The pet champ crown still goes to the summoner, as ever.
The addition of skirmisher tricks to the Hunter is a massive buff and actually makes me excited to play the class. I also can't imagine there's meant to be a limit, because if we go by the archetype text, the companion has no ranger level and a tiny/nonexistent wisdom modifier. I wonder whether hunter levels stack with other animal companion levels like usual, because I could see a lot of people dipping one level into hunter for those sweet skirmisher tricks on their companion.
I've heard a rumor going around that it's possible to have a huge sized animal companion with an archetype, which would be awesome... it's another thing that never sat well me that the summoner can have a massive companion but the druid can't.
The primal hunter trades animal focus for an evolution pool like the summoner...so that's probably what people are referring to to make their companions huge.
I was shocked that none of the people with early access to the ACG mentioned the Skirmisher tricks. This vastly increases the power and utility of the hunter's animal companion. It seems to be unlimited use per day, but even if that ends up not being the case, this is still a pretty powerful boost to the previously subpar hunter class. With outflank and aiding attack that is a solid +6 to hit at low levels. A mid level Hunter can start to utilize paired opportunist and outflank/broken wing gambit to rack up AoOs, and many of the animal companions skirmisher tricks are free actions, meaning (per GM discretion for free actions) you could stack on some nasty side effects. The hunter was originally billed as an archer with a pet, but I think the final changes put this class into the melee powerhouse category. The downsides I can see are of course the 3/4 BAB limiting access to good combat feats, and the 3/4 casting is pretty useless for summon natures ally, even though they get that spell for free. I think at higher levels the hunter will suffer due to these limitations, but at low to mid levels I think it is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Can't wait until finals are over to actually try one out and see if I'm right.
This has been my analysis so far as well. The class probably hits its peak around 15th level (like most non-full casters), but during the "PFS levels", it can be a real monster of a melee powerhouse. Stick a reach weapon in its hands, grab a few key skirmisher tricks for your pet, and watch the blood fly. He's also got great skill capability and can stand in as skill-monkey as well as a Ranger (which is pretty damn good), and his 3/4 casting and combo spell list means there's a lot of other areas he can help pick up the slack as well.
Yeah, I'm thinking half-elf with a fauchard for reach and crit (synergizes with outflank). With some tripping feats I think this could be an AoO master.
I was shocked that none of the people with early access to the ACG mentioned the Skirmisher tricks. This vastly increases the power and utility of the hunter's animal companion. It seems to be unlimited use per day, but even if that ends up not being the case, this is still a pretty powerful boost to the previously subpar hunter class. With outflank and aiding attack that is a solid +6 to hit at low levels. A mid level Hunter can start to utilize paired opportunist and outflank/broken wing gambit to rack up AoOs, and many of the animal companions skirmisher tricks are free actions, meaning (per GM discretion for free actions) you could stack on some nasty side effects. The hunter was originally billed as an archer with a pet, but I think the final changes put this class into the melee powerhouse category. The downsides I can see are of course the 3/4 BAB limiting access to good combat feats, and the 3/4 casting is pretty useless for summon natures ally, even though they get that spell for free. I think at higher levels the hunter will suffer due to these limitations, but at low to mid levels I think it is going to be a force to be reckoned with. Can't wait until finals are over to actually try one out and see if I'm right.
Here's a heads-up on some hunter changes I'll be implementing:
* Instead of precise companion, just give Precise Shot as a bonus feat. Create alternative option for melee-focused hunters (who have no need for Precise Shot).
* Add an animal focus that grants evasion.
* Snake focus should be a typeless attack bonus.
* Strongly considering 6 skill ranks.
* Add way for hunter to revive dead animal companion at lower levels. Give hunter a bonus to compensate for dead animal companion (such as applying the no-duration animal focus to the hunter instead of the companion).
* Considering upgrades to the link to the companion, such as the "see through its eyes" ability that the beastmaster ranger archetype has, and something like the expert trainer ability that the cavalier has.
* I want it to have access to the druid and ranger spell lists.
* Still haven't decided whether hunters should be prepared or spontaneous casters. Making it spontaneous would certainly make the class stand out from the druid and ranger.
I'm a big fan of the 6 skill ranks. The hunter needs handle animal for her core class function, plus if she actually wants to hunt anything she's gonna need knowledge nature to know what she's hunting, survival to track what she is hunting, and perception to spot it. That right there is your 4 points, and it doesn't into account moving about the environment (stealth, swim, climb). I also always like to take knowledge:geography with my Rangers (it rarely comes up in games but i think it is thematic), but I couldn't figure out how to fit it into my test hunter's build. 6+ skill ranks is a big win for this class.
I know I'm a bit late to the conversation, but I would like to voice my opinion that the Hunter should NOT be a spontaneous caster. Yes, it is different, but different doesn't mean thematic nor does it mean good. It seems that the biggest complaints about this class are a lack of competitiveness, and spontaneous casting only exacerbates that. Having access to the entire druid (and maybe even ranger) list is a huge benefit mechanically. In addition, most of the spells I would see people using are not spells that need to be repeated throughout the day. Some spells (like barkskin) are going to be needed everyday and sometimes multiple times per day - that's ok, just prep 2 or 3. But versatility is a huge boon that shouldn't be overlooked. If you are planning on exploring a dungeon with a tight corridor system, it might be a good idea to prep reduce animal. If you are planning on exploring a dense forest instead, you would want that second level slot for something like wilderness soldiers. Spontaneous casting would be a burden to this class, and not in line with the theme of a cautions, calculated hunter.
tl;dr YES on 6+ skill ranks, NO on spontaneous casting
A lot of new wizards have problems with resource management. I play with a guy who is convinced wizards are useless because the one time he played a wizard he decided to sleep two orcs in the first encounter in which my ranger and the party fighter had already dropped the other two. He then spend the rest of the game complaining that the GM wouldn't let him sleep, due to an in game time restriction. He showed up to the next game with a rouge and has never gone back to the wizard. The point is, wizards at low levels need to be conservative with their spells. If the encounter can easily be handled by the fighting classes, then let them do it. If you sit back and cast acid splash or shoot your crossbow who cares if you only hit once. When you get to the BBEG the fighter will be thanking you for enlarge person, or a summoned flanking buddy using the aid action (+4 to hit!), which brings me to resource management topic 2: use buff and summons when you can't afford to loose spells. Buffs and summons always work. There is no save or attack roll to be made. If you only have a couple of level one spells, choose the ones that will always work. Having said all that, I would still check out the alchemist. It is a really fun class to play and rarely finds a situation where he won't be useful.
I usually come up with a new character build about once a week, as do many people I play with. My group had a tendency of homemade adventures that were single objective and would last three to five sessions. The GMs knew that everyone would want to change characters by that point anyway, so why even try for a longer game. In any case, recently this same group has been trying the published Pathfinder Adventure paths, and so there has been a little bit more character fidelity. I still get bored though playing the same character for more than a couple of levels, so I am trying my hand a GMing Jade Regent, hoping all of the NPCs will keep my character ADD in check.
I find Toughness to be useful for characters that are MAD and spend time in melee combat. Examples being a ranger, monk, or cleric. If you can spare the feat, then you can keep your con 2 points lower, which frees up some points for other stats.
My general rule on whether something is overpowered is if you explain it to someone and they go "Freaking AWESOME! I gotta do THAT!"
100% agree. If a feat or archetype or rage ability or whatever is so good that it is hard to justify NOT taking it, then you have encountered a balance issue.
With that said, I think boon companion is a solid choice for your 5th level feat. With the melee build you are focusing on I think an alternative choice might be Furious Focus, but I would have to hear a really convincing argument to convince me that anything other than Boon Companion would be a good use of a 5th level feat.
Yeah, the idea is to increase the damage a little. I always took issue with the fact that a lion can power attack all of his claw attacks without taking any extra feats, but a dedicated TWF can take three feats and still not be up to par with damage. Considering the damage dealers in the party consists of the two weapon fighter and a monk with only 12 strength, I'm not concerned with them doing too much damage.
I'm running a game, and house ruled that the Double Slice feat give the full power attack bonus along with the full strength bonus for the offhand. I thought I was being clever, but a quick search on the boards let me know that I wasn't the first with that idea. Despite the minor blow to my ego, this actually works in my favor as I can ask all you homebrew guys and gals if you've done this, and how it worked out?
For clarificaiton my custom feat reads:
Custom Doubleslice:
Double Slice (Combat)
Your off-hand weapon while dual-wielding strikes with greater power.
Prerequisite: Dex 15, Two-Weapon Fighting.
Benefit: Add your Strength bonus to damage rolls made with your off-hand weapon. Additionally, if you have the power attack feat, you may remove the -50% damage penalty for attacking with an off-hand weapon.
Normal: You normally add only half of your Strength modifier to damage rolls made with a weapon wielded in your off-hand. You only add half of your power attack damage to power attacks made with your off-hand.
So the monk would only lose the ability to gain new monk levels, but nothing else.
Sweet, someone get the gasoline, the flaming bike maneuver is back on!
Talonhawke wrote:
Except the Barb ability simply says when he drinks alcohol he extends the rage for the round. It's not an action thats says do this to get this it says you now do this(drinking potions and alcohol) quicker if you do it(drink a potion or alcohol) and it was alcohol instead of its normal effects you rage this round for free.
Allowing to two to work together really comes down to if losing the normal affects of the alcohol still allows the monk to gain KI from it.
As Baka stated above, it originated from the Githyanki, but the term has since been used to describe ANY martial/caster class such as an Eldritch Knight, Magus, or Feral Alchemist. It's kind like how we call all facial tissue "Kleenex" even though that is a trademarked name, and not a general description.
Hawkson is unfortunately correct. Beastmaster stuff replaces Nature Bond with a "Druid" animal companion, albeit still weaker until level 12/boon companion.
this might be a buzz kill but i though monks had to be lawful and barb's had to be any non-lawful. but that depends on if you follow these rules in your game.
You are like that guy at the party who says riding a flaming bicycle down the stairs is a bad idea. Buzz kill indeed.
But you are right. Chaos and Law are primary tenets of the Pathfinder rule set, and best not to be trifled with.
Well actually by RAW, he can't get both benefits from a swift action as the feat specifically states in only applies to the Ki effect.
Fast Drinker:
Benefit: Drinking strong alcohol to gain temporary ki, takes a swift action rather than a standard action.
If I were houseruling, I would make a custom feat that allows the drunken brute to drink as a swift action, which would allow both feats to stack because the action times are the same.
Its been a while since my Golarian History class... but the Ulfens were once raiders who ravaged the coastlines of Avistan. While the shackles are pretty far south, It isn't outrageous to think that there would be Ulfen coastal communities from shipwrecks, etc.
After a quick review of the relevant abilities, it seems to me that you should be using the slower action to gain both benefits. I.e. if you use ki drink as a standard action you can gain both the extra ki and extra rage, but drinking as a move action will only give you the extra rage. With the fast drinker feat, taking the move action to drink (the slower effect) will give you both the rage and ki, but using the swift action would only give you the extra ki.
That's how I would rule it in my game, but I think you have a great concept. Others might disagree.
Look into the "Instant Enemy" 3rd level ranger spell from the APG. It is worth the slot, and a few pearls of power.
As far as feats, I'm working on a character that's a "switch tripper" build, with the idea of using my bow against fliers and then focus on tripping in melee. I have no idea how it's going to work out, so I can't tell you whether it is a good idea or not, but the feat investment is such that you have to give up the crit specialty feats.
I had a 3.5 GM who refused to use a grid. I finally quit his game after my rogue was attacked and killed by 7 Drow, whom he described as being "near" the party. I asked if I could move to flank with the barbarian, and he told me yes, so I did. The next round I took attacks from all 7 drow. My argument's logic of "why on earth would my lightly armored rogue put himself in melee attack range of 7 drow to get ONE sneak attack" was completely lost on him. He felt he had described the situation well enough that I ought to have known the risk. I told him I was done, and he can find a new player. It ended up being a lot of unnecessary drama because this guy was too lazy to put in the effort of marking locations on a grid.
A sorc/witch/wizard slinging spells while hiding behind mirror image, black tentacles, and an armored meat shield is not cowardly, its smart. It's like when I am at a bar running my mouth, but my bigger, more violent, ex-military bouncer friends are there to keep anyone from getting close to me. I'm not a coward, I'm just small, and smart.
Sounds like it could be a fun modification. I wouldn't allow a player to act twice in a round though. Maybe have the new initiative take effect after everyone has acted in the round.
I'm GMing a Pathfinder AP for the first time as well (Jade Regent) and I have to say that, while it may seem harsh at first, limiting your players to 20 point buy will make things much easier on you. The APs are designed with 20 point buy in mind, and while you seem to be doing a good job of increasing the enemies abilities without significantly throwing off balance, I think that having to change every fight will become an increasingly daunting task.
Of course my opinion has been tainted by a former GM (back in the 3.5 days) who thought she could scale fights to high stats appropriately, with the result of totally random fight outcomes, such as us killing a red dragon in a surprise round, or getting party wiped by a 7 troll ambush. In any case, ever since we told her she couldn't GM anymore, my group has been using a realistic point buy, and fights have been much more balanced.
I think that when a group lacks a particular aspect (meat shield in this case) it forces the players to be creative. In your case it isn't a huge issue, as the Cleric can double as a fighter. Maybe just work with the player to help him pick items and spells that will increase his defenses and you should be fine.
Name: Jerrod
Race: Human
Classes/levels: Ranger 3
Adventure: Stolen Lands
Location: Stag Lord's Keep
Catalyst: A brief moment of heroics in an otherwise aloof character
The Gory Details:
Jerrod wasn't always a team player. Throughout most of the exploration of the Stolen Lands he preferred to stand back and shoot his enemies, vexed by the fighter Joran's uncanny ability of getting in the way, and the monk Lumos' habit of preaching non-violence whenever possible. He was irked by the Evoker Aang, who was constantly whining about how we shouldn't eat animals, and he found the Ken the Cleirc's vanity to be annoying at best. Jerrod’s creative tactics, such as stabbing a sleeping kobold and then following its trail of blood back to their hideout, were universally shot down. Often it seemed his only friend in the Stolen Lands was his hunting dog Jayne. Still, as time went on, Jerrod found his place among this group of misfits, eventually connecting with the fighter Jorran, having realized they grew up only a few miles from one another. Jorran's love of fishing mirrored Jerrod's thrill of the hunt, and together the two started taking trophies from fallen enemies: several wolf pelts, boar tusk's, and even an owlbear's coat, all the while laughing at the vegetarian elf's opposition to such gruesome displays. It was this bond that would eventually lead to Jerrod's death.
After the Cleric had failed to convince the bandits at the Stag Lord's camp that we were merely merchants coming to sell alcohol, all hell broke loose. Jerrod stayed back from the thick of fighting, as was his usual style, taking out the bow wielding guards with ease. As the last tower guard fell, Jerrod saw his comrade Joran being torn to shreds by Beaky the owl bear. Popping a potion of enlarge person and running in with his guisarme, Jerrod managed to fell the owlbear with a single swing. As Beaky collapsed into a pile of feathers, the menacing Stag Lord appeared from the shadows behind him. One shot from his bow dropped Joran to his knees. Jerrod knew that Joran would not survive another hit and placed himself in between the stag lord and his staggered comrade. Joran called to the cleric for help, who with the monk was preventing the pansy rogue from frolicking into a flanking position. The stag lord released another arrow, this time at Jerrod, who managed to just barely survive the hit. Jerrod rushed the stag lord, hoping to trip him and prevent him from using his bow. Unfortunately Jerrod’s trip attempt failed, as the stag lord's sickly appearance belied his quickness. The cleric ran up to help, calling upon his deity Cayden Cailean to channel positive energy. Instead of a brilliant flash of righteous light that usually accompanied such an act, the pewter mug serving as a holy symbol merely sparked and sputtered as the cleric rolled snake eyes in his heal attempt. The stag lord took one last shot on the injured ranger Jerrod, and the final arrow pierced through his chest. Jerrod was dead before his body even slumped to the ground.
