InstantD's page

Cheers. I'll consider haunted. IT looks like it could fit well.

Thanks for the advice! I did look at going the summoning route. It doesn't fit my character too much flavour wise but it is still something I'm considering. It does look like a very effective option.

For context, I'm quite new at Pathfinder. My experience consists of completing the Risen in the Sands module as an Unchained Monk.

I'm creating a Fetchling Shadow Mystery Oracle (Lich Curse) for an upcoming Hell's Rebels Campaign. I'm considering focusing on Illusion spells as it fits my character's flavour, but from what I can research, it seems like the Oracle/Cleric spell list isn't great for Illusion Spells.

I'm not looking to be optimised, but I'd like to at least be decent mechanically. Considering the Dark Secrets revelation can give me up to 5 (at level 10) from other spell lists, do you think that focusing on Illusion spells would be workable as a Shadow Oracle?

An additional question, is either the Shadow Grasp or Solid Shadows meta magic feats worth pursuing for my character?

Thanks in advance for your help! :)

I've played a druid with animal companion at level 1, 4, and 5.

The level 4 was a bit of a special case. The druid was primarily a wild shaping druid and he took the animal companion specifically to see if it would be of any use at all.

My opinion based on these actual playtests is that the animal companion is neither under powered or over powered. Even the low powered companion had its uses

With the level 5 druid the bear was a good contributor, bringing the druids contribution up to being on par with the martial characters.

Given that the animal companion effectively adds ONE to the actions taken I certainly don't think that it dominated the game nor made the druids turn take too long. Most of my thought process was deciding what Team Druid did. Actually doing the actions was simple The animal almost never bothered attacking twice. Usually moved and either attacked or used its Work together benefit together with a single attack).

The level 4 companion actually went a bit better than I thought it would. About 1/2 the time it wasn't worth the action to actually use so it just stood there. The rest of the time it was worth the action (usually for its work together benefit more than for its attack).

Didn't take much damage as the GM didn't feel like wasting attacks killing it :-).

Had a reasonable level of power for a single class feat (my level 4 feat went to better wild shaping).

Can you clarify? I thought an Animal Companion couldn't attack the same turn it uses its Work Together action.

DM_Blake wrote:

Update.

I only used Hunt Target in two fights and it only benefitted a single shot so it was a non-factor. My core ability, used once in the entire adventure.

Hunt Target persists across combat rounds. In fact, if needed it can persist until daily preparations at the start of the next day.

Which isn't long enough to be used for multiple days of tracking a fleeing enemy, but it is certainly long enough to be useful in combat.

Yeah. It costs one action - preferably as early in the fight as possible. But then the benefits last until that target is dead.

I haven't started Doomsday yet (going to soon) and I haven't read it because I don't want any spoilers. How many monsters have enough HP that spending the 1 action for Hunt Target would be useful? My fear was that I would spend an action for Hunt Target and that monster would be dead before my next turn. Though now, that concern is, for the most part, allayed due to the new 1.3 feats.

Yeah... I'm going to play a Ranger with a Cat animal companion with an HP of 10 and AC of 13. I'm at a loss at how I'm supposed to keep it conscious. The 'Bestiary' versions of the animals available as animal companions are for some reason stronger than the Animal Companion counterparts at the same level.

Ediwir wrote:

Fennris wrote:

I have to agree with you. With today’s update it is clear they have no intentions to make any drastic, but needed changes to this class.

I thought the new style feats were actually a pretty good step, as they offset the action cost of Hunt Target at first and grant good benefits later on.

Animal companions and snares need lots of work, but at least you get to use your main feature now.

I think you're overlooking the fact that now, a Ranger is being compelled to take/use either of the two feats and then focus on the Target to the exclusion of all other targets. Now, a Ranger who does not use Hunt Target and Hunted Shot, is doing horrible damage. Now, you don't have any combat flexibility. Once a Ranger has chosen its Target, the Ranger has to stay on the target until its dead. That sound like a Ranger to you? Do you really think being straddled with such single-minded attack mechanics is going to be fun long term?

Consider the flip side, if a GM has an NPC Ranger and it targets an PC, the GM is going to focus on that PC and no one else. No one.

A Ranger should not be so completely tied to a single target in every combat. However, I fear the min/maxers will now converge on this class and Paizo will consider it a success.

While I agree that Ranger needs a lot of work, remember that you can change the target of your Hunt Target. Yes, it does take an action, but at least now that action spent is somewhat helped by the two new feats (ignoring the problem that not everyone would want to take those feats). Later on, you can even take same class feats to be able to apply your Hunt Target to more than one target. So in terms of having to focus on one target only, I'm not sure if it's as bleak as you think. :)

I think if we can get completely new companions, getting one of a different type makes sense. Though it does open up builds like taking a different type until you get specialised animal companion and trading it for Bear/Bird which becomes better as specialised AC

The page on Animal Companion states that if your companion dies, you can replace it. This implies that you're not in some way reviving your original animal companion right? You're getting a new animal. In that case, for Rangers or Druids that have spent feats on Animal Companions, the new companion would have all the bonuses from those feats, right?

Also, when we replace an animal companion, does it have to be of the same type? Can we start with a bird and later replace it with a bear or something? Can I replace an animal companion for a different type of companion without the original having to die first?

Apologies in advance if the above questions are already answered in the Rulebook, as I can't seem to find them.