Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 aphaedon Nov 11, 2008 0:13:57	hey guys, I'm currently about 4 months into my first D&D game, and I must say enjoying it immensely. My only problem thus far is where to take my Character (class & feat wise). High-Elf, Ranger 5 The Stats: STR: 14 DEX: 19 (inc +1 from level 4) Con: 12 Int: 10 Wis: 14 Cha: 12 Now, in hindsight I should have put 14 from Wis into Int, and 12 from cha into Wis. but too late. The Feats: Point Blank Shot Precise Shot Archery combat style - Rapid Shot Favoured Enemy: Humans +4 (Has been very, very handy) Giants +2 (DM is willing to allow me to change if it is utterly useless in the game). The Skills: Handle Animal: 4 ranks Hide: 8 ranks Kn(Nature): 5 ranks Listen: 5 ranks MS: 8 ranks Search: 6 ranks Spot 6 ranks Survival: 6 ranks The Gear: Longbow, mw, +1 str Greatsword Studded Leather, MW (Purchased to remove the check penalty for Hide and MS mostly). The other stuff: Now, with his skill set he tends to be the one to scout ahead of the party and ambush would be ambushers. And pretty much rakes up a high percentage of the kills for the group, rapid shot has been very successful for me. At the moment in the game he is riding around on a horse, which I think is very unscout like considering the thigns we have been up to, and his background story. I'm only doing this because I need to keep up wiht every one else. I would like to get fast movement and sell the horse, or eat it, either way. What I'm looking for is idea on how to improve his movement speed, and also gain trackless step, the one ex ability I think core rangers should have. I have been looking at dipping into scout for a bunch of levels as I would gain fastmovement, trackless step and skirmish damage, which combined with manyshot at level 6 of ranger could be quite handy. As for spells I tend to only use entangle at the moment, so the XP on legs doesn't get too far away. But as I'm really fairly new to this I'd like some ideas thrown at me for what I could do with this character. Some other information to help you figure out how he fits into the party. The Party: Char 1: Brb 3/Rng 2 - Dex based (rolled porly for stats, going TWF route) Char 2: Brd 4/Src 1 - wanted a familiar... Dm would have allowed to get one via roleplay. Char 3: Rog 3/Rng 2 - Most useless/iritating Rogue ever. unless its social encounter. Char 4: Clr 5 - Nature spec Char 5: Ftr 4/Rog 1 - she likes tumble . . . Char 6: Src 3 - He hasn't been for a few sessions you might say. Yeah people like ranger for some reason. Could be the fact that I kill 95% of what I hit. Thanks in advance.
#2 the_shaman Nov 11, 2008 6:57:47	hey guys, I'm currently about 4 months into my first D&D game, and I must say enjoying it immensely. My only problem thus far is where to take my Character (class & feat wise) What I'm looking for is idea on how to improve his movement speed, and also gain trackless step, the one ex ability I think core rangers should have. I have been looking at dipping into scout for a bunch of levels as I would gain fastmovement, trackless step and skirmish damage, which combined with manyshot at level 6 of ranger could be quite handy. Well, scout is very good for a ranger. Just how good exactly depends on what material (books etc) is allowed, and it would really help if you told us that. For now, I can give you the regular advice: if you can get the Swift Hunter from Complete Scoundrel (stacks ranger and scout for, oh, FE bonuses, skirmish damage, etc) you are going to be golden. This feat is that good. Anyway, a couple of scout levels will help you a lot even without the feat, and getting trapfinding will definitely help if you are the party, welll, scout - you mentioned that the rogue/ranger is not very good, so I guess you might be better than him/her in that as well. By the way, if you don't care too much about your animal companion, look up the Urban companion variant from http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/we/20070228a ; it gives you a more familiar-like animal buddy, which in your case can be much better. You can probably find a few reasons why yourself, right? As for your multiclassing ideas, scout is very good, but if you don't get Greater Manyshot the regular manyshot won't help much as it doesn't work with skirmish damage. The best option in general is using Travel Devotion (feat from Complete Champion), possibly even taking it several times or finding a way to get turn undead so you can burn turn attempts for it. Greater manyshot should work as well, if necessary (it is in the XPH, but you can also find it in the SRD; you do not need to be a psionic character to get it). Other options may be 1-2 levels of fighter (or psychic warrior) and then Peerless archer (Silver Marches book, PrC), or other useful PrCs such as Nightsong Enforcer (Complete Adventurer), Dread Commando (Heroes of Battle), Justice of Weal and Woe (Champions of Ruin, it has some iffy RP requirements) maybe even Wildrunner (Races of the Wild) or an updated Deepwood Sniper (Masters of the Wild, 3.0) etc. PrCs, basically, are like specializations for the ranger; you become better at some things, but less so at others. This, btw, doesn't mean you can't stay in the ranger class; I think there are weaker ones overall, though I don't like how the ranger ability progression dries out after level, say, 11. It's just that in many cases, people want to specialize their character, and a dedicated ranger build is more useful in that regard.
#3 aphaedon Nov 11, 2008 7:47:08	My DM is pretty well open to whatever, so long as its not too rediculous or powergaming to the max. Multiclassing into Scout would be perfectly acceptable. greater manyshot is what I have been looking at as well. being able to fire off a bucketload of arrows to different enemies, would be handy as would all the skirmish damage. animal companion doesn't seem to be doing much for me, as two of ther other characters (excluding our absent sorcerer) have familiars/companions, the useless rogue managed to get hold of a warboar, and the bard has a raven. my character has an owl at the moment, havent really have much us for him as yet though. so maybe if i get a more familiar like one i would make use of it. also the reason i would liek some directionis because, as you said rangers ex abilities sort of stop around 11, and while camoflage and HipS would be nice the extra 6 levels to get it doesn't see all that worth while, whenI could get some similar abilities from other classes sooner.
#4 suin_bahhar_02 Nov 11, 2008 7:57:34	Consider the spellcasting options of a higher level ranger aswell. With Spell Compendium they get a lot of great spells to choose from at high levels.
#5 thewizardofthecoast Nov 11, 2008 8:14:50	Actually, since there are already two people multiclassing in Ranger, I would consider staying straight ranger/prestige classing out.
#6 the_shaman Nov 11, 2008 8:22:31	If you don't want an animal companion or a familiar (though imo the second will be worth your time, but you know your character best) Champions of Valor has a substitution level that gives you 1 more spell slot/level instead. It requires being a part of an order called iirc the Order of the Shooting Star, which is devoted to the FR goddess of magic and pursues rogue magical beasts or mages who cause too much trouble. However, you and the DM can easily decide to remove such entanglements - perhaps your ranger simply has a stronger and more direct spiritual connection to nature, etc. And yes, it's true that some splatbooks have some good spells for rangers, and ranger casting does pick up after level 13 or so.
#7 countmrvhs Nov 11, 2008 9:22:35	I'm doing something similar right now, Aphaedon. My character is currently a human Ranger8. (woohoo 2nd-level spells!) With an owl companion, at least your animal buddy isn't a liability (probably). I suspect a lot of ranger players go for the wolf and end up pretty disappointed in its ineffectiveness. Your bird may not be doing much for you, but at least you're not throwing it into every combat and wasting healing on it. I've referenced the following materials for this build: PHB, PHB2, Races of Stone, Races of the Wild, Complete Adventurer, Complete Warrior, Complete Scoundrel... those are the main ones I think. Also, if you have access to Spell Compendium, be sure to take advantage of all the great ranger spells there.
#8 carnivore Nov 11, 2008 16:07:38	CountMRVHS ... id suggest that you only take 3 levels of Cragtop Archer... then focus on Ranger till the end... the last 2 levels of Cragtop archer are a waste compared to more levels of Ranger, especially with Swift Hunter :D
#9 muertog Nov 11, 2008 16:31:43	Think about trading the animal companion for a familiar-type creature. It allows you to double-dip on your spot/listen checks. Also Quick Reconnoiter (CAd,112) allows you a benefit for finding those pesky invisible and hidden creatures. See about some sort of blind/tremorsense if the DM starts up with that nonsense.
#10 NiteCyper Nov 11, 2008 16:57:56	See about some sort of blind/tremorsense if the DM starts up with that nonsense. Hear the Unseen, two pages back from Quick Reconnoiter, CAd 110. It requires Blindfight though.
#11 aphaedon Nov 11, 2008 23:47:22	ok from what I've read I might just dip into scout for 3-4 levels, maybe a 5th depending on how I like/use skirmish. So level progression from here on out I'm thinking lvl 6: Rng 6 - Manyshot, Greater Manyshot lvl 7: Sct 1 - skirmish +1d6, trapfinding lvl 8: Sct 2 - battle fortitude, uncanny dodge lvl 9: Sct 3 - Fast Movement, Skirmish +1ac, Trackless step, Able Sniper Then back into Ranger. its a loss of 1 BAB, for a gain of a bucketload of useful feats and abilities, and a gain of 6 skill points over 3 levels. There is the option of taking Scout 4th level for a bonus feat I guess. and usign those extra skills to max out Spot and maybe listen. unless you can suggest a more useful skill ? Swift tracker can wait a little bit as the barbarian can track just as well as me. BTW the DM isn't penalising us for multiclassing, just for missing sessions where we gain a decent amount XP.