Mystic Ranger SotAO gish spells?

[yugi24862]

I'm building a SotAO gish using a quaterstaff, starting a level 6. This is what I've got so far, But what spells and gear should I have? I'm a diviner for fluff reasons, but apart from that most is changable. Also, no flaws.

Mystic Ranger 1: (Open), Educated
Diviner 1: Weapon focus (Staff, combat wizard)
Mystic Ranger 2: Knowledge devotion
Mystic Ranger 3: TWF (ranger)
Mystic Ranger 4:
Mystic Ranger 5: SotAO

This is a urban campain againsts a monstrous army, so take that in mind.

[Hazzardevil]

I reccomend tenser's transformation first of all.Gives bonuses similer to a rage and gives you full BAB.
Also you mentionde in the thread you're taking shooting star, I reccomend you mention it in the OP.

[Coidzor]

OP: What level are you planning to go to and what've you been thinking for the levels you take?

Unless you're taking Weapon Focus for some specific PrC, go with Power Attack or Improved Initiative for that feat slot instead.


I reccomend tenser's transformation first of all.Gives bonuses similer to a rage and gives you full BAB.
Also you mentionde in the thread you're taking shooting star, I reccomend you mention it in the OP.

+1 BAB isn't really worth losing the ability to cast spells for this guy if he's only going with one to two levels of Diviner.

[yugi24862]

I dont really know where to go, but I'm taking mystic ranger untill 12 for GTWF, so I'll have 7 levels to play with afterwards. Weapon focus is for Ersliv School sytle from DotU, which I'll take at level 12 or 9. I might use my spare feat slot for improved initative, but is there anyway to inprove mobilty? TWF only works on a full attack, so I need to get full attack as often as possible.

Remember, I only have 3 slots for 0th, 1st and 2nd level ranger/wizard spells plus 2 more wizards spells (one must be diviation)

[Coidzor]

There's a number of ways (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103358)to open up full attack options.

Might consider dipping into Barbarian(pounce at level 1 from Complete Champion) & Totemist(some soulmelds and essentia that scales with your level and constitution and gives some natural attacks for the pouncing).

Alternatively, Cleric (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=2773.0)or Cloistered Cleric (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#clericVariantCloistere dCleric) 1 offers the ability to trade domains for devotion feats from Complete Champion. Knowledge Domain for Knowledge Devotion without paying a feat slot for it, Travel Domain for Travel Devotion (allows you to burn turn undead for movement to allow full attacks), and if you served the right deity(edit: Or cause, for that matter.), the War domain would get you that weapon focus without having to spend one of your feat slots on it.

If you're human you can take Able Learner instead of Educated, since the level of Diviner would let knowledge skills be class skills forever. You're only able to get half-ranks at 1st level in several knowledge skills, but they only cost 1 rank each at least.

Edit: What sources do you have available, for that matter?

[Ernir]

You probably want Wraithstrike and Bladeweave. You would want Whirling Blade too, but you'd need to sharpen your hitting stick a bit first. Critical Strike could go in your Divination slot.
Rangers have Rhino's Rush as a 1st level spell. Swift Haste and Lion's Charge can be useful.

These are all in the Spell Compendium.

Luminous Armor (Book of Exalted Deeds) is good if you have the alignment to back it up and some way to easily heal the Strength damage.

I reccomend tenser's transformation first of all.Gives bonuses similer to a rage and gives you full BAB.
Eh, Tenser's Transformation is what is commonly referred to as a "trap". First and foremost because you lose your ability to cast spells.

[Hazzardevil]

You probably want Wraithstrike and Bladeweave. You would want Whirling Blade too, but you'd need to sharpen your hitting stick a bit first. Critical Strike could go in your Divination slot.
Rangers have Rhino's Rush as a 1st level spell. Swift Haste and Lion's Charge can be useful.

These are all in the Spell Compendium.

Luminous Armor (Book of Exalted Deeds) is good if you have the alignment to back it up and some way to easily heal the Strength damage.

Eh, Tenser's Transformation is what is commonly referred to as a "trap". First and foremost because you lose your ability to cast spells.

But that spell is made for wizards who don't have good melee stats.
Rangers do, or should anyway.

[true_shinken]

There is a weapon-style feat for TWF with quarterstaffs in Drow of the Underdark. Eilservs Schools, I think. You can expend charges off your staff during your full-attack routine and other shenanigans.
Also, for full-attack plus move, I'm a fan of Hidden Talent (Dimension Hop).

[yugi24862]

Oh come on, I'm MAD enough as it is (16 14 14 14 14 8), I cant afford the 11 Cha to use it, It was my first idea.

Thats what weapon focus (staff) was for, as its one of the prerequisites. I cant afford even a simple staff at my level, so hopefully I'll get one as loot.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

I'd skip the Wizard level and get the feat Magical Training, which gives you a spellbook from which you can prepare SotAO spells.

Consider taking Wild Cohort (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/re/20031118a), which should end up stronger than a typical Ranger animal companion anyway.

For spells, Bladeweave is an excellent choice, and Blades of Fire could give you quite a bit of extra damage. You should get a few Lesser Metamagic Rods of Extend to make your swift-action spells last twice as long.

If you want to keep the Wizard level, consider picking up two levels in Abjurant Champion so your Shield spell is a swift action to cast, plus both that and (Greater) Luminous Armor will grant an additional +2 AC.

[true_shinken]

I'd skip the Wizard level and get the feat Magical Training, which gives you a spellbook from which you can prepare SotAO spells.

Devious! But does it grant the ability to add spells to the spellbook?

[yugi24862]

Thanks for pointing that feat out, I'll ask my DM if I can use it to prep my SotAO spells. Wild cohort might be a option, and thanks for the spells, I'll look them up.

EDIT: He's already replied ^^^^ :smalltongue:

[Thespianus]

Given my track record these last few days, this advice is probably wrong, but SotAO allows your Wizard caster level stack with your Ranger caster level, right?

If you make it to 2nd level Wizard spells later on, you can go Greater Mighty Wallop on your Quarterstaff, and hand out pretty solid hits even while TWFing, for 1 hr/caster level. At higher caster levels, the damage through size increases gets pretty decent.

EDIT: I'm useless, Greater Mighty Wallop is a 3rd level spell. :smallmad:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Devious! But does it grant the ability to add spells to the spellbook?

"You have a spellbook with three 0-level spells of your choice from the sorcerer/wizard list. You prepare your spells exactly as a wizard does."

"To record an arcane spell in written form, a character uses complex notation that describes the magical forces involved in the spell. The writer uses the same system no matter what her native language or culture. However, each character uses the system in her own way. Another person’s magical writing remains incomprehensible to even the most powerful wizard until she takes time to study and decipher it."

The fact that the character has a spellbook, into which he has already scribed three spells, would indicate that he understands the process of doing so. The ability to add spells to a spellbook is not a separate ability by itself, that's included with having a spellbook of your own.

[true_shinken]

The fact that the character has a spellbook, into which he has already scribed three spells, would indicate that he understands the process of doing so. The ability to add spells to a spellbook is not a separate ability by itself, that's included with having a spellbook of your own.
I understand your reasoning. I thought for a second that spellbook was a class ability, but it clearly isn't.

[Keld Denar]

Tensor's is good if you are only gonna cast a single buff spell and then full attack away like a dumb fighter, but Gish's can do so much more than that. They can cast Wraithstrike when something REALLY needs to die. They can cast Bladeweave to impose status penalties with their attacks. They can cast any number of quickened spells, especially via Circlet of Rapid Casting or similar, and finally immediate action spells like Greater Mirror Image or Wings of Cover.

Tensor's basically shuts down all of those options. And besides, if you WERE gonna do that, there are much better options, like Trollshape.

[Hazzardevil]

Tensor's is good if you are only gonna cast a single buff spell and then full attack away like a dumb fighter, but Gish's can do so much more than that. They can cast Wraithstrike when something REALLY needs to die. They can cast Bladeweave to impose status penalties with their attacks. They can cast any number of quickened spells, especially via Circlet of Rapid Casting or similar, and finally immediate action spells like Greater Mirror Image or Wings of Cover.

Tensor's basically shuts down all of those options. And besides, if you WERE gonna do that, there are much better options, like Trollshape.

What I don't understand is why not be a Tenser's troll?

[true_shinken]

What I don't understand is why not be a Tenser's troll?
You can't cast spells during trollshape and you can't cast spells during tenser's transformation.
You could have one set as a contingency for the other, but I think that's more trouble than it's worth.

[Ernir]

But that spell is made for wizards who don't have good melee stats.
Rangers do, or should anyway.
Tensor's is good if you are only gonna cast a single buff spell and then full attack away like a dumb fighter, but Gish's can do so much more than that. They can cast Wraithstrike when something REALLY needs to die. They can cast Bladeweave to impose status penalties with their attacks. They can cast any number of quickened spells, especially via Circlet of Rapid Casting or similar, and finally immediate action spells like Greater Mirror Image or Wings of Cover.

Tensor's basically shuts down all of those options. And besides, if you WERE gonna do that, there are much better options, like Trollshape.

Tenser's isn't very good either even if you're only casting a single buff for some reason.
What REALLY annoys me about it is that the bonuses it gives are enhancement bonuses, which won't stack with the +4 stat boosters you're most likely packing at ECL 11+ anyway. The natural armor increase is nice, but Alter Self (a level 2 spell, although admittedly an extremely powerful one) does that better. The BAB increase should be trivial for casters that are actually built for melee. And it has a material cost, just to drive it home.

As far as single buff spells go, in core it's competing with Greater Heroism, which is likely to do more for you (in my opinion), lasts longer, and is free.
Out of core, it's competing with Bite of the Weretiger (Spell Compendium), which completely blows it away.