[3.5]Help with a Fiend Hunter (Ranger)

[Mithril Rhino]

Good Afternoon everybody!
Beforehand i'd like to apologize for any grammar typos, structure of the thread fails, mis-wording of phrases or fails of any kind... English isn't my first language(I'm spanish) and i chose human, so i'm not perfect :smallbiggrin:

The question I pose today is "How can i build an efficient but flavour-full fiend hunter?". I don't need to optimize my way up to the glory but i may need some help because i'm running out of ideas.
I'll add some details so you can help me easier and better:

About the Sources available
I'm restricted mostly to the Core Rulebooks with the possibility of talking my way to feats or (with Banjo's help :elan:) PrCs

About the campaign and the world

·We are actually playing a campaign centered around the idea of an order of Fiend Hunters(That include Evil outsiders of any alignment and their cultists/followrs). While there's no need to be good-aligned, we have to find them, expose them and kill them trying to keep casualties as low as we can.
·The DM stated that healing magic or magic items are scarce at it's best, but we can find from time to time Clerics or mundane ways of healing
·We started at lvl 8, are currently almost lvl 8 and the campaign will be have it main part running through levels 12 to 15
·The mortality rate of our campaign is pretty darn high, so I'm expecting to have a few back-up character sheets "just in case":smallsigh:


About my actual Character
His name's Raziel, an aasimar Ranger of 8th level.
STATS(Already with racial modifiers and level ups, but not enhancement items):
STR 19 DEX 12 CON 16 INT 10 WIS 14 CHA 11

I chose the TWF style, going with a Greatsword and an Armored Glove (Both enchanted +1 Evil Outsider Bane atm), and even if TWF isn't the optimal style it's funny to play.

FEATS
1- Power Attack(PHB)
3- Nemesis(BoED)
6- Improved Initiative(PHB)(Probably can convince him to switch for something far more useful)

ANIMAL COMPANION
I've chosen a Dire Bat. While it's capable of handing on his own in a battle, i prefer to keep it for badassery and travelling (My prior character was an Archer Ranger who got 3 different brown bear companions consecutively killed during 4 game sessions. Oh and a Raven and a Horse), but i may hear your ideas on this.

EQUIPMENT
·The aforementioned +1 Evil Outsiders Bane Greatsword and Armored Gauntlet
·+1 Mithral Breastplate
·Ring of Defense +1 (I think it's called like this IIRC)
·Cape of Resistance +2
·Gauntlets of Strength +3
·Belt of Constituion +2
·Pendant of Wisdom +2
·Some minor goodies (Handy Haversack, skill pumping magic items, etc)

SPECIAL NOTES
I don't have my sheet with me atm so i can't put down my skills, but i do remember having more skill points than usual for balancing issues and maxed Survival, Move Silently, Hide, Profession(Demon Hunter) (Sustitutes Knowledges for fiends and other stuff) and Handle Animal at least.
Also, my master houseruled that my Caster Level is equal to my Ranger Level and regarding my Animal Companion is the same (So I can offset the handicap of being restricted to Core with those awful Ranger Spells)

About the Party
·Raziel (Me), the one who hits the devils with a big chunk of steel while trying to look badass
·Therras, a catfolk ninja/assasin who serves as sparring and from time to time "rogue"
·Purist ThunderRage, human paladin, the party's righteous dork and meatshield
·Fingolfin the Handsome, half-elf sorcerer, party-face, spellcaster, playboy and second sparring

The optimization level is from low to none, being me the one who thinks more about "numbers" but only in an attempt of being effective, not breaking the game and make our DMs cry

Aaaaand all the info i can think of being important is there. If you need anymore just ask for it.
I've already looked over goodies like Improved Favored Enemy, Favored Power attack, the Hellreaver PrC or the Stalker of Karash.... but i can't decide if they are worth it and my friends won't help me :smallfrown:
So now that the cards are on the table the thing i'm asking for is the following:

What feats should I pick to be effective, maintain the flavour of the Badass Demon Hunter or both=
Which items should i think on buying/stealing/looting/begging for?
What other classes and characters could you think of for this setting? As i said, the mortality rate is pretty high, so my beloved Raziel could not make it to the thick of the plot


Excuse me for the long post and thanks in advance for your ideas! :smallbiggrin:

[Haldir]

If you are going to be mostly hunting Fiends then the Ranger might be a fantastic choice, as Rangers excel when fighting their favored enemies and not often elsewise. The real issue you have is being Core-only, as Rangers got much more support in the splatbooks.

If you want my advice I'd take the build you have and finish it out as Cleric, you will be more awesome at smashing fiends than you would be if you continued Ranger, and you can flavor it exactly the same.

[Rebel7284]

1 level of barbarian with the Spiritual Lion Totem alternate class feature from Complete Champion would give you pounce so that you can attack with your Greatsword and gauntlet more than once after moving.

If you take 3 levels of Scout and the swift hunter feat, you can get a bunch of dice of skirmish damage too.

Arcane Hunter ranger alternate class feature could have been useful as most evil outsiders have spell-like abilities.

The Mage Slayer line of feats may help a little bit as well.

[Mithril Rhino]

Wow, those are some hasty responses... Thanks!

@Haldir: I thought about Cleric, but the lose of BAB worried me. Now that I think of it I can get through that with self-buffing and Divine Power. How many levels of Ranger you think would be appropiate before switching to cleric (Or viceversa if I start getting cleric by now and then come back to Ranger). I'll give it a deeper look, thanks!

@Rebel7284: Yeah, the Lion Totem ACF is great, between the Rage boni and Pounce my damage output would skyrocket pretty fast, but the Core-Only'ish thing and the Multiclass Penalties (Yes, my DM is one of those DMs... :smallfrown:). I may talk to my DM though.
About the Scout and the "Swift-Hunter" it would combo pretty well with the Lion Totem and give me another source of damage, but until now I tend to buff-up and reallocate myself for better flanking strategy letting the enemies walk into me.
To finish, the Mage Slayer line of feats can be the real-deal here because to be sincere I don't know which feats to pick from level 9 onwards :smallbiggrin: