2Handed Weapon Ranger Help?

[Ace Nex]

So I've recently made a character proto-type, but the only problem is I don't know where to do after 10th level to keep the class great and I really don't want to plateau on usefulness. The entire point of this character is to cause a massive amount of damage on a single target as quick as I can. I'm a human for the skill points and the bonus feat.

1st Ranger: Arcane Hunter (Ranger Favored Enemy Variant), FEATS: Nemesis, Battle Jump (Bonus Feat Human)
2nd Ranger: Power Attack (Ranger Combat Style Bonus Feat)
3rd Ranger: Endurance (Ranger Bonus Feat), Steadfast Determination
Bbrn 1/Rngr 3: Whirling Frenzy (Rage Variant, instead of con and will save boost gives reflex save boost and an additional attack per round), Lion Totem (Replaces Fast Movement) Full attack on Charge
Bbrn 1/Rngr 4: Rhino's charge Spell (1st level ranger spell) desc. deal double damage with first attack on a charge. Animal Companion replaced with Walk of Shadows.
Bbrn 1/Rngr 5: Leap Attack. 1:3 ratio with 2h wep power attack now
Bbrn 1/Rngr 6: Improved Sunder (Ranger Combat Style Bonus).
Bbrn 1/Rngr 6/ Ftr1: Combat Brute (Fighter Bonus Feat)
Bbrn 1/Rngr 6/ Ftr 2: Improved Crit (Greatsword) (Fighter Bonus Feat), Exotic Weapon Prof (Mercurial Weapons)

I know getting valorous on my weapon would also be great, and Serrated/Laminated would too. (Another question, does Laminated stack with Improved Critical?)
I don't know what to do after that. I'm thinking maybe go Warblade from TOB or keep going barbarian. Any advice on items, feats, class progression, or really anything else would be nice.

[LTwerewolf]

Pick up armor spikes and use those as a second weapon, making use of the TWF tree that you get as a ranger.

[Amphetryon]

Pick up armor spikes and use those as a second weapon, making use of the TWF tree that you get as a ranger.

He's not getting that particular tree. He's using the Dragon Magazine (if memory serves) variant to get Power Attack/Improved Sunder, as indicated in his chart.

[LTwerewolf]

My mistake. If there is any way you can fit Sword of the Arcane Order (http://dndtools.eu/feats/champions-of-valor--28/sword-of-the-arcane-order--2875/) into your build it should increase your utility and power.

[Darrin]

Bbrn 1/Rngr 5: Leap Attack. 1:3 ratio with 2h wep power attack now


Note: According to the errata, Leap Attack gives you +100% damage, so you actually get 1:4 ratio with two-handed power attack.



I don't know what to do after that. I'm thinking maybe go Warblade from TOB or keep going barbarian. Any advice on items, feats, class progression, or really anything else would be nice.

If you want to take full advantage of Battle Jump, some form of at-will teleport or dimension door should probably be next. Swordsage would give you access to Shadow Jaunt, and later Shadow Step. Totemist 2 would give you the Blink Shirt soulmeld. Mantled PsyWar gets you dimension hop. Or if you want to keep your BAB, Horizon Walker 6 would get you dimension door every 1d4 rounds.

If none of those appeal to you, then go Warblade and pick up Shadow Jaunt and Shadow Stride via Martial Study.

[Ace Nex]

Note: According to the errata, Leap Attack gives you +100% damage, so you actually get 1:4 ratio with two-handed power attack.

I thought the Complete Adventurer went on to state later in the feat description that if you're using a 2h weapon it's tripled (1:3), not doubled again, but I always welcome the extra damage. The flying/shadow jaunt would be nice and certainly make it easier, thanks!

[Darrin]

I thought the Complete Adventurer went on to state later in the feat description that if you're using a 2h weapon it's tripled (1:3), not doubled again, but I always welcome the extra damage.

The designer, for whatever reason, decided to defy the established D&D multiplication rules (as well as rational thought and common sense) and declared in the errata that Leap Attack does +100% damage, rather than using a multiplier. Frenzied Berzerker can also add +100% damage, so you could get a 1:8 ratio that way, but there are other disadvantages to take into consideration.

Get Valorous on your mercurial thingamabob, buy some Strongarm Bracers (6000 GP, MIC), add Sizing (+5000 GP, MIC) if you don't want to buy a whole new weapon. You might want to look at the Heavy Weapon property in Magic of Faerun (+7000 GP).

[Kuulvheysoon]

If you want to take full advantage of Battle Jump, some form of at-will teleport or dimension door should probably be next. Swordsage would give you access to Shadow Jaunt, and later Shadow Step. Totemist 2 would give you the Blink Shirt soulmeld. Mantled PsyWar gets you dimension hop. Or if you want to keep your BAB, Horizon Walker 6 would get you dimension door every 1d4 rounds.

If none of those appeal to you, then go Warblade and pick up Shadow Jaunt and Shadow Stride via Martial Study.

Third (highly obscure) opinion: If you have access to Dragonmarked, the Blade of Orien is actually a pretty neat class. Just saying.

[Andion Isurand]

Add one level of Exotic Weapons Master with the Uncanny Blow option selected... so the character can use an exotic one-handed weapon in two hands... and add 2x their Strength modifier to damage rolls... and treat the weapon as a two-handed weapon for the purpose of using Power Attack.

You could take the Favored Power Attack feat and get a 3:1 damage to penalty ratio when using the Power Attack feat against your favored enemies.

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Alternatively, you could have gone for a Dragonborn Water Orc ( +4 str, -2 dex, +4 con, -2 int, -2 wis, -2 cha) to gain a flight speed, retain your swim speed, and lose your light sensitivity at the same time (and still qualify for the Headlong Rush feat to double your damage on a charge... as well as keeping the option of the Orc Paragon class to gain an additional +2 strength). Being dragonborn would give you a dive attack that functions like a charge and deals double damage if you're using a piercing weapon. Mechanically speaking (though not thematically) the elven thinblade would be an ideal choice for this situation, given that it is a one-handed exotic weapon that deals piercing damage and can be used in two hands. In addition, you'd have Barbarian & Fighter as your favored classes.

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If you take your 4th level of Ranger, I might be inclined to get the Solitary Hunter ACF in Dragon Magazine 347 pg 91 and trade away your animal companion to get your favored enemy bonus to apply to attack rolls.

If you take your 3rd level of Barbarian, I would look at the Dashing Step ACF in Dragon 349 pg 93 to negate the AC penalty of charging in exchange for losing trap sense.

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For purposes of ambushing your foe... if you commit ranks to Hide and Move Silently (and perhaps try the Darkstalker feat on for size), you might get use out of the Raptor School feat, which allows you to observe your foe for up to 3 rounds to gain up to a +6 bonus on attack and damage rolls on your first melee attack.

[Keld Denar]

I don't see Favored Power Attack in there. With the Arcane Hunter variant, a large number of foes will fall under the heading of "Favored enemy", which means you can PA them for 3:1 before all of the other multipliers are added in (6:1 from the 100% increase from Leap Attack). That starts to get a bit silly, but anything with spells or SLAs will pretty much get insta-gibbed, assuming you can actually reach and hit them.