Rangers Getting Ranged Attack Animal Companions?

[Labadal]

Regular lion or one those cool beasts that Galawain can be seen with in the concept art?

[Amentep]

Antelope or Stag...choices, choices.

 

What can I say I like not having the average carnivores we see for rangers.

[Gromnir]

too late to add cassowary we s'pose.  6' o' hissing bird-stoopid ferocity would look & sound nifty when animated.

 

 

HA! Good Fun!

[Labadal]

It's as it is saying: Come at me bro!

[J.E. Sawyer]

Cassowaries are cool and mighty.  Good idea for an expansion animal companion!

[Enigmatick]

If I have an antelope companion and an enemy Ranger has a lion do I instantly lose?

[Elerond]

If I have an antelope companion and an enemy Ranger has a lion do I instantly lose?

 

There is always possibility that lion decides to adopt your antelope and protect antelope against attackers including its own master/companion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSJYIEk5n6o

[Labadal]

 

If I have an antelope companion and an enemy Ranger has a lion do I instantly lose?

 

There is always possibility that lion decides to adopt your antelope and protect antelope against attackers including its own master/companion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSJYIEk5n6o

 

She wanted to let them grow and then eat their succulent flesh.

[ManifestedISO]

No undead ostriches. Am disappoint. 

 

Also, if you've ever played Far Cry 3, you never want to see another cassowary ever again, ever. 

[Pray]

I really dont like that rangers are being pigeonholed into range. I know that's the typical lore, but with the idiot wizard and hyper intelligent barbarian being toted around, I was hoping a melee ranger build would be just as viable as a ranged one, but if we give them a 15+ accuracy at ranged, well that just in a sense, forces you into ranged.

 

And my god I hope there are more pets than just that :D - Also, the wolf should really get a "Pack Animal" bonus, not a speed bonus. (More damage and defense when within proximity of the ranger, or something of that sort).

[Lephys]

^ I guess I'm not sure what you expected from a class called "Ranger." 8P

 

Also, I wouldn't really say pigeon-holed. Range is just their forte, is all. I don't think they completely suck at melee. They just aren't as potentially effective with melee as they are with range.

[J.E. Sawyer]

The barbarian is about as bad at ranged combat as the ranger is at melee combat (actually worse, since the barbarian's Carnage abilities have no effect with ranged attacks).  The wizard isn't good at either and has to rely on the inherent Accuracy bonuses of spells.  All three can benefit from having a high Intellect or a high Might, but the classes still do have a focus to them.

[AGX-17]

Swarms of dreaded pests like rats and locusts. Sure, you're not going to do any immediate damage unless you're going all Dishonored up in this sheeeeeeeeeeit, but hey, you can wipe out a whole year's harvest or spread a virulent plague.

 

I really hope that Rangers get animal companions with ranged attacks.  Or perhaps there will be some sort of stance system where if you hold you animal close to you and don't have them attack, you can get special bonuses.  I guess it will seem a bit like the Wizard familiars.  And since wizards, chanters and priests can cast melee summons, rangers should get familiars too =)

 

Like...? Which animals have ranged attack capabilities? Some fish that spit water to knock bugs off of branches, frogs and chameleons with their sticky-ass tongues (not very long range.) That's about it. If your ranger has trouble knocking bugs into the Amazon, then you're onto something.

 

The point of a ranger's animal companion is, from a systemic standpoint, to cover the ranger's weakness in close combat. They are really just bodyguards to try to keep enemies at a safe distance so the ranger can try to pincushion them in peace without detracting from the party's overall combat effectiveness.

Edited August 9, 2014 by AGX-17

[fangGWJ]

Never thought I would get such hostility/ridicule for suggesting ranged capable animals in a fantasy game with spells and demons.  Especially since there are plenty of animals other than monkeys that fling projectiles at you or use tools. 

 

Even silly little squirrels can be down right nasty and territorial throwing rocks, branches, and pine cones at you.  Otters use rocks to break open shells to get their food.  And raccoons are quite crafty.

 

Plus many games have had swooping birds as sort of a boomerang style attack.  Insect swarms and slithering snakes comes to mind.  Oh and it is not like we haven't seen spine/needle shooting porupine type creatures in fantasy RPG's before.

 

*shrugs*

[Ark Evensong]

Off-topic tangent, but : Demons? I haven't heard anything about demons - in fact, I kinda expect (and hope) there won't be any. (Other fantastical creatures and monsters, sure - plenty of those.)

 

That said, I don't see any inherent problems with wildlife attacking at range. I'm having a hard time thinking of any real-life examples, though (at least at "ranger companion" size), and I can also totally understand keeping to melee for (ease of?) balancing reasons.

[fangGWJ]

Well things like the god touched race and wizards familiars sounded a lot like "demons" to me.

 

And when one race is anthropomorthic fish or sea creatures, and soul wells/tornados demons don't sound like such a big stretch.

[siril_dana]

A flying companion would be better!

 

Edit: Like a hawk or something like that.

Edited August 22, 2014 by siril_dana