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Okay, so I am probably going to be playing in a friend's campaign and this group is known for high-power characters. I have a very cool idea for a character, but I'm stuck as to where to look for building this character while maintaining a medium-high power level.
I'm looking to build a mounted archer, namely one riding a camel. I've decided to start with the Ranger as a base, so as to get bonuses that boost the camel. I've asked to replace the Ranger's spells with full Animal Companion progression, as I am not looking for a magic-using character. I don't need something ridiculously power-gamed, but being able to hold my own would be ideal.
So, that's what I'm looking at. Any ideas on where to start? I'm playing a human, so racial prestige classes for elves and such are out of the question. Assume that I have access to all WotC material as well as all third party stuff that is legitimately well done. If I don't actually have it, I can find it at the FLGS, here or at Drive-Thru RPG.
Ok, usually these things should go down in the 3.0 forum, or general help stuff down at the bottom of the forums, since they are not general discussion but specific help on a specific topic.
However I would suggest looking at the beast master prestige class, and the halfling outrider/ plains rider(I think?) prestige classes.
Ranger is not a bad choice to start with, and nature's bond -- in addition to the new pathfinder AC rules -- stacked on top of a few levels of beastmaster could make a worthwhile companion. The crusader prestige class might be worth a look to as it increases your damage output.
You might also look at the Shaaran Hunter from the Player' Guide to the Realms.
Beast master is in the complete adventurer.
If you are using the pathfinder ranger, you won't need to give up your spells. Putting together all of the 3.5 sources, there are some pretty useful archery related ranger spells. Several of the spells last 24 hours, so you basically just get new class abilities. With the new ranger Animal Companion progression at Level -3, you can be as good as a druid with the nature's bond feat.
If you don't particularly want all the stuff a ranger gets other than Animal Companion, you could play a fighter and take the animal cohort feat (from the wotc website). It isn't as powerful as an animal companion, but it will keep the mount alive, and you will be a much better archer. Animal companion can be a powerful melee ally, but you don't need that, you just need the camel not to die. Animal cohort can cover that. We have always ruled that cohorts get the elite array, so if your animal cohort can get the elite array, it should have enough Con to have good hit points.
At low levels, a camel has enough hit points to stay alive anyway.
A level of beastmaster also boosts your level for Animal Companion by 3, but doesn't help your archery.
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You can take Nature's Bond (completed adventurer I think) to have full druid progression (PRPG ranger animal companion = druid - 3; Nature's Bond adds 3, giving you back full druid progression)
That way you still get spells at 4th. And you want spells, as they will be very useful to you as a mounted archer, as you can have your camel move, cast a spell, and have your camel move again; therefore playing peekaboo to enemies between two large boulders; note that you can also have your camel move, shoot an arrow, and have your camel move again, as per the mounted combat rules; thus a mounted archer never needs to take shot on the run.
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Well, for Ranger-Specific build suggestions:
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Rapid Shot
Improve Precise Shot (not sure if thats still in PF or not)
WF: Bow
Vital Strike
Deadly Aim
Dodge, Mobility, Shot on the Run is ok
Mounted Combat is nice
Mounted Archery is pretty much necessary.
For the Mount:
Natural Bond + Beastmaster (which requires Skill Focus: Handle Animal) will put you at effective druid level of HD+3 for your AC. This was VERY effective in a druid PC I played from Level 1-16 in the Rise of the Runelords AP.
Then, work with your DM and see what critter types are going to be prevalent in the game. No sense taking Favored Enemy: Dragon if you'll never see them in the game, likewise, its cheating (IMO) to take Favored Enemy: Specific Thing I Know Will Be All The Bosses (ie, Evil Outsiders in a certain AP, Giants in another, Outsider (Fire) in yet a third).
Working with the DM will allow you to take useful favored enemies while not going too over the top with it.
As far as tactics go, if you're playing the only ranged combatant, or the only primarily Mounted combatant, be up front and have ridiculous Perception, good Initiative, and good AC. This way, you can scout ahead (possibly stealthily, probably not with the camel) and engage the target, and either walk back while firing full-attacks or shoot-and-scoot back to the rest of the party.
If you have access to the Magic Item Compendium, there are items that increase the bonus on favored enemy for specific types, as well as armor crystals that give a bonus to AC vs. ranged attacks. These will be your friend.
Lastly, do not neglect your melee skills. As a d10, full BAB PC, with a little boost (Dodge, for one, Flanking for another) you can hold your own in melee for at least a bit before someone comes to assist.
-t
My take on mounts is that they are generally a bad idea. Ride them from point A to point B, but don't invest too much of your character's skill, feats, etc. into them.
In the last 30+ years of playing all forms of fantasy RPGs, one thing has been consistent. Much of the game, every game, all campaigns, takes place in areas where mounts cannot go. Dungeons, sewers, building interiors, ships, hostile environments, etc., leaving you without your mount in these adventures.
Sure, some of the game takes place where mounts are very useful. Unfortunately, even here, mounts are often just snacks for the monsters, leaving you without a mount until you next chance to get a new one.
All that time without your mount means that if you have invested a significant portion of your character build on your mount, then whenever these mountless adventures occur, you'll be adventuring without some of your abilities.
That's like adventuring with one arm tied behind your back.
So ride them. Maybe even fight on them from time to time. But I personally wouldn't ever recommend building a character around any kind of mount unless your sure in advance that the campaign will revolve promarily around adventures where mounts will play a significant role.
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My take on mounts is that they are generally a bad idea. Ride them from point A to point B, but don't invest too much of your character's skill, feats, etc. into them.
In the last 30+ years of playing all forms of fantasy RPGs, one thing has been consistent. Much of the game, every game, all campaigns, takes place in areas where mounts cannot go. Dungeons, sewers, building interiors, ships, hostile environments, etc., leaving you without your mount in these adventures.
Sure, some of the game takes place where mounts are very useful. Unfortunately, even here, mounts are often just snacks for the monsters, leaving you without a mount until you next chance to get a new one.
All that time without your mount means that if you have invested a significant portion of your character build on your mount, then whenever these mountless adventures occur, you'll be adventuring without some of your abilities.
That's like adventuring with one arm tied behind your back.
So ride them. Maybe even fight on them from time to time. But I personally wouldn't ever recommend building a character around any kind of mount unless your sure in advance that the campaign will revolve promarily around adventures where mounts will play a significant role.
A couple of things can make this less of a headache when you go into dark and dangerous places.
As a ranger/druid, you can share spells with your mount, or even cast them on him directly. One of my favorite things to do with my dire wolf was to cast reduce animal (Large to Medium-lasts hours), as well as spider climb and the regular gamut of buffing spells (Barkskin, Bull Str, etc.)
This enabled me to have an effective melee combatant that didn't take up too much room in caverns and dungeons, while still being able to navigate and get around same environment. Sure, it's going to take some resources to get that camel walking up walls in the middle of a dungeon, but if your whole thing is riding him and shooting arrows, why not use what you got?
As far as the "monster snack" idea of companions...gear him out with your loot as you would a cohort, keep him out of immediate harm's way when you can, and he should be ok. Worst comes to worst, he's toast and you have to spend a day in the desert getting a new camel.
-t
Just don't neglect your mounted combat feat or your ride skill if you go mounted. Being able to completely negate an attack on your mount is HUGE!