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The Beastmaster text confuses me. Abilities lack the usual "At X level..." introductory phrase to imply first level but replace higher-level abilities.
At first level (without the Boon Companion feat) does this character have an animal companion? (In other words, does the "the Ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his Ranger level – 3." have a minimum of 1?)
Can this character take the Boon Companion feat at first level, or does the Animal Companion (Ex) ability not appear until later?
Does the Improved Empathic Link (Su) ability appear at first level, or not until later?
Can this character really take Boon Companion once for each animal companion?
Thanks!
check this out
That does not help. See the Falconer for an example of why I am confused. In that archetype, every replacement ability clearly states "At 1st level, a falconer...", "At 4th level, a falconer...", "At 6th level, a falconer..." to reinforce that a fourth-level ability replaces a fourth-level ability and a sixth-level ability replaces a sixth-level ability.
The Beastmaster archetype is not worded this clearly. It implies that the Beastmaster at first level gets abilities that replace fourth-level and sixth-level abilities.
Beastmaster=Ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his Ranger level – 3
Core Ranger=Ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his Ranger level – 3
To answer the effective druid level question:
As you can seen from my first two sentences you follow the normal method of determining animal abilities until you can get more than one animal.
With the archetypes you get the archetype ability at the same level as you would have gotten the ability it replaces most of the time. That is not a rule, but just something that I have noticed.
As for boon companion you only get to take the feat once, but it should apply to all of your animal companions.
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The confusing part is "This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability except that the Ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his Ranger level – 3. "
I don't know why that is there because as I quoted above that is the normal progression anyway. The real advantage of the beastmaster is that it can choose animals that only a druid can get access to.
Boon companion can be taken more than once and only applies to one companion per feat taken.
The "Animal Companion" ability of the Beastmaster replaces Hunter's Bond. Therefore, he gets it instead of Hunter's Bond, whenever he would normally get that (i.e. 4th). The Falconer's version replaces Wild Empathy, so he gets it at 1st, instead of getting wild empathy.
Boon companion can be taken more than once and only applies to one companion per feat taken.
NO BOON COMPANION CAN NOT BE TAKEN MORE THAN ONCE. THE FEAT IS 3.5 NOT PATHFINDER. THE FEAT WAS MADE FOR THE D&D BEASTMASTER CLASS. IN PATHFINDER YOUR DRUID LEVEL CAN NEVER GO ABOVE YOUR CLASS LEVEL. SO SINGLE CLASS RANGER BEASTMASTERS AFTER 12TH LEVEL & DRUID PACKLORDS (I THINK THATS THE NAME) CAN NOT USE THIS FEAT. ONLY MULTI-CLASSED ONES CAN & THAN ONLY UP TO 4 LEVELS.
TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE FEAT HAS NOT BEEN REWRITTEN IN THE PATHFINDER RPG YET.
Check this for boon companion
It can be taken more than once according to raw and rai. It just cannot be applied to more than one animal companion i.e. familiars.
I was correcting the assertion that was made that you could only take boon companion once and that it applied to all companions. I completely misinterpreted that statement. I took it as applying without context. My statement was a clarification on the RAW.
I was not intending to state that you could go over equivalent druid level with it.
Boon companion can be taken more than once and only applies to one companion per feat taken.NO BOON COMPANION CAN NOT BE TAKEN MORE THAN ONCE. THE FEAT IS 3.5 NOT PATHFINDER. THE FEAT WAS MADE FOR THE D&D BEASTMASTER CLASS. IN PATHFINDER YOUR DRUID LEVEL CAN NEVER GO ABOVE YOUR CLASS LEVEL. SO SINGLE CLASS RANGER BEASTMASTERS AFTER 12TH LEVEL & DRUID PACKLORDS (I THINK THATS THE NAME) CAN NOT USE THIS FEAT. ONLY MULTI-CLASSED ONES CAN & THAN ONLY UP TO 4 LEVELS.
TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE FEAT HAS NOT BEEN REWRITTEN IN THE PATHFINDER RPG YET.
Relax, bro. It can be taken, but of course the level + 4 doesn't mean it can go above your level. You can take it to max out a companion, but that's it. It's the same as taking practiced spellcaster, but only being a Sorc3/Wiz3; you don't have an effective caster level of 7/3, but 6/3 or 3/6. He can take it.
Boon companion can be taken more than once and only applies to one companion per feat taken.
I was incorrect. I just looked it up. Thanks Jak.
No prob. You were right within the context of the question he was asking.
He can take it only take it once until he tracks down another companion type and functionally it will apply to all of his companions since they divide his overall druid level at least until 12 whereas the feat will be useless unless he multiclasses. I thought that is what you meant upon rereading it and applying some of those fancy critical thinking skills I found in the coffee pot this morning.
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Boon companion can be taken more than once and only applies to one companion per feat taken.NO BOON COMPANION CAN NOT BE TAKEN MORE THAN ONCE. THE FEAT IS 3.5 NOT PATHFINDER. THE FEAT WAS MADE FOR THE D&D BEASTMASTER CLASS. IN PATHFINDER YOUR DRUID LEVEL CAN NEVER GO ABOVE YOUR CLASS LEVEL. SO SINGLE CLASS RANGER BEASTMASTERS AFTER 12TH LEVEL & DRUID PACKLORDS (I THINK THATS THE NAME) CAN NOT USE THIS FEAT. ONLY MULTI-CLASSED ONES CAN & THAN ONLY UP TO 4 LEVELS.
TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE FEAT HAS NOT BEEN REWRITTEN IN THE PATHFINDER RPG YET.
Typing in all caps is NEVER a good way to get people around here to take you seriously. It is akin to walking into a room where people are having a calm discussion and then drowning everyone out by SHOUTING out all of your points.
It's rude, condescending, and arrogant. In short, please don't do it.
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Interesting side note: A Pack Lord archetype druid can essentially grab Boon Companion for all of his different animal buddies and have a bunch of 4th level+ animal companions. (In case you didn't know about Pack Lord, just think Beast master ranger, just as a druid without the -3 level penalty.) So it's no wonder Pack Lord is banned in Pathfinder Society.
It looks like he could do that, but the math isn't done quite that way in function.
Druid 6/Rogue 4
Druid takes Boon Companion and has a level 10 companion.
6+4=10
PackLord 10
Druid has ten levels to spend among any number of companions equal to chr level. He picks 2 companions.
5+5=10
Druid takes boon companion and adds 4 to that total up to his druid level before distribution.
10+4=10
He still has only 10 levels to distribute since that is what his character level is capped at leaving him still with only 2 level 5 companions.
Boon companion can be taken more than once and only applies to one companion per feat taken.NO BOON COMPANION CAN NOT BE TAKEN MORE THAN ONCE. THE FEAT IS 3.5 NOT PATHFINDER. THE FEAT WAS MADE FOR THE D&D BEASTMASTER CLASS. IN PATHFINDER YOUR DRUID LEVEL CAN NEVER GO ABOVE YOUR CLASS LEVEL. SO SINGLE CLASS RANGER BEASTMASTERS AFTER 12TH LEVEL & DRUID PACKLORDS (I THINK THATS THE NAME) CAN NOT USE THIS FEAT. ONLY MULTI-CLASSED ONES CAN & THAN ONLY UP TO 4 LEVELS.
TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE THE FEAT HAS NOT BEEN REWRITTEN IN THE PATHFINDER RPG YET.
I been thinking about this. As I read it u cannot go above ur character level. But u can get use, albeit limited, out of taking it twice.
ExampleLvl 10 beastmaster lvl 5 x
7 10-3 lvls of companions
Lvl 6 companion +4 boon companion = 10
Lvl 1 companion + boon companion= 5
=15 lvls
Lvl 10 bm 1 companion 7+4=11
So maybe not optimized... But not useless.
Correct me if I'm wrong.
Serious thread Necro here but...
Just to be abundantly clear, if I want an animal companion from first level using the beast master ranger archetype, am I required to take Boon Companion at 1st level.
Otherwise, my effective Druid level would be -2...so no AC yet. Right?
Bump
Serious thread Necro here but...
Just to be abundantly clear, if I want an animal companion from first level using the beast master ranger archetype, am I required to take Boon Companion at 1st level.
Otherwise, my effective Druid level would be -2...so no AC yet. Right?
That is incorrect. As was answered a few times above, the Beastmaster Ranger gets the ability "Animal Companion" in replacement of "Hunter's Bond". Since the Ranger get's Hunter's Bond at level 4, that is when the Beastmaster gets the class feature "Animal Companion".
That is incorrect. As was answered a few times above, the Beastmaster Ranger gets the ability "Animal Companion" in replacement of "Hunter's Bond". Since the Ranger get's Hunter's Bond at level 4, that is when the Beastmaster gets the class feature "Animal Companion".Serious thread Necro here but...
Just to be abundantly clear, if I want an animal companion from first level using the beast master ranger archetype, am I required to take Boon Companion at 1st level.
Otherwise, my effective Druid level would be -2...so no AC yet. Right?
i am also curious about this. is there some FAQ about this kind of ability reconciliation? why does almost every single ability have a level availability? even when they are replacing abilities of the same level?
this particular ability has no listed lvl requirement other than stating the char's druid lvl = rngr lvl - 3. if boon companion taken at lvl 1 then changes that druid lvl now to lvl 1 then what is restricting the character from qualifying for the ability at lvl 1 with a valid lvl 1 AC?
immediately following the two first abilities in the beastmaster arch (both of which do not list lvl requirements) is lvl 12 power Strong Bond which replaces a lvl 12 power camouflage and begins the qualifying information with "at 12th level"
i'm not saying the thread's current thinking is wrong, but i think there is a fairly strong case to require a little more "official" ruling on the matter.
ultimately, it doesn't make the class a ton more powerful and the player's power lvl is offset by giving up a feat to get their pet a little earlier.
thanks!
edit: also, i believe one of the more important pieces of language is the bit where the features say "this ability replaces ________" instead of "this ability alters ___________".
bump
anyone have any insights into this? anywhere we can find definitive answers on how class features are replaced?
This page has some interesting points regarding class features, but nothing specifically to this situation.
This bit is about the closest i found: On the other hand, any alternate class features listed as altering an existing class feature otherwise works as that original class feature, and is considered to be that class feature for purposes of meeting any requirements or prerequisites, even if that feature is renamed to fit a new theme. For example, a class feature that alters the bard's bardic performance still counts a bardic performance for any prerequisite that requires that ability.
So the question is: class feature A awarded at lvl 4 is replaced by class feature B with no level requirement.
Under normal circumstances the character would be forced to wait til lvl 4 to get a lvl 1 character (since we obviously can't play with < lvl 1 ACs) however in this instance there is a feat that makes your effective druid lvl and thus your AC's lvl = 1 at lvl 1.
any clear verdict? or just house rule it?