Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Dimple the bard 05-31-05, 11:17 PM	howdy everyone. I am a 4th level ranger in the game I’m in now. First time ranger. Found the “ranger’s with class thinger on the D&D web site. And when ever I go ahead to scout, I get bombarded with all kinds of bad stuff :confused: . I don’t understand if I’m just going off at the wrong time or just IN the wrong place at the wrong time, or something to that effect. If anyone has any ideas on what I’m going wrong and/or how I can make it better, please post!
Acirema 05-31-05, 11:23 PM	What kinds of "bad stuff" are we talking about here? What's your race? Any background informatioin that's important or relevant? What's your stats, feats, etc...? :confused: Hook us up so we can hook you up. :D
Dimple the bard 05-31-05, 11:37 PM	well lets see here... STR: 17 DEX: 16 CON: 14 INT: 10 WIS:15 CHA: 8 feats are two weapon fighting, two weapon defense, and weapon focus (long swords) - dont know is WF long sword was a good idea... i fight with two weapons, a long sword and a short sword or sometime if i need the AC ill use a light wooden shield spiked. (1D6 if i shield bash) i have plus 9 to move silent and 9 to hide, so its not like my just walking round saying"hi all you bad guys! whats up?" Last game i was killed and had to be rased. :(
braindead345 06-01-05, 12:06 AM	Are you doing listen and spot checks? Moving silently doesn't help if you move silently into the center of an orc encampment. Before starting off on a scouting mission, ask some questions. What is the terrain? What about light conditions? Ground cover? Which way is the wind blowing? Now, take a sniff of the air and see if you can smell campfires, dung heaps and the like. Walk into the wind for scouting missions, if possible. Smell is one of the things creatures notice more than humans-why handicap yourself by letting the wind carry your scent towards hostile creatures?
StevenO 06-01-05, 12:48 AM	Depending on why you get in trouble scouting so factors come to mind. One is that the DM doesn't want a split party (even if your lead is small) and doesn't want you to learn about any surprises before the rest of the group. Another possibility is that your scouting approach may be wrong, to be a good scout you need to learn of the danger and report back to the rest of the party so they don't blindly charge in. Don't think you can handle a situation by yourself, it's better to slip away and warn the group than to get in over your head. Also as Braindead hints at your DM may want a lot more involvement in the details of your scouting. Spot and Listen checks (which are free actions the first time) should be made by the DM frequently (even if there's nothing to see.) You may want to remind the DM that the character's skills indicate what it can do better than you just describing their use.
Kintara 06-01-05, 03:37 AM	Scouting can be both very fun and very dangerous. The fun thing is that you get to have the story to yourself for a while. Scouts get to see everything first. The other good thing about being the scout is that sometimes you get the jump on them. It's a lot of fun to be the scout if you can go all ninja, and take out a couple guys quietly. My Psychic Rogue had fun doing this sort of thing (but, yeah, very dangerous). Rangers should probably stick to staying hidden and alerting the party, though. Rogues are more able to lay down the type of damage necessary to take out someone before they can act. Remaining undetected is also paramount. Scouting is hard. Don't be ashamed about taking extra precautions. Buy items to improve your stealth abilities. You want to have a nice buffer to keep things safe for you. Don't leave the shadows/brush, if possible. Rangers get spells, some of which can improve your stealth and/or sensory abilities. Forestfold (Complete Adventurer) gives you a hefty bonus to your Stealth skills, for instance, while in a certain terrain.
Andrew_980 06-01-05, 01:29 PM	what kind of campeign do you play? modular style ones (like the RPGA living campeigns) have unavoidable situations that no gear or skill can prevent. if not discuss it with your dm maybe he is too accustome to players that blindly run into every encounter instead of having a scout so he is unprepaired to deal with your playstyle