| StygianRose |
Hello everyone, I was hoping you could help me flesh out a character.
I have taken the Falconer and Skirmisher archetypes on a new 4th level ranger.
While I am asking for help to make sure that the character is capable, I ask that no one tell me to replace the Falconer Archetype - I am set on that decision.
What can I do to make the hawk effective for use? I wanted to choose the Archer combat style but am open to others. My intention for the character is to take opportunistic shots with my bow until foes reach charging range and then switch to using a Greataxe. I am of the understanding that 2HW combat requires very few feats to work.
I was looking at the bodyguard archetype for my animal companion, as I planned to take Diehard due to getting the prerequisite naturally from my class. The idea of neither Ranger nor Companion being willing to die while the other lives is pleasing to me. Alertness is a nice bonus.
With the Bird having obnoxious dex I was considering it also for the Combat Reflexes + Bodyguard combination. The bird will always be flying above the target enemy or next to my ranger, so I was believing that being able to add +2 AC on any attack a minimum of 3x per round might turn hits into misses?
Am I over estimating the use of the feat? I believe that a set of barding with Benevolent enchantment could raise this up to as much as +7? A feat for additional traits on the AC (after it has 3 int) could raise this another +1 or +2. +1 for sure, with the combat version of Helpful.
I am intending to play a human, and I wanted to know if the Heart of the Wilderness and Eye for Talent alternate racial traits might be a good fit for what I am doing. I have mathed it out and I could raise my animal companions intelligence all the way to 8 without resorting to magic. This gives me a whopping 18 extra tricks, which is enough to take every trick under Handle Animal with a few left over. This fits with my ideal that the bird be of increasing intelligence. Would I be better served by getting +6 to Dexterity? I am hoping not.
With a potential surplus of extra tricks, I was looking at a 3 level dip into Hunter since my Falcon gets full AC progression instead of -3. I'd lose out on my fifth favored enemy, Improved Quarry, Master Hunter, a point of base attack bonus, and delay my ranger abilities by three levels.
In exchange I would gain +1 Reflex and Fortitude, Outflank for me and my Companion, one free other teamwork feat I may changed as a standard action, and the ability to share teamwork feats with my companion, three minutes of Aspects per day, and the ability to cast 6 Orisons and 4 first level ranger or druid spells three or four times per day. Is this a good trade?
There are a good number of teamwork feats that I would like to use, such as Pack Flanking. Combined with Outflank, I would gain a +4 to all attack rolls with me and my companion. If I do not dip hunter there is Pack Tactics that will allow me to do it without sharing with my companion but the tax is heavy - combat expertise, that feat, outflank, and pack flanking. This is in addition to not letting my AC get the bonuses.
The above debate only has bearing if my companion is not considered flanking when flying above my opponent. I was unable to find any explanation for how flanking works when something is in a 3d space. Would my bird be considering flanking if he is in the square above a creature and I am in the square next to one? If this is so I can merely take outflank and be done with it.
Alernatively, could I teach us both outflank and then myself Pack Flanking; using Extra Item Slot on my companion along with a Ring of Tactical Precision to share Pack Flanking.
I am not sure if any of these are worth the effort, I am still new to Pathfinder but I like to make unique characters. Lhann (the character) is meant to be a budding strategist, using his intelligence to teach and control his Hawk and fighting in tandem with it; the hawk harrying the opponent by making a fuss instead of full attacking. I used Clever Wordplay to make Handle Animal key off intelligence instead of Charisma in order to support this theme.
Since I am a human with a bird, I wanted to know if Huntmaster would be a a good feat to snap up. With no limit on hit die, am I correct in assuming that this would make my AC go above my current level all the way until 20th? I am not sure what would happen with a Effective Druid Level for an AC. It would raise them to 17 Hit die, so they would get health?
Is there any particular skill that my Hawk should use its ranks on? I was going with Perception because I think of Hawks having keen vision when I imagine one. Is there any feat that would allow the Hawk to have an increased sight range?
Lastly, are there any tricks that are integral for the Hawk to learn? I looked at Bombard but my knowledge of splash or projectile weapons is limited. Are there enough things it can drop to start a fight that it would remain relevant for a long while, if not the whole distance? Will the fact that the attack roll to drop it is BAB only mean that this trick is a trap?
Thank you for your time and any assistance in answering these questions. Have a wonderful day everyone!
| Secret Wizard |
Why not straight Hunter? That's my question. It seems much more fun for an AC based build.