What’s Best from Ultimate Wilderness?

[Palanan]

We all know what isn’t best, which is the shifter, so please let’s not rehash that here.

Instead, I’d like to know what from the book is actually worthwhile. I am personally not a fan of any of the three races the book details, but that’s very much my own perspective, since I dislike Pathfinder’s approach to leshies and I just don’t see the point of the ghoran.

But the book has a whole pile of archetypes, and I’d be interested in which of those are generally thought to be worthy additions to the game. Some of these seem flavorful, like the Wilderness Warden paladin and the Filidh bard, but I’m not sure if they're mechanically worthwhile.

And I’d be interested if there are any feats, spells, new rules, etc. which are standouts or at least useful to include. What in this book do people like enough to incorporate into their own games?

[Psyren]

I don't know about "best" but here's some things I liked:

- It encourages GMs to let any druid select a plant companion without needing a specific archetype first (UW 182).
- It fleshed out Gathlains, Ghorans and Vine Leshys more than ARG had done, giving insights into their culture. talents, and motivations.
- I'm always on board for more animal companion and familiar archetypes and other options.
- Some of the class archetypes are pretty cool, like the Filidh (divine bard) or the oozemorph shifter. Also, two words: Dinosaur Druid!
- The Fey Form and Ooze Form spells. (This of course is combined with our houserule that Polymorph, Greater Polymorph, and Shapechange can duplicate any shapeshifting spell up to one level lower than they are.)

[Ninjaxenomorph]

The Skirmisher is a pretty good fighter archetype.

[Kurald Galain]

Numerous familiar archetypes, such as Emissary and Figment and Protector.
Explosion of Rot and Vine Strike spells.

[Kitsuneymg]

Numerous familiar archetypes, such as Emissary and Figment and Protector.
Explosion of Rot and Vine Strike spells.

Those familiar archetypes are reprints from a softcover. They also nerfed mauler.

[NomGarret]

Magic plants. They’re fun and evocative, and encourage the use of seasons.

[Palanan]

I appreciate the suggestions so far, but it's a suspiciously short list.

[Kurald Galain]

I appreciate the suggestions so far, but it's a suspiciously short list.
Well what did you expect, it's got only a three-star rating.

The best part from UW is probably the shifter. It gets a lot of flak for being derivative and inferior to both druid and hunter (which is true); but in practice it is easy-to-build, easy-to-play, and easily meets damage and defense benchmarks (in stark contrast to the kinny, but that's another book).

You haven't told us why you're asking this, though.

[Psyren]

Metamorph Alchemist is a lot closer to what I was hoping the Shifter would be when I first heard about it. What we got instead could have probably just been a Ranger archetype.