Ok so the title says all. How would you optimize a pet?
I am asking because I am looking to make a Hunter (ACG class. 3/4 caster with druid spell list and Animal companion. also gets bonus teamwork feats that it's animal companion is treated as having) and wondering how best to power up its animal companion. This especially applies since one of its abilities says it counts its full class level as both druid and ranger level for meeting pre-regs in regards to its animal companion.
What are you trying to optimize it to do?
What does your main character do in combat?
Is it a mount, flanking buddy or meatshield?
Oh and I forgot to mention, my pet is a either a Wolf, a quetzacoutlus, giant mantis, or a giant snake. Not sure which yet.
Well I am optimizing for combat. As for the hunter himself, he is an archer. The pet is more of a battle buddy essentially.
I think any of them will be fine, I like the constrictor snake best but the mantis may be better if you expect everyone to be flying around after a certain point. I find trip is great at low level but many things are immune. I also find that many large creatures don't fit in dungeons. This is actually why I like the constrictor snake so much, even if it is large most GM's have the common sense to realize it can fit even if it can't fight well in a 5 foot corridor. You want to get a pet that stops enemies from moving and then shoot them to death, so get precise shot for your character sooner rather than later.
Whatever you choose, you should get the pets intelligence up to 3 so it can get any feat it pleases. If your pet has grab you want improved grapple, if it has trip you want improved and greater trip. If it has constrict look into the Final Embrace feat chain.
I think any of them will be fine, I like the constrictor snake best but the mantis may be better if you expect everyone to be flying around after a certain point. I find trip is great at low level but many things are immune. I also find that many large creatures don't fit in dungeons. This is actually why I like the constrictor snake so much, even if it is large most GM's have the common sense to realize it can fit even if it can't fight well in a 5 foot corridor. You want to get a pet that stops enemies from moving and then shoot them to death, so get precise shot for your character sooner rather than later.
ok. Oh! Hunter's don't need to worry about taking precise shot quickly since their pet gets Precise Companion ability that effectively does the same thing (removes the penalty for shooting into melee with your pet.)
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Those feats have prerequisite feats or ability scores, so make sure you can meet them or find a way around them, Combat Expertise is the big hurdle here.
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Those feats have prerequisite feats or ability scores, so make sure you can meet them or find a way around them, Combat Expertise is the big hurdle here.
True. Thanks for your help. I am not very knowledgeable in non-caster classes so I figured I would try an expand my horizons. And I just got doen watching Princess Mononoke :p
Hijacking this thread as the question applies to me as we'll.
Does anyone know if adding a giant template to a deinonychus (raptor) is OP? So far it's not outshining the group in the slightest but I want to make sure it was legit. Going for a Druid din rider at ll 7 so medium character riding large raptor.
Thanks!
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Hijacking this thread as the question applies to me as we'll.
Does anyone know if adding a giant template to a deinonychus (raptor) is OP? So far it's not outshining the group in the slightest but I want to make sure it was legit. Going for a Druid din rider at ll 7 so medium character riding large raptor.
Thanks!
Normally for a PC animal companion, I would say yes, it is OP to make it sized up for free.
However, if your party consists of a group of highly optimized or high stat builds, then the changes shouldn't be overwhelming.
Realize though that the Raptor gets a number of attacks, and if made Large, all of those attacks would improve across the board, making for a significantly more powerful pet.
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Well I am optimizing for combat. As for the hunter himself, he is an archer. The pet is more of a battle buddy essentially.
If you are an archer, your most powerful ability is full attack from afar. The best way a pet can help you with this is by being a mount : your pet moves while you keep on full attacking.
IIRC, there is a guide in the advice section on the archer ranger that deals with this kind of build.
My take on it : Bodyguard archetype for the mount, Lookout feat for both (teamwork feat, so easier for the Hunter).
Precise shot and Improved precise shot asap are must have for any archer. Precise Companion is nice but you will often shoot at enemies who are in melee with other PCs and it does not cover it.