Skald + Animal Companion

[Krell44]

My Skald is nearing level 2, and I was tipped off to the Feat chain: Nature Soul --> Animal Ally --> Boon Companion as a way to give him an effective AC. I was considering either a Camel (mount + spit) or a Wolf. My question is this:

What are appropriate Traits my Skald could take that would be useful with an AC? Anything that adds a bonus to the companion?

[Krell44]

As I sketched the progression out it appears this concept will not really come online until level 7. Seems a bit of a wait for the Feats involved and the actual amount of time to take advantage of them.

Human Skald
Level 1 Feat: Weapon Focus
Human Feat: Most likely Power Attack
Level 3 Feat: Nature Soul (prereq to Animal Ally)
Level 3 Rage Power: Something Fun
Level 5 Feat: Animal Ally (begins at char level -3, so it would begin at level 2 I assume?)
Level 7 Feat: Boon Companion

So, level 4 is the earliest I can take Animal Ally, yet I do not have a Feat to spend until level 5 for it. Then, I cannot Boon it until level 7. Unless......can you take feats earlier than you can use them?

Example: Can I take Nature Soul at 1(yes), and then Animal Ally at 3 (even though I wouldnt get the ally until level 4), and finally Boon Companion at 5?

[Adept_Woodwright]

You can't take feats early, but you can retrain old feats into ones that become available as you level up. This requires GM cooperation, but should be feasible. So, you could take a bunch of dummy feats, and then retrain all of them into that line as soon as it becomes available... Look in ultimate campaign for the relevant rules (I'd link, but I'm on a phone). I'd talk to the GM first and make sure they're on board with the idea.

Disclaimer: Some people aren't fans of this because you can end up with characters who could not be built from a natural progression through levels.

[Deadmanwalking]

You can't take Weapon Focus or Power Attack on a 1st level Skald due to BAB requirements. Though you can swap one of them with Nature Soul if you like and get it at 3rd.

You're right on how Animal Ally and Boon Companion work, though. At least, barring retraining.

[Dafydd]

No, you can not take it early and have it sit there unused. However, I believe you could retrain earlier feats.

Costs some gold, and you need ultimate campaign (and skald is not really covered in there, until they errata that).

Works out to something like
L1 Nature Soul
B1 Power Attack
L3 (doesnt matter as it gets retrained)
R3 Something Fun
L4 Retrain L3 feat to Animal Ally, giving you a first level companion
L5 Boon Companion, turning wolfie into a level 5 companion.

[Krell44]

Ooooh, so I could retrain at a level that I normally dont get a Feat? Retrain my level 3 feat at level 4! Thats incredibly helpful.

[Lune]

Take a look at this thread for some inspiration.

[Hmm]

There is a human trait that adds to animal companions (eye for talent) but it costs you your bonus feat and you look to be feat starved. I think you might choose not to go for it, even though the bonus of +2 to an attibute for your AC is very nice. There are other traits (including regional ones) that give bonuses to handle animal and ride if that is what you are looking for.

As for animals: The camel has lots of RP flavor, and you could ride it earlier than you could the wolf. The spitting attack is great! The wolf you could pretend was a dog, and you could get it into more places. It also has a natural trip ability.

The animals could still be useful at five without boon companion, but they'd just be normal animal mounts. With boon they become really nice.

If you go with an animal companion, be sure to grab a 2PP 5 pack scroll of Carry Companion for those adventures where your buddy is kept from traveling with you. You've put too much of a feat investment in him to be deprived of his company. Or... You could just do the spell off of spell kenning, I suppose. I almost forgot that skalds get that sweet ability!

Hmm

[Krell44]

So, turns out Skalds can not take either Weapon Focus OR Power Attack at 1st level as pointed out by Deadmanwalking. That will perhaps simplify my early level feat choices.

Level 1-Nature Soul
Human Feat-Eye for Talent (not sure exactly how this trait works, but Hmm says it costs my Human bonus feat...but +2 to attribute for AC is NICE)
Level 3-Dodge
Level 4-Retrain Dodge to Animal Ally
Level 5-Boon Companion

At level 5 that gives me a fairly powerful Camel to ride and spit at the bad guys! Although, I am intrigued by the Wolf and its Trip ability if I could calculate a few ways to raise its CMB a bit higher to make Trip more effective.

[Hmm]

Okay so you're going for Eye for Talent?

Awesome! Eye for Talent give you a +2 to sense motive (which is nice, and often useful) and your companion a +2 to the attribute of your choice. In PFS, a great choice is intelligence unless you have a flying mount and are desperate for extra strength and carrying capacity.

Why intelligence? Tricks and feats. An AC with an Int of 4 starts out with 13 tricks -- lots of flexibility to do things like flanking, guarding, aiding and other cool stuff. You also can pick any feat that your AC can qualify for, which opens up a world of tasty feat options.

Hmm

PS Don't feel bad about the mistake about weapon focus. The PFS pregen skald has weapon focus at level 1, and the writers of Paizo should have known better on that one!

[Krell44]

Where do I find the trait "Eye for Talent"?

And, if not obvious once I find it, why does it cost me my Human bonus feat?

Thanks!

[Hmm]

Hmm grumbles about how Paizo uses the word 'trait' for different things: race traits and racial traits are two different things but Paizo has given them far too similar a nomenclature!
___________________________

Okay, back to your question.

It's a human alternate racial trait from the Advanced Race Guide. Scroll down to the beginning of the human alternate racial traits and you'll see it.

You can still have two character traits and select alternate racials for your characters!

Hmm

[Krell44]

I need to buy the Advanced Race Guide now. Paizo runs quite the racket. :)

[Hmm]

On the plus side, it'll be one of your best purchases. It's an awesome book full of stuff you'll use again and again.

Hugs,
Hmm

[Krell44]

Believe me, I would LOVE to play more race choices. Except the PFS really limits the races available which on one hand just does not make alot of sense to me. But it is what it is.

Perhaps one day my son and I will find ourselves a casual home game somewhere that will open up some options to us. He wants to play as a Tiefling.

I would love to roll a Skinwalker, though I am having trouble finding that one as well. I'm guessing it was added in one of the player companions somewhere...hehe.

Don't get me wrong, we are having a BLAST with Pathfinder (and PFS).

[Hmm]

Well... in PFS I've played a human and a half-elf. Yep, I go in for the exotics. :)

But the core races are really powerful, flexible and interesting. That book not only opens up exotic race options (hello, Kitsune & Tengu!) but also some of the most interesting alternate options for the core races, all of which have great options.

I think that I will have to start Kitsune and Tengu race characters the next time I see the Confirmation offered. I want to start them soon in case they get dumped for season 7, because I have ideas for both. I started too late with PFS to start an aasimar or tiefling before the deadline.

I play a kitsune in a home game (the main reason I haven't done one in PFS yet) and just love the race!

Hmm

[Krell44]

I really should start up a natural attacking Tengu or Nagaji before season 7 may start. Any idea when that is slated to happen?

[Hmm]

You have plenty of time. They usually start the new seasons at Gencon, and that's months away.

But I'd rather start the characters in a replayable scenario, and I find that the Confirmation is only offered every few months in my area and fills up quickly!

Hmm

[Dafydd]

Eye for Talent is in APG too.

As for season 7, I think that is next September.

[heyyon]

So... if you're running Skald, I would seriously consider the Badger. It rages, so your Raging Song gives it his regular bonuses.

I may also recommend a different entrance to the animal companion. That is, I would opt into Cavalier 4 (I know, this kind hurts Skald). You had suggested that you liked Camel, so go for it! At 6 ranks in ride, and having Expert Trainer, you qualify for the Horse Master Feat. This allows you to count character level, not cavalier level, as your effective druid level. The added bonus here comes from ditching that silly human suit for your real Half-Orc suit. The teamwork feat you opt into is Amplified Rage (take one level of Skald before Cavalier). Now, that +2 STR & CON from raging song can be a massive +6. I think everyone in the party will appreciate a few fights each day in which the entire group has 16 or 18+ strength.

[Krell44]

Interesting....how exactly does that work? The +6 STR/CON?

[heyyon]

Amplified Rage is a teamwork feat. It says that when two adjacent things are raging, the morale bonus to Str and Con increases by +4. You can share take and share that feat with the Cavalier's Tactician feature. Raging Song allows everything to opt to Rage. Boom, everything turns into a toughness tank for one fight... So long as they stay adjacent to another person raging.