Tiger Riding Cleric Help

[jschafer]

So, I'm trying to make an Archery Cleric riding a tiger to use in a game. Myself and my DM recently got rid of our entire gaming group due to issues we were having with them, and he is going to be running a very simple, go from point A to point B, kill everyone there and return to point A game just as a way to feel everyone out. I've never played a cleric before and could use some ideas. Obviously Zen Archery is a must have, but other than that...

32 point buy, 3rd level start, nothing is really off limits source wise. Divine metamagic has been nerfed. You can not cast a metamagic reduced spell, if you could not cast the spell before applying the reducers. So, no matter what you do, you can't cast a maximized fireball unless you can cast 6th level spells. Doesn't matter what hoops you jump through. I appreciate the help in advance.

Please don't try to persuade me away from tiger riding archer, I decided I wanted to do that part before Cleric.

[INoKnowNames]

I'm not sure how you'll snag a Tiger companion at 3rd Level. Even as a Druid, no Tiger until you get to 7th level. And as a Cleric, the closest option I can think of, Wild Cohort, would require you to be 10th level (though spending an additional feat on Natural Bond could lower it back to 7th, if your Dm lets Natural Bond work with Wild Cohort).

Additionally, you'll suffer from being able to snag a reliable source of bonus damage as an Archer Cleric, since you won't be Sneak Attacking this early, or Skirmishing (and Skirmish won't work without you physically moving anyway). When you get enough money, beg for Hank's Energy Bow, which is the best/most generic response to this problem.

Depending on how many spell levels you lose, there are plenty of prestige classes that can help you pimp your shooting ability if you're so interested. How much does the "Cleric" part of "Cleric Archer Riding Tiger" mean to you?

[TheCrowing1432]

Your idea presents a lot of issues.


1. Clerics do not normally get any sort of Animal Companion, Other then Wild Cohort

2. Tigers are at the medium level list, at 7th, which means you wont be able to get it until 10, or 7 if your dm allows the use of natural bond (as INoKnowNames pointed out already)

3. You need the Mounted Archery Feats in order to have some semblance of competence. I would suggest the class Halfling Outrider, if you dont mind being a halfling.

4. You're going to be very feat taxed, and probably not have any real focus on spell casting.

5. Zen archery only works within 30 ft, so that limits your mobility on the tiger.

6. Handle Animal is not on your skill list, so you will be unable to control your Cohort effectively, or teach him tricks, or really anything.

[Thurbane]

AFB, but...how much would a Warbeast Tiger cost?

Here are some ways to get Handle Animal (but not Ride, sadly) on your class skill list: http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=6832.0

[Darrin]

A small-sized cleric could ride a cheetah or leopard, but with Wild Cohort you'd have to be at least 7th level for that.

Hmm. Savage Bard gets an animal companion as a druid, maybe combine that with the Divine Bard?

Or you could just buy a Warbeast tiger that's already trained as a mount (MM2). According to the template, a 7 HD warbeast would cost 625 GP. That's well within the WBL of a 3rd level character.

[TheCrowing1432]

A small-sized cleric could ride a cheetah or leopard, but with Wild Cohort you'd have to be at least 7th level for that.

Hmm. Savage Bard gets an animal companion as a druid, maybe combine that with the Divine Bard?

Or you could just buy a Warbeast tiger that's already trained as a mount (MM2). According to the template, a 7 HD warbeast would cost 625 GP. That's well within the WBL of a 3rd level character.

the problem with buying a mount is that clerics dont have handle animal

[Darrin]

the problem with buying a mount is that clerics dont have handle animal

I don't really see that as a problem if the animal is already trained as a mount. If the cleric can't get a high enough Handle Animal to do the training by himself, he can pay an animal trainer to train it.

Getting an animal to perform a trick it already knows (such as attack) is a DC 10. That's do-able as a cross-class skill with a decent Charisma and Skill Focus/Animal Affinity. For a cleric it's a move action rather than a free action, but that still leaves them with a standard action to attack/cast a spell.

[INoKnowNames]

The bigger issue in my mind with purchasing a mount is that it would stay at it's current level of competence, rather than grow like other companions can. If it's just a one shot, then that's not an issue, I suppose, but if the game is expected to go places, he'll need to keep re-buying companions if he never gets a proper one for himself.

That, and that he's gonna need to eat a lot of resources to make his archery useful, since he'd probably be forced to stay with Manyshot if he doesn't have a Full Attack, since those single shots just won't cut it (unless used by an Arcane Archer). Not to mention that means no Haste or Splitting for his Bow...

[Thurbane]

the problem with buying a mount is that clerics dont have handle animal

Ruathar can get it, and it doesn't lose any casting.

[TheCrowing1432]

The bigger issue in my mind with purchasing a mount is that it would stay at it's current level of competence, rather than grow like other companions can. If it's just a one shot, then that's not an issue, I suppose, but if the game is expected to go places, he'll need to keep re-buying companions if he never gets a proper one for himself.

That, and that he's gonna need to eat a lot of resources to make his archery useful, since he'd probably be forced to stay with Manyshot if he doesn't have a Full Attack, since those single shots just won't cut it (unless used by an Arcane Archer). Not to mention that means no Haste or Splitting for his Bow...

This is a good point.


I think a cleric riding a tiger is just too spread thin.

It costs too many feats, it doesnt mesh well, and even if we were to build it, it probably wouldnt be very viable.

Heres what Id suggest.

Scout 1/Ranger 8/Beastmaster 1/Halfling Outrider 10

Picking the archery track for ranger, picking up Swift Hunter, gives you nice bonuses from tiger back.

Swift Hunter stacks your scout levels with ranger, so you'll have the skirmish of a level 9 scout, 3d6, which will stack nicely with the ranger archery track and any other archery feats you choose to take.

Beastmaster gives you a +3 bonus towards your animal companions which makes up for the half levels ranger gets you. You can pick up natural bond to further increase the bonuses.

Halfling Outrider gives you a lot of nifty mounted archery bonuses and tricks to do.

I choose Ranger over Druid due to the Full BAB that Ranger gets.

You COULD do Druid with this, but you might as well just wildshape and forget mounted combat altogether and focus on summoning, spellcasting, wildshaping, or literally any of the millions of other things Druids could do that would be more optimal then riding a tiger, outside of travel.

[Seharvepernfan]

Druid really seems a better option here, it's even basically the same class as cleric, with a few things switched. This is for several reasons: druids get animals as a class feature, and they get more skills per level, including handle animal/ride/listen/spot (which you'll want as an archer). If you're not VERY attached to cleric, I would switch to druid.

Elf seems like the ideal race, since they get auto proficiency with bows, a bonus to dexterity, and a bonus to listen/spot. However, you might be better off with a small-sized race; for one, they hit more often, and two, they can ride a medium-sized animal, which can go into most of the same places as a medium-sized character. However, you could play an elf who is often or always under a reduce person effect.

A tiger is just not available to 3rd level characters, unless they buy one, in which case it's still gonna be very expensive (and probably dangerous). If you are willing to temporarily settle for a little less, I second the leopard/cougar option.

So, in short: reduced elf druid with leopard animal companion (it's one level early, but eh). When they hit 7th, they get a real tiger.

However, since you didn't want to play a druid in the first place, ask your DM if you can give up some of your abilities (like spontaneous summon and wildshape) to get early animal companion options. You could also ask if you could get a special enlarge person spell for your animal companion, to make a cougar large sized (which will not be as dangerous as a tiger, but is a large-sized cat). Ask your DM if there are any medium-sized tigers in your world, so you can do this and still be riding a "tiger".

edit: just remembered an option that you might like in the future, as any character: take leadership at 6th and get an awakened tiger cohort. Have them take levels in barbarian or scout or something.

2nd edit: Also, druids handle their companions as a free action, and gain a +4 bonus to do it.