First DND Game Character Help

[Ithuriel]

Hey guys,

This is my first ever DND session that I have been apart of, and I need some help specifically picking Feats for my character.

My DM is running Gestalt Characters and I chose a Ranger/Druid. Ranger for the full BAB and Druid for... everything else, I guess. I want to focus on Animal Companions and Summoning, but I understand Wild Shape is a HUGE part of the Druid. I have already asked about Greenbound Summoning and my DM has banned it. Im currently level 2, so its a very new Campaign. I havent picked my level 1 Feat yet.

I was thinking for my First and Second Feats:

Level 1: Ashbound Summoning
Level 3: Improved Animal Companion/ Natural Bond
Level 6: Natural Spell

But, that is as far as I have gotten. So, my question is, are these feats a good start for the directions I want to go? Should I change anything? What other Feats can i take for this Path? Whats good late game and Whats better: Improved Animal Companion or Natural Bond?

Thanks in Advance.

[Inevitability]

You're definitely going in the right direction.

If you're okay with being a monstrous-looking race, desert half-orc may be an interesting option. At level 1 your animal companion gets Toughness, and at level 5 you can take an ACF that gives all of your summoned creatures +4 strength and constitution (though I'm not sure whether it stacks with Augment Summoning). If you absolutely don't want to lose wildshape, you can be a wildshape ranger to get it back.

[Ithuriel]

You're definitely going in the right direction.

If you're okay with being a monstrous-looking race, desert half-orc may be an interesting option. At level 1 your animal companion gets Toughness, and at level 5 you can take an ACF that gives all of your summoned creatures +4 strength and constitution (though I'm not sure whether it stacks with Augment Summoning). If you absolutely don't want to lose wildshape, you can be a wildshape ranger to get it back.

I already picked a Wood Elf as my Character Race. It was a poor choice, I know, and I regret it. But, as my DM required a Backstory for our Characters so that he can make side quests specific to us, i cant change my race now.

Is it worth it to take Augment Summoning? Having to take Spell Focus first? Cause I feel like my options from there would be severely limited.

[Sagetim]

Well, the first step in picking out feats and so on in 3.5 is to carefully read the actual description of feats (rather than their little entries in things like the 3.5 feats index or the tables that various books have them listed in). It may sound a bit silly, but it can be rather important. Like noticing that Weapon Finesse hates on you for daring to want to use a shield along with your dexterity based stabbing implement.

In the case of Natural Bond, check to see if it A) applies to all of your classes, or if you have to pick a particular one. B) If it would even have any effect on your character. C) If your DM will allow it, because it might be banned or pointless.

On looking Natural Bond up, it would potentially apply to both of your classes, but because your character is a gestalt instead of a multiclassed character, I would suggest that you check with your GM to see how it would work out. In the best case reasonable scenario, your animal companions are tracked separately for each class, so you would have Druid animal companion(s) and Ranger animal companion(s) and their abilities would depend on the class they are associated with. In that case, Natural Bond is only going to apply to Ranger, because your Druid level for animal companion is always going to be capped out. For Ranger, it will have gradually diminishing returns, because the Ranger's Animal Companion ability is at half effectiveness (so level 4 ranger is equivalent to 2 druid, with natural bond they would have full effectiveness of 4 druid. But a level 10 ranger is going to start lagging because 10/2 = 5 +3 = 8.)

In the worst case scenario, the class abilities overlap and your ranger levels count for nothing with regards to animal companions, in which case natural bond does nothing for you at all.

In the most ridiculous scenario, you'll get both instances of animal companion and they will be keyed off your actual druid level and Natural Bond will be useless, but in a good way. But I wouldn't expect that interpretation.

Given all of that, Improved Animal Companion. Where is Improved Animal Companion even from? As far as I can tell, it's homebrew from the dndwiki and does basically the same thing as Natural Bond, but with none of the limits regarding character level or how many times you can take it. If your DM is fine with it, then it seems strictly superior to Natural Bond. But it doesn't seem to be a feat that actually exists in 3.5.

So yeah, Natural Bond may be of limited or no effectiveness. Improved Animal Companion may be banned outright for not being first party material. You may want to play the long game an pick up spell focus (conjuring) at level 3 so you can take Augment Summon at level 9 (since 6 is natural spell, and there's no reason to delay taking that as far as I can tell).

Edit: Admittedly, Spell Focus (Conjuring) is neigh on useless to a druid, because of the lack of conjuring spells that require dc's on your spell list. That's why it's a Feat Tax instead of something useful. It's in the way of getting something useful (Augment Summoning).

[The_Jette]

Is your DM going to allow taking Flaws to get extra feats? If so, you can pick up one Flaw (of your choice) in order to get Augment Summoning at 1st level, and work from there. Summoning is one of the most powerful abilities in the game, especially once you can start summoning Elementals. It allows you to flood the battlefield with allies so that you get far more actions than normal per turn. If you're fighting one strong enemy, swarm him. If you're fighting multiple enemies, now they each have an enemy in their face, which reduces the strength of their ranged game. Either way, summoning is a very strong way to play. But, it takes a lot of micromanaging. If you're going to go that road, make sure you know what your summoned pets are going to be able to do.

[flappeercraft]

I would reccomend going the Greenbound Summoning or Rashemi Elemental summoning route if you are going to be a summoner. They help a lot with summoning elementals and animals although Greenbound migtht be more useful as a druid

[The_Jette]

My DM is running Gestalt Characters and I chose a Ranger/Druid. Ranger for the full BAB and Druid for... everything else, I guess. I want to focus on Animal Companions and Summoning, but I understand Wild Shape is a HUGE part of the Druid. I have already asked about Greenbound Summoning and my DM has banned it. Im currently level 2, so its a very new Campaign. I havent picked my level 1 Feat yet.



I would reccomend going the Greenbound Summoning or Rashemi Elemental summoning route if you are going to be a summoner. They help a lot with summoning elementals and animals although Greenbound migtht be more useful as a druid

Emphasis mine.

[flappeercraft]

Crap, didn't see that. My suggestion on Rashemi Elemental summoning still stands though.

[Ithuriel]

So taking Natural Bond won't allow me to take a 4th level Animal Companion at 4th level instead of the minus 3 penalty?

The Flaws route is an interesting one. I can take the Love of Nature Flaws and have Augment Summoning at level 1. Take Ashbound at Level 3. Natural Spell at level 6. Assuming that's the route I take, what's my route at level 9, 12, 15 and 18?

[Gildedragon]

May I suggest Planar Ranger: get two different wild empathies: magical beasts/planar templates critters and animals

[Ithuriel]

May I suggest Planar Ranger: get two different wild empathies: magical beasts/planar templates critters and animals

I can't change my Race or Classes. Like I said, I wrote a backstory and it's to late to change that.

[zyggythorn]

Gotta ask, because everyone is focusing on the druid half, what combat style did you choose for Ranger?

If you still have options, I'm certain there's an unarmed variant somewhere, and IUS is great for martial Wildshape builds.

Beyond that, could we get a TL;DR version of your backstory? Might make some suggestions a bit more accurate (alignment would also be appreciated)

[Ithuriel]

Gotta ask, because everyone is focusing on the druid half, what combat style did you choose for Ranger?

If you still have options, I'm certain there's an unarmed variant somewhere, and IUS is great for martial Wildshape builds.

Beyond that, could we get a TL;DR version of your backstory? Might make some suggestions a bit more accurate (alignment would also be appreciated)

Okay so, the DM wanted to do ancestral weapons that grow as we do, so I chose a bow. He's gave me an Elven Double Bow and so I chose the Archery combat style.

TL;DR I'm a Druid that was abandoned by his family for an unknown reason and was raised by a human Ranger. Eventually I was put under the wing of a elder druid elf. And he taught me everything I needed to know. One day, he disappears. Appearing to be kidnapped. Leaves me a message through a spell placed on my bow. Tells me to go to this island where unnatural things are happening (enter start of campaign).

Alignment is Neutral.

[ATHATH]

So taking Natural Bond won't allow me to take a 4th level Animal Companion at 4th level instead of the minus 3 penalty?
Actually, it can.

Can we get eggynack in here? I think that he can explain this better than I could.

[ATHATH]

Insert the obligatory "be a Mystic Ranger and take the Sword of the Arcane Order feat" and "pick up a fleshraker as your animal companion" suggestions here.

If you DON'T go Mystic Ranger, take the 1st level substitution level that gives you Favored Enemy (Arcanists) instead of your normal FE for that level. Alas, the Mystic Ranger variant shifts the "normal" Ranger's 1st level FE over to second level (IIRC), so they can't take that substitution level. Note that you don't have to hate arcanists to have them as a FE; you could just respect and acknowledge their power and/or be interested in (learning) how arcane magic works.

Hm... Thought here: What if you made your bow a mouthpick and resizing weapon and either wield while in a Wild Shape form that has a high DEX score or gave it to your Animal Companion? I think that there's a mask somewhere that gives you a bite attack, so if you combine it with a wilding clasp, you should be able to use your mouthpick weapon in any form.

The Aberrant Wild Shape feat combos really well with the Enhance Wild Shape spell. Go check out eggynack's Druid handbook (if you haven't already); he has a whole section on it.

[Gildedragon]

Actually, it can.

Can we get eggynack in here? I think that he can explain this better than I could.

Eggynack Eggynack Eggynack
... No? Maybe it needs to be chanted a dozen times?

To OP:
So no ACFs then? Kk
Bow: Elvencraft? It's a cheap mundane add-on that makes it v handy.