Best Hunter spells

[quark12000]

I'm going to multiclass from Cavalier to Hunter for 4 levels to get some spells and beef up my mount a bit. What spells would be best in this situation? I think for the two second levels I'll take Barkskin and Carry Companion, but I'm a little lost on the orisons and first level, other than Guidance, of course. Thanks.

[Geddy2112]

I may go as far to suggest that you dip cav at best, and just go outright hunter.

Barkskin is not the best choice for a dipped class-the natural armor bonus won't be increasing over time, meaning you still need an amulet, and its not that impressive for a defensive buff for the mount. Mounted combat and killing things are the best way to protect your mount. I will agree carry companion is bonkers good, and the utility only increases as your mount becomes larger/more exotic. Even for a joe blow horse, suspended animation in your pocket is no joke.

For your orisons: create water has a lot of potential and removes the logistics of watering your horse and self. 8 gallons in 6 seconds adds up fast, and can fill pits and improvised motes to guard campsites, ruin houses, flesh out invisible creatures, put out fires, etc etc. Light is insanely useful, even if you have LLV/darkvision. Get a crossbow/bow/sling and cast light on the projectile of choice, and shoot it into darkness/at things. Great for detecting traps, illusions, magical darkness, creatures, signaling allies, etc. Plus good duration and a flashlight if you don't have darkvision. Detect magic is beyond good and should be one of your orisons no question. Detect poison is sometimes useful, and read magic is good if you don't plan on putting ranks into spellcraft.

For first level, I strongly suggest faerie fire. It is one of the lowest level ways to negate invisibility and concealment, and makes stealth near impossible. Read weather and endure elements are good if those things matter at your table, otherwise pass. Lead blades is okay, but it is kind of a trap as you need it up before combat, and it leaves a lot to be desired as an opening round spell. Cure light wounds is better as a wand, which you should get as soon as you dip. Feather step is a good buff for your mount, allowing it to charge through difficult terrain easily.

[Kurald Galain]

Cheetah's Sprint hilariously gives you +100 or so to jump checks.

I find Guidance problematic because many players treat it as "get +1 to all skill checks ever" whereas many GMs point out that it requires a standard action that everybody can see and hear (which makes using it impractical in most cases).

[Drelua]

Cheetah's Sprint hilariously gives you +100 or so to jump checks.

So, is it just me, or is that a really badly written spell? I wouldn't even know how to calculate the exact bonus on jumps. You move 10x your speed when charging or running, but if you're charging you'd normally be moving double, so is your speed multiplied by 5? And 2.5 if you're running, or just 2 if you took the Run feat for some reason? If I was GMing, that spell would be getting re-written before anyone was allowed to use it. Not nerfed or anything, just clarified. If it wasn't for that last sentence, I wouldn't think it was increasing your speed at all, just allowing you to move farther. Except it's an enhancement bonus, in the form of a multiplier? That's a new one


If you take a charge or run action before the end of your turn, you can move a total distance of up to 10 times your base land speed. This adjustment is an enhancement bonus. There is no effect on other modes of movement, such as burrow, climb, fly, or swim. As with other effects that increase your speed, this spell affects your jumping distance.

[Firebug]

For your orisons: create water has a lot of potential and removes the logistics of watering your horse and self. 8 gallons in 6 seconds adds up fast, and can fill pits and improvised motes to guard campsites, ruin houses, flesh out invisible creatures, put out fires, etc etc.Just wanted to throw a little math to make things a little more clear.
5' x 5' x 5' cube is 125 cubic feet in volume
There are 7.48 gallons of water per cubic foot
10 rounds a minute = 11 minutes 42 seconds (or 117 rounds) to fill a single 5' cube.

Pit Trap (CR1) is 20' deep, and 10' square. So it would take 1872 rounds to completely fill this CR 1 pit. Or just over 3 hours.

Create Water is a lot of water... but not nearly as much as you would imagine.

[CockroachTeaParty]

Here's some copy-pasta from a partially-finished Hunter guide that I abandoned but is still sitting around on a thumb-drive in my backpack.

It's probably a bit out of date, but that's the consolidated list of both ranger and druid spells, which the Hunter can draw from. At the bottom is some recommendations I had.


0-Level Hunter Spells (Orisons)

Create Water
Detect Magic
Detect Poison
Flare
Guidance
Know Direction
Light
Mending
Purify Food and Drink
Read Magic
Resistance
Spark
Stabilize
Virtue

1st-Level Hunter Spells

Abstemiousness
Abundant Ammunition
Acid Maw
Air Bubble
Alarm
Alter Winds
Animal Messenger
Animal Purpose Training
Ant Haul
Anticipate Peril
Aspect of the Falcon
Aspect of the Nightingale
Blend
Bowstaff
Bristle
Burning Disarm
Call Animal
Call Weapon
Calm Animals
Carrion Compass
Charm Animal
Cloak of Shade
Commune with Birds
Compel Hostility
Cure Light Wounds
Damp Powder
Dancing Lantern
Deadeye's Arrow
Deadeye's Lore
Decompose Corpse
Defoliate
Delay Poison
Detect Aberration
Detect Animals or Plants
Detect Snares and Pits
Detect the Faithful
Diagnose Disease
Dream Feast
Endothermic Touch
Endure Elements
Entangle
Expeditious Excavation
Faerie Fire
Feather Step
Firebelly
Flare Burst
Flotsam Vessel
Frostbite
Gentle Breeze
Glide
Goodberry
Gravity Bow
Hairline Fractures
Heightened Awareness
Hide from Animals
Horn of Pursuit
Hunter's Howl
Hydraulic Push
Ice Armor
Invisibility Alarm
Ironbeard
Jump
Keen Senses
Keep Watch
Know the Enemy
Lead Blades
Liberating Command
Linebreaker
Longstrider
Magic Fang
Magic Stone
Marid's Mastery
Mighty Fist of the Earth
Monkey Fish
Mudball
Nauseating Dart
Negate Aroma
Nereid's Grace
Obscuring Mist
Pass without Trace
Produce Flame
Ray of Sickening
Read Weather
Recharge Innate Magic
Refine Improvised Weapon
Remove Sickness
Residual Tracking
Resist Energy***
Restore Corpse
Returning Weapon
Savage Maw***
Shillelagh
Snow Shape
Speak with Animals
Spirit Call
Stone Fist
Summon Minor Ally
Summon Nature's Ally I
Sun Metal
Thorn Javelin
Thunderstomp
Tireless Pursuit
Touch of Bloodletting
Touch of the Sea
Tracking Mark
Unbreakable Heart
Wartrain Mount***
Wave Shield
Weaken Powder
Whispering Lore

2nd-Level Hunter Spells

Aboleth's Lung
Accelerate Poison
Acute Senses
Aggressive Thundercloud
Air Step
Allfood
Amplify Stench
Animal Aspect
Animal Trance
Ant Haul, Communal
Ape Walk
Arrow Eruption
Aspect of the Bear
Badger's Ferocity***
Barkskin
Bear's Endurance
Beastspeak
Binding Earth
Bloodhound*
Brow Gasher
Bullet Ward
Bull's Strength
Burning Gaze
Burst of Radiance
Campfire Wall
Carry Companion
Cat's Grace
Certain Grip
Chameleon Stride
Chill Metal
Climbing Beanstalk
Companion Life Link
Control Vermin
Create Treasure Map***
Delay Disease
Determine Depth
Divine Trident
Eagle Eye
Effortless Armor
Elemental Speech
Endure Elements, Communal
Enemy Insight
Escaping Ward
Euphoric Cloud
Feast of Ashes
Fire Trap
Fire Sneeze
Flame Blade
Flaming Sphere
Fog Cloud
Forest Friend
Frigid Touch
Frost Fall
Fury of the Sun
Greensight
Groundswell
Guiding Star
Gust of Wind
Gusting Sphere
Heat Metal
Hold Animal
Ice Slick
Ironskin
Lockjaw
Magic Boulder
Masterwork Transformation
Mud Buddy
Natural Rhythm
Owl's Wisdom
Perceive Cues
Pernicious Poison
Pox Pustules
Protection from Energy***
Protective Spirit
Recentering Drone
Reduce Animal
Reloading Hands
Restoration, Lesser
Returning Weapon, Communal
Ricochet Shot
Riversight
Scale Spikes
Scent Trail
Share Language
Shield Companion
Sickening Entanglement
Slipstream
Snare***
Soften Earth and Stone
Soothing Word
Speak with Plants***
Spider Climb
Spike Growth
Stone Call
Stone Discus
Summon Nature's Ally II
Summon Swarm
Tar Ball
Tree Shape
Unshakable Chill
Versatile Weapon
Warp Wood
Web Shelter
Whip of Spiders
Wilderness Soldiers
Wind Wall***
Wood Shape

3rd-Level Hunter Spells

Accept Affliction
Aggravate Affliction
Air Breathing
Air Geyser
Anchored Step
Animal Aspect, Greater
Anthropomorphic Animal
Aqueous Orb
Ash Storm
Aspect of the Stag
Battle Trance
Blade Snare
Blast Barrier
Blessing of the Mole
Blood Scent
Bloody Claws
Burrow
Burst of Nettles
Burst of Speed
Call Lightning
Chameleon Stride, Greater
Channel the Gift
Cloak of Winds
Command Plants
Companion Mind Link
Contagion
Create Holds
Cup of Dust
Cure Moderate Wounds
Darkvision
Daylight
Delay Poison, Communal
Diminish Plants
Dominate Animal
Enshroud Thoughts
Feather Step, Mass
Fickle Winds
Fins to Feet
Fungal Infestation
Heatstroke
Hide Campsite
Hurricane Blast
Hydraulic Torrent
Hydrophobia
Ice Spears
Improve Trap
Instant Enemy
Life Bubble
Life Shield
Lily Pad Stride
Longstrider, Greater
Mad Monkeys
Magic Fang, Greater
Meld into Stone
Named Bullet
Nature's Exile
Neutralize Poison
Nixie's Lure
Plant Growth
Poison
Protection from Energy, Communal
Pup Shape
Quench
Raging Rubble
Rain of Frogs
Remove Disease
Repel Vermin
Resinous Skin
Resist Energy, Communal
Scale Spikes, Greater
Share Language, Communal
Sheet Lightning
Shifting Sand
Sky Swim
Sleet Storm
Spider Climb, Communal
Spit Venom
Stench of Prey
Stone Shape
Strong Jaw
Summon Nature's Ally III
Summon Totem Creature
Swarm of Fangs
Thorny Entanglement
Thunderstomp, Greater
Tireless Pursuers
Transfer Regeneration
Vengeful Comets
Venomous Bolt
Vermin Shape I
Vex Giant
Ward of the Season
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Waters of Maddening

4th-Level Hunter Spells

Absorb Toxicity
Absorbing Inhalation
Age Resistance, Lesser
Aggressive Thundercloud, Greater
Air Walk
Animal Growth
Antiplant Shell
Arboreal Hammer
Aspect of the Wolf
Atavism
Ball Lightning
Blessing of the Salamander
Blight
Bloodsworn Retribution
Bow Spirit
Cape of Wasps
Caustic Blood
Cloud Shape
Commune with Nature
Control Vermin
Control Water
Creeping Ice
Cure Serious Wounds
Darkvision, Communal
Darkvision, Greater
Dispel Magic
Earth Glide
Echolocation
Explosion of Rot
Find Quarry
Flame Strike
Flaming Sphere, Greater
Freedom of Movement
Geyser
Giant Vermin
Grove of Respite
Healing Warmth
Heavy Water
Ice Storm
Kiss of the First World
Moonstruck
Named Bullet, Greater
Nondetection
Obsidian Flow
Raise Animal Companion
Reincarnate
Ride the Waves
River of Wind
Rusting Grasp
Scrying
Shield of the Dawnflower
Slowing Mud
Spike Stones
Summon Nature's Ally IV
Thorn Body
Touch of Slime
Tree Stride
True Form
Vermin Shape II
Volcanic Storm
Water Walk, Communal
Zone of Foul Flames

5th-Level Hunter Spells

Air Walk, Communal
Atonement
Awaken
Baleful Polymorph
Call Lightning Storm
Contagion, Greater
Control Winds
Cure Critical Wounds
Death Ward
Dispel Balance
Fire Snake
Geniekind
Half-blood Extraction
Hallow
Hungry Earth
Insect Plague
Old Salt's Curse
Reprobation
Rest Eternal
Snake Staff
Stoneskin
Summon Nature's Ally V
Threefold Aspect
Transmute Mud to Rock
Transmute Rock to Mud
Unhallow
Wall of Fire
Wall of Light
Wall of Thorns
Whip of Centipedes

6th-Level Hunter Spells

Age Resistance
Antilife Shell
Bear's Endurance, Mass
Binding Earth, Mass
Blazing Rainbow
Bull's Strength, Mass
Cat's Grace, Mass
Cure Light Wounds, Mass
Dispel Magic, Greater
Dust Form
Eagle Aerie
Epidemic
Find the Path
Fire Seeds
Ironwood
Liveoak
Move Earth
Owl's Wisdom, Mass
Path of the Winds
Plague Storm
Repel Wood
Share Skin
Sirocco
Spellstaff
Stoneskin, Communal
Stone Tell
Summon Nature's Ally VI
Summon Stampede
Swarm Skin
Tar Pool
Transport via Plants
Wall of Stone
Whip of Ants


Sample Spell Selection


1st
Summon Nature's Ally I
Abundant Ammunition / Bristle
Call Animal / Delay Poison
Charm Animal / Entangle
Gravity Bow / Lead Blades
Resist Energy
Speak with Animals

You've got some pretty decent 1st level spells to choose from; the above list is a general selection for a variety of situations. Of key importance is Speak with Animals, which will help you coordinate tactics with your animal companion, as well as any other critters you summon, train, etc. Resist Energy is an early-access spell you can get at level 1, which is a solid defensive spell. If you don't plan on taking advantage of animal husbandry, you can skip spells like Call Animal and Charm Animal, which are just there to make your life easier.

2nd
Summon Nature's Ally II
Barkskin / Ironskin
Bloodhound
Carry Companion / Reduce Animal
Companion Life Link
Lesser Restoration
Protection from Energy / [Open]

Protection from Energy is an early-access spell, and there are are a few others on your 2nd level list you get just a bit earlier than a druid or ranger. Bloodhound is an excellent gem from the ranger spell list, but you can skip it if you just want to rely on your animal companion's nose. Carry Companion and Reduce Animal can both be used to get a potential large animal companion into/through tighter quarters. Companion Life Link will eventually become obsolete as your empathic link improves and you get access to better magic, but it's nice for those risky low-level scouting runs.

3rd
Summon Nature's Ally III
Anthropomorphic Animal
Dominate Animal / Sleet Storm
Fickle Winds / Bloody Claws
Greater Magic Fang / Strong Jaw
Life Bubble / [Open]
Resinous Skin* / Ward of the Season / [Open]

Anthropomorphic Animal is a versatile spell that combines amazingly with many of your spells and abilities. The simple addition of hands and thumbs can increase your animal companion's usefulness tenfold. You can safely skip Dominate Animal if the campaign avoids natural environments; that said, a cruel Hunter could use the spell to dominate their companion and force it to do things it would otherwise not be inclined to.


4th
Summon Nature's Ally IV
Air Walk
Atavism* / Animal Growth
Bow Spirit / Caustic Blood / Thorn Body
Echolocation
Freedom of Movement
Rusting Grasp / Flamestrike / [Open]

Atavism and Animal Growth are both amazing offensive buffs for your companion. While you could take both, you might be better served picking one based off the nature of your game. If you're regularly fighting in tight quarters, stick with Atavism. If you've got the space, Animal Growth will probably serve you better.


5th
Summon Nature's Ally V
Call Lightning Storm / Control Winds
Death Ward
Cure Critical Wounds
Stoneskin
Hungry Earth

There's not a lot of must-have spells at this level, so you can pick what tickles your fancy. From the list above, I'd say Stoneskin is the strongest. Death Ward is always useful, and you can do some scary things with Control Winds. Hungry Earth is fun since it doesn't care about your Wisdom score, but at these levels access to Freedom of Movement and flying enemies will hamper its usefulness.


6th
Summon Nature's Ally VI
Greater Dispel Magic
Transport via Plants / Eagle Aerie
Find the Path
Share Skin
Wall of Stone / Tar Pool

You've got some decent spells to pick from your ultimate list. Transport via Plants or Eagle Aerie are great transportation spells. Greater Dispel is always useful, especially as a spontaneous caster. As a more limited, slightly safer Magic Jar, Share Skin is great for an animal minionmancer. You probably shouldn't possess your animal companion, though; you're best off fighting as a team, after all.

[quark12000]

I may go as far to suggest that you dip cav at best, and just go outright hunter.

Barkskin is not the best choice for a dipped class-the natural armor bonus won't be increasing over time, meaning you still need an amulet, and its not that impressive for a defensive buff for the mount. Mounted combat and killing things are the best way to protect your mount. I will agree carry companion is bonkers good, and the utility only increases as your mount becomes larger/more exotic. Even for a joe blow horse, suspended animation in your pocket is no joke.

For your orisons: create water has a lot of potential and removes the logistics of watering your horse and self. 8 gallons in 6 seconds adds up fast, and can fill pits and improvised motes to guard campsites, ruin houses, flesh out invisible creatures, put out fires, etc etc. Light is insanely useful, even if you have LLV/darkvision. Get a crossbow/bow/sling and cast light on the projectile of choice, and shoot it into darkness/at things. Great for detecting traps, illusions, magical darkness, creatures, signaling allies, etc. Plus good duration and a flashlight if you don't have darkvision. Detect magic is beyond good and should be one of your orisons no question. Detect poison is sometimes useful, and read magic is good if you don't plan on putting ranks into spellcraft.

For first level, I strongly suggest faerie fire. It is one of the lowest level ways to negate invisibility and concealment, and makes stealth near impossible. Read weather and endure elements are good if those things matter at your table, otherwise pass. Lead blades is okay, but it is kind of a trap as you need it up before combat, and it leaves a lot to be desired as an opening round spell. Cure light wounds is better as a wand, which you should get as soon as you dip. Feather step is a good buff for your mount, allowing it to charge through difficult terrain easily.

Thanks! Sorry I wasn't clear. He's already a 5th level cavalier. I just want to get some fun stuff for the horse in combat and a few buffs for myself.

[quark12000]

Cheetah's Sprint hilariously gives you +100 or so to jump checks.

I find Guidance problematic because many players treat it as "get +1 to all skill checks ever" whereas many GMs point out that it requires a standard action that everybody can see and hear (which makes using it impractical in most cases).

Why does that make it impractical? +1 to every attack seems pretty sweet to me.

[Geddy2112]

Why does that make it impractical? +1 to every attack seems pretty sweet to me.

Because casting guidance is a standard action, that has verbal and somatic components, it is not practical to cast all that often. You don't want to use it right before a stealth check, and if you use it in combat it wastes your turn which would be better spent attacking or casting a more useful spell. It certainly has uses, mainly in situations where you can take 10 on a skill check, or are otherwise not pressed to react to a situation. Using spellcraft to decipher a scroll, knowledge checks to identify things out of combat, acrobatics to jump across a pit, etc. However, it is not really a +1 to everything all the time, just a +1 to a lot of things some of the time.

[Kurald Galain]

Why does that make it impractical? +1 to every attack seems pretty sweet to me.

Turn 1: cast guidance
Turn 2: attack with +1 bonus
Turn 3: cast guidance
Turn 4: attack with +1 bonus

...you see a problem with that? :smallbiggrin:

[quark12000]

Turn 1: cast guidance
Turn 2: attack with +1 bonus
Turn 3: cast guidance
Turn 4: attack with +1 bonus

...you see a problem with that? :smallbiggrin:

Oh, you're right. For some reason I thought it was a free action spell. Still, it has lots of uses outside of combat.