hunter / ranger

[MICHAEL SCHOTT]

In the animal companion description it says hunter lvl are my effective druid lvl but in the following passage on nature's training : Nature Training (Ex): A hunter counts her total hunter level as both druid levels and ranger levels for the purpose of qualifying for feats, traits, and options that modify or improve an animal companion.

so does that mean for animal focus , teamwork feats , lvl because in a way it contradicts animal companion ?.?

After playing the hunter which is supposed to be druid ranger I've noticed that there really isn't anything from the ranger, skills from both ranger and druid but you'f figure they'd give a favorite enemy or two or favored terrain or two but nothing . Or even combat style . It appears to me to be a modified druid class and that's it

[Andy Brown]

No contradiction at all. You count your Hunter levels as Ranger or Druid levels as necessary. For animal companion you use Druid = Hunter because if you worked out the animal companion as if you were a ranger you'd be using Druid = (Hunter - 3) so you'd be worse off.

As for what you're getting from Ranger rather than Druid:
Skill points 6 + INT
Tracking
Precise Companion and the teamwork feats is sort of a combat style
Various spells at lower level

But yeah, it's more of a druid

[MICHAEL SCHOTT]

So what does that give or mean in Nature's training ?

track is a skill both druids and rangers get .

a lower bab table no really ranger input to the hunter and 6 skill points its all druid . Why would you call it a mix of druid ranger when its not . You'd be better off doing a druid ranger instead of hunter.

[MICHAEL SCHOTT]

MICHAEL SCHOTT wrote:

So what does that give or mean in Nature's training ?

track is a skill both druids and rangers get .

a lower bab table no really ranger input to the hunter and 6 skill points its all druid . Why would you call it a mix of druid ranger when its not . You'd be better off doing a druid ranger instead of hunter.

my mistake druids don't get track but it still doesn't justify this class ( hunter)

[thistledown]

Hunter gets lead blades / gravity bow at level 1, and a changeable animal focus for things like darkvision or evasion. Why wouldn't you go Hunter?

[Imbicatus]

MICHAEL SCHOTT wrote:

So what does that give or mean in Nature's training ?

track is a skill both druids and rangers get .

a lower bab table no really ranger input to the hunter and 6 skill points its all druid . Why would you call it a mix of druid ranger when its not . You'd be better off doing a druid ranger instead of hunter.

I take it you've never actually seen one in play. You're overlooking the incredible synergy that hunter has with its companion and the power that sharing all of your teamwork feats brings. Pack Flanking + outflank + paired opportunists is incredibly effective and more than makes up for the lack of fighting styles. The early access to Ranger spells is underrated as well.

[Chess Pwn]

The dev have stated that currently nature training does nothing cause there is nothing that falls into it. It's there for future proofing.

Your animal and it's abilities are all from animal companion class feature.

If there was a feat that said,
"Super DOG feat
Druid 5
Makes any dog a super DOG by adding 50 to all stats."

This feat is something the hunter can qualify for cause it counts as Druid for feats that target animal companion. But there currently don't exist any feats like this, so the ability does nothing as of yet.

[Pig in a Poke Tuesday]

Don't forget that a hunter may teach her companion hunter's tricks from the skirmisher ranger archetype instead of standard tricks. I'm currently playing a hunter in Hell's Vengance, those tricks are handy.

[MICHAEL SCHOTT]

I've seen a hunter in play and actually tried to play one but the feel for the class just didn't come. you are under powered and the companion isn't .

if nature's training doesn't mean anything then why print it.

yes early access to spells is ok , if you play with spells usually I play the spell less ranger . Still some of the spells are ok especially for beefing up the hunter

The only aspect I like is the animal focus , its new and different and doesn't take up spells

[Cavall]

Ranger spells are what makes a hunter at the start.

Rangers get spells at level 4 as level 1 spells that a hunter gets a level 1.

Spells like delay poison. Making them the only class in the game that can that.

You're backwards in how you think about spells. Ranger spells in a level 6 caster is amazing.

[MICHAEL SCHOTT]

And I'm not saying they aren't , but other than a few limited spells most are shared with druid . so again interesting maybe helpful.

The other thing is I guess the view on animal companions : see after playing a hunter it reminds me of the Wow hunter , send you pet/ companion in and shot arrows from the back. But truth be told that away to lose you companion . Constantly placing it in danger will cause it to lose affinity to you basically trust . So it may just abandon you after a while . But if you are side by side with them , it shows you are willing to put yourself in danger . making a stronger bond . You can't with a hunter your hd isn't that good .

Guess I'm kinda disappointed it should have and really could have been more .

[Blymurkla]

MICHAEL SCHOTT wrote:

The other thing is I guess the view on animal companions : see after playing a hunter it reminds me of the Wow hunter , send you pet/ companion in and shot arrows from the back. But truth be told that away to lose you companion . Constantly placing it in danger will cause it to lose affinity to you basically trust . So it may just abandon you after a while . But if you are side by side with them , it shows you are willing to put yourself in danger . making a stronger bond . You can't with a hunter your hd isn't that good .

What? What kind of prickish GM do you play with? There's absolutely no rules support for this, and I can't really imagine anyone finding strong thematic support for it. Of course your divinely granted tiger (or what-ever) fights for you!

[the Queen's Raven]

There are melee builds for the hunter. You even choose from precise shot or outflank at level 2. You really have to use the teamwork feats wisely to make this class work.

[Cavall]

Straight up the hunter I'm playing now is melee build.

[Kebede]

I'm a hunter that rides my Axe Beak companion and stabs things with a lance. Sharing the Blades Above and Below feat means we always count as flanking.

[Imbicatus]

Kebede wrote:

I'm a hunter that rides my Axe Beak companion and stabs things with a lance. Sharing the Blades Above and Below feat means we always count as flanking.

It's a cool way to do it, but Pack Flanking does the same trick and works even when you're not riding, or when the target is larger than your mount. You can also take it earlier, assuming you have the 13 int or dip brawler.

[the Queen's Raven]

The sad thing about Nature's Training is that not only is it a dead ability, but none of the current archtypes replace it. That does seem rather wasteful.

[the Queen's Raven]

The more I think about it the less sense Nature's Training makes. If there were no previously existing feats then why make the class ability. Going forward they could just make the prerequisite of any such feats list the Hunter class as well as Druid or Ranger. I believe there are other feats that have multiple classes listed as possible prerequisites.

[Kebede]

Imbicatus wrote:

Kebede wrote:

I'm a hunter that rides my Axe Beak companion and stabs things with a lance. Sharing the Blades Above and Below feat means we always count as flanking.

It's a cool way to do it, but Pack Flanking does the same trick and works even when you're not riding, or when the target is larger than your mount. You can also take it earlier, assuming you have the 13 int or dip brawler.

A fair enough alternative. Sadly, I've only got a 9 int and I'm already dipping other options.

Note that both require you and your companion to threaten the same target. If you have a lance, you have reach but most companions do not. Axe Beak is one of the few exceptions that makes this viable for a reach weapon.