I'm fond of the Freebooter, which also replaces Hunter's Bond and Woodland Stride. You choose an enemy, as a move action, and you and your allies get +1 to hit and damage until he's dead. It gets better every five levels, to a +5 at twentieth.
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We have an oread guide in our group that kicks butt.
Not a big fan of the Freebooter, but it's okay. The ability which replaces Favored Enemy is alright - stronger against single big opponents rather than lots of little ones - but it loses Hunter's Bond for a pretty weak ability. If you come up with a build that uses a lot of standard actions for some reason, then it may be worth it. Likewise if you simply happen to have a really big party.
The Guide is okay, too. You're sure to be able to use the bonus every day, though you're never going to hit the jackpot by picking a FE that happens to be really common in your game. It's best in a game where you tend to only have a few encounters every day, in the same sort of environment.
Haven't tried the Wild Stalker but I don't know why you wouldn't just make a barbarian. ┐(´ー｀)┌
I've been pretty happy with my PFS guide. Granted, deciding when to whip out the ranger focus takes some deliberation, but it does lay down some serious hurt when you do. Also the shared skill bonuses in your favored terrains are very nice. Nobody is ever upset getting perception and initiative bonuses.
Given that I'm playing in PFS, instant enemy isn't as much of a concern since the character will be retired shortly after getting it.
Freebooter is an interesting build. So did they ever errata it and make it a typed bonus?
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Guide and Freebooter are the best choices, IMO. I really don't like Guide's later on swaps, though.
And Favored Enemy isn't so situational if you can cast Instant Enemy and have some 3rd level pearls of power.
What is the concept?
Freebooter makes some lame attempts at being pirate-y but is so flavor-neutral in mechanical execution you could fit to any character that has the slightest aspirations of leading or inspiring others.
Guide is great but Freebooter is even greater.You have unlimited uses of it and its a bonus bigger than weapon training that stacks with everything and buffs the whole party.If you have a freebooter and a bard in the party it gets crazy.
I personally hate both Instant Enemy and Pearls of Power. I hate Instant Enemy because every Ranger uses it. It's a silly reason, but anytime you talk about rangers, you talk about a spell that's not even in the Core RB, combined with expensive Pearls of Power. It's never even been used in one of my campaigns, but I still hate hearing about it as much as I hate seeing Egzimora avatars. I don't even think it's broken (unless a character can somehow afford more than one Pearl of Power), I just don't like it. I hate it as much as I hate every caster in any campaign I'm a part of having Glitterdust and casting it more than twice a combat.
But I'll second the Guide ranger. My most iconic character is a Guide / Skirmisher for the flavor of Two-Weapon Fighting but not having either a bond or spells. I feel he has a lot of options in combat, and can lay the hurt down on a single opponent when he wants to.
Guide and Freebooter are the best choices, IMO. I really don't like Guide's later on swaps, though.
And Favored Enemy isn't so situational if you can cast Instant Enemy and have some 3rd level pearls of power.
Or get Craft Wand, like I plan to.
@magnuskn
Unfortunatelly a wand of instant enemy would require a standard action to use iirc.
@martryn
The spell was created becuase there are DMs out there that don't give players recommendations about what favored enemies to pick and there are even a few DMs out there that actively avoid placing a type of enemy when a ranger has taken favored enemy with said typel. That's why the spell was created, oh and the spell has one weakness (it's range).
@magnuskn
Unfortunatelly a wand of instant enemy would require a standard action to use iirc.
@martryn
The spell was created becuase there are DMs out there that don't give players recommendations about what favored enemies to pick and there are even a few DMs out there that actively avoid placing a type of enemy when a ranger has taken favored enemy with said typel. That's why the spell was created, oh and the spell has one weakness (it's range).
Saadly, too true...
@magnuskn
Unfortunatelly a wand of instant enemy would require a standard action to use iirc.
Hm, I hadn't even noticed until now that IE has a swift action casting time. The advantage of using your highest FE bonus on an important enemy still is worth the standard action, IMO, aside from the obvious ton of other benefits Craft Wand gives the spell-slot starved Ranger.
I personally hate both Instant Enemy and Pearls of Power. I hate Instant Enemy because every Ranger uses it. It's a silly reason, but anytime you talk about rangers, you talk about a spell that's not even in the Core RB, combined with expensive Pearls of Power. It's never even been used in one of my campaigns, but I still hate hearing about it as much as I hate seeing Egzimora avatars. I don't even think it's broken (unless a character can somehow afford more than one Pearl of Power), I just don't like it. I hate it as much as I hate every caster in any campaign I'm a part of having Glitterdust and casting it more than twice a combat.You must really hate Haste then. Every Wizard, Sorcerer, Magus, Summoner, Alchemist and Bard takes it. Even certain Witch builds have it.
Not so. I played in 3.0. I remember Haste when it was legitimately broken. Now I accept Haste. It's not abused to heavily in my current group, despite I think two spontaneous casters having it.