Raptoran Swift Hunter

[torrasque666]

I'm looking for advice on my potential swift hunter build. We're starting at level 1 (I know. I don't like it either) with access to most 3.5 books except for Forgotten Realms.

Link to sheet: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=551786

The stats were rolled with what my DM referred to as "old school rules" so 3d6, no rerolling 1s.

Planning on going Ranger 1/Scout 4/Ranger +7/Scout X because I want a Dire Hawk for my companion, though I suppose I could just take Wild Cohort instead...not really a fan of online content though.

Advice for feats to take along the way? Any classes that advance both Skirmish and Animal Companion, or just Skirmish for me to take afterward?



My DM has OK'd me advancing the strength rating on the Footbow through using Craft rules. I'll most likely have to make a new Footbow later though to make it masterwork, and I may just buy new armor later.

[nedz]

Have a couple (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=8722) of handbooks (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=103), these should be good for a start.

[Darrin]

Planning on going Ranger 1/Scout 4/Ranger +7/Scout X because I want a Dire Hawk for my companion, though I suppose I could just take Wild Cohort instead...not really a fan of online content though.

Advice for feats to take along the way? Any classes that advance both Skirmish and Animal Companion, or just Skirmish for me to take afterward?


If possible, start with Scout rather than Ranger. Same HPs, but Scout gets 32 skill points instead of 24.

The most important decision to make is what method do you want to use to move + full attack? There are two schools of thought: Greater Manyshot (from XPH/SRD) can be used more often, but doesn't have the same rate of fire, and the attack penalties are higher. Improved Rapid Shot (Complete Warrior) gets more attacks at lower attack penalties, but has limited uses per day as you need Travel Devotion to get it to work. Without a Human bonus feat or Fighter dip, looks like Greater Manyshot is your best shot.

As far as feats go, I would suggest:

1) Scout 1. Feat: Point Blank Shot. Skirmish 1d6.
2) Ranger 1.
3) Ranger 2. Feat: Rapid Shot.
4) Scout 2. [Dex +1]
5) Scout 3. Skirmish 1d6AC+1.
6) Ranger 3. Feat: Swift Hunter. Bonus: Precise Shot. Skirmish 2d6AC+1.
7) Ranger 4. Skirmish 2d6AC+2.
8) Ranger 5. Favored Enemy: Undead. [Dex +1]
9) Ranger 6. Bonus: Manyshot. Feat: Greater Manyshot. Skirmish 3d6AC+2.
10) Scout 4. Bonus: Improved Skirmish. Skirmish 3d6AC+2/5d6AC+4.
11) Ranger 7*. Skirmish 3d6AC+3/5d6AC+5.
12) Ranger 8. Feat: Plunging Shot/Wild Cohort (Races of the Wild).
13) Ranger 9. Skirmish 4d6AC+3/6d6AC+5.
14) Ranger 10. Favored Enemy: Constructs.
15) Ranger 11. Feat: Dead Eye (Dragon Compendium). Bonus: Improved Precise Shot. Skirmish 4d6AC+4/6d6AC+6.
16) Ranger 12.
17) Ranger 13. Skirmish 5d6AC+4/7d6AC+6.
18) Ranger 14. Feat: WF Footbow.
19) Ranger 15. Favored Enemy: Elementals. Skirmish 5d6AC+5/7d6AC+7.
20) Ranger 16.

* = The first 9 levels (Scout 3/Ranger 6) aren't all that flexible, because if you do anything differently then you have to wait for Greater Manyshot until level 12. After Greater Manyshot, you can take whatever you like, such as Scout 4 to grab Improved Skirmish.

Two levels of Highland Stalker (Complete Adventurer) gives you +1d6 skirmish damage a little faster. You qualify pretty much just by being a Ranger.

One or two levels of Fighter can free up some feats, allowing you to get Travel Devotion up and working earlier, but you may run into multiclass penalties. Dragonborn of Bahumat can fix that, but... well, you already have wings.

Raptoran is practically begging for a Cloistered Cleric dip (favored class), and would fit in well at ECL 10 or 11. If you worship the Asgardian pantheon (Deities & Demigods), you can get the War Domain (Weapon Focus: Longbow), Travel Devotion (Complete Champion), and Knowledge Devotion (Complete Champion). The low Cha horks up your Turn Undead, but you at least get 1st level spells and TU 1/day. You lose 1-2 points of damage without the footbow, but Knowledge Devotion makes up for it and you free up some feat slots to take Plunging Shot or Extra Turning.

1) Scout 1. Feat: Point Blank Shot. Skirmish 1d6.
2) Ranger 1.
3) Ranger 2. Feat: Rapid Shot.
4) Scout 2. [Dex +1]
5) Scout 3. Skirmish 1d6AC+1.
6) Ranger 3. Feat: Swift Hunter. Bonus: Precise Shot. Skirmish 2d6AC+1.
7) Ranger 4. Skirmish 2d6AC+2.
8) Ranger 5. Favored Enemy: Undead. [Dex +1]
9) Ranger 6. Bonus: Manyshot. Feat: Improved Rapid Shot. Skirmish 3d6AC+2.
10) Cloistered Cleric 1. WF Longbow, Travel Devotion, Knowledge Devotion.
11) Scout 4. Bonus: Improved Skirmish. Skirmish 3d6AC+2/5d6AC+4.
12) Ranger 7. Feat: Extra Turning/Wild Cohort. Skirmish 3d6AC+3/5d6AC+5.
13) Ranger 8.
14) Ranger 9. Skirmish 4d6AC+3/6d6AC+5
15) Ranger 10. Favored Enemy: Constructs. Feat: Plunging Shot.
16) Ranger 11. Bonus: Improved Precise Shot. Skirmish 4d6AC+4/6d6AC+6.
17) Ranger 12.
18) Ranger 13. Feat: Woodland Archer/Dead Eye. Skirmish 5d6AC+4/7d6AC+6.
19) Ranger 14**.
20) Ranger 15**. Favored Enemy: Elementals. Skirmish 5d6AC+5/7d6AC+7.

** = Replace with Highland Stalker 2 for Skirmish 6d6AC+5/8d6AC+7. If you want more, you can get Skirmish up to 10d6 with Dragon Devotee 4/Unseen Seer 4 (which also solves the multiclass XP penalty issue). Adding Dragontouched/Dragonfire Strike can squeeze out another +1d6 skirmish damage.

Re: Animal Companion/Wild Cohort... Ranger can't get a Dire Hawk until Ranger 8, or about ECL 12. Ordinary hawk or eagle makes a decent spotter/guard bird/scout until then, but I think I prefer taking the Distracting Attack ACF (PHBII). The Wild Cohort at "character level = druid level - 3" is stronger in the long run.

Other ACFs: I like taking the Spiritual Connection ACF (Complete Champion) instead of Wild Empathy, and the Skilled City-Dweller ACF (Cityscape Web Enhancement (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a)) for Ride -> Tumble.