Animal Companion for Mounted Archer

[the_archduke]

I have always wanted to build a mounted archer, but my understanding is that unless you have a scaling mount, it is going to be a severe liability at higher levels. I am weighing my options of what class to use, and this is what I have so far.

Ranger:
-Companion at 4th level
-Limited options for companion
-lower leveled companion without feat (boon companion)
+Beastmaster archetype mitigates the above issues
+bonus feats for archery or mounted combat
+spells that affect AC from 4th level list

Paladin:
-Companion at 5th level
+full companion levels without feat
-Limited options for companion
-no bonus feats
+smite is great for archers
+Paladin chassis is awesome
+shining knight archetype give character's cha bonus to saves for mount
+oath against wyrm archeytpe gives mount all of paladin's aura based immunities

Cavalier:
+Companion at 1st level
+Beastrider Archetype gives large list of good options
+Luring Cavalier gets ranged challenge
+a few bonus feats
-terrible chassis compared with ranger and paladin

Druid
+Companion at 1st level
+Best list of companion options
+spells that help AC from 9th level list
-medium BaB
-no bonus feats

Hunter
+Companion at 1st level
+Best list of companion options
+spells that help AC from 6th level list
-only bonus feat (precise shot)
?Teamwork feats, do they help archery?


Hunter seems to combine most of the best options of ranger and druid
I think I am leaning toward hunter or paladin, bu neither of them get the bonus feats for the archery/mounted combat feat chains I will need.

Am I missing any viable options?

[Psyren]

?Teamwork feats, do they help archery?


Some do (e.g. Coordinated Shot or Distracting Charge) - however, the vast majority of Teamwork Feats (including those) provide very miniscule and static bonuses that make them ultimately not worth it. You're better off using the Divine Hunter archetype to dump them. Divine Hunter lets you drop them for a domain instead, which even on a delayed progression is going to be much more useful in general. One good domain to select is War (subdomain Tactics) which will let you roll your initiative twice and take the better result, grant yourself a bonus combat feat as a swift action - both abilities will be highly useful to any archer. You also add useful spells to your spells known like Magic Vestment, Blade Barrier and Divine Power that Hunters don't normally get. Finally, Divine Hunter adds the celestial template to your companion, getting them powerful benefits like darkvision, energy resistance, and smite evil for boss fights.

[grarrrg]

Cavalier:
+Companion at 1st level
+a few bonus feats
-terrible chassis compared with ranger and paladin
...
Am I missing any viable options?

Yes, take only 4 levels of Cavalier (NOT Beast Rider sadly), then take the Horse Master (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/horse-master-combat) feat when able.
Full progression Mount, with only 4 levels of Cavalier, then feel free to go Fighter or Ranger for Feats or whatever (feel free to trade out Ranger Companion via archetype).


Am I missing any viable options?

It's also possible to go Mad Dog (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/archetypes/paizo---barbarian-archetypes/mad-dog) Urban (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/barbarian/archetypes/paizo---barbarian-archetypes/urban-barbarian) Barbarian.
Urban lets you "Controlled Rage" to boost your DEX instead of STR or CON (although you can optionally boost those as well), and is a solid archetype on it's own.
Adding Mad Dog gives you a Full progression Animal Companion (at the cost of half your Rage Powers) and a delayed Rage ability. I'm overall not a fan of Mad Dog, but it's the only "barbarian mount" archetype to combine with Urban.

Cavalier 4/Urban Barbarian+ could be quite entertaining.


Am I missing any viable options?
Inquisitors (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/inquisitor) make fairly solid archers as well. Judgements and Bane do wonders to boost Accuracy and Damage, then just choose a Domain that grants an Animal Companion (will probably want Boon Companion due to penalty). The 6/level Skill Points and 6th level Spellcasting are quite nice as well.

[deuxhero]

Another option is anything else with the Animal Ally feat and boon companion. It takes 3 feats (animal ally requires a +2/+2 feat I forget the name of) on an already very feat heavy build type, but fighter has enough feats to mitigate that, and zen archer gets pretty much everything they need for archery as a bonus feat (plus they have this situation at the first level where they can't qualify for anything relevant to them and the +2/+2 feat has has no requirements).

[Diachronos]

Ranger is a solid choice.

My recommendation would be Hunter. They get access to a lot of good spells that can help with ranged combat (especially gravity bow), their Animal Focus can help with your attack rolls (and damage if using a composite bow), and there are more good ranged teamwork feats than you'd think. Granted, they're usually for cases where you're at range and your companion is in melee...
Maybe try the Packmaster archetype and go with 2 companions: one to ride, and one to get into combat and take advantage of your teamwork feats.

For actual companions, I love the imagery of doing archer things from the back of a Roc.

[the_archduke]

I am seriously leaning toward Hunter. The Divine Hunter archetype especially. Roc for companion. Mounted combat will have to wait until after level 7 when it gets its size increase.

What domains are good options?

edit: just noticed that there is a Paladin Archetype Divine Hunter too... NOT that one

[Diachronos]

I am seriously leaning toward Hunter. The Divine Hunter archetype especially. Roc for companion. Mounted combat will have to wait until after level 7 when it gets its size increase.

What domains are good options?

edit: just noticed that there is a Paladin Archetype Divine Hunter too... NOT that one

If your DM's willing to allow it, you could probably take Undersized Mount (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/undersized-mount-combat) and then retrain it once the Roc becomes a large creature at level 7.

[the_archduke]

Except a Roc only has 12 strength until level 7 when it jumps to 20. Cool feat though.

[Diachronos]

Well, you've also got the ANimal Focus and the natural Strength increases that animal companions get.

[Psyren]

What domains are good options?


One of the nice things about the Divine Hunter is that the domain spells are added to your spells known - this is in contrast to 3.5, where in most cases domains just added those spells to your list and you had to spend spells known on them normally (CDiv pg. 20.) This means you don't actually care if the domains are giving you spells that are already on the druid/ranger list - it just means you're getting free spells known and can pick up different ones with your regular allotment.

What this means is that, when evaluating domains, the bonus spells are a nice consideration (especially if they give you good spells that druids/rangers don't normally get - always a plus) but the primary deciding factor should be the domain granted powers in all cases. Consider the spells, whether they are from your list or someone else's, an added bonus - and give the 5th and 6th-level spells the lightest weighting since in most campaigns you won't get them at all (15th and 18th respectively.) And it should go without saying that the spells above 6th should not be considered at all.

Some good domain choices (the below should show you why I consider these to be way more valuable than Teamwork feats):

- Animal (best subdomain: Feather) makes your animal companion even more powerful (additional +2 Str at 6th level, immediately followed by the big bump at 7th.) The Perception and surprise Initiative bonuses are cake, as is the flight ability for when you need to Beast Shape or otherwise soar under your own power.

- Charm (best subdomain: Love) - I don't really like this one because of all the Will Negates spells it adds to your list that will almost never see use. The immediate action sanctuary ability is worth mentioning though and costs you almost nothing to try. It can also potentially protect you from very powerful single ranged attacks like weaponlike spells, Vital Strike and rock throwing.

- Community (best subdomain: none) is one of my favorites thanks to Calming Touch, especially comboed with Soothing Word, which just so happens to be on your list. It can take you up to two rounds for the more severe ones, but you can remove an entire laundry list of negatives from your companion - nasueated, sickened, frightened, shaken, stunned, exhausted, fatigued and paralyzed for instance, any of which can pretty much take your companion out of a fight or render it irrelevant. The Unity ability is icing on the cake, and as a bonus, it can potentially help your animal companion and your party members simultaneously.

- Darkness (best subdomain: basic or Night) has some neat abilities. Deeper Darkness + Eyes of Darkness, cast at night or underground, can let you pincushion many bad guys from near-perfect safety. You won't have sneak attack to really take advantage of it but it's still fun to be shooting at flat-footed AC. Night more or less does the same thing.

- Good (best subdomains: Azata or Agathion) either gives you save bonuses or lets you reroll your saves vs. enchantments, and since you and your companion have weak will saves, both of those are useful. Redemption I'll throw in because it's hilarious - ever zapped a Pit Fiend with their own Blasphemy as an immediate action, no additional save, while none of your allies suffer the ill effects? The look on your GM's face alone should make this one worth it :smallbiggrin:

- Glory (best subdomain: Honor) - like Good's subdomains, Honor helps you and your companion resist harmful enchantments. The sanctuary ability isn't as good as Love's but can be situationally useful, and can also shield nearby allies who are doing non-offensive things like healing, summoning or repositioning.

- Healing (best subdomain: Restoration) - Like Community, this one is great for clearing conditions, and combos even better with Soothing Word. The free Empower on your heals is decent too.

- Knowledge (best subdomain: Memory) makes you an even better scout - and you have several crucial knowledges nobody else in the party might have too, like Nature, Geography or Dungeoneering. With your high skill points you can be the guru for these subjects and this domain will help. It's not the best choice for combat-heavy campaigns though.

- Law (best subdomain: basic or Loyalty) - Touch of Law is neat; if you optimize your companion for a specific maneuver (e.g. grapple or trip), then taking 11 can very well let it autosucceed in many fights. Alternatively, Loyalty can considerably boost your companions will save (or your own), and if you remember to refresh it the bonus can last all day, as well as stacking with more typical bonuses like resistance.

- Liberation (best subdomain: Freedom) - This is one of the best defensive subdomains around, for both you and your companion. A very strong choice.

- Luck (best subdomain: Fate) - YOU get a reroll! And YOU get a reroll! EVERYBODY GETS A REROLL!

- Magic (best subdomain: Divine) - If you buff at the start of combat, or stand near to other ranged characters, this can be useful. This is also useful outside of combat - cast Guidance on yourself, and everyone close to you gets +2 on their check instead of +1, provided it doesn't take too long to do.

- Nobility (best subdomain: see comment) - Obviously, the options that let you keep Leadership are the strongest ones mechanically. If your GM is iffy about Leadership however (especially on a class that already has a companion), Martyr gives this domain a decent replacement. The limited uses/day are troublesome, but the spells this domain gives you still makes it an attractive choice for a druid/ranger hybrid, and function on an archer quite well.

- Protection (best subdomains: basic or Purity) As you've probably figured out by now, I love domains that boost your defenses; this one is no exception.

- Repose (best subdomain: Souls) is just all around great. This one is tough to beat and will come in handy in nearly any campaign with undead or evil casters in it (read: most of them.)

- Scalykind (best subdomain: Venom) - check with your GM whether this gives you a second companion, or give you the attribute boosts like Animal does. Either way this one is good.

- Strength (best subdomain: Resolve) - This gives you a nice pair of buffs to put on your companion before it leaps into the fray.

- Sun (best subdomain: Revelation) - Day isn't bad either, it's just that you don't channel energy so you want the one that replaces Sun's Blessing. (Light is nearly worthless however.)

- Travel (best subdomains: basic or Exploration) - If you're ever on foot this can be very useful. Exploration is also nice for scouting.

- Trickery (best subdomains: All except Innuendo and Thievery) - this is one of the best domains and set of subdomains around, chock-full of goodies, especially for an archer. Note that the disbelief save on the veil effect need not even come into play if you're clever.

- Void (best subdomain: Isolation) - a boost to your weakest save and it's harder for enemies to melee you? This one is fantastic.

- War (best subdomains: basic or Tactics) - I already pointed out how good this one is above, but I'll repeat it here - this one is good. It's particularly nice for archery, which can never have enough good feats lying just around the corner. Typically you'll be picking up whichever feat you have planned next early with Weapon Master.

The ones I skipped (like Death or Water) are generally useless for a Hunter, but if I missed something I'm open as well.

[Mithril Leaf]

Except a Roc only has 12 strength until level 7 when it jumps to 20. Cool feat though.

A giant vulture is only 750 GP if you can train it yourself and will easily support you till level 7.

[Miscast_Mage]

It's a bit specific, but Goblin Alchemists get an archetype (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/base-classes/alchemist/archetypes/paizo---alchemist-archetypes/winged-marauder-alchemist-archetype) that gives them a dire bat or a vulture to ride as animal companion, using their alchemist level as a druids level. I've built a squad of these doing fly-by bombs/alchemist fires as an encounter for fun.