Hi guys,
I have an urban ranger (archer) who now has enough xp to get to level 5.
Some options I am toying with:
Swap to paladin now (or at level 6 after picking up many shot)
Swap to bard at level 7 and then on to Arcane Archer
Stay a ranger.
All have advantages.
stats:
s: 16
d: 16
c: 10
i: 12
w: 12
c: 12
feats so far:
Fey foundling
Point blank shot
Rapid shot
Precise shot
Considering deadly aim for level 5 feat.
All advice greatly appreciated.
Thanks :)
that c of 12 does not seem to allow much synergy with pal, bard,arc arch.
Using an animal companion?
Then do not mulriclass into pal or arc archer, the advantages would be outweighed by your wolf stop growing stronger.
arc archer for exmaple is -1 to hit,- 1 combat feat for gaining +d6 elemental damage with 1 lev bard and 3 arc archer.
To compare it more fully:
lev 5 to lev 9 ranger:
+4 to hit, +1 lev 1 ranger spell, +1 lev ranger spell, +2 ref/fort/will, 1 combat style feat, evasion, 2nd favored community + some tracking stuff + 4d10+4con +4 (favored class) HP,+ 4*(6+int) skills
animal companion (assuming boon companion feat) +3 to hit,+3 HD, +2 2 1 reff/fort/will,+ 1 feat, +3 str +2 dex, +4 natural armor, second attack at -5
lev 5 ranger with 1 bard 3 arc archer also lev 9:
+3 to hit,+2 4 3 fort/ref/will 5 rounds +1 inspire courage per day, +1 on all knowledge skills, 4 first lev bard spells(unsusable while wearing medium armor), 1d8+3d10+4con (meaning 5 hp less), (6+4+4+4+4int) skills (meaning 6 skills less), imbue arrow (no decent spells to put into, +d6elemental dam on arrows
animal companion (assuming boon companion feat) +1 to hit,+1 HD, +1 1 1 reff/fort/will, +1 str +1 dex, +2 natural armor
the elemental dam is nice, but i still would stick with ranger
What about Paladin?
Immunity to fear, diseases, better saves, lay on hands healing (way better with fey foundling feat added in), paladin spells, etc.
By the way, no boon companion feat as yet. My guy is currently level 4, going into level 5 ranger or ranger 4/paladin 1.
Problem with multi-classing is that you dilute your abilities - Yes you would get access to Immunity to fear, diseases, better saves, lay on hands healing (way better with fey foundling feat added in), paladin spells, etc but there are issues with doing this... Your character would now be forced to abide by a code of conduct as a paladin- fail to to abide and you will lose access to the abilities you have diluted your character for...
Basically it is up to you whether you do this but you have to have some plan as to the character eventual goal..
Its dependent on role, with paladin 4 skill ranks are lost per level and the animal companion doesnt get better as well.
So if role is also skill monkey and the companion is useful in combat (this is a bit GM dependent, some balk at having a 5th combatant on partys side and invent excuses to hinder companion use), then stick ranger.
If healing and meat shield is required, go paladin (hospitaler).
Important as well is the usefulness of favored community and favored enemies, this is campaing dependent.
At low levels, a broad selection of low level powers sound cool, but as you go up you'll likely find that your abilities don't keep up with the power curve.
Stat out your character at level 10 with different builds, plot out your party members, and do a few scenarios to test it out. Some CR 10, CR 11, and CR 12 encounters doing both the single monster and multiple monster approaches. There is nothing like play testing to see how things will work.
Just to support the importance of whether animal companion is used the stats at lev 9 of a wolf with boon companion and just a non-magical chainmail:
+14/+9 to hit, 2d6+12 +trip, AC 29 (error correct forgot+6 nat AC), 8d8+32 (68hp), CMB +15
Unless the GM proves unwilling thats very useful.
edit:
Thats good enough to keep a CR 9 enemy for some time busy, e.g.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/outsiders/demon/vrock
gets tripped about 20% of the time and has problems hitting wolf.
I mostly just use the wolf to keep people off my guy so he can keep shooting.
But if you do not come close to enemies the paladin lay on hands will not be of much use. Its strength is in battle heal.
As you go up levels, opponents will be able to ignore the wolf completely if he doesn't keep progressing with you. Their CMD and AC will be so high that even the risk of an attack of opportunity from him will be laughable. So they're going to waltz past him, and smack you anyway.
Exactly as eric says, if multiclass wolf will play no significant role, if pure rranger and boon companion it will be useful.
I hadn't really thought of the wolf as an integral part of my character to be honest, he was more for distraction value.
Some number crunching:
Ranger lev 5 with stats of opening post and deadly aim
HP 4d10+10+5 (no con bonus)= 37 ,in truth probably higher nobody seems to roll averages for HP, everybody rolls more, so 40 HP
AC 20 (+1 chainmail), touch 13, flatfoot 17
2 times +1 composite loingbow +5 (=+5(bab)+3(dex)+1(point blank)-2 (rapid shot)-2(deadly aim)+1 (+1 bow)) 1d8+9
has a wolf with effective druid level 2:
HP 3d8+6=19
AC 18 touch 13 flatfoot 15 (+2 dex + 2 natural +3 mwk std leather+1 dodge)
bite +4 (+1 (str)+2 (bab)+1(focus)) 1d6+1, trip +4
vs CR 5 manticore:
https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/bestiary/monster-listings/magic al-beasts/manticore
DPS ranger vs mant AC 17 ~2*( 0.4 (13.5)+0.05 (13.5+0.45*27))= 13.365
wolf 0.35 (4.5)+0.05 (4.5+0.4*4.5)= 1.89, trip chance 1/50
Total dps 15,255, manticore lasts 3.7 rounds.
Manticore dps vs wolf: 0.6*(24.5)+0.05 (24.5+0.65 (24.5))= 16,7 ~1.15 rounds
vs ranger: 0.5*(24.5)+0.05 (24.5+0.55 (24.5))=14,14875 ~ 2,82 rounds
=> manticore reasonable chance of winning, even if manticore does not ignore wolf, with ignoring high chance of winning
boon companion instead of deadly aim:
ranger attack 2 times +7 1d8+5
Wolf
HP 5d8+15=37
AC 21 touch 14 flat 17 (+3 dex +4 natural +3 mwk stud leath +1 dodge) (wolf now more durable than ranger!!!!)
bite +5 (+2 (str)+3 (bab)+1(focus)-1 power attack) 1d6+6, trip +5
ranger dps 2*( 0.5 (9.5)+0.05 (9.5+0.55*18))=11.44
wolf dps 0.4 (9.5)+0.05 (9.5+0.45*9.5)=4.48875, trip chance 1/40
total dps 15.92875 => DPS slightly higher, 3.5 rounds average
manticore dps vs wolf: 0.45*(24.5)+0.05 (24.5+0.5 (24.5))= 12.8625 ~ 2.876 rounds
=> ranger + wolf reasonable chance of winning, if manticore does not ignore wolf, if manticore ignores wolf, still not sure win for manticore, wolf might finish him
=> boon companion gives decent dps boost and large tanking boost
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