[3.5] Ranger "Undead Stalker" DMG variant. Optimization Challenge

[Rizban]

The 3.5 Dungeon Master's Guide presents a guide for modifying character classes and presents two different classes. One of the examples given is a variant Ranger called the Undead Stalker, which I will reproduce below. It seems interesting in very specific applications, and I'm wondering just how the others here in the Playground would go about optimizing this semi-official class.

Some guidelines
You must have a minimum of 3 levels in Undead Stalker. This is as much for flavor as anything, but primarily it is so that all newly included class features of the variant see play in some manner.
Assume that the game in which this build will be played will see 80-90% undead enemies, so the heavy undead focus will not be a major drawback but also not a universal benefit.
Undead Stalker counts as Ranger for the purposes of multiclassing. You can't have levels in both classes.
Favored Enemy (Undead), Strike Undead, and Smite Undead are treated as standard Favored Enemy, Sneak Attack, and Smite Evil/Smite X respectively for the purposes of meeting prerequisites and PrC progression, unless noted otherwise.
All Ranger alternate class features and class variants for which the class can legally qualify are available, as are most rogue or paladin ACFs that can now be legally obtained. However, the build should retain the new features it has acquired from Undead Stalker, but this isn't an absolute requirement.
All official 3.5 material is available (books, web enhancements, web articles, etc.), as is 3.0 material which has not seen a 3.5 update. Up to 2 traits and/or flaws.



The Undead Stalker RangerLevelBABFortRefWillSpecial
1+1
+2
+2
+0Favored enemy (Undead) +2, strike undead +1d6, Track, wild empathy
2+2
+3
+3
+0Combat style
3+3
+3
+3
+1Endurance, smite undead 1/day, strike undead +2d6
4+4
+4
+4
+1Animal companion
5+5
+4
+4
+1Favored enemy (Undead) +4, strike undead +3d6
6+6+1
+5
+5
+2Improved combat style
7+7+2
+5
+5
+2Smite undead 2/day, strike undead +4d6, woodland stride
8+8+3
+6
+6
+2Swift tracker
9+9+4
+6
+6
+3Evasion, strike undead +5d6
10+10+5
+7
+7
+3Favored enemy (Undead) +6
11+11+6+1
+7
+7
+3Combat style mastery, strike undead +6d6
12+12+7+2
+8
+8
+4Smite undead 3/day
13+13+8+3
+8
+8
+4Camouflage, strike undead +7d6
14+14+9+4
+9
+9
+4-
15+15+10+5
+9
+9
+5Favored enemy (Undead) +8, strike undead +8d6
16+16+11+6+1
+10
+10
+5-
17+17+12+7+2
+10
+10
+5Hide in plain sight, smite undead 4/day, strike undead +9d6
18+18+13+8+3
+11
+11
+6-
19+19+14+9+4
+11
+11
+6Strike undead +10d6
20+20+15+10+5
+12
+12
+6Favored enemy (Undead) +10


Class Skills (6+Int). Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Use Rope (Dex).
Weapon/Armor Proficiency: Undead Stalkers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, shortbow, and short sword, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Track and Wild Empathy As Ranger.

Favored Enemy (Undead) (Ex). As Ranger, but applies only to undead. No additional choices at higher level. Bonus does increase with level.

Strike Undead (Ex): As the Rogue's sneak attack ability, but it applies only to undead, bypassing an undead creature's normal immunity to sneak attack.

Combat Style, et. al (Ex): As Ranger.

Endurance: As Ranger.

Smite Undead (Su): As the Paladin's smite evil ability, but it applies only to undead. Uses per day as given on the above table.

Animal Companion, Woodland Stride, Swift Tracker, Evasion, Camouflage, and Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): All as Ranger.


Undead Stalker Spell List
The DMG doesn't given an official spell list, but it does give guidance on how to modify it. I have followed those guidelines in compiling the list below, with the exception of maintaining a few Ranger spells that don't strictly fall into theme but seem too meaningful to the class to simply delete.

I have stayed entirely within the SRD and tried to maintain the same overall number of available spells at any give spell level. If there are other spells from other sources (such as the Spell Compendium) which follow the guidelines or other SRD spells that you feel should be included, feel free to include them in any responses.

1st-Level Undead Stalker Spells

Alarm: Wards an area for 2 hours/level.
Delay Poison: Stops poison from harming subject for 1 hour/level.
Detect Poison: Detects poison in one creature or object.
Detect Snares and Pits: Reveals natural or primitive traps.
Detect Undead: Reveals undead within 60 ft.
Disguise Self: Changes your appearance.
Endure Elements: Exist comfortably in hot or cold environments.
Entangle: Plants entangle everyone in 40-ft.-radius circle.
Feather Fall: Objects or creatures fall slowly.
Ghost Sound: Figment sounds.
Hide from Undead: Undead can’t perceive one subject/level.
Jump: Subject gets bonus on Jump checks.
Longstrider: Increases your speed.
Magic Fang: One natural weapon of subject creature gets +1 on attack and damage rolls.
Magic Weapon: Weapon gains +1 bonus.
Obscuring Mist: Fog surrounds you.
Pass without Trace: One subject/level leaves no tracks.
Protection from Evil: +2 to AC and saves, counter mind control, hedge out elementals and outsiders.
Read Magic: Read scrolls and spellbooks.
Resist Energy: Ignores 10 (or more) points of damage/attack from specified energy type.
Summon Nature’s Ally I: Calls creature to fight.

2nd-Level Undead Stalker Spells

Alter Self: Assume form of a similar creature.
Bear’s Endurance: Subject gains +4 to Con for 1 min./level.
Cat’s Grace: Subject gains +4 to Dex for 1 min./level.
Cure Light Wounds: Cures 1d8 damage +1/level (max +5).
Darkness: 20-ft. radius of supernatural shadow.
Invisibility: Subject is invisible for 1 min./level or until it attacks.
Restoration, Lesser: Dispels magical ability penalty or repairs 1d4 ability damage.
Owl’s Wisdom: Subject gains +4 to Wis for 1 min./level.
Protection from Energy: Absorb 12 points/level of damage from one kind of energy.
Snare: Creates a magic booby trap.
Spike Growth: Creatures in area take 1d4 damage, may be slowed.
Summon Nature’s Ally II: Calls animal to fight for you.
Wind Wall: Deflects arrows, smaller creatures, and gases.

3rd-Level Undead Stalker Spells

Cure Moderate Wounds: Cures 2d8 damage +1/level (max +10).
Darkvision: See 60 ft. in total darkness.
Deeper Darkness: Object sheds supernatural shadow in 60-ft. radius.
Halt Undead: Immobilizes undead for 1 round/level.
Magic Circle Against Evil: As protection spells, but 10-ft. radius and 10 min./level.
Magic Fang, Greater: One natural weapon of subject creature gets +1/three caster levels on attack and damage rolls (max +5).
Magic Weapon, Greater: +1/four levels (max +5).
Misdirection: Misleads divinations for one creature or object.
Neutralize Poison: Immunizes subject against poison, detoxifies venom in or on subject.
Nondetection: Hides subject from divination, scrying.
Protection from Energy: Absorb 12 points/level of damage from one kind of energy.
Reduce Animal: Shrinks one willing animal.
Remove Disease: Cures all diseases affecting subject.
Summon Nature’s Ally III: Calls animal to fight for you.
Water Walk: Subject treads on water as if solid.

4th-Level Undead Stalker Spells

Cure Serious Wounds: Cures 3d8 damage +1/level (max +15).
Death Ward: Grants immunity to death spells and negative energy effects.
Dimension Door: Teleports you short distance.
Freedom of Movement: Subject moves normally despite impediments.
Invisibility, Greater: As invisibility, but subject can attack and stay invisible.
Restoration: Restores level and ability score drains.
Summon Nature’s Ally IV: Calls animal to fight for you.

[Diovid]

I'm not much of an optimizer and this is far from a complete build but if I were building an undead stalker I'd use (some of) the options below I think.

Build: Ranger 5 / Stalker of Kharash 2 / ?


Ranger ACFs: Distracting Attack or (if allowed) Solitary Hunter, Arcane Hunter (if allowed)

Combat style: Two-weapon fighting

Possible Feats (So many to choose from, so little space):

Favored-enemy related feats: Improved Favored Enemy, Nemesis, Unquenchable Flame of Life, Tactical Advantage, Favored Dodge, Wise to your Ways

Sneak Attack feats: Craven, Sacred Strike

General Feats: Weapon Finesse, Darkstalker, Knowledge Devotion (Religion), Shadow Blade

[Rizban]

I'm not much of an optimizer and this is far from a complete build but if I were building an undead stalker I'd use (some of) the options below I think.

Build: Ranger 5 / Stalker of Kharash 2 / ?It's interesting, certainly. It adds some versatility in being able to go after Evil instead of just Undead. The higher levels just don't do anything to improved the Undead Stalker. The Scent of Evil ability is definitely useful, as the vast majority of undead by far are evil. Unfortunately, favored enemy bonuses don't stack, so Stalker of Kharash would really only be a 1 level dip for an Undead Stalker.


Ranger ACFs: Distracting Attack or (if allowed) Solitary Hunter, Arcane Hunter (if allowed)Distracting Attack isn't useful here, because it only counts the target as "flanked by you for the purpose of adjudicating your allies’ attacks." Now, normally, you can count yourself as one of your allies for the benefits of your abilities, but since you're not able to flank with yourself, Distracting Attack doesn't help you. It would be better to keep the animal companion just to give yourself a dedicated flanker if nothing else.

Solitary Hunting (Dragon Magazine #347) is interesting, trading your animal companion to add your FE bonus to your attack rolls. That can help with the TWF penalties you'll be getting, but I'm not completely convinced that losing the flanker for triggering your SA variant worth it.

I'd say Arcane Hunter is normally a great ACF, but I don't think it really applies here. From a RAW standpoint, you have to give up a generic FE choice to take the ACF, and Undead Stalker doesn't get an open choice. So, that's potentially questionable. From the premise of this exercise, however, I think Arcane Hunter is actually a downgrade to the core ability. With 80%+ of enemies being undead, only a fraction of those will be arcanists. So, in this particular case, I think hitting all undead with FE is better than only hitting specifically magic using undead. Either way, I don't think swapping the class mandated FE (undead) out for a different FE is really in the spirit of the class, but make of that what you will.


Combat style: Two-weapon fightingWith a SA focused class, this is almost a given. Getting it free is nice.


Possible Feats (So many to choose from, so little space):

Favored-enemy related feats: Improved Favored Enemy, Nemesis, Unquenchable Flame of Life, Tactical Advantage, Favored Dodge, Wise to your Ways

Sneak Attack feats: Craven, Sacred Strike

General Feats: Weapon Finesse, Darkstalker, Knowledge Devotion (Religion), Shadow BladeAll reasonable suggestions.

[Cerefel]

Undead Stalker Ranger 2/Scout 4/Undead Stalker Ranger +14

Pick up Swift Hunter as your Scout bonus feat and pick up Travel Devotion. Now you get a bunch of skirmish damage that works on undead. It doesn't really require the undead hunter variant, but it's at least as effective.

[Rizban]

Undead Stalker Ranger 2/Scout 4/Undead Stalker Ranger +14

Pick up Swift Hunter as your Scout bonus feat and pick up Travel Devotion. Now you get a bunch of skirmish damage that works on undead. It doesn't really require the undead hunter variant, but it's at least as effective.
So, since this is clearly focusing on the bonus dice, let's look at that.
+8d6 Strike Undead and +5d6 Skirmish, gives you 13d6 or 45.5 average bonus damage on each attack. As compared to a straight Undead Stalker Ranger 20, you're up by 8 skill points, +2 Reflex saves, and +3d6 damage plus a few class features.

Travel Devotion is, unfortunately, 1/day, and with no turn/rebuke undead attempts, that's fairly limiting.

That shows promise though. I might suggest instead that we go with something like Undead Stalker 2/Scout 6/Barbarian (Lion Totem + Whirling Frenzy) 1/Undead Stalker +13. This changes our saves at 20 from +11(+1) | +14 | +6 to +12 | +13 | +6, leaves SU/Sk d6s the same, and we don't lose out on any class features. However, we get pounce and a 1/day rage that gives us some bonus damage and extra attacks. We don't really need pounce before level 7, because we don't yet have the BAB for iterative attacks; however, I'd leave that up to you personal discretion if using this build yourself.

Another thought: Instead of Whirling Frenzy, we could take the UA Barbarian variant that gives us an additional Favored Enemy and other stuff at later levels that we don't care about for this build. Depending on how the DM rules things, this may or may not stack with the existing favored enemy bonuses in that you could potentially use it to further advance FE (undead) by +2. Using a TWF pouncing build, that extra +2 damage on all attacks all day may be worth losing out on 1/day rage.

[Renen]

Posting from phone, but just to throw out some ideas, that I'll expand on via edits.

This class seems to be quite good against undead, but less so vs the living necromancer baddie that might be controlling the undead. So...

Lets throw in some spellthief in there. Sneak attack progression and ability to steal spells and effects off of any caster you encounter. I'd say about 3 levels of that. Plus you can obviously self-buff off of hitting any buffed undead, and stealing whatever buffs it's master (if it has one) cast on it.

Then the scout idea with travel devotion is nice, but as mentioned we have no turn undead. So after becoming a scout, let's dip 1 level of cleric, get devotion for free, and get some turn undead?

Now we can skirmish more.

More thoughts to come...

[Thurbane]

If you can pick up Turn Undead, some levels of Skullclan Hunter can really be useful fighting Undead.