How to Build a Better Scout?

[Garnfellow]

Another option could be the survivalist fighter variant from Dragon # 310. Basically, a fighter with more wilderness-oriented class skills.

Interesting -- that's another variant that wasn't on my radar. Clearly I'm not the first person to bang my head against this wall.

How do they balance the new skills? Loss of bonus feats?

 

[Garnfellow]

Another possibility would be investing into the Cosmopolitan [FRCS] feat.

~Marimmar

Interesting, VeeeEEEEry interesting. I didn't know about this feat. It would certainly solve a lot of my problems. Does it retroactively affect skill points?

After checking Google for a description, let me see if I get this right -- You choose a skill you do not have as a class skill. You get a +2 bonus on all checks with that skill and it is always treated as a class skill for you.

I must be missing a hefty prerequisite or something. Doesn't this feat seem considerably more powerful than Skill Focus?

 

[Lord Pendragon]

I must be missing a hefty prerequisite or something. Doesn't this feat seem considerably more powerful than Skill Focus?

It's a Forgotten Realms feat, Garnfellow. They're all rather...potent.

As far as I know, Cosmopolitan is not retroactive. But it shouldn't be difficult for you to move around the PCs feats to fit it in at a low level. The end result would still be a mechanically sound, nearly Core PC.

 

[Blackadder]

Could always just take the stock ranger, up the hp to d10, change "favored enemy" to "favored terrain" (keep the bonus stacking the same, and just apply it to skill rolls and such), drop spellcasting, and give em a couple bonus feats (maybe at the same rate as wizards).

Should be fairly balanced and more or less what you are going for without buying all sorts of extra books to look at alternate rangers.

 

[Nightfall]

Garnfellow,

Try looking over this. Hope it helps.

 

[pawsplay]

This is how to build a better Scout. Start as a Fighter 1, taking Track as your basic 1st level Feat, and putting 4/2 = 2 ranks in Survival. At level 2, take 1 level in Expert. Max out Wilderness Survival and Knowledge (nature, geography, or whatever you're shooting for). Your Expert class is basically a woodsy type. Your Class Skills are: Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Hide, Knowledge, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Advance as a Fighter. Every three or four levels, take another level in Expert and max out skills that are cross-class for the fighter.

 

[Shazman]

Garnfellow,

Try looking over this. Hope it helps.

I don't think this is what he's looking for. The warcraft scout is IMHO the weakest base class I have seen. It's got some interesting abilites, but without spells or some way of getting extra damage like sneak attack or favored enemy bonuses, it will really fall short in combat.

 

[hong]

I don't think this is what he's looking for. The warcraft scout is IMHO the weakest base class I have seen. It's got some interesting abilites, but without spells or some way of getting extra damage like sneak attack or favored enemy bonuses, it will really fall short in combat.

Oh, it's not that bad. It's the only class besides rogue that has both evasion and uncanny dodge, for example; and it gets two good saves, which can be invaluable at high levels. Bump it up to fighter BAB and it should be quite reasonable.

Now the infiltrator, damn, that's a wimpy PrC.

 

[Garnfellow]

Garnfellow,

Try looking over this. Hope it helps.

Thanks for the post. I thought at one point that the Warcraft scout was the same as the Wheel of Time's woodsman. Can anyone confirm or deny?

 

[Garnfellow]

This is how to build a better Scout. Start as a Fighter 1, taking Track as your basic 1st level Feat, and putting 4/2 = 2 ranks in Survival. At level 2, take 1 level in Expert. Max out Wilderness Survival and Knowledge (nature, geography, or whatever you're shooting for). Your Expert class is basically a woodsy type. Your Class Skills are: Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Hide, Knowledge, Listen, Move Silently, Spot, Survival, and Swim.

Advance as a Fighter. Every three or four levels, take another level in Expert and max out skills that are cross-class for the fighter.

I really hadn't considered using Expert levels; thanks for the suggestion. I think this is certainly the way I'd build NPC scouts/foresters/woodsmen. I'm not sure my player would take such a big hit in combat abilities in exchange for skills, though.