PF Ranger Switch Hitter

[Xander96]

I was just wondering...what races would be best for a Ranger Switch Hitter? Thanks again guys!

[Slipperychicken]

As always: If you don't know what race to pick, go Human. The extra feat and skillpoint is a strong boost for any build, including the Switch Hitter.


Treantmonk says: Human, Half-Elf, or Half-Orc. Any of those, putting the +2 in Strength.

[grarrrg]

I was just wondering...what races would be best for a Ranger Switch Hitter? Thanks again guys!

Any race with net bonuses to STR/DEX/CON/WIS and net penalties to INT/CHA.
There are quite a few.

Dwarf, Aasimar (variants), Tieflings (variants), Duergar, Hobgoblin, Merfolk, Orc, Oread, Strix, Suli, Vanara...

Is there anything else you care about besides Switch-Hittering?
You can gain some Natural Attacks, Energy Resistances, various Visions, various types of Save boosts, various......

[Xander96]

Yes I care about having darkvision as well. I feel having that is important. Also, resistances are a nice added bonus as well.

I didn't know there were variation of the aasimar. Where would I find that reference?

[Snowbluff]

Yes I care about having darkvision as well. I feel having that is important. Also, resistances are a nice added bonus as well.

I didn't know there were variation of the aasimar. Where would I find that reference?

They get the Tiefling's Infernal Heritage for free apparently. (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-aasimar) Alternate racial traits, galore!

[grarrrg]

Yes I care about having darkvision as well. I feel having that is important. Also, resistances are a nice added bonus as well.

Of the four I have listed, Aasimar and Tiefling are your best bets, as they have more support (more Racial Feats/Archetypes/etc...).


Aasimar (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-aasimar), (stats based on Variant)
Archon Blooded, +2 CON, +2 WIS
Garuda Blooded, +2 DEX, +2 WIS
Resist 5 Acid/Cold/Electricity
Darkvision, and ability to cast Daylight 1/day

Duergar (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/uncommon-races/arg-duergar), +2 CON, +2 WIS, -4 CHA
Various Immunities/Save bonuses, 1/day Self Enlarge Person, and 1/day Self Invisibility
Superior Darkvision (comes with Light Sensativity though, there is a Trait for no Sensativity at the cost of Darkvision range).

Suli (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/uncommon-races/arg-suli), +2 STR, -2 INT, +2 CHA
Resist 5 Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire (yes ALL of them)
Low-Light Vision
Favored Ranger bonus of increasing a Resist by +1

Tiefling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-tiefling) (various based on Heritage, many would work well)
Resist 5 Cold/Electricity/Fire
Darkvision and ability to cast Darkness 1/day

[Snowbluff]

The Asura-spawn are probably the best bet. Wis, Dex, and you get Tasha's Hideous Laughter as a SLA.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Oread is +Str/+Wis (penalty to Cha) and has nice pain-free swaps to get things like bonus AC vs. ranged attacks and poor man's fabricate. Tiefling and Aasimar get better options just by sheer volume, though.

Vanara is Dex/Wis and penalizes Cha. Tengu is also Dex/Wis but hurts Con, making it a poor choice.


The Asura-spawn are probably the best bet. Wis, Dex, and you get Tasha's Hideous Laughter as a SLA.

With what is most likely a god-awful save DC, since as an SLA it is cha-based.

[Snowbluff]

With what is most likely a god-awful save DC, since as an SLA it is cha-based.

Yeah, but at low levels it's better than nothing. :smalltongue:

In hindsight, Oni-Spawn seems the best, overall.

[Xander96]

Of the four I have listed, Aasimar and Tiefling are your best bets, as they have more support (more Racial Feats/Archetypes/etc...).


Aasimar (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-aasimar), (stats based on Variant)
Archon Blooded, +2 CON, +2 WIS
Garuda Blooded, +2 DEX, +2 WIS
Resist 5 Acid/Cold/Electricity
Darkvision, and ability to cast Daylight 1/day

Duergar (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/uncommon-races/arg-duergar), +2 CON, +2 WIS, -4 CHA
Various Immunities/Save bonuses, 1/day Self Enlarge Person, and 1/day Self Invisibility
Superior Darkvision (comes with Light Sensativity though, there is a Trait for no Sensativity at the cost of Darkvision range).

Suli (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/uncommon-races/arg-suli), +2 STR, -2 INT, +2 CHA
Resist 5 Acid/Cold/Electricity/Fire (yes ALL of them)
Low-Light Vision
Favored Ranger bonus of increasing a Resist by +1

Tiefling (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/races/other-races/featured-races/arg-tiefling) (various based on Heritage, many would work well)
Resist 5 Cold/Electricity/Fire
Darkvision and ability to cast Darkness 1/day

I also noticed on that page that Angel-Blooded wouldn't be a bad option either. It gives +2 str/+2 wis. alter self/1 day

Thanks for all the help guys! I appreciate it!

[Xander96]

Oread is +Str/+Wis (penalty to Cha) and has nice pain-free swaps to get things like bonus AC vs. ranged attacks and poor man's fabricate. Tiefling and Aasimar get better options just by sheer volume, though.

Vanara is Dex/Wis and penalizes Cha. Tengu is also Dex/Wis but hurts Con, making it a poor choice.



With what is most likely a god-awful save DC, since as an SLA it is cha-based.

I'm interested to see where the racial feat is for AC vs ranged attacks. I saw something about AC vs ray attacks, but nothing vs ranged attacks

[grarrrg]

I also noticed on that page that Angel-Blooded wouldn't be a bad option either. It gives +2 str/+2 wis. alter self/1 day

Thanks for all the help guys! I appreciate it!

I show Angel Blooded as +2 STR, +2 CHA...

[Xander96]

Well, it's semi helpful anyways for the str portion of it.

[Snowbluff]

I also noticed on that page that Angel-Blooded wouldn't be a bad option either. It gives +2 str/+2 wis. alter self/1 day

Thanks for all the help guys! I appreciate it!

The Oni-Spawn gives the +2 Str/Wis, and the alter self as well.

[Xander96]

Now RP wise how would you play a Tiefling as a good character? I would think it would be rather difficult to do since their nature is evil.

Feedback most welcome!

[Coidzor]

Now RP wise how would you play a Tiefling as a good character? I would think it would be rather difficult to do since their nature is evil.

Feedback most welcome!

It's not always inherently evil or anything like that. The closest I've seen to that is that they find evil is easier to do than good, not that they lack free will(well, aside from the crazy ones which is kind of debatable anyway).

You've run into heroic figures with repressed/suppressed/conquered and vanquished evil sides before no?

[Xander96]

Examples of such?

[Snowbluff]

Examples of such?

Um, no. He asked you the question.

That being said, the tiefling is a fun RP experience. The fluff of being reviled your whole life, but being a hero of good despite this. Tell, who is more good? The aasimar, who helps the people who pampered her and doted over her their whole livies, or the noble tiefling, who helps even though his blood and his peers tell him he should not.

Good tieflings truly have a sense of character that other characters do not, and are able to sympathize with the unwanted in ways others can not.

[jmelesky]

Now RP wise how would you play a Tiefling as a good character? I would think it would be rather difficult to do since their nature is evil.

(Some of) Their heritage is evil, but their nature is whatever their nature is. They're not true outsiders, they're creatures of the Material Plane. Free will goes along with that.

Heck, Tieflings have a pretty awesome favored class ability for paladin. There's nothing there that suggests they're inherently evil.

If you need a model for RP, consider the commoner who has been ennobled. She is under constant suspicion from her peers, sometimes wants to give up and act beneath her station, wants to prove herself to the people around her, but is no less capable of ruling than other nobles. A good tiefling might have similar problems and motivations.

[Coidzor]

Examples of such?

You've never run into anything like that before? :smallconfused:

[Xander96]

I'm sure I have, but I am having a brain fart. Perhaps examples from the Big Screen might help

[Snowbluff]

I'm sure I have, but I am having a brain fart. Perhaps examples from the Big Screen might help

Darth Vader at the end of Episode VI.

[jmelesky]

I'm sure I have, but I am having a brain fart. Perhaps examples from the Big Screen might help

Consult TVTrope's Sliding Scale of Anti-Heroes (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SlidingScaleOfAntiHeroes) for further examples.