Need ideas for Inquisitor and Companion

[Edgar Snow]

Thanks for stopping in,

The character is question is a base inquisitor, human, 20 point buy. The only other race options are half elf. I will be an Archer. No dinosaurs. I'm thinking 12 str, 17 dex, 12 con, 12 Int, 14 Wis, 7 cha. The campaign is expected to go from levels 5 to 9. No dinosaurs.

I plan to be a scout-type chararacter with an animal, using the Feather subdomain, get perception, knowledge, stealth, etc. No dinosaurs.

Feats, I'm planning, are 1 PBS, H precise shot, 3 rapid, 5 boon companion, 7 deadly aim, 9 manyshot. Teamwork: Lookout, Cord Shot, (the atk bonus after others charge feat). I might grab a trait for Acrobatics for tricky movement, and likely Fates Favored for bonuses on applicable spells. One for initiative is another good option.

I'm really stuck on what animal. I want a 'Bodyguard' archetype. As far as I can understand, with the 'Lookout' teamwork feat, I can always act in the surprise round that way. Does this work?

I don't know what kind of locations we will be in (inside/outside, open/narrow hallways, etc) but I assume a mix of everything. In case you missed it, no dinosaurs. I'm stuff between roc, wolf, or big cat but open to other animals:

Roc: fast flying, but needs space to be effective.
Wolf: decent bulk, Trip is good for team, but prone makes hits with ranged suffer.
Big Cat: more of a fast striker, though grab sounds good for a bodyguard. Bonus points for a griffon theme.
I guess feats will depend on animal, but Light Armor Prof seems like a great choice.
I've checked some guides, but was hoping for focused help.

TL;DR, Key basic stats/feats/traits for an Archer? Best non-dinosaur animal companion as a 'Bodyguard' type?

[Psyren]

So, are dinosaurs allowed? :smalltongue:

(Have you read the Inquisitor Handbook? (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9vv1a7v3y5Bd2lHMjVNRlhRWkE/view) It includes an "archer inquisitor" section as well.)

[Secret Wizard]

Honestly, consider taking the Sacred Huntmaster archetype. Feats are a very, very precious thing to an Inquisitor. Spending one on Boon Companion is hardly ideal.

Sacred Huntmaster trades Judgement only, so it's not a major loss. Plus, it gives you access to a full panoply of animal companions. I'm a fan of boars and small cats myself, as they only are Medium when fully grown, allowing for easy dungeoneering.

[Edgar Snow]

Thanks, but I have. That's where I got the animal companion idea from, which led to a winding road of animal companion guides and druid handbooks.

I wish peer reviewed journals would start using color coded text. That would make my job so much easier...

And I wish dinosaurs weren't so awesome.

[grarrrg]

As far as I can understand, with the 'Lookout' teamwork feat, I can always act in the surprise round that way. Does this work?

The wording is a bit confusing, but it does not let you always act in the Surprise round.

The first part is pretty straight forward. If you are adjacent to someone with the feat, and they can act in the Surprise round, then you are allowed to act in the surprise round as well.

The second part is dependent on the first. "If, by way of this feat, you are allowed to act in the Surprise round, then your Initiative is the lower of your roll, or your ally's roll-1."
It's basically the flavor way of your buddy saying "Heads up!". Since he warned you, you pretty much have to act AFTER he does.

The third part lets the feat do something if you both get to act in the Surprise round anyway.

[frost890]

If you are thinking os doing the parkor movement route, of the three animals I would go with a big cat. They are known more f1or their movement and climbing. A big bird will find it harder to move around under ground and a wolf may find it harder to follow if you have to do some tree/cliff climbing.

[Edgar Snow]

On the Lookout thing, Solo Tactics let's me treat my allies as though they had my teamwork feats (though only I get the effect).

Tenacious Guardian (Ex)
At 3rd level, a bodyguard can always act in a surprise round (though it remains flat-footed until it acts).
Does that not qualify to always act, if we are adjacent of course?

And Frost: good point, although I know that can be an issue for anything without a climb speed. What's an adventuring to do when they find a ladder, and can't fly or cast spider climb? Climb might be a decent, and logical, choice for a kitty skill.

Related, I found the warcat, which is like a bulkier big cat. I think I might see if that works with the DM, seems to fit my needs as a bodyguard with a decent form of control.

[Secret Wizard]

So no to Sacred Huntmaster?

[Edgar Snow]

I was looking at that earlier as an option. The permanent boost to companion is nice, and the limited aspect is a lot like judgement.

But removing solo Tactics means I won't be able to benefit from things like Coordinated Shot or Distracting Charge unless I throw the animal in the thick of things. Plus it won't benefit from anything ranged. Our group is going to be 5-6 players. I feel like it'd be an awesome option if I was going melee and/or in a smaller group as a super flanking duo.

Thanks for highlighting that archetype though.

[grarrrg]

On the Lookout thing, Solo Tactics let's me treat my allies as though they had my teamwork feats (though only I get the effect).

Does that not qualify to always act, if we are adjacent of course?

Yes, that would work.

Confusion was that in your original post you said "I want a 'Bodyguard' archetype", and not "with the Bodyguard (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/druid/animal-companions/animal-companion-archetypes/bodyguard-companion-archetype) archetype".

So I took the statement as a general 'I want it built like a bodyguard'. Kind of how people request "I want it to be like the Hulk".