Ranger/Swiftblade Build?

[Galvin]

Hey GITP

I need help with a ranger/swiftblade archer build I was thinking of playing.

For the sake of the argument, let's say the campaign would go 1-20, I wanted to include ranger levels, and I want to be an archer.

I need feats, skills anything to help with this build. Thanks

[GutterFace]

I once had a DM let me substitute the rangers TWF 2nd level class feature for the Versatile Combatant feat from Drow of the Underdark book.

that way you can poke and shoot. just take EWP handcrossbow and Handcrossbow focus and pow.

but if your going to be an archer....possibly consider Scout instead for the skirmish?

[Fouredged Sword]

Well if going into swiftblade you need haste from some source.

So lets get it from trapsmith as it can then be a one level dip.

So
Human

Factotum 1 / Ranger 4 / trapsmith 1 / Ranger X / Swiftblade 9 / Ranger X

OR, if the DM allows you to take extra spell to pick up haste off the trapsmith list on a ranger

Factotum 1 / ranger X / swiftblade 9 / ranger X

Note, you qualify for swift hunter as a swiftblade without scout levels. Take it for extra skirmish damage.

Go for greater multishot and spam it twice each round after moving to activate skirmish.

Also, you could possibly go chameleon for haste as opposed to trapsmith, and then use sword of the arcane order shooting star ranger to prep spells out of your chameleon spellbook for casting (only sorc/wis spells though)

Ranger 4 / factotum 1 / Chameleon 1-2 / swiftblade 9 / ranger X

[Galvin]

Thanks. But I noticed that Haste is a 1st level spell for trapsmiths. The 10th level ability says that the affect lasts 1 round for each slot haste is prepared ABOVE 3rd level. What is the ruling if the spell is prepared in a 1st level slot?

[Xerlith]

You can go Mystic Ranger with SotAO to snatch 1-5 Wizard casting. If your Dm is nice, you may be able to qualify for a Swiftblade w/ it. The downside? No capstone for you. :(

[Turion]

Thanks. But I noticed that Haste is a 1st level spell for trapsmiths. The 10th level ability says that the affect lasts 1 round for each slot haste is prepared ABOVE 3rd level. What is the ruling if the spell is prepared in a 1st level slot?
Unfortunately, it doesn't look like it would have any additional effect. First of all, the 10th level ability requires Haste to be prepared in a 6th level slot, which means for trapsmiths, it's right out. (even if you argued that the 10th level ability requires an increase of 3 levels, Trapsmiths only get 3rd level spells, max.)

You also have a problem in that Swiftblade requires you to spend an entire level preparing nothing but Haste spells in your 3rd level slots.


Special: Must have spent the entire previous level using all 3rd level spell slots to exclusively cast haste.

You could theoretically argue that, since you have no third level slots, 100% of them are being used to prepare it, but that is a little bit shaky.

Do you have access to Dragon magazine and/or Forgotten Realms material? If so, you should be able to qualify for Swiftblade with Mystic Ranger from Dr336 and the Sword of the Arcane Order feat from Champions of Valor. Swiftblade does specify that it only progresses arcane spellcasting, but it's arguable that SotAO gives you that, and even if not, Mystic Ranger casting effectively stops at 10th level, so you can go Ranger 10/Swiftblade 10.

edit: rangered. I see I'm not the only SotAO fan around...

[Galvin]

I think I like Sword of the Arcane Order combined with Mystic Ranger the best.

[Fouredged Sword]

Note in my build the 10th level of swiftblade was simply not taken. Timestop as a 6th level spell is nice, but you get only 5th level spells, and thus cannot make use of that level. Better to take 9 levels and get the second standard action and think of that as the capstone to the class.

[Rebel7284]

So Mystic Wildshape Ranger 6/Swiftblade 9/Arcane Archer 2/x3 ?

Seems nice :)

[Turion]

So Mystic Wildshape Ranger 6/Swiftblade 9/Arcane Archer 2/x3 ?

Seems nice :)

It is, yeah, but on an archery build I'd just take the archery specialization and cast polymorph. It's more versatile, and you can use it to turn into an arrow demon at 10th level. I'm an idiot, polymorph doesn't work that way. Still more versatile than wild shape, though. Plus, getting the feats without meeting the prereqs puts Zen Archery on the table, if that's your thing. (The only big one missing is precise shot, and if you aren't using a splitting bow you can get the same effect from two levels of incarnate and Open Least Chakra.)

[A_S]

How attached are you to ranger as the base? Straight wizard actually transitions pretty well into swiftblade, and by being an outsider (neraph or savage progression planetouched), you'll both satisfy the martial proficiency requirement and open up arrow demon for polymorph. The SRD variant that gives wizards fighter bonus feats can be used to grab two archery feats at 1 and 5 (the same number you'd get from ranger 6), and abjurant champion gives an arcane strike equivalent that works with ranged attacks. The down side is you won't feel very gishy until you start getting into swiftblade.

Wizard 6/Swiftblade 9/Abjurant Champion 5 is a good level split that gets you 9th level spells, almost all of the awesome swiftblade features, full iteratives, and a nice simple levelling progression. My favorite tactic with this build is to spend my extra standard action each round on Lightning Leap (dealing damage and triggering swiftblade's skirmish), then unload with a rapid shot full attack, doubled by arrow demon and then doubled again by a splitting bow, using woodland archery for ludicrous attack bonus.

[Galvin]

I would prefer to have a more martial character than the wizard as the base.

[Nightgaun7]

I was just about to make a thread along these lines. My GM is allowing Swift Haste to count for the prereq and I was wondering what that might get me.

[Fouredged Sword]

That gets you in with duskblade I think. That could be interesting. I would seek a way to get long term haste though. You probably want to persist swift haste with metamagic reduction.

[Talya]

1. Mystic Ranger variant with magical training feat.
2. Sword of the Arcane Order, and get Haste in your spellbook.
3. ?
4. Profit with Swiftblade.

It's actually a pretty darn good ranged gish, and the lost caster levels in Swiftblade don't cost you much.

Is it as good as a wizard/Swiftblade? Not as a spellcaster, no, it isn't, but this emphasizes the martial side more than Wizard/Swiftblade. And it's certainly far more powerful than duskblade.

[Grim Reader]

On the subject of the Innervated Speed ability, you can cast a sixth level haste from two Fifth-level slots with Versatile Spellcaster and Heighten Spell.
Thats not entirely satisfactory according to RAW, since you are not casting it from a sixth-level slot, but it may be close enough to pass a DMs approval.

You can cast 3rd level spells from second-level slots the same way. That'd let you qualify for spellcasting with 3 levels of Trapsmith. Once again, proosibly close enough for your DM.