Goblin Wolf Rider. BM or Hunter?

[Snig]

So I have a concept to play a Goblin (reskinned halfling) Wolf Rider. Naturally I started looking into subclassing into Beastmaster and riding my animal companion, but the more I read the more I lost heart. Apparently the BM is pretty underpowered compared to the Hunter subclass. SO, I figured I could just go Hunter, and use my Animal Handling skill to acquire a wolf to serve as my mount?

I know that this would not be as powerful as a BM companion, but considering I plan on being a mounted archer, I don't really need a mount that is a powerhouse in combat.

What do you guys think? Is this a perfectly acceptable alternative to riding a BM companion? Or is there a better way?

Also if I do manage to use my Animal Handling Skill to tame a wolf, even as a non BM can I do things with it like, track, use its skills, unmount in combat and allow it to fight?

Any ideas of how to best make this concept come to life would be great!

Thanks

[Jeebs]

I like BM just fine, but either way, you may want to consider the Mounted Combatant feat. Especially without scaling HP, the Wolf will have a hard time with AOE spells.

[Giant2005]

If you plan on just being an archer anyway, then being a Hunter is probably the better choice but other than that, the issue really lies in the choice of the Wolf as a BM companion.
I'd recommend talking to your DM and asking if you can reskin a Giant Badger into being a Wolf (Like you did with your Halfling). If he is cool with that then go with the BM, if not then go with the Hunter (Or just go with Hunter if Archery really is going to be your sole tool of choice).

[Snig]

Is it feasible to be both a hunter ranger and ride a wolf mount + mounted combat?

[Giant2005]

Is it feasible to be both a hunter ranger and ride a wolf mount + mounted combat?

It is mechanically feasible.
The only real issue is from the perspective of verisimilitude.
A Shortbow to a small race is the equivalent of a Longbow to a medium race and in reality, medium races cannot shoot Longbows while mounted (That is essentially why the Shortbow exists) but none of that is actually in the rules of 5e so unless your DM was being a bit of a douche, you could happily ignore it.

[PhantomRenegade]

The PHB has a price table for mounts which includes Mastiffs which halflings ride, if your DM is letting you reskin into a Goblin he might let you buy a wolf mount. You could also use animal handling to try and get one from the wild although that'd probably take a long time to replace.


Mounted combatant is definitely necessary and even then you'll need to watch your positioning to try and stay away from AOE's.


If you're open to multiclassing five levels in paladin gets you the Find Steed spell, smites would further develop your ranged damage kit with oath of the ancients possibly being thematically appropriate.

[Snig]

Here is what I had in mind, playing a hunter goblin using a community made goblin PC. They have a sub-race called forest goblins that get this as a racial trait.

Animal Kinship: You can use Wisdom (Animal Handling) on wild animals as if they were domesticated animals, calming them, controlling them or keeping them as pets. You may also use any animal large enough to carry you as a mount even if it hasn’t been bred or trained for it.

This trait should really help my idea. I understand that it will not be as powerful as an animal companion, but I'll make up for this with taking the hunter sub-class.

This should be a reliable method if finding and replacing (if necessary) a wolf mount for my goblin.

Thoughts?

[coredump]

You could go Paladin..... Find Steed for a Wolf....

[Snig]

I'm half considering this, but I don't think a goblin paladin suits my concept. Also I'm assuming hunters make better archers?

[Steampunkette]

Hunter on a Wolf works just fine. There's no rules that will make it harder for you to use archery or anything. Mechanically speaking it's probably better than BM arching while mounted because your mount would probably prefer to be in melee for that kind of thing.

That said, when the enemy decides to take the wolf out from under you there's not going to be much stopping them.

[Snig]

Hunter on a Wolf works just fine. There's no rules that will make it harder for you to use archery or anything. Mechanically speaking it's probably better than BM arching while mounted because your mount would probably prefer to be in melee for that kind of thing.

That said, when the enemy decides to take the wolf out from under you there's not going to be much stopping them.

Mounted combat feat should help? Along with barding.

[PhantomRenegade]

Here is what I had in mind, playing a hunter goblin using a community made goblin PC. They have a sub-race called forest goblins that get this as a racial trait.

Animal Kinship: You can use Wisdom (Animal Handling) on wild animals as if they were domesticated animals, calming them, controlling them or keeping them as pets. You may also use any animal large enough to carry you as a mount even if it hasn’t been bred or trained for it.

This trait should really help my idea. I understand that it will not be as powerful as an animal companion, but I'll make up for this with taking the hunter sub-class.

This should be a reliable method if finding and replacing (if necessary) a wolf mount for my goblin.

Thoughts?This'd work, especially with monted combatant where the only thing you'd have to worry about would be AOE's, careful with your setting though, if the campaing takes place in a local without wolves you're not gonna be able to get any regardless of skills.

[Steampunkette]

Also avoid Dungeons.

DMs have a nasty habit of not liking mounted combatants riding around in their dungeons!

[Jeebs]

You could play a Bard and use Magical Secrets to get the Find Steed and Swift Quiver spells.

[Snig]

a few questions if I decide to build my character this way? With things like stealth and tracking, is this something that my wolf could aid me in or possibly help.in combat is there any way it could use it straight such as pack tactics or knock down?

I'm wondering if I could possibly make use of the animal handling skill to accomplish any of these?

[PhantomRenegade]

If your DM lets you get just a normal wolf you shoud be fine,wolves have advantage on wisdom checks that rely on sight or smell so he could help you like that, they also have reasonable stealth though that'll fall off at higher levels.

Again being a wolf he'd have access to all their natural abilities but a DM might want to limit that, you'll just need to talk to him.

[coredump]

I'm half considering this, but I don't think a goblin paladin suits my concept. Also I'm assuming hunters make better archers?

Vengeance Paladins also get Hunter's Mark. :smallcool:

[HoarsHalberd]

Vengeance Paladins also get Hunter's Mark. :smallcool:

And they can't smite on ranged attacks... :smallfrown:

[Snig]

Hey can any of you take a look at this community made Goblin PC and let me know if it seems decently balanced? Particularly the Forest Goblin Sub-race.

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?356829-PC-Goblins-for-D-amp-D-5E

[MadBear]

I'll go against the grain a bit, and say just go BM ranger. Alot of the weaknesses of the BM go away when you're combining it with the mount rules. Look for Easy Lee's post titled "Breaking BM" where he explains how to make a really effective ranger while using the BM rules.

[Snig]

I'll go against the grain a bit, and say just go BM ranger. Alot of the weaknesses of the BM go away when you're combining it with the mount rules. Look for Easy Lee's post titled "Breaking BM" where he explains how to make a really effective ranger while using the BM rules.

I could maybe justify this if I was planning on fighting alot alongside my mount, but being a mounted archer, it seems like a waste to invest in a combat heavy animal companion when I could just get a regular mount?

[coredump]

And they can't smite on ranged attacks... :smallfrown:
True, but he was looking for a good way to get a good wolf mount. And having one that can't die, 1 mile telepathy, and intelligent... not a bad way to go.

[MadBear]

I could maybe justify this if I was planning on fighting alot alongside my mount, but being a mounted archer, it seems like a waste to invest in a combat heavy animal companion when I could just get a regular mount?

That's true. On the bright side, it allows you to have a fairly stable mount, that won't die easy, and it can kick butt in close combat (which will probably happen more then you think).

Still, I'd say either could work great (hunter or BM)

[Snig]

One other concern I just thought of was if I do go with a BM archer and choose my wolf as an animal companion, then synergy seems to go out the window with their trip attack. I have to attack with disadvantage against a prone enemy.....

Anyone see any bright side to using a wolf as a BM archer?

[Paeleus]

Are you wanting your goblin to know ranger spells? If not, your DM might be ok with you being a hunter/BM with no spells, though it seems like you would become irrelevant pretty quickly... If not, just go hunter and hope a goblin wargrider camp pops up where you could acquire a pup. This seems thematically cool because the wolf and you should be super close. Then breed him and start riding his son when he falls.

[Snig]

I was actually thinking of going Ranger 12 / Fighter 4 / Rogue 4.

This gives me - 5 ASIs/feats, 2 attacks/Attack action, 4 Superiority Dice (d8s), 2d6 Sneak Attack, 3rd-level spells/slots, and action surge, two fighting styles (archery and dual wield) and a kickass animal companion with beastial fury.

just a quick example but if spending an action surge and bestial fury, I could attack 5 times. 1 for me, and 4 for my companion. not to mention, i'd have killer nova on my first attack of the encounter with the assassin class.

[PoeticDwarf]

So I have a concept to play a Goblin (reskinned halfling) Wolf Rider. Naturally I started looking into subclassing into Beastmaster and riding my animal companion, but the more I read the more I lost heart. Apparently the BM is pretty underpowered compared to the Hunter subclass. SO, I figured I could just go Hunter, and use my Animal Handling skill to acquire a wolf to serve as my mount?

I know that this would not be as powerful as a BM companion, but considering I plan on being a mounted archer, I don't really need a mount that is a powerhouse in combat.

What do you guys think? Is this a perfectly acceptable alternative to riding a BM companion? Or is there a better way?

Also if I do manage to use my Animal Handling Skill to tame a wolf, even as a non BM can I do things with it like, track, use its skills, unmount in combat and allow it to fight?

Any ideas of how to best make this concept come to life would be great!

Thanks

You have to look online for some builds, beastmaster (still if you're using a wolf) isn't Always that bad, especially at highter levels.

AND if you animal dies and you have to search a new animal, I don't see why this beast has to be a beast of CR 1/4. You can look for a Dire Wolf (if you DM allows it, I think he doesn't).

But still, BM can be balanced with Hunter. Hunter isn't ultimate too.

[PoeticDwarf]

I was actually thinking of going Ranger 12 / Fighter 4 / Rogue 4.

This gives me - 5 ASIs/feats, 2 attacks/Attack action, 4 Superiority Dice (d8s), 2d6 Sneak Attack, 3rd-level spells/slots, and action surge, two fighting styles (archery and dual wield) and a kickass animal companion with beastial fury.

just a quick example but if spending an action surge and bestial fury, I could attack 5 times. 1 for me, and 4 for my companion. not to mention, i'd have killer nova on my first attack of the encounter with the assassin class.

Not a bad build, but you miss your lv. 4 spells, I don't see how this is better than 20 ranger. Of course, you can do once 5 attacks. With shift quiver you can make EVERY turn 2 extra bow attacks.

[Snig]

Not a bad build, but you miss your lv. 4 spells, I don't see how this is better than 20 ranger. Of course, you can do once 5 attacks. With shift quiver you can make EVERY turn 2 extra bow attacks.

Swift Quiver is awesome. Only it comes online so late, and i'm not sure we'll even make it to 17. Still playing around abit to try to optimize, a ranged BM ranger.

[PoeticDwarf]

Swift Quiver is awesome. Only it comes online so late, and i'm not sure we'll even make it to 17. Still playing around abit to try to optimize, a ranged BM ranger.

Yeah, I know, but if you don't become lv. 20, you can't become lv. 4 lv. 4 lv. 12 too.