Boon companion doesn't do anything for a falconer ranger.
Nowhere in falconer does it say you get a companion at druid level -3. You get him at normal druid level.
if you are taking the falconer archetype, yes, you can skip boon companion. Otherwise, for a normal ranger with an AC, Boon Companion is pretty good.
Reading it, it looks pretty good for the cost of 1 combat feat and limited AC selection. The stagger can be really helpful (bonus points: as long as you hit, it's staggered no save.)
As far as I'm concerned, go Falconer if you want a bird, and anything else otherwise and take boon companion.
Part of the trouble with the Falconer archetype is that a few of its abilities are unclear:
1. By some readings, the Falconer gets a full animal companion the way a Druid does, rather than at -3 effective druid levels the way a Ranger does. The idea here is that the "feathered companion" ability says it works like a Druid's animal companion. If this is really the case, it saves you from buying Boon Companion, which is a better trade for Wild Empathy.
2. When using the "distract" trick, how long do targets stay shaken? Until the end of their next turn? Until the start of the bird's next turn? Until the end of it's next turn? Until the end of combat? It's anyone's guess.
3. Can the bird use distract on multiple targets in a round, or does the ranger have to designate just one?
Generally speaking, I think even with generous interpretations of these vague spots, the Falconer is functional, but not exactly optimal; it's hard to compete with a pouncing lion, for example.
However, I like that the bird is built to serve a purpose other than being a damage machine. Shaken is a nice debuff and there is no save, though the bird still needs to hit; if you can reliably get it to land, casters will love you. You may also be able to find ways to stack it with other fear effects (not intimidate, mind) to frighten.
Swooping Charge is a fine way to open combat against a flat-footed opponent if you have the room, and staggered is a great debuff when fighting single opponents with lots of attacks, but a bonus feat is a very heavy price.
Roam is pretty useless, I'm afraid. It's hard to get excited about a trick that makes one of your major class features go away for up to a week. O_o
One of the downsides to taking the bird companion is that the assumption is that it'll make a good scout. It can fly, and a lot of predatory birds have really good eyesight, right? Well not really. Companions in Pathfinder don't get any racial skill bonuses, so aside from a slightly-higher-than-average 14 wisdom, your bird's eyesight isn't any better than that of any other animal companion, and it's probably a lot worse than a familiar's. The same thing goes for Stealth, while we're at it.
Anyway, talk to your GM about his/her interpretation of those vague spots and I say give it a go.
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I love my falconer. She just about 9th now, in pfs. The bird is pretty fragile at low level (usually it would get one or two hits in, then get knocked out), but once you hit 4th and it gets full HP, it starts to fare pretty well.
Is the falconer viable? Definitely. Is the falconer optimal? Eh, Probably not. I'd still recommend the archetype, if you find the concept appealing in any way.
As a human you can put your favored class bonus into your companion's HP, if that's of any interest to you. If you're going melee, though, I generally find it best to just pose such a threat that enemies will regret not focusing you down.
And it's really just flavour to pick an eagle, hawk, owl, vulture, or other predatory bird. That's one nice thing about picking a bird: they come in such amazing varieties!
and rocs! (as far as I know, I believe that would be a legal choice.)
As for the "fragile" falcon, it's still like anything else: Not dead until negative con, and it's a 24 hour (PFS: new scenario) ceremony to regain as far as I know*... Just keep it safe.
*this is not justification to kill it as you please.
EDIT: from what I read, Rocs seem like a legal choice considering they mention rangers.
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RPG Superstar 2010 Top 8
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and rocs! (as far as I know, I believe that would be a legal choice.)
As for the "fragile" falcon, it's still like anything else: Not dead until negative con, and it's a 24 hour (PFS: new scenario) ceremony to regain as far as I know*... Just keep it safe.
*this is not justification to kill it as you please.
EDIT: from what I read, Rocs seem like a legal choice considering they mention rangers.
Rocs are legal for Rangers outside of PFS, but PFS Rangers have a specific list they pull from.
Either way, Rocs aren't legal for Falconers, since you specifically get the "Bird" animal companion. (At least that's the way I read it. I know there was some disagreement about it recently, and I'm not sure if it got an official answer. Sans word from the Campaign staff, I'd play it safe and stick with the Bird)