Started a PFS Druid (Eagle Shaman) last night...

[Furthermore]

His basics:
Human (Mehraj) [May rename to Hogesaargh]
Str 13 Dex 13 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 17 Cha 10

Feat: Huntmaster (Bird)
Alternate Racial: Eye for Talent (+2 racial bonus on Sense Motive, +2 to a companion's ability score.)

Companion buddy
Barrok the Golden Eagle (may refluff as Osprey, 'cause they're cooler)
Added bonus to INT and took Weapon Finesse and Hover feats.
Str 10 Dex 15 Con 12 Int 4! Wis 14 Cha 6
Three hit dice! Toughest at the table last night at 19 HP (Two precons, a wizard and a ranged paladin)

It was fun. I learned how to use handle animal and tricks and all that. Barrok used the Hover feat to always attack from above, getting a +1 to hit. (And I now realize I didn't add the small size bonus to hit, ah well, I made the druid quick.)

Adjustments

I think I may move the bonus from INT to DEX, swap Hover for Skill Focus (FLY), making a really, really fast buddy that's good at hitting from above. I'll switch the Combat Training general purpose for the Hunting general purpose as it seems more suited to theme and abilities of the Bird companion. Later on I'll get one of those amulets that adds dexterity to damage if viable for companions (if I can find the book its in). It advances early relative to other characters' companions, so she's ahead of the game in most respects.

Questions:
A) Have I done anything wrong here? (Like, you can't do that wrong, not suboptimally wrong)
B) Any suggestions to improve the companion?
C) Any suggestions to improve the druid himself? Spells to look forward to, feats to take.

I've read the guides and they generally don't advise what I'm doing. I take their advice where it applies as it applies, but mostly I've inferred I'm doing something suboptimal. Well in that case, I'll do suboptimal as best I can!

Thanks!

[pauljathome]

If you haven't already got it, get animal archive. There are lots of new training options that are wonderful with birds (dropping alchemists fire being probably the best :-) )

Once you have a good fly skill hover becomes pretty meh.

Don't forget that you can buy boarding for a bird. As long as there is no armor check penalty they don't need a feat or even a trick (yeah, that is insanely stupid but its RAW)

[Rerednaw]

Furthermore wrote:

His basics:

Human (Mehraj) [May rename to Hogesaargh]
Str 13 Dex 13 Con 14 Int 12 Wis 17 Cha 10

...Questions:
A) Have I done anything wrong here? (Like, you can't do that wrong, not suboptimally wrong)
B) Any suggestions to improve the companion?
C) Any suggestions to improve the druid himself? Spells to look forward to, feats to take.

I've read the guides and they generally don't advise what I'm doing. I take their advice where it applies as it applies, but mostly I've inferred I'm doing something suboptimal. Well in that case, I'll do suboptimal as best I can!

Thanks!

If you have the ARG, I'd consider 10gp for a training harness (+2 Handle Animal checks). For those times you need to push your animal. Or if you'd rather reclaim the feat skill bonus for something else.

You need to have Attack Trick trained twice, otherwise Fluffy..er Barrok will not attack unnatural targets (undead, etc...)

Other than that your character looks fine so far.

Natural Spell when you qualify.
Amulet of Mighty Fists for your Animal Companion once it's buyable.

[Furthermore]

I do have Animal Archive. Came in the mail recently. I'm very fond of that Bombard trick. I think I'll get that next. Flee also seems good. Have a high-flying companion that can swoop in when necessary. (Just recently ordered the Field Guide which apparently has the Agile property.)

Good call on the Harness (I do have ARG). Noted on the 2x Attack training!

Can an animal companion wear a Chain Shirt or does that go against my druid code? I'd probably keep it leather anyway thanks to the Dex bonus. I think I can get that pretty high starting at 4th HD.

Starting 15 Dex, +2 for the Eye for Talent, +1 Str/Dex at 3rd (2nd level), +1 for Ability Increase and +2 Dex/Con at 4th (3rd) as per the alternate benefit at the top of page 53 CRB = 21 Dex, which scales nicely with the Str/Dex boosts.

Basic Feat direction: Skill Focus (Fly), Weapon Finesse, Light Armor Pf, Defensive Feat (Dodge, Improve Natural Armor, Toughness), Power Attack upon qualification.

Question: When can I get the Natural Spell feat, 5th or 7th? I think I would like to spend most of my time in bird-form or otherwise flying. The wording of the Eagle and other Shaman class abilities implies I still get the 4th level ability and then just augments the ability from 6th onwards, but I am not sure how PFS handles that.
This would also determine whether or not I can shove ranks into fly at 4th (wild shape) or 5th (class feature).

Can I safely ignore the Augment Summoning feat? I sure hope so. Applying templates seems like enough of a boon, but what do I know? I'd rather have something like Toughness on myself, as dying is not high my priorities list.

[soupturtle]

You can safely ignore any feat you like, off course. But if summoning is going to be a main thing for your character (and it is kind of the one thing shamans are really good at) augment summoning is incredibly worthwhile. As is superior summoning. The templates thing is just there to let you summon more or less the same bird at different levels, giving you more options. It doesn't make your summoning any more powerful, which is where the summoning feats come in.

As for the chain shirt barding, I'd say that while it's not against the letter of the druid code, it is probably against the spirit of it. Leaf armor is a pretty solid option though. You could also get darkleaf cloth hide barding, which would have the same stats as a mithral chain shirt, but it's medium armor so reduces your companion's speed.

[Furthermore]

I def. don't want to lose speed on that bird. 80 ft fly speed is excellent, and it's exceedingly mobile. It loses movement on hard turns, such that I may invest in the Fly-Over (I think it's called) feat later.

I've got another game in an hour and a bit and have made some changes. I bumped Mehraj's Str to 14, and dropped Wis to 16. I'm hoping to open up some wild-shaping. Dex and Int are still 12. Even if Eagle is my preferred shape, it probably won't be my attack shape. I'll see how Sheleighliliehleh (sp?) works today.

Were I to go Summoning, I'd probably drop strength to 10 and bring Dex to 15, int to 13. I wouldn't particularly need wisdom higher than 16 if I'm not too worried about saving throws.

Summoning tree:
1. Huntmaster, 3. SF (Conjuration), 5. Augment Summoning 7. Natural Spell

Unsummoning tree:
1. Huntmaster, 3. Power Attack? 5. Natural Spell? (If I can take it at 5th) 7. Planar Wild Shape

Unsummoning Dex based tree

1. Huntmaster 3. Weapon Finesse 5. Planar Wild Shape 7. Natural Spell

This of course assumes I can even TAKE a wild shape feat at 5th level. Still unsure where PFS stands on the matter.

[Librain]

For anyone coming to this thread and wondering the same thing, you can't take Planar Wild Shape until you have the Wild Shape class ability - in Furthermore's case, since his wildshape is delayed until level 6 (this is made clear in the APG errata) he cannot take that feat at level 5.