Mystic wildshape ranger?

[Cheech]

I've seen a few mentions of mystic wildshape ranger, combining the wildshape and mystic variants, but I'm not clear on if/how it would work.

Wildshape ranger trades away the combat style feats, and mystic ranger delays them. So would mystic wildshape ranger get delayed wildshape? Are the 2 compatible at all?

[EndocrineBandit]

Hmm. Good question. Though wild shape is replacing the combat style, it's not a combat style. I would say by RAW it does work together without a delay, but your dm might interpret it differently. I think mystic ranger also sacrifices animal companion.

Edited because of a mixup.

[Nifft]

Per the RAW, you're sacrificing a (very mildly) delayed feature.

You're still sacrificing that feature -- you're losing benefits that you would have accrued.

The original features accrued at levels 2, 6, and 11 -- the delayed Mystic Ranger features accrue at levels 3, 7, and 12.

If your plan was to PrC out into Master of Many Forms at level 6, you're losing the same number of features in both cases (one) and sacrificing advancement in a better feature (does not advance spellcasting).

Mystic Ranger does indeed sacrifice Animal Companion, so that's a thing too.

Overall I'd allow Mystic Wildshape Ranger. It doesn't seem abusive.

[Vizzerdrix]

Mystic wildshape ranger is a decent entry for daggerspell shaper. Probably the one of the best entries for it.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Use Frostblood Half-Orc from Dragon Magic, it basically gives you Sword of the Arcane Order as a bonus feat at 4th level. They get Endurance as a racial bonus feat at 1st level, with the added benefit of being able to take any feat you qualify for if you would gain Endurance as a bonus feat from another source. Mystic Ranger delays Endurance to 4th level, exactly the level you need to take Sword of the Arcane Order in Champions of Valor, which enables you to prepare Wizard spells in your Ranger spell slots and cast them as (divine) Ranger spells. You can also use the Half-Humans and Humanlike Races variant in Races of Destiny p150 to qualify for Magical Training, which gives you a spellbook which you're able to add more spells to just as a Wizard does (per Rules Compendium).

Be sure to get Natural Spell at 6th, so you can cast Wraithstrike and similar while in the form of a Fleshraker dinosaur. You can even cast Venomfire on yourself starting at 8th level.

While we're on the topic, a Wildshape Mystic Ranger is the strongest character you can make (mechanically) in an E6 game.

[Nifft]

While we're on the topic, a Wildshape Mystic Ranger is the strongest character you can make (mechanically) in an E6 game.

It looks like a T1 right up to level 10, after which it drops off sharply.

[Grod_The_Giant]

It looks like a T1 right up to level 10, after which it drops off sharply.
Whoever wrote that progression had no idea what they were doing, because it's severely bad. I strongly recommend shifting to a Duskblade-type progression instead.

(Actually, upgrading all 4th level casters to the Duskblade progression, with 5th level spells off whatever list seems most appropriate, would be a great way to turn them into strong gish options)

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant
Whoever wrote that progression had no idea what they were doing, because it's severely bad.

Which part is severely bad?

Not sure if you’re referring to the baseline mystic ranger or the mystic-wildshape mashup.

.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Which part is severely bad?

Not sure if you’re referring to the baseline mystic ranger or the mystic-wildshape mashup.

.
The baseline-- it goes at (roughly) full caster speed for the first half of the class, gets its 5th level spells right on time, then more-or-less stops. No progression beyond a few more spells/day. It's a wildly irregular power curve that leaves you ahead of the curve at low levels, but bottoming out at high.

[Palanan]

Originally Posted by Grod_The_Giant
The baseline-- it goes at (roughly) full caster speed for the first half of the class, gets its 5th level spells right on time, then more-or-less stops. No progression beyond a few more spells/day. It's a wildly irregular power curve that leaves you ahead of the curve at low levels, but bottoming out at high.

Okay, thanks—that does make sense.

Is this usually patched with PrCs, or multiclassing after tenth level?

[Grod_The_Giant]

Okay, thanks—that does make sense.

Is this usually patched with PrCs, or multiclassing after tenth level?
Either way. I'd stop worrying about the progression after hitting 10th level casting, and I might leave the class before that if I was offered a good PrC. Certainly something like Mystic Wildshape Ranger 10/Master of Many Forms 10 would be tremendously strong.

Then again, my RAW opinion is that the two don't stack, since Mystic Ranger already tinkered with Combat Styles. Doesn't seem like you can double-dip like that.

[Palanan]

Would a mystic wildshape ranger qualify for Natural Spell?

If so, that combined with SotAO sounds useful.

[Rijan_Sai]

Would a mystic wildshape ranger qualify for Natural Spell?

If so, that combined with SotAO sounds useful.


Natural Spell [General]

Prerequisites

Wis 13, wild shape ability.

So yep! No problem there!

[SirNibbles]

These variants simply swap one or more of that class’s features for one or more class features of another class. A class feature gained works just as it did for its original class, including the level at which it is gained and any other effects, except as noted below. - Unearthed Arcana, page 58

Would Mystic Ranger gain the abilities needed to trade for Wild Shape? Yes. Therefore you can exchange those abilities to get Wild Shape at the same level as the Druid would (along with Fast Movement as the Barbarian would).