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The Primal Hunter archetype for the barbarian has two nice goodies for a ranged guy (one only for archers as I understand it), but both are at first level.
One lets you use composite bows build for greater strength without penalty and increases the bow's strength rating, the other one gives him a bonus to ranged attacks while raging.
As it is worded it sounds to me that the ranged bonus might be something that applies every time he rages, not only when using barbarian rage. In the same way as a crossblooded sorc dip helps a wizard with his wizard spells.
And as some of the bloodline abilities would work great with ranged guys I am now thinking about building a primal hunter (barbarian) 1/ bloodrager x. Not sure which bloodline would be best.
Thoughts and/or advice?
p.s. I do not want to build a dex based rager.
p.p.s. I am not talking about the primal companion hunter.
I can't have adaptive from level 1. But good point.
As for the savage technologist - I'll never play something from the technology guide or in a game that uses stuff from that book.
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I would not dip.
Exceptional Pull generally amounts to +2 damage when raging, which is nice but not good enough to delay bloodline powers, spells, DR, etc. And once you do get an adaptive bow, it's moot.
I do not agree that the +2 on ranged attacks would work on a bloodrage. It's not it's own ability; it alters barbarian rage. Thus the word "raging" in the description indicates barbarian rage. Note also that "Bloodrage counts as the barbarian's rage class feature for the purpose of feat prerequisites, feat abilities, magic item abilities, and spell effects" but barbarian class features are not any of these and do not apply during a bloodrage.
If your GM does allow the attack bonus with bloodrage, then you also lose the will bonus while bloodraging and while that's a good trade for a ranged rager it's not a good enough trade to warrant delaying major class features.
Pick Primal Hunter or Bloodrager and stick with it.
You can't have a composite bow with a strength rating from level 1 either. At level 2 there might be a difference, but not for long after.
I'd thought the bloodrager abilities heavily aimed at melee? Arcane bloodline gives you easier buffs which is about as good as it gets for ranged bloodragers IIRC.
You can't have a composite bow with a strength rating from level 1 either. At level 2 there might be a difference, but not for long after.
I'd thought the bloodrager abilities heavily aimed at melee? Arcane bloodline gives you easier buffs which is about as good as it gets for ranged bloodragers IIRC.
You need a trait for more money but apart from that I do not see what should keep you from buying a comp. bow at level 1.
Some bloodrager abilities work well at range. Destined, for example has only one ability that only worky in melee. And at level 1 you will have to switch-hit for lack of feats.As you said arcane has its benefits and even aberrant would be nice.
For bloodline abilities you do not like there is always the primalist.