Rannan's page

So I've been looking at Horizon Walker for my ranger and I'm not sure how well it'll work. A lot of people praise it and say it's great when built correctly, but I've also seen people saying that you're better off just going straight ranger. From what I've read, ranger 8, rogue 2, HW 10 seems to give the best benefits for favored terrains and terrain mastery.

Let me back up a minute. I started as a ranger archer, and was planning on taking Monstrous Mount and getting a griffin for pounce and rake. Then I started looking into prestige classes and HW looked pretty cool and seems like it'll do well with a ranger. However, for it to be fully optimized (and a bit ridiculous if the math is correct), it looks like I'll take 8 levels of ranger (I'm assuming for the second favored terrain), 2 levels of rogue for Terrain Mastery, and 10 levels of HW for all that good stuff. Additionally, I'll take the Extra Rogue Talent feat and take multiple Terrain Mastery to get multiple +2 to ALL my favored terrains, correct?

When done properly it is supposed to end up with around +20-22 to hit, damage, init and more. However, will that make up for the loss of combat feats and the loss of a pet? I get that I could still have a pet, but a level 8 pet when your several levels higher is kind of useless, so I would give half of my bonus to my group instead to optimize group damage.

I've also heard of people using Favored Enemy to coincide with the bonuses, but it seems shaky. One person said that by designating the enemy as whatever your Favored Enemy is will give you the terrain bonus as well but I don't understand why or how that works.

Can anyone shed any light on a HW focused around an archer ranger and how well it'll work in a PFS setting? I assume great because PFS usually takes place in less terrains than a homebrew game or anything, so you can really stack the favored terrains.

I'm thinking of making my ranger a trapper, but I'm thinking traps in the sense like a bombs, mundane traps like spikes under a hidden pit, etc. I'm thinking I'd have to have engineer as a profession (along with trying to figure out why my ranger is making bomb traps on occasion) to know HOW to do these things, and the Craft skill Trapmaking for the ABILITY to do so.

My question is how often is this going to be useful? It sounds awesome, being able to make traps or bombs, but how often will the chance come up? And I'll have to carry a pretty large array of items to make things on the fly, correct?

I guess I'm asking if it is worth the investment or if I should just go with something like Craft Armor or Craft Bow instead.

The more I look at it, the ranger only has spells, a companion, and FE/FT on a zen archer. Otherwise a zen archer does better damage wise and gets many of the main archery feats early on. I've already put two levels into ranger. Should I try a hybrid of the two or just stick with ranger now?

Initially I went ranger archer thinking they're not much behind a fighter archer with FE/FT going (or Instant Enemy), and then they get an AnCo and spells and are more useful with skills. I may not top a fighter archer, but I'll useful in more situations in exchange for some damage.

Now I'm seeing the ZA can out damage both and still has good skills. I'd lose AnCo and spells, but for the damage output it seems like a good trade off. Except I've already put 2 levels into ranger. I'd obviously have to retrain RS (why have RS and Flurry?), but my wisdom is only 14 too.

Do I just have to eat it and go ranger now? I suppose I can even dip into fighter (now I have the ranger skill set) to try to make up some damage. We have a ZA in the group so it's not exactly going to feel good when he's consistently out damaging me and is still useful in social situations. As far as I can tell, AnCo and ranger spells won't be able to make up the difference in damage. What options do I have to stay competitive damage-wise with the ZA and fighter archer?

I'm having trouble with a character concept and am looking for veteran advice from players and GMs. As a pure ranger archer, it seems riding a mount in combat can be super beneficial. I can take a full attack on my turn and move on the mounts if needed to avoid penalties, and the penalties of shooting WHILE moving aren't terrible if it needs to be done. A horse is most likely the best option as I am playing a human. It's large right away and can carry me at level 4, and at higher levels can charge and knock people down if they get too close to me (hopefully they don't have a brace weapon), so I like them over most other mounts. They are large in a 1x2 sense, so they can come in a dungeon and not have to squeeze often. Rope ladders or sudden drops would present an issue, but I believe a system of pulleys could be used to lower my horse down or raise him up with another PC help. Plus I can buy it combat trained if my horse dies, which makes it way less of a pain than most other mounts.

However, I really like the thought of a flying mount. Riding a hippogriff or griffon or roc into battle as an archer seems like a really cool concept. I'll have to pour points into Fly, Handle Animal, and Ride, but can it be really viable? In a dungeon, they'll most likely have to take the squeeze debuff. My only thoughts on this is that a hippogriff and griffon are about the same width as a horse with its wings folded in, so if I specify that his wings are folded close to his body and I'm just using him as a mount, will he still take the debuff? Additionally, as I hag already created my character as a standard Ranger, will I have to take a level dip or the Monstrous Mount feat to get this to work?

I planned on taking combat reflexes, snap shot, and improved snapshot so I could sit near the front line and really make use of AoO's. How beer, with a flying mount this will be quite difficult if not impossible. I will have to get the Hover feat to not take a penalty while moving and shooting. The only way I see to make full use of these feats with a flying mount is to use flying when there is no one close enough to provoke an AoO or to hover just five feet off the ground, but the dust from Hover will affect other PC so it may not be viable.

The build seems to have a ton of flavor and is completely unoptimized for an archer. Is there anything I can do to make it like having a winged horse or anything you guys can suggest to make a flying mount seem more feasible? I'd really like one, but there's those issues plus the issues of bringing one into town. Is a flying mount even feasible in PFS or is it a pipe dream?

So I made a dawnflower of dervish bard. And I have no idea how to RP him. Now, only two people in the group RP really, most of us meta game, but I've heard the game can be much more enjoyable when everyone is in character, so I really want to try.

I find it awkward and strange to be RPing, and I have no idea where to start. I kind of want my character to be noble born and left home because it grew boring. He grew tired of sleeping with maids and lowborn, and most noble women in his city tended to be rather prude and boring, so he left. You can only sleep with so many women before things get awkward all over town anyways.

I'm thinking for the religious part, my grandfather joined and it was how I was raised. We (the family) were born into the belief that we were put here to fight corruption and evil. My character has strayed away from the Lawful alignment however and is straight True Neutral. He will absolutely destroy the evil and the corrupted, providing they don't suddenly yell out "I'd like to convert!" (que sense motive), but he is most definitely a thief, and will circumvent as many rules as he can to get what he wants or feels is right or needs.

For example, if he need that Lords signet ring and the Lord is unwilling to part with it, he will certainly steal it, charm him, or even intimidate him. After all, anything that will help me in my journey to aid the world in ridding itself of evil and corruption will justify my taking of it. He kind of lives by "the ends justify the means" as long as no one gets hurt or killed that didn't deserve it. I'm certainly not out for only myself, as I would steal for a friend as well, but not from a friend.

I eventually aligned myself with the Andor due to not liking any kind of slavery, regardless of race or gender. Even for an indentured servant I would likely buy their freedom if possible.

The background story just doesn't feel fleshed out to me. Like it's just a story rather than a background. And I have him from the Padishah Empire of Kelesh, but have no idea what they look like or sound like or even the climate. It's hard to RP someone when you don't know their accent or geography of their homeland.

Also, sometimes some great RP moments come up but have little to no effect on the general gameplay, which is frustrating but understandable. For example, in one scenario I pried gems out of a jeweled key meant for an Osirian tomb. We all had a laugh that that was my first reaction ("the key is jeweled and shaped like a scepter" "I'd like to pry the gems out") but then they were sold for next to nothing to keep balance (I'm assuming). Other than for RP reasons, is there any reason to roll constant sleight of hand checks and steal many things when, at the end of the game, I won't be able to keep it? I see a lot of topics about "that guy" in a group who is super annoying and I really don't want to be him by stealing everything or ruining the GMs story or ruin the game for anyone else. The GM is phenomenal so far but I don't want to test my limits too much per se.

Any advice is appreciated. I really want to give RPing a go but I guess I don't feel connected with my characters background even though I like it.

I'm going to be testing it out soon using only the net (not the whip sadly) and I'm curious of everyone else's experience with it. It seems good on paper, and I really wanted to use the whip but I've heard at higher levels the enemies CMD makes it really hard to trip. The net seems good, but am I going to be useless for the first few levels?

I'm also stuck between EWP: Net and WF: Net or Fast Learner and Imp Init. Any ideas which will be more useful at the lower levels? I can go without Fast Learner, but I do plan on being a skill monkey so it'll be useful the earlier I get it. Plus the extra health each level helps.

Any advice or experience anyone can give me?

As a bard I have Whip Proficiency, and I see under the Scorpion Whip if I have Whip Proficiency I can use it. However, does this apply to any other whip type weapons or do I need to invest in more feats to use any other whip weapons?

Additionally, is there a way that I can trip someone and then attack them if I have the feat to provoke an AoO?

I know grease is more effective, but because it takes up a spell slot and is limited in casting, could I substitute caltrops in it's place? Then I can get a different spell and still have a control-like effect with the caltrops.

I'm caught between Silent Image and Charm or Charm and Grease. Charm seems situational, and my charisma is really high, but it seems like it would definitely be fun. I suppose Charm isn't the most useful spell for combat, but out of combat it seems like it could help a lot. Silent Image can be great, but I'm also a little nervous about if it could/would work in combat. And Grease is the only one I can come somewhat close to replicating with the use of caltrops.

I'm playing a bard and am wondering if outfits are worth it? I'm hoping to be able to use a nobles outfit to fit in or add to my social skills, but I'm not sure if multiple ones are worth it. I plan on using a pickpockets outfit for the hidden pockets, but would having a nobles outfit or royal outfit be worth it? Or should I just pick up the items in whatever town I'm in for the time that I need them? Obviously carrying a nobles outfit and 100gp of jewelry is useless in the wild and during battle, so should I even bother with it in starting gear?

I have very low strength, 8, so I need to make every item worth it because I can carry so little.

Hi. I'm new to pathfinder and really like the thought of a utility character. I'm mainly looking at rogue or bard skills (bluff, diplomacy, stealth, sleight of hand, disguise, etc.) but I don't want to be handicapped in combat. First I thought a rogue would be perfect, focus on dex and cha and spare points into int and just be super squishy and stealthy. But then I read the bard is generally a better idea because he is more versatile and can outdamage the rogue and their social skills are generally better due to their buffs.

I don't want to get into anything crazy like a synthesist summoner or a chemist or anything, so I'm mainly looking at rogue and bard unless there is another character that should be too difficult for a relatively new person to D&D.

I want my character to be a devilishly good looking, silver tongued, sweet talker who lies, cheats, steals, and charms his way to getting what he wants. And I want skills and feats that allow me to not be dead weight in combat. I want to be useful to the group in as many situations as possible.

Also, if it matters, I plan on stealing as much as I can and I want to try to be the face of the group and try to do things with little bloodshed. If we can avoid hacking down city guards to gain entrance, I would prefer it, but only because my character wants a low profile so he can steal as much as he can and charm his way around the city. I'd like to make off with the bankers wife and a large sum of gold and have them all think "I wish he'd stop by more often. What a nice fellow." I like to think my character (providing he doesn't die) would be a political assassin for his faction when he is "retired," charming his way in and doing the deed and skipping away. Everyone would know his face, but they'd like him so much it didn't even cross their mind that he did it.

Is there any advice you guys can offer me into what skills are useful and which skills seem useful but really aren't, and what class/race I should take to achieve the goal I want?