|
Dwarf Druid / Ranger (Beastmaster) Build
Going to start the Kingmaker adventure path soon and we rolled d6 in order for stats, so STR 10, DEX 12, CON 16, INT 14, WIS 15, CHA 11
So everyone said, "Great! You can be a druid!"
I have never played a druid, so this is going to be a learning experience for me as I've mostly stuck to melee class types.
I don't know what spells would be good, feat choices, equipment is limited, basically where do I go from here?
As a Dwarf = STR 10, DEX 12, CON 18, INT 14, WIS 17, CHA 9
I'm cool with that. I'm not sure where to go from there. I was thinking the Animal Companion route and I read a bit elsewhere on the forums:
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/campaignSet ting/general/dwarfDruidsOfGolarion&page=1&source=search#0
http://paizo.com/paizo/messageboards/paizoPublishing/pathfinder/pathfinderR PG/advice/dwarfDruid&page=1&source=search#0
Druids from the Kingmaker Adventure path guide:
Many Brevan communities on the border of the untamed Stolen Lands employ druids in roles traditionally held by clerics. Especially in small, rural villages on the edge of civilization, citizens consider a druid’s mastery over nature incredibly valuable. Unlike the fertile farmland of northern Rostland, the waterlogged wilderness of the Stolen Lands and the barren hills of Issia provide little in the way of arable fields, creating a high demand for anyone who can keep the encroaching wasteland under control around what few crops do exist. Many druids in the region venerate Hanspur or Gozreh, focusing more on the latter’s affiliation with water than on other aspects of nature, though adherents to the more general Green Faith are not uncommon. Brevan druids conventionally possess a natural affinity with plants, animals, water, or weather, though those who travel with an animal companion tend to bond with creatures at home both on land and in the region’s rivers.
And I was able to get some good ideas.
I was thinking of naming him Dar Grylls, but below are some of his character ideas for now. Its a wilderness campaign, so this combo should be fun. I think my little guy is going to kick some serious tail and be really useful. And for flavor, I think I'll give him a background as a home brewer/farmer type, i.e. wilderness campaign to create a kingdom, if my Dwarf brews it, the people will come! And, I could work with another players Alchemist Gnome.
I'll start with the Bear as an animal companion, he can help carry my
kegs, equipment, possibly in a little cart and like a St. Bernard, but
it has a keg under it's chin. There are even Dwarven brews and their
effects in the dwarf companion book.
Grylls - The finest Bear Whizz Ale in the Riverlands! - The secrets in
the water, thats why its Yellow!
Level progression -
0 - Brewer / Farmer / former Soldier? - Ninth Legion/Bloodstone
Swords/Pathfinder (Chronicles - Faction Guide)
1 - Druid - Animal Companion - PFRPG Book - p.48 (Bear?)
2 - BeastMaster (Ranger) - p. 124 Advanced Players Guide lvl 1
Beastmaster = multiple animal companions
3 - Druid
4 - Druid
5 - Druid
6 - Druid
PFRPG Book - p.48 Class Level: This is the character’s druid level. The druid’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an animal companion for the purpose of determining the companion’s statistics.
So the ranger/beastmaster level would stack for animal power?
p. 124 Advanced Players Guide: The beast master may have more than one animal companion, but he must divide up his effective druid level between his companions to determine the abilities of each companion. For example, a beast master with an effective druid level of 4 can have one 4th-level companion, two 2nd-level companions, or one 1st-level and one 3rd-level companion.
So I could get a Bear and a Bird, one for ground and the other for air or two cats, big cats that is, or two camels?
Class Skills: A beast master’s class skills are Acrobatics (Dex),
Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Handle Animal (Cha),
Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception
(Wis), Ride (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Wis).
These replace the standard ranger class skills.
Bear - maybe cast enlarge & permanent on him later.
Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 40 ft.; AC +2 natural armor;
Attack bite (1d4), 2 claws (1d3); Ability Scores Str 15, Dex 15, Con
13, Int 2, Wis 12, Cha 6; Special Qualities
low-light vision, scent. 4th-Level Advancement: Size Medium; Attack
bite (1d6), 2 claws (1d4); Ability Scores Str +4, Dex –2, Con +2.
Bird (Eagle/Hawk/Owl)
Starting Statistics: Size Small; Speed 10 ft., fly 80 ft. (average);
AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4), 2 talons (1d4); Ability Scores
Str 10, Dex 15, Con 12, Int 2, Wis 14,
Cha 6; Special Qualities low-light vision. 4th-Level Advancement:
Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2.
I'd also want to use this feat, possibly multiple times:
Boon Companion - Seekers of Secrets - p. 16 - Your bond with your
animal companion or familiar is unusually close.
Prerequisites: Animal companion or familiar class ability.
Benefit: The abilities of your animal companion or familiar are
calculated as though your class were four levels higher, to a maximum
bonus equal to your character level. If you have more than one animal
companion or familiar, choose one to receive this benefit. If you lose
or dismiss an animal companion or familiar, you may apply this feat to
the replacement creature.
Special: You may select this feat more than once. The effects do not
stack. Each time you take the feat, it applies to a different animal
companion or familiar.
I could have a Flock of Eagles/Hawks so by like 5th level I'd have multiple eagles with a few bonus HD each I think. Well it reads to me, that its based off my level so if I'm level 2, then my hawk is level 6?
hmm, if I took Boon Companion for EVERY feat,
So by level 4, if you had it for each eagle, each eagle would count as if you were a L8 druid. oh wait, but you have to split up your druid levels to get multiple animals, due to beastmaster, right?
So let's see. 1/1/1/2 at L4 take the feat 3 times if you're human, you could have L1/L5/L5/L6 eagles or dwarf could have L1/L1/L5/L6 eagles at druid4
Any help / advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!
- H
The beastmaster ability isn't gained untill level 4 as it replaces hunters bond.
A beast master forms a close bond with an animal companion. This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability except that the Ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his Ranger level – 3. The Ranger gains a +2 bonus on wild empathy and Handle Animal checks made regarding his animal companion. Unlike a normal Ranger, a beast master’s choice of animal companion is not limited to a subset of all possibile animal companion choices—he may choose freely among all animal companion choices, just as a druid can.
The beast master may have more than one animal companion, but he must divide up his effective druid level between his companions to determine the abilities of each companion. For example, a beast master with an effective druid level of 4 can have one 4th-level companion, two 2nd-level companions, or one 1st-level and one 3rd-level companion. Each time a beast master’s effective druid level increases, he must decide how to allocate the increase among his animal companions (including the option of adding a new 1st-level companion). Once an effective druid level is allocated to a particular companion, it cannot be redistributed while that companion is in the Ranger’s service (he must release a companion or wait until a companion dies to allocate its levels to another companion). The share spells animal companion ability does not give the Ranger the ability to cast a single spell so that it affects all of his animal companions. This ability replaces hunter’s bond.
Emphasis is mine.
Greetings, fellow travellers.
Looking at your stats, I would advice you to go the "caster route" with your druid, meaning concentrating on spells and leave the wild shaping to utility forms (in contrast to melee/fighting forms).
If you use your animal companion (AC) for carrying stuff - why not take a pony or horse? The bear is fine (though I do not understand why it doesn't grow to large size at lvl 7 when the cat does) - though I would go with a badger (flavor-wise).
Why do you want multiple animal companions? I don't see them adding that much to combat (especially the birds in your case) and they are a pain to keep track off in combat, too.
Also, with so many you will likely neglect them in later levels (side note: birds are not really willing to follow you underground - so depending on campaign they will not be around much of the time; here helps the medium sized bear).
The Boon Companion feat does nothing for you, since you are "full-animal-companion-class" with taking druid and it can never go above your character level (say, you are a level 4 druid, that's your max level for your AC when consulting the table in the druid section about AC advancement). The feat makes sence, if you want to multiclass to a class which does not advance your AC (like fighter, bard, wizard - at character level 8 [e. g. druid 4/fighter 4] you would count as a level 8 druid concerning the advancement of your AC.
Reading the beastmaster (sorry, I do not own the APG) I can see where you are coming from, but again: why do you want so many ACs? Especially with the spread in HD over so many they will be really frail: one fireball and they are toast (literally). As far as I see it, your AC will most likely be used as a flanking buddy for your rogue or figher at the most (I'd advice you to stay out of combat with your mediocre STR and DEX).
But since a druid is (also, and especially considering your stats) a full caster, every level you loose on your casting hurts.
Further, I would advice you to put all level stat increases into WIS, maybe put 1 in CHA.
A way to provide help to your group could be the summoning druid (via summon nature's ally I-IX, remember, like a cleric can spontaneously exchange all his spells for cure spells - except domain spells - so can a druid exchange all her spells for a summon nature ally spell). Following that route for feats Spell Focus (conjuration) and Augment Summoning springs to mind.
Further: Imp. Initiative is always nice, Extend spells (for your buffs) and maybe Lightning Reflexes to help your Reflex save. That should take you to around level 7.
Treantmonk's guide further elaborates on exchanging the AC for a domain (like a cleric) to gain one additional spell per level and day - and is packed with much more good stuff and ideas (and helps you optimizing your druid, if you want to).
Weapons: basically irrelevant for you (take a staff, sling, scimitar and carry them around for surrender situations).
Armor: hide armor or later a wooden breastplate with iron wood cast on it - but why bother when you can change in an air elemental.
Ruyan.
p. 124 Advanced Players Guide: The beast master may have more than one animal companion, but he must divide up his effective druid level between his companions to determine the abilities of each companion. For example, a beast master with an effective druid level of 4 can have one 4th-level companion, two 2nd-level companions, or one 1st-level and one 3rd-level companion.
So I could get a Bear and a Bird, one for ground and the other for air or two cats, big cats that is, or two camels?
Yeah so what it means is that you basically (at level 4 say) have a 3rd Level Bear and a 1st level Bird. The Bird can't talk to you by the way, so is of limited scouting capacity - its still just a 2 Int animal. Except in this case at 4th level youd only have THREE levels to divide, as the level of Ranger dip wont be counting to your Companion level progression, it will simply open the floor to many animals, but not grant its level toward them.
I really dont think you want to worry about having a menagerie of pets frankly. Stick to JUST the Bear and keep him solid.
Otherwise you end up at a fairly decent level with a bunch of companions that will be a trivial takedown for just about any encounter :(
That 9 Cha is going to be a pain when working with animals too, -1 to your handle animal straight off the bat, meaning at level 1 you stick your point into handle animal giving you 3 skill, plus 4 for being a Druid (only with your companion) giving you a total of 7. You need to roll a 10 or better to control your companion - with your stats there is a 10% chance any given command will fail.
Bear is a rip off companion as noted above, in that it doesn't grow at L7, my other HATRED of the system is that Rangers can't get a Bear companion (SERIOUSLY WHAAAAT?) but thats a different gripe.
True, limiting the companions for the ranger seems arbitrary - does he become too strong when having e. g. a big cat as AC for flanking and doing damage - I mean, that's his main purpose anyway: doing damage.
Anyways, I just discoverd the ram for a an AC to druids - now I finally have some viable ("official") base creature to model my nectar-producing celestial dire goat from the realm of Elysium *smiles*
Ruyan.
Ranger dose not help Pet till reaches 4 th level then it add one level then one for each level after 4.
IE
Druid 2 Ranger 3 Pet 1 level 2
Druid 1 Ranger 4 Pet 1 level 2 or 2 level 1
Druid 1 Ranger 6 Pet 1 level 4 or 1 level 3 and 1 level 1, or 2 level 2, or 4 level 1
Enlarge person spell on the bear is not a legal target unless it on your druid or ranger spell list witch it is not.
Kill that idea.
How many folk in party and what are they playing?
I would build elf Ranger Druid Archer that pet to be used as blocker for you.
Or Roc for Flying mount that rain arrows and spell from above.
With about half ranger half druid and use the boon companion feat it add +3 to pet level as log as it does not take pass your Character level.
Or Druid/Monk Wild shaper route and go melee with the pet as a flanker or straight Druid.
Give pet Team work Precise strike and Team Work Flank .
Also have pet ad other you while in the flank so that + 6 to hit.
+4 to hit in flank and +1d6 Damage in flank for both your is nice.
Only need DEX 13 and BaB of +4 and 2 feats
Way better that Weapon Focus and Weapon Specialization that your can not take.
This only gets stronger with more folks that jump on the train.
You will need to raise pet INT so it can take feats that not on it list or give INT Item.
Also need to raise your DEX to 13 or get item to jump on this train as well.
Beg like hell to use the Prestige Ranger from Unearthed Arcana, updated for Pathfinder. The big advantage there is that ranger levels, instead of giving you crap spells, improve your druid casting on a 1:2 basis, so that a fighter 1/druid 6/prestige ranger 6 casts spells as a 9th level druid.
This is about the only way to make a druid/ranger that's not totally gimped.
|
|
First off, Thank you all for taking the time to respond to my post. I really appreciate it.
The Campaign will be the Kingmaker Campaign. So far I only know of one other players Character and he'll be a Gnome Alchemist, a third might be a Human Ranger, myself a Dwarf Druid, we have a fourth player still left to roll his dice and we're always on the lookout for more players that stop in from time to time, yet can't make a full campaign.
Bertious - I can see your point regarding the level 4 requirement for Rangers and the replacement of 'Hunters Bond' for a Beastmaster role,
However, on p. 124 of the APG This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability except that the ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his ranger level – 3. And, on p.50 of the Core Rulebook a Druid can take an animal companion at level 1.
My take away from this is that the Beastmaster gets an animal companion at level 1. I believe the Beast master is an entirely separate class from a standard Ranger class.
RuyanVe - I've never played a 'Full Caster' which is why I have posted here for advice. I had considered a Bear Animal Companion (AC) for the flavor of it. I too am confused by the lack of growth potential for a Bear and had thought to take another AC, though a Dwarf with a horse seems illogical to my thought processes.
Again, the multiple AC's was a flavor thing when thinking that it could be combined with the Boon Companion feat, I thought I could have at least two animals level up with me and still both be about the same HD. I agree that controlling a bird in combat could be a pain.
I'll read up on Treantmonks guide, any resource in a storm is always welcome.
Shifty - Thank you, from reading the Beast master Class, The ranger gains a +2 bonus on wild empathy and Handle Animal checks made regarding his animal companion. So at level 2 with taking the Beastmaster class, I'd add +2 to the 7 I'd have for Handle Animal checks, in addition to whatever points I put into the skill. Unlike a normal ranger, a beast master’s choice of animal companion is not limited to a subset of all possible animal companion choices—he may choose freely among all animal companion choices, just as a druid can.
I'm still wondering why a bear and several other animal companions aren't allowed their full growth potential.
Tom S 820 - I believe the BeastMaster Class replaces the entire Ranger Class option, so the Animal companion is available at level 1.
I like the teamwork feats in the APG and have been working with them with my current group, those seem like great options.
Kirth Gersen - Do you know where I can get a copy of "the Prestige Ranger from Unearthed Arcana, updated for Pathfinder." I would like to look at it.
Thank you all again!
Hope, you weren't offended by my posts - that was not my intent.
I follow you on the bear for flavor - that's why I brought up the badger, because for me, it would fit even better flavor-wise.
For getting a grip on a druid as caster, I can recommend TM's guide (I do not agree on the spell section - but it has solid advice mechanics-wise).
This should give you a feel for a caster druid. I play one in a homebrew setting (my AC being a dire celestial goat from the realms of Elysium, which provides our group with free nectar - mead-flavored - every morning).
My main role is to summon for control purposes, buff our melee fighters (barbarian and fighter), and do more battlefield control with other spells.
So far, I am having a blast (we are lvl 11).
Healing is mediocre at best, because a druid gets the spells late by one level, can't change his prepared spells spontaneously into cure spells and lacks the powerful channel ability.
If you have further questions, I am happy to help. Sorry that I can't help you with the other issues.
Ruyan.
Do you know where I can get a copy of "the Prestige Ranger from Unearthed Arcana, updated for Pathfinder." I would like to look at it.
Step One: Click HERE.
Step 2: What you see was written for 3.5 edition. Get together with DM, compare 3.5 ranger with Pathfinder ranger, and modify the Prestige Ranger accordingly.|
|
Hope, you weren't offended by my posts - that was not my intent. For getting a grip on a druid as caster, I can recommend TM's guide (I do not agree on the spell section - but it has solid advice mechanics-wise).
Ruyan - No offense was taken in anything, I'm always happy to hear others thoughts and takes on the classes. TM's guide seems to have been written prior to the Advanced Players guide. And, I agree with the spell list being sparse at best.
Kirth Gersen - Thank you for the link!
Animal Companion (Ex): This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability except that the ranger’s effective druid level is equal to his ranger level – 3. Source APG page 124.
Therefore not untill 4th level ranger can you have a pet. +4 Ranger class level + -3 effective druid level = +1 Druid level. The big thing you get with ranger it fully open pet list. It dose not give you the abilty any earlyer still level 4th, and at level 5 you can take feat Boon Companion.
I have also been thinking about a Druid/Beastmaster build for an upcoming KM campaign. Some stuff I’d advise you to consider…
As has already been pointed out, you’ll need 4 levels of ranger the get Beastmaster’s additional animal companion levels (and animal companions). Focusing on spells is not really going to be optimal. [ If your group decides it doesn’t work that way, that’s cool, but that’s not RAW.] If you want to go the nature-caster route, play a straight druid.
If you really like the Beastmaster concept, take the Boon Companion feat asap and stagger Ranger with 2-4 Druid levels, focusing on the bear until level about 7th level, after which go exclusively Ranger. Pick up a bird for outdoor scouting - remember a Beastmaster can see through its eyes. You can easily keep it out of danger (for the most part), so it only needs 1-2 levels. Then pick up a mount or indoor-scout animal and alternate your remaining animal companion levels between this animal and the bear.