I've never cared much personally for animal companions for the Ranger, let alone for the Druid or the arcanists' analog the familiar.
However, given how much of the PFRPG Beta's ranger's abilities are more focussed in terms of stealthily gliding through the shrubbery before perforating many hated foes with sharp pointy sticks, the companion is more likely to be a burden than a boon. The poor critter can't keep up with the character's probable stealth bonuses, is far easier to frag as compared to the druid's & in general is comparatively useless. Note that the operative phrase is "comparative".
Perhaps if the ranger's effective druid level was (ranger level -3) it would be more worthwhile, but that places things (at least potentially) where we don't want them - having one class ability/feature be perceived as more worthwhile than another within the same class or class option.
I've never cared much personally for animal companions for the Ranger, let alone for the Druid or the arcanists' analog the familiar.
However, given how much of the PFRPG Beta's ranger's abilities are more focussed in terms of stealthily gliding through the shrubbery before perforating many hated foes with sharp pointy sticks, the companion is more likely to be a burden than a boon. The poor critter can't keep up with the character's probable stealth bonuses, is far easier to frag as compared to the druid's & in general is comparatively useless. Note that the operative phrase is "comparative".
It would be nice if players had a better alternate to the ranger's pet. I don't think the current hunters bond is a very good alternate to the AC. Maybe a better one would be to give the ranger a rogue trick at 4th level and every 4 levels after that so you could have a stealth ranger ;) Fast stealth would be nice on a ranger.
Perhaps if the ranger's effective druid level was (ranger level -3) it would be more worthwhile, but that places things (at least potentially) where we don't want them - having one class ability/feature be perceived as more worthwhile than another within the same class or class option.
This is changing soon.
The only real use currently for a Ranger's Companion (also see definition of a TARGET) is as one of two things... a Mount or a Scout. Both usually end up very dead at some point due to being roughly 3 Hitdie lower than the party it's travelling with.
I think the way of boosting the ranger's companion would be to have it do something similar to the arcane familiars, such as Alertness, possibly more. However that would likely bleed over to the druid as well and their companions are on par already.
I recently ran into the 'rough terrain' difficulty with my druid who rides a boar. The druid(ranger) gets "Woodland stride" & "Trackless step", the companion DOES NOT, something just strikes me as wrong with that situation. You can wisk through the wilderness like a fey creature, but your targets err... companions are left trailing behind to fend for themselves until they can catch up at half-speed.
Another thing, why don't animal companions grow as per natural growth through Hitdie increasing over their normal cap. Example: Boar has a 5 Hitdie cap, when the druid gets powerful enough for the boar to be 6 Hitdie you can stick with the Boar, or drop it like a hot potato and switch to a Dire Boar. If you just use the SIZE ADJUSTMENT table in the back of the MM 3.5e on the Boar, he grows and is just about equivalent tothe Dire Boar. My DM allowed this in my last campaign for both reasons of common sense and RP Theme.
The only real use currently for a Ranger's Companion (also see definition of a TARGET) is as one of two things... a Mount or a Scout. Both usually end up very dead at some point due to being roughly 3 Hitdie lower than the party it's travelling with.
I think the way of boosting the ranger's companion would be to have it do something similar to the arcane familiars, such as Alertness, possibly more. However that would likely bleed over to the druid as well and their companions are on par already.
I recently ran into the 'rough terrain' difficulty with my druid who rides a boar. The druid(ranger) gets "Woodland stride" & "Trackless step", the companion DOES NOT, something just strikes me as wrong with that situation. You can wisk through the wilderness like a fey creature, but your targets err... companions are left trailing behind to fend for themselves until they can catch up at half-speed.
Another thing, why don't animal companions grow as per natural growth through Hitdie increasing over their normal cap. Example: Boar has a 5 Hitdie cap, when the druid gets powerful enough for the boar to be 6 Hitdie you can stick with the Boar, or drop it like a hot potato and switch to a Dire Boar. If you just use the SIZE ADJUSTMENT table in the back of the MM 3.5e on the Boar, he grows and is just about equivalent tothe Dire Boar. My DM allowed this in my last campaign for both reasons of common sense and RP Theme.
I pretty much assume that the Bonus HD inevitably lead to a size increase as appropriate for the critter.
The real drawback to the Animal Companion is that if the critter dies, your character is SOL for a year and a day of game time. (Since as I recall that is the minimum time interval between one companion's death and acquiring a new one via Animal Friendship.)
|
The only real use currently for a Ranger's Companion (also see definition of a TARGET) is as one of two things... a Mount or a Scout. Both usually end up very dead at some point due to being roughly 3 Hitdie lower than the party it's travelling with.
I think the way of boosting the ranger's companion would be to have it do something similar to the arcane familiars, such as Alertness, possibly more. However that would likely bleed over to the druid as well and their companions are on par already.
I recently ran into the 'rough terrain' difficulty with my druid who rides a boar. The druid(ranger) gets "Woodland stride" & "Trackless step", the companion DOES NOT, something just strikes me as wrong with that situation. You can wisk through the wilderness like a fey creature, but your targets err... companions are left trailing behind to fend for themselves until they can catch up at half-speed.
Another thing, why don't animal companions grow as per natural growth through Hitdie increasing over their normal cap. Example: Boar has a 5 Hitdie cap, when the druid gets powerful enough for the boar to be 6 Hitdie you can stick with the Boar, or drop it like a hot potato and switch to a Dire Boar. If you just use the SIZE ADJUSTMENT table in the back of the MM 3.5e on the Boar, he grows and is just about equivalent tothe Dire Boar. My DM allowed this in my last campaign for both reasons of common sense and RP Theme.
Something to consider making the Animal Companion much better and worth having - is increasing the effective level for advancing the AC; instead of ranger being half-druid level - why not Ranger is Druid level -3 since you get it at 4th level.
It just seems to make sense. Based on the druids advancment chart for their AC, each category spans three levels - thus at Level -3 the rangers would always be exactly one category behind that of the druid.
Robert
|
Something to consider making the Animal Companion much better and worth having - is increasing the effective level for advancing the AC; instead of ranger being half-druid level - why not Ranger is Druid level -3 since you get it at 4th level.It just seems to make sense. Based on the druids advancment chart for their AC, each category spans three levels - thus at Level -3 the rangers would always be exactly one category behind that of the druid.
Robert
That's already done in Jason's [Design Focus]Animal Companions thread.
That's already done in Jason's [Design Focus]Animal Companions thread.
Something to consider making the Animal Companion much better and worth having - is increasing the effective level for advancing the AC; instead of ranger being half-druid level - why not Ranger is Druid level -3 since you get it at 4th level.It just seems to make sense. Based on the druids advancment chart for their AC, each category spans three levels - thus at Level -3 the rangers would always be exactly one category behind that of the druid.
Robert
Oh then It's probably not that bad after all that i just wrote a two pages essay about how and why the animal companion should be changed and then accidentally pressed cancel.
Because that was exactly what I was going to suggest.
I pretty much assume that the Bonus HD inevitably lead to a size increase as appropriate for the critter.
Larger version creatures are mutants. They are not a standard creature getting tougher.
The real drawback to the Animal Companion is that if the critter dies, your character is SOL for a year and a day of game time. (Since as I recall that is the minimum time interval between one companion's death and acquiring a new one via Animal Friendship.)
24 hours in 3.5
"As written" the ranger's animal companion is basically worthless at mid-to-high levels.
Personally, I would rather the Ranger become a more 'focused' class, animal companion frankly contributes more distraction at the game table than benefit barring a particularly skilled player.
I do believe I checked the description of the Animal Friendship spell - which is required to bond the new companion - at the time I made the original post. If the Animal Companion is intended to be disposable critter fodder, they can leave it as written.
If the companion is intended to be a significant factor, then the other alternative frankly needs to "ramp up" with higher Ranger levels or should be discarded altogether.
"As written" the ranger's animal companion is basically worthless at mid-to-high levels.
I taught my companion in a game to "fetch" whenever I dropped my bow to switch to two-weapon fighting. It was quite useful sometimes. But ultimately the companion for the ranger is too weak (as are all standard mounts in the long run).
I do believe I checked the description of the Animal Friendship spell - which is required to bond the new companion - at the time I made the original post.
There is no Animal Friendship spell in D&D 3.5 or PfRPG. That is a D&D 3rd edition spell. In both D&D 3.5 and PfRPG you only need to pray for 24 hours to get a new companion.
"As written" the ranger's animal companion is basically worthless at mid-to-high levels.I taught my companion in a game to "fetch" whenever I dropped my bow to switch to two-weapon fighting. It was quite useful sometimes. But ultimately the companion for the ranger is too weak (as are all standard mounts in the long run).
I do believe I checked the description of the Animal Friendship spell - which is required to bond the new companion - at the time I made the original post.There is no Animal Friendship spell in D&D 3.5 or PfRPG. That is a D&D 3rd edition spell. In both D&D 3.5 and PfRPG you only need to pray for 24 hours to get a new companion.
Jeez, talk about no incentive to care for one's bosum buddy, blea. This again demonstrates the inferiority of sorcerors and wizards - they suffer horribly when their familiar buys the farm and can't just whip up a new one like that. :/
The Animal Friendship spell is in the 3.5 PHB - that is what I was referencing when I made the comment.
"Fetch" is of course just too useful a trick. ^^ Good one on making use of that!