Increasing rangers damage output core 3.5

[Teapot Salty]

Hey guys. So I recently built a switch hitter ranger (for those of you who don't know it's a ranger that takes archery as favored, takes quick draw and packs a high damage melee weapon for close range) and I'm concerned about the amount of damage I'll be doing at later levels. I mean three or four swings with a greatsword is nice (6-8 d6 now that I think about it) but I want him to do a "wreck all the things" sort of thang. I am human my stat spread is: 16 str, 16 dex, 12 con, 10 int, 14 wis and 4 cha. Limited multiclassing, (I'm really not giving you much to work with am I?) so essentially feats and combos. And as always, go nuts.

[Vogonjeltz]

Hey guys. So I recently built a switch hitter ranger (for those of you who don't know it's a ranger that takes archery as favored, takes quick draw and packs a high damage melee weapon for close range) and I'm concerned about the amount of damage I'll be doing at later levels. I mean three or four swings with a greatsword is nice (6-8 d6 now that I think about it) but I want him to do a "wreck all the things" sort of thang. I am human my stat spread is: 16 str, 16 dex, 12 con, 10 int, 14 wis and 4 cha. Limited multiclassing, (I'm really not giving you much to work with am I?) so essentially feats and combos. And as always, go nuts.

Point blank shot; perhaps the mobility line to get shot on the run (good for using many shot moving in and out of total cover); improved critical; there's not a ton of stuff in core only.

[Teapot Salty]

Point blank shot; perhaps the mobility line to get shot on the run (good for using many shot moving in and out of total cover); improved critical; there's not a ton of stuff in core only.
Wouldn't point blank be rendered redundant because I have a greatsword that I can draw as a swift (or free, I'm not sure which) action?

[Kennisiou]

In core only? Your best options are probably to nab power attack and two hand your melee weapon and to find a way to go assassin to get poison use then manyshot or rapid shot out poisoned arrows by having a mage friend minor creation some poisons for you. Archery in core really has no good means of damage output, so applying effects like poison are your best bet. That and favored enemy and sneak attack are your only real means of getting your archery damage up in core. To deal with enemies that are commonly poison immune (like constructs, undead, etc) get some bane arrows against those creature types. You get a pretty heavy increase in damage against them in exchange for not being able to poison them.

Edit: Point Blank shot is recommended only if you want a feat that requires it. If your DM is a stickler about your ranger combat styles not qualifying you for things that require rapid shot/many shot then you'll have to take point blank shot to actually take rapid shot/many shot (alternately, show him the beginning of Sword and Fist where it says virtual feats count for prerequisites for other feats as long as you retain them, but you lose benefits for those feats when the virtual feat is lost -- it's 3.0 but 3.0 content that isn't updated is valid in 3.5, and since nothing in 3.5 discusses virtual feats that directly contradicts it iirc it's valid).

[Teapot Salty]

In core only? Your best options are probably to nab power attack and two hand your melee weapon and to find a way to go assassin to get poison use then manyshot or rapid shot out poisoned arrows by having a mage friend minor creation some poisons for you. Archery in core really has no good means of damage output, so applying effects like poison are your best bet. That and favored enemy and sneak attack are your only real means of getting your archery damage up in core. To deal with enemies that are commonly poison immune (like constructs, undead, etc) get some bane arrows against those creature types. You get a pretty heavy increase in damage against them in exchange for not being able to poison them.

I'm sure my dm isn't going to be completely opposed to outside of core. (I already have power attack, cause it's great.) So long as it's not one of those okay extra damage here here here and here, overpowered class there, ridiculous feat over here etc.

[Vogonjeltz]

Wouldn't point blank be rendered redundant because I have a greatsword that I can draw as a swift (or free, I'm not sure which) action?

No. It gives a bonus to damage done within 30' as the ranger will have rapid shot he can fire twice within 30' and then swap to the sword if his enemy is likely to close/still alive.

Quick draw allows drawing a weapon as a free action. Do you not have a copy of the PHB then? I would highly recommend buying or borrowing one to pick feats.

[Kalaska'Agathas]

No. It gives a bonus to damage done within 30' as the ranger will have rapid shot he can fire twice within 30' and then swap to the sword if his enemy is likely to close/still alive.

Quick draw allows drawing a weapon as a free action. Do you not have a copy of the PHB then? I would highly recommend buying or borrowing one to pick feats.

Or just use the SRD (http://www.d20srd.org) - just avoid the Epic, Psionic, Divine, and Variant sections, and you'll be fine.

As far as the efficacy of Point Blank Shot on a core only switch-hitter goes, unless you need it to qualify for something else, if you're in that range you may as well be hitting them for Power Attack Greatsword (and Favored Enemy, some of the time) damage. Since you already get Rapid Shot from your Combat Style, I don't much see the need. Of course, it's a better feat than, say, Run, but I'm sure that you can find something better than a situational +1 (which doesn't really jive with your chosen fighting tactic, anyway), even in core.

Now, if you can get non-core stuff in, you'll want Point Blank Shot, so you can get Precise Shot, which is a prerequisite to using the Splitting Enhancement. But at that point, we start wondering about things like Swift Hunter, and that would mean structural changes to your build, so...

[Kennisiou]

I'm sure my dm isn't going to be completely opposed to outside of core. (I already have power attack, cause it's great.) So long as it's not one of those okay extra damage here here here and here, overpowered class there, ridiculous feat over here etc.

Outside of core, Knowledge Devotion is an excellent feat for gaining archery damage (get bonus to damage and hit against enemies via knowledge rolls). If you're allowed to use PHB II's retraining rules, a strong but far from broken combo is to grab the feat Education, a feat only available at level one that makes all knowledge skills class skills for any class you take. Also, if you like the poison archer idea (poison archery is pretty solid all around as long as you have access to poison without breaking the bank, which can be achieved through magic or through rearing strong poisonous animals via handle animal and as long as you have access to ways to scale your poison power levels up to end game either by getting stronger poison from animals/magic or by doing stuff to make it harder for the enemies to save against it), there's a feat from drow of the underdark that removes the chance of accidentally poisoning yourself when poisoning a weapon and allows you to apply poison to a weapon as a swift action. Talking to your DM about one or both feats could definitely improve your effectiveness.

[Teapot Salty]

Now, if you can get non-core stuff in, you'll want Point Blank Shot, so you can get Precise Shot, which is a prerequisite to using the Splitting Enhancement. But at that point, we start wondering about things like Swift Hunter, and that would mean structural changes to your build, so...
Ya, I plan for the character to be more of a stand there and shoot them until they get close enough for me to hit in the face with a greatsword, I do like the poison Idea, I might just talk to my dm about getting the ability to summon poison in exchange for the human skill points.

[Nihilarian]

For archery, see if you can get the best bow in the game. (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a)

[Harlot]

I am currently building a ranger too:

First of all: Though unfinished, this might be of aid:
http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=642.0
(http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=642.0)

If you want more damage, and you're using a composite Longbow, use whatever magic item that increases strenght, as it allows you to add str. to damage.

I agree that point blank shot is not overtly important, however, it does increase damage on short range, and more importantly, it is a prerequisite for Precise Shot which is an absolute musthave.

You could also consider strongarm bracers, increasing weapon size and thus your base damage from d8 to 2d6.

Also, for enhancements, look into collision.
http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/SRD:Collision

And splitting ofcourse. Splitting really is must for any archer. Though pricey. (18.000 gp. enhancement cost!)

Poison: Yeah, at low levels, but at levels 5-6 and upwards loads of opponents are immune anyways. Instead look into Alchemist Arrows.

A lot of this is, ofcourse, not core. For an archer build, Core is not enough. Your DM should allow your ranger to get supplies from other books.

And, lets face it: Ranged damaged can never compete with good melee. It's not supposed to.

[PaucaTerrorem]

Don't forget your one level of barbarian. Any time I play a switch hitter ranger I take at least one level of barbarian. Shoot until they're in range, then rage smash.