a feat. Sure you don't get the extra 2 uses out of it for being able to dump Turn Undeads into it, but there are still lots of magical item solutions for extra movement, Belt of Battle, chronocharm of the Horizon walker, Ankelt of Translocation, ect.

I've done swift hunter before and at its most basic you take 3 levels of scout, and the rest ranger. I usually trade fast movement for a climbspeed (scout ACF).

Feats then flow by default, Improved Skirmish, Ranged Skirmish, more instances of Travel Devotion if you want, and all the archery feats that Ranger isn't granting you.

[Nihilarian]

Lots of people swear by the Cloistered Cleric dip, but I don't feel like its worth it personally. Nothing stops you from selecting Travel Devotion as a feat. Sure you don't get the extra 2 uses out of it for being able to dump Turn Undeads into it, but there are still lots of magical item solutions for extra movement, Belt of Battle, chronocharm of the Horizon walker, Ankelt of Translocation, ect.

I've done swift hunter before and at its most basic you take 3 levels of scout, and the rest ranger. I usually trade fast movement for a climbspeed (scout ACF).

Feats then flow by default, Improved Skirmish, Ranged Skirmish, more instances of Travel Devotion if you want, and all the archery feats that Ranger isn't granting you.If you don't expect to get into more than one battle, sure, go ahead and just grab the feat. Otherwise Cloistered Cleric is fantastic.

Regardless, you probably want as many levels in ranger as possible

[Dread_Head]

Ranger 1 / Scout 4 would allow you to take Swift Hunter as the 4th level scout bonus feat. Then dip Barbarian for Spirit Lion Totem (if going melee) or Cloistered Cleric for Travel Devotion (for melee or archery) taking Improved Skirmish as the feat you get at 6th. Then progress Ranger for the rest of your levels.

If going for a melee build then take Power Attack and Imp. Bullrush with the intention of picking up Shock Trooper and / or Leap Attack later. You'll also probably want a Valorous weapon. If going ranged then take the archery feats ranger won't give you. Other good weapon enhancements are Smoking or Magebane.

[Kennisiou]

Lots of people swear by the Cloistered Cleric dip, but I don't feel like its worth it personally. Nothing stops you from selecting Travel Devotion as a feat. Sure you don't get the extra 2 uses out of it for being able to dump Turn Undeads into it, but there are still lots of magical item solutions for extra movement, Belt of Battle, chronocharm of the Horizon walker, Ankelt of Translocation, ect.


Cloistered Cleric isn't just for travel devotion. It's for getting three bonus feats, all of which are awesome. Travel Devotion + Knowledge Devotion + Improved Initiative or Extra Turning or Point Blank Shot (so you can retrain your prior instance of the feat to something better) or Strength Devotion or Plant Devotion or Animal Devotion or you nab Pride or Luck or Hunger or Baator for their amazingly strong domain powers. It's three feats in a single level.

[TypoNinja]

Cloistered Cleric isn't just for travel devotion. It's for getting three bonus feats, all of which are awesome. Travel Devotion + Knowledge Devotion + Improved Initiative or Extra Turning or Point Blank Shot (so you can retrain your prior instance of the feat to something better) or Strength Devotion or Plant Devotion or Animal Devotion or you nab Pride or Luck or Hunger or Baator for their amazingly strong domain powers. It's three feats in a single level.

Oh I see, you advocate trading all the domains away. Suppose that has some draw, provided you get decent domains.

[Nihilarian]

Oh I see, you advocate trading all the domains away. Suppose that has some draw, provided you get decent domains.You can choose to trade the domains for devotion feats, and/or you can take domains not dependant on cleric levels. You get turn undead and thus access to turn undead feats (a lot of which are really good).

Cleric 1 is such a good dip, there's a handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2773.0) for it. Seriously, every character who isn't a full caster should at least consider it.

For a swift hunter, I like grabbing Knowledge Devotion, Travel Devotion and the Magic Domain, so you can use wizard and cleric wands without UMD (which scouts don't get).