Help with build ideal

[Sir cryosin]

I want to play a great sword wielding ranger. But how should I go about it?

[gfishfunk]

3 routes:

1. Take ranger. Use Great Sword. Go either branch, focus on melee style benefits. Take Defense fighting style, because none other provide a similar benefit.
- Maximize by grabbing high strength, and a 14 Dex (for +2, meshing with Medium Armor).
- Maybe take up Great Weapon Master at level 4 feat

2. Same as 1, but take 1 level of Fighter first to grab Great Weapon fighting style.

3. Same as 1, but take 2 level of barbarian to get some raging in, and gain reckless attack.

[Biggstick]

I want to play a great sword wielding ranger. But how should I go about it?

Is there a particular race or background you're looking to use? What level do you figure you'd be starting at? How far do you think the campaign will go level wise? Once you answer these questions, we can do a better job of building a great sword wielding ranger.

[Addaran]

Seems an hunter ranger with Horde Breaker would work well. Since great swords have awesome damage, an extra attack will be worth a lot, more then the little 1d8 from Colossus Slayer.

[Sir cryosin]

Thos is going to be for the new ravanloft adventure. I wanted something like a vampire hunter that wields a great sword. Lv I have no idea on.

[Belac93]

I believe the game starts at 1st level. I would suggest, if you want an undead hunter, paladin may fit what you are looking for? With vengeance?

If you have your heart set on being a ranger, I suggest you take horde breaker, and a 1 level dip into fighter for fighting style (or 2 level for action surge).

[Coyote81]

If you looking to play someone like Van Helsing, then I think a Rogue with the Swashbuckler subclass is a much better fit then a Ranger. They have access to lots of skills that would make a good tracker of vampires. Acrobatics, Athletics, Deception. Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Perception, Performance. Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth are all class skills that a Rogue can become an expert in. With an appropriate background you can get access to some of the other skills as well.

[PeteNutButter]

As mentioned before, great sword with hordebreaker is a very viable option. I'd go human and take GWM master to start. At lvl 3 you could potentially make 3 attacks so long as you have two enemies and either kill one or crit.

I wouldn't pick up a lvl in fighter for the fighting style until after lvl 5. As an aside it seems odd that Rangers don't have access to the the 2hander style when the character they were based on, Strider/Aragorn uses a great sword. (At least in the films, been years since I read the books.)