Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Winged_Edge 09-20-07, 02:33 PM	I played D&D like crazy a few years back (not too many) and a few friends and I are doing a reunion game. Sadly, I'm forgetting tons of the information that I used to know off-hand. So I'm coming to all of you. The character concept right now is an Elf Ranger/Horizon Walker (bowman) that travels in an attempt to expand his knowledge. That's the 3rd grade version of it, but it'll suffice. We're only level 3 and I'm looking for feats/favored enemy that would compliment/make sense with the character. I'm looking for "I make sense as a character" not "omg uber, i can defeat all." Also, for the last few years that I did play D&D, it was always forgotten realms campaign setting... in a normal setting, what kind of God would go well with that? There's got to be a god of travel. Thanks in advance, I'm sure I'll be asking more questions as they come up.
CrimsonDeath 09-20-07, 03:13 PM	If you wanted feats and a Favored Enemy to make you more powerful, I could help you with that. (I'd rather do it on the CharOp board, but I could do it.) If you want feats and a Favored Enemy that make sense thematically, I'm going to need a bit more information to suggest anything better than Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, and Favored Enemy: Magical Beast. (Magical Beast is a relatively solid, though not stellar, choice for a Favored Enemy, since there are a few of them at all CRs from <1 to 20.) In the default D&D setting, Fahrlhang (or however it's spelled-- it's pronounced "Far Long") is a true neutral deity of travellers. That sounds like what you may want. Deities of knowledge tend to have more focused portfolios-- such as Boccob (true neutral god of magic) and Vecna (neutral evil undead deity of secrets).
Winged_Edge 09-20-07, 04:57 PM	Thanks! Fahrlhang *scrolls down to check spelling... twice* sounds exactly right. Now that you've mentioned the name, I do remember some stuff about him, I'll look into it more. What I meant by favored enemy, I guess, was what sorts usually seem to be the favored enemies of Horizon Walkers (I'll admit I have some work to do in this district of the character, making sure his personality/mission/etc. match up with the class) . Or, what would ... Fahrlhang ... do? (Wwfd?) If he's got any huge enemies, that'd be great help also. I appreciate the magical beast advice, and I think that's probably what I'll stick with unless there happens to be something radical that comes up. The biggest thing I remember about favored enemy is that Constructs and Undead are terrible, since they can't be crit'ed (and therefore no damage bonus). But maybe that's changed... Edit: It's spelled "Fharlanghn" - Go Wikipedia
CrimsonDeath 09-20-07, 06:09 PM	The biggest thing I remember about favored enemy is that Constructs and Undead are terrible, since they can't be crit'ed (and therefore no damage bonus). But maybe that's changed... That has indeed changed, and it's awesome. Favored Enemy damage now applies even if your opponent is immune to critical hits. This makes Undead, Consructs, Oozes, Elementals, and Plants viable choices. Scout/Ranger multiclass builds (Scout is a base class from Complete Adventurer) use the Swift Hunter feat (from Complete Scoundrel) to apply Skirmish damage (the variety of precision damage dealt by Scouts) to these five types of enemies (conveniently, the number of favored enemies a Swift Hunting Ranger/Scout gets in 20 levels).
Uberwoot 09-20-07, 10:27 PM	I would say that your best bet would be to take a Boy Scout's stance on the matter: "Be Prepared." Be ready for anything, and try not to focus too much on anything. Your goal should be to minimize weaknesses, rather than to emphasize strengths. Feats should focus on your master of the wilderness role: Endurance and Run come to mind as particularly useful, as does Blind-Fight, which provides a unique capability that prevents opponents from taking advantage of a weakness. Self-Sufficient (and perhaps other feats that boost your focal skills, such as Alertness or Stealthy) seems to fit in with the flavor very nicely. Skills to focus on would be survival (an obvious choice), hide and move silently (you don't get to see as much of the world if you scare animals off before you see them), perception (spot and listen should be a no-brainer), and athletic skills (jump, climb, swim). With selection of skills and feats like that, you'd probably end up with a far less than optimal character for combat situations, but you'd certainly be your party's go-to guy for anything wilderness related. /woot
Terjon of the Blue Rose 09-20-07, 11:22 PM	I agree with Uberwoot on the general if not all the specifics. Run will work quite nicely as will blindfight. I don't much care for endurance but Improved Toughness is as good as Toughness at level 3 and better from that point on (+1hp/level Prereq fort +1 I think). Also try to find a copy of PHB2 and look for a ranger alternate class feature called distracting shot. If you have a rogue in the party he'll love you for it.
Winged_Edge 09-20-07, 11:22 PM	Great, the character sheet I threw together for this girl is setting up very closely to what you all are recommending. We're starting at level 3 and I've got a few minor ranks in various skills. I've got 1-3 ranks in things like use rope, climb, swim, etc. Then 5-6 in hide/move silently and others like that. Thanks for all the advice. Its a big help.