Ranger Dip or Skilled Feat?

[xroads]

I would like to pick up animal handling as a skill for my 3rd level druid. Which of these seems like the best option to you?


Dip in Ranger at 4th.
My character has a 13+ Dex & Wis, so I can dip into ranger to pick up animal handling. A bard dip isn’t an option since my Cha is 10.
Pro: I get access to martial weapons, advantage on favored terrain survival checks, a favored enemy.
Con: I’m behind in a spell level going forward.


Pick up Skilled Feat as my 4rth ASI.
Pro: I can pick up two other skills.
Con: I now have to wait til 8th to get a more useful feat (combat casting, observant, etc.)

Or can you think of another RAW way for me to pick up animal handling?

[MadBear]

I'd think that a 1 level rogue dip might be better. It gives you your skill, and expertise, and a small damage bump with sneak attack.

[xroads]

I'd think that a 1 level rogue dip might be better. It gives you your skill, and expertise, and a small damage bump with sneak attack.

I considered rogue. But when multi-classing to rogue, I'm limited to choosing from their class skills. Animal handling isn't on that list.

[DrKerosene]

I played a Cleric that dipped a level of Rogue at Character Level 2, and I (personally) didn’t mind being one level behind spellcasting wise.

So the Ranger dip is probably fine. Depending on the spells you use, being able to boost wisdom at level 5 with your Druid 4 ASI might be worth-while too.


Depending on what kind of Druid you are playing, and what spells/abilities you might be looking forward to, the Skilled Feat might be better (or at least simpler).


Is there a reason you can’t use the spell Animal Friendship and/or (ritual cast) Speak With Animals to replace the Animal Handling proficiency?

[iTreeby]

Dip cleric for knowledge domain and ask the DM if you can swap a skill , you won't lose slots, you get more spells, expertise. If they won't let you, take nature domain instead.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

For a Ranger dip, a second Ranger level advances your spell slots (but not Druid spells prepared, including level), gets you access to 1st level Ranger spells which frees you up to prepare more higher level Druid spells, and gets you a combat style (i.e. +1 AC).

PHB p187, the last thing on the page is training during downtime to learn a new language or tool proficiency, or any additional training options your DM allows. See if you can get the skill you want that way, or if you have another skill proficiency that you've never even used, just ask your DM if you can swap that out and pretend you've always had the new one.

For a Rogue dip, you can pick a Rogue skill you already have and then swap the redundant skill proficiency for any skill you want (PHB p125, Proficiencies, last paragraph).

[xroads]

Is there a reason you can’t use the spell Animal Friendship and/or (ritual cast) Speak With Animals to replace the Animal Handling proficiency?

I can. And in fact I'm playing a Shepard Druid, so I can talk to animals (and fey).

I want animal handling more role-play reasons than anything else. My character has had cause to use the skill several times already, so it's a natural direction for my character to grow. For example;


trying to coax mules across a raging river,
trying to teach a juvenile griffon not too eat the local livestock,
and taking care of a nest of baby wveryns/dragons (still not sure which).

It's worth noting that the latter couple aren't animals technically, so my ability to talk to animals did not help. But I could still use the animal handling skill.

[xroads]

Dip cleric for knowledge domain and ask the DM if you can swap a skill , you won't lose slots, you get more spells, expertise. If they won't let you, take nature domain instead.

Unfortunately, due to setting reasons, cleric isn't available as an option. Neither is paladin, wizard, and warlock.

[nickl_2000]

Are you playing stock Ranger or Revised Ranger?

[xroads]

For a Rogue dip, you can pick a Rogue skill you already have and then swap the redundant skill proficiency for any skill you want (PHB p125, Proficiencies, last paragraph).

This has some interesting possibilities. I'll have to take a better look at the rogue class skills and see if I can find an overlap to what I already have.


Are you playing stock Ranger or Revised Ranger?

Stock. No UA. Basically PHB + XGtE with a more limited class & race selection due to setting restrictions.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

This has some interesting possibilities. I'll have to take a better look at the rogue class skills and see if I can find an overlap to what I already have.

I'd honestly go for a Cleric dip with the knowledge domain like iTreeby suggested, instead of Rogue, if you can use this trick and already have proficiency in one of those knowledge skills it grants. Getting to double your proficiency bonus for skills is fantastic, your spell slots don't get delayed, and you'll get 1st level Cleric spells and cantrips in addition to whatever Druid spells you have.

[KorvinStarmast]

Since you are allowed to use Xanathar's, why not take the Prodigy feat? (What race is your druid?)

Unfortunately, due to setting reasons, cleric isn't available as an option. Neither is paladin, wizard, and warlock.
Hmm, what is allowed?
(Sounds like Yora's campaign. Is it?)

[xroads]

Since you are allowed to use Xanathar's, why not take the Prodigy feat? (What race is your druid?)

Halfling.


Hmm, what is allowed?
(Sounds like Yora's campaign. Is it?)

Not Yora's campaign (I don't know who Yora is). Any class is allowed except for the one's mentioned. Though I suspect certain subclasses would be hard to justify (ex. arcane trickster).

The idea is we all started off in a post-apocalyptic world. Classes that would require a more civilized society to support (paladins & wizards), aren't allowed. Warlocks have a bad history in this world and would be killed on sight. And the gods stopped communicating with mortals, so no clerics.

[KorvinStarmast]

Halfling. OK, then I'll suggest that you go with the skilled feat and not stop your spell progression. And you get three proficiencies. Choose wisely. :smallcool: (Oh, that's easy, you are a druid, and have high wisdom, right?)

[Nagog]

Ask your DM about the Varient Ranger and if you can multiclass into that. One of its first level abilities can heat you expertise in Animal Handling, or you can get it from.the base class and pick up one of the other 2 features (all of them are really amazing). On top of all that, you get Hunter's Mark a few times a day without concentration. Concentration-less buffs work miracles on Druids, who are often concentration heavy

[iTreeby]

The idea is we all started off in a post-apocalyptic world. Classes that would require a more civilized society to support (paladins & wizards), aren't allowed. Warlocks have a bad history in this world and would be killed on sight. And the gods stopped communicating with mortals, so no clerics.

Barbarian is also a multiclass option, it helps with wildshape by granting an alternate AC calculation, and rage works with wildshape as well.


Just curious, how do paladins require a civilized society?

[J-H]

I would just take the Skilled feat and enjoy being better at a couple of things, like maybe Perception or Arcana or Insight.