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Kittenstomp
2007-02-09, 07:18 PM
Hello all. I'm a long-time roleplayer who has magically avoided playing D&D for for almost 10 years. I'll be in a D&D game for the first time in the next month and am thinking about various character builds. The idea I've come to like the most is building a character who essentially fights like a mounted Mongolian Raider. Good with a bow, good with a horse, passable with a scimitar or similar melee weapon. I'm guessing that playing a Fighter would make the most sense, but I could be wrong. I'd like some help figuring out what class would suit my character concept the best and what would be a wise strategic progression of feats. Thanks in advance.

Quietus
2007-02-09, 07:23 PM
Hello all. I'm a long-time roleplayer who has magically avoided playing D&D for for almost 10 years. I'll be in a D&D game for the first time in the next month and am thinking about various character builds. The idea I've come to like the most is building a character who essentially fights like a mounted Mongolian Raider. Good with a bow, good with a horse, passable with a scimitar or similar melee weapon. I'm guessing that playing a Fighter would make the most sense, but I could be wrong. I'd like some help figuring out what class would suit my character concept the best and what would be a wise strategic progression of feats. Thanks in advance.

That depends on what sort of idea you have in mind. I can think of three classes that would suit this idea quite well :

Ranger
Barbarian
Fighter

In no particular order. If you want to go the outdoorsy style, able to track, and eventually end up with a pet that loves to hang around with you, go with a Ranger. If you want to have a high strength and be able to fly off the handle every now and then, use a Barbarian. And for someone who can learn a million different fighting techniques (vast overstatement), play a Fighter. Your progression of feats should be heavily dictated by your choice, but Mounted Combat and potentially Mounted Archery should definately be among your top choices.

As far as your skills go, the above three have the benefit of Handle Animal being a class skill, which is wonderful if you want to be able to train your own horse (or other unique mount of choice). All three also have Ride, which you'll want to keep maxed out.

Gerrtt
2007-02-09, 07:24 PM
Fighter wouldn't be a bad way to go, but neither would ranger or even barbarian. Honestly, barbarian makes the most sense to me anyways for that sort of character (Good HP, Ride as a class skill, probably going to have a decent dex score due to armor restrictions, perfect base attack bonus, and good class features). Not as many feats as a fighter though, that is for sure.

If you haven't already take a look at www.d20srd.org (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/www.d20srd.org). Check under the feats section and have a look at the mounted combat feats. While you are at it, take a look at what barbarians get and what fighters have access to to help you make up your mind. Rangers too, if you think that is a direction you would like to go.

oriong
2007-02-09, 07:31 PM
The problem is that the Barbarian is heavily melee focused. Their rage ability will help a bit (so long as you can get a strength bonus bow) but you'll miss the bonus on attack, not to mention that they tend to work best with two-handed weapons. And mounted you won't have the advantage of Fast Movement.

Fighters will probably do fine for this build, plenty of bonus feats to make the character work.

However, a ranger might suit the build the best: Focused on archery will save you from the lack of feats and their animal companion will eventually provide a mount who can improve with you as you level up. This is something the fighter would miss intensely. A feat to imrpove the animal companion above the normal ranger level would probably be a good idea.

EDIT: For any of these classes I'd reccomend taking the Beastmaster Class and the Natural Bond feat, which should help immensely when it comes to making your character's mount decent.

For example a 5th level ranger/1st level beastmaster has an animal companion as a druid of level 2 (for ranger levels) + 4 (for beastmaster), so a druid equal to his level. He can then advance in ranger again and eventually take Natural Bond to help keep the animal up to par.

Dr. Weasel
2007-02-09, 10:52 PM
I have to second ranger because there are only so many useful mounted combat and archery feats that a fighter can take.
The fighter is going to be spending nearly all of his skill points on ride and handle animal where a ranger would spend at most a third.

The animal companion is nifty as a mount or as a back-up for whatever it is you befriend with wild empathy.

Also ranger spells are there for bonus points.

oriong
2007-02-09, 11:25 PM
Ranger spells might actually prove useful in this case.

You've got longstrider, which boosts your speed and can be shared with your animal companion, that and jump can improve mobility a lot.

the Complete Books also provides some archery based spells: Arrow Mind, Guided Shot, Hawkeye, Arrow Storm, Near Horizon, Bane Bow.

PinkysBrain
2007-02-09, 11:41 PM
As long as you don't have an antipathy towards a small amount of casting ability the ranger is clearly the better option (most people who gravitate towards the fighter seem to have that).

Quietus
2007-02-09, 11:45 PM
Ranger is, certainly, nice to have for the Ranger spells, free bow feats, favored enemy, and nicer skill selection. The only reason to take Fighter is A) If you feel the need to be a featmonkey, and B) If you just don't like the "Be nice to animals"-feel of a ranger.

JaronK
2007-02-09, 11:50 PM
Halfling Outrider is a great class for this idea (it's found in complete warrior). One possible way to do this would be Rogue 1/Ranger 2/Fighter 2/Swashbuckler 1/Beastmaster 2/Halfling Outrider 10/Wild Plains Outrider 2. Now, that may be more complex that what you're looking for, but it really hits the concept well... you'd have to be a halfling though. This lets you have an animal companion as though you were a 17th level druid. You can make that a riding dog or pony (riding dog has the nice bonus that it's medium sized, so you can bring him into dungeons with you), or something more exotic. You get Rapid Shot and Weapon Finesse as bonus feats, and you also get two more bonus feats to give you whatever else you might need. You can do tricks like standing on your mount to fire a bow, accelerating your mount's speed, and all sorts of other stuff.

Anyway, it's a thought.

JaronK

KingRexII
2007-02-09, 11:56 PM
I'd also vote for the ranger as I think it's got the right favor you're looking for. If you like to concentrate more on the riding part (rather than boosting your animal companion -- then, I'd use Beastmaster as stated above), perhaps the Wild Plains Outrider from CAdv (p93) would be appropriate. Besides some nice bonuses, the outrider's mount can use the outrider's skill ranks in Hide and Move Silently, which should make raiding a bit easier.

EDIT: Simu'd!

AmoDman
2007-02-09, 11:59 PM
Ranger pretty much is already built for the exact idea you're going for, as long as you take the Archery route. The horsy companion can be fun (Straight Ranger will continue to level it with you)...though I personally like the Order of the Bow Initiate (for a Prestige Class for archers...). I don't know if you really want to do any of that, though...being a first timer and all. I've seem some optimized archery builds around here. They can get pretty crazy.

AmoDman
2007-02-10, 12:01 AM
Halfling Outrider is a great class for this idea (it's found in complete warrior). One possible way to do this would be Rogue 1/Ranger 2/Fighter 2/Swashbuckler 1/Beastmaster 2/Halfling Outrider 10/Wild Plains Outrider 2. Now, that may be more complex that what you're looking for, but it really hits the concept well... you'd have to be a halfling though. This lets you have an animal companion as though you were a 17th level druid. You can make that a riding dog or pony (riding dog has the nice bonus that it's medium sized, so you can bring him into dungeons with you), or something more exotic. You get Rapid Shot and Weapon Finesse as bonus feats, and you also get two more bonus feats to give you whatever else you might need. You can do tricks like standing on your mount to fire a bow, accelerating your mount's speed, and all sorts of other stuff.

Anyway, it's a thought.

JaronK

It is a good though, JaronK, though I'm thinkin the poster has his heart set on a horse ;).

oriong
2007-02-10, 12:19 AM
The Forgotten Realms Players Guide has the Shaaryan (their equivalent of the mongols more or less) Hunter prestige class.

without giving specific stats it gets good BAB and big ride bonus, Mounted Accuracy which gives bonus when firing a bow from horseback, the ability to track while on horseback, and a nice ability that lets you (1/day) substitute a ride check for any attack roll, saving throw or skill check.

While that last ability is pretty nuts (I use my Ride skill to make this sword! go horse, hammer that iron! Now Black Stallion, disarm this trap!!) it is very powerful considering their class abilities alone give them +8 to ride, and it'll probably be something you keep putting points in each level.