Sorcerer and Ranger Multiclass for Draconic Feel

[Kastomere]

So, quick backstory to this. I'm DMing a campaign and one of my players wants to be a Stormshell-type character (basically, a magic-user taught by dragons to have dragon-like power), and she's set on being a ranger/sorcerer despite the MADness. I like the concept she's going for, but I have trouble seeing it being effective the way she wants it to be. So, I come here, searching for an optimization of a multiclassing ranger/sorcerer!
The campaign is by no means gentle in terms of combat, so my goal is to think of a way I can nudge her to make her competitive with the rest of the party in combat. While maintaining the ranger/sorcerer thing.
I'm willing to use any Unearthed Arcana for ranger, but Sorcerer is going to be Draconic, and I'd really like to NOT use homebrew. I'm thinking I might combine the Revised Ranger and the Modifying Character Classes example ranger, that way it might reduce the need for a WIS stat, which would make the MADness more bearable. Does that sound good? If so, where should the breakpoints be? If you have any other ideas, please share!
EDIT: She wants to use ranged attack most of the time with a magical arsenal for utility and control, as well as possibly damage increase.

[ThurlRavenscrof]

Yeah that's a rough combo. I'd probably have her make dex her primary and mostly shoot like wants to. Don't worry about making wis high - just use ranger spells to cast utility spells without dc checks like speak with animals, pass without trace, and conjure animals.
Make cha the secondary stat and use sorcery spells to do more interesting things that require a dc and fit flavor
Maybe make con the third stat... Dump str
And actually in this build, she can have an unarmored ac of 17 on first level so it's isn't terrible

[JellyPooga]

It's...not as rough as it might appear at first. The Ranger list has a couple of relatively unique spells that scale pretty well, so will benefit enormously from the imcreased spells slots/level that Sorcerer will grant.

Ensnaring Strike, for example, is a great spell to upcast with higher level slots than she'll know spells for and also fits with her desire to use ranged attacks.

I'd encourage a Dex/Wis focus, with Charisma as secondary and use the Sorcerer list as the "utility" side of things; the Sorcerer list has a great selection of buffs and utility and while they are few, her attack-boosting spells (if that's what she'll be using) are coming from the Ranger list.

(NB - I'm not familiar enough with the Revised Ranger to comment about it. All of the above assumes PHB Ranger.)

Having said that...have you espoused the benefits of playing a Bard instead? From a purely magical perspective, she'll have access to pretty much the same spells, faster and more powerful. She'll also have flexibility in skills (to feel Ranger-like) and much less MAD.

If the Draconic Sorcerer isn't negotiable, then 6 levels of Ranger offers a whole lot less than 6 levels of Lore Bard from a purely "optimal" standpoint. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that Bard can feel more like a Ranger than the Ranger class itself offers (depending on what your conception of a Ranger is, I guess).

Aside from the char-op challenge what is it about the character that has to be a Ranger and/or a Sorcerer?

[Citan]

So, quick backstory to this. I'm DMing a campaign and one of my players wants to be a Stormshell-type character (basically, a magic-user taught by dragons to have dragon-like power), and she's set on being a ranger/sorcerer despite the MADness.
Well, there are in fact several ways to make it work.

First a quick analysis...
Sorcerer + Ranger = madly MADness?
No. it makes it a bit harder, sure. BUT...
- Sorcerer would need DEX whatever happens, because it gets no armor profiency.
- Ranger would need great DEX for what he does usually (ranged attack), still decent DEX even if he went STR-based melee style, because he only gets light and medium armor.
So DEX would be a big requirement for both.

- Ranger needs WIS 13 to multiclass, but can apart from that function extremely well with no higher than that. Of course, it does restrict the choice of skills and spells, but there are Rangers that don't care about Perception, and many great spells from Ranger don't care about the casting stat (non-exhaustive, from memory list: Goodberry, Conjure Animals, Plant Growth, Pass Without Trace, Lightning Arrow etc).
- Any and every character likes having a decent WIS stat, especially when he doesn't get proficiency in the related saves.
So basically keeping a starting 14 WIS for your whole life is perfectly fine for many people.

- CHA is essential for a good part of Sorcerer spells, but he also has quite a many that don't rely on it.
With that said, what you say about your player's concept strongly hint at the fact that she will want to play with lightning/thunder themed spells.
Good thing though: this "theme" gives many options: melee attack (Shocking Grasp), "ranged melee attack" (Lightning Lure, Thunderclap), single enemy attack (Chromatic Orb), then Shatter, Lightning Bolt, Storm Sphere, etc...


So conclusion?
Either your player wants to mix weapon attacks and spells, then she can focus on ranged attacks (DEX) and CHA, keeping WIS to 14, CON to 12, avoiding melee as often as possible.
Or your player wants to just use empowered weapon attacks, then you can focus on DEX, CON, keep WIS and CHA at 14 or 16 and select self-buffs or non-stat dependent spells.
Or your player wants to focus on spellcasting, and she can focus on CHA and CON, keeping DEX at 14 or 16 for medium armor (with maybe the MAM feat), using melee/semi-ranged cantrips to attack.

If you really want to help her realize her concept but don't want heavy homebrew, I suggest you adapt the Witch Bolt spell to make it better, so it could become her signature spell (like using the bonus action on subsequent turns and allowing both damage to upgrade on upcast).

Hope that helps ;)

[Bloodcloud]

Why Ranger though? I could see say a thuder cleric-blue draconic sorc, Bladlolock-draconic sorc, melee optimised draconic sorc, hell even eldritch knight draconic sorc, maybe even swashbuckler rogue... but ranger... what is it in the ranger that makes her set on this?

[Kastomere]

I honestly am not sure why she's so set on ranger, but not much I can do in that regard. Either way, I thought this would be an interesting thing to work with, just wanted some ideas on how we could go about it.



So conclusion?
Either your player wants to mix weapon attacks and spells, then she can focus on ranged attacks (DEX) and CHA, keeping WIS to 14, CON to 12, avoiding melee as often as possible.
Or your player wants to just use empowered weapon attacks, then you can focus on DEX, CON, keep WIS and CHA at 14 or 16 and select self-buffs or non-stat dependent spells.
Or your player wants to focus on spellcasting, and she can focus on CHA and CON, keeping DEX at 14 or 16 for medium armor (with maybe the MAM feat), using melee/semi-ranged cantrips to attack.
Hope that helps ;)



I'd encourage a Dex/Wis focus, with Charisma as secondary and use the Sorcerer list as the "utility" side of things; the Sorcerer list has a great selection of buffs and utility and while they are few, her attack-boosting spells (if that's what she'll be using) are coming from the Ranger list.


These are very helpful ideas. I think we might not even need to bother with the non-magical ranger (which I honestly thought would be the only way to go about it!) Thank you much!

[Talionis]

Ranger 11/ Dragon Sorcerer 6 rest to taste. I agree go with Lightning and use Lightning Arrow spell. It's great out of higher spell slots which you'll help yourself get by Sorcerer MC. You'll get Volley and Hordebreaker to naturally make a lot of arrows. Your Dragon ability will add a little Charisma to damage of your lightning attacks. I also agree you should pick up some lightning cantrips listed above.

Stats for this are a nightmare. Normal Human almost seems like a decent option. Almost.

Also don't forget that Tempest Domain cleric doesn't add any additional multiclass issues and 2 levels allows some maximized lightning spells.

[xen]

Just a thought, but I allow the revised Arcane Archer subclass to be used with the Ranger chassis in my games. Gives a new feel to the class. I also give an extra use of Arcane Shot at the levels they are allowed to pick a new Arcane Shot option. It's in the newer revised subclasses UA.

Combined with a sorcerer using the spell point variant in the DMG, that should give her lots of options and be very effective.

edited because english be hard

[Quoxis]

As someone mentioned before, ranger has elemental arrows (lightning, flame) that could profit from the draconic +cha damage (not sure if possible by RAW, but i don't think it's game breaking or against RAI) - and with the quickened spell metamagic you could cast the spell as a bonus action and attack in the same turn, pure rangers have to wait or prepare it before entering combat. This might be a nice strategy for the build, but it doesn't come online until rather late in the game - i think 6 levels of sorcerer and 10(?) of ranger are required if memory serves.
Other than that: prioritize dex, run as far away as you can from anything that could hurt you (low hp!), pick up defensive spells (shield, absorb elements, stuff like that), and pray for a few party members that draw aggro.