Help me turn the Ranger into a ranged damage dealer, please

[Goladar]

I'm DMing a game and I have a player who wants to play a ranged Ranger. I know that bows don't typically do a lot of damage on their own, so i'm looking for things to add to the ranger class so that he can deal respectable damage without dipping 3 different PrCs. Maybe something that scales like Skirmish but is only in effect when he doesn't move(so he can full attack)? What do you guys think?

TLDR: I'm looking for ideas on Class Features I can add to the ranger that will allow him to deal respectable bow damage up to high levels.

[fire_insideout]

Have a look at the archer (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?229330-3-5-Base-Class-The-Archer-Badass-Normal-Meets-The-Bow). It's a good ranged class. Either tell your ranger to go with that class instead, or pick whatever you like from it. Perhaps trick shots instead of spells.

[Psyren]

Play Pathfinder, archers don't suck there

[Darrin]

Most of the significant damage upgrades for archery tend to be equipment-based. Notably, the Splitting enhancement (Champions of Ruin p. 42) is considered something of a make-or-break upgrade. Hank's Energy Bow (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ask/20061227a) is another example, although the Power Shot feature can be obtained via Peerless Archer 3 (Silver Marches).

As far as class features go... Swift Hunter + Greater Manyshot is a thing. Not the most terribly impressive thing for archery, but better than a poke in the eye. If you want to avoid Scout levels, you can get Skirmish via Highland Stalker, but as a fix that's a long way off. If you're looking for a single PrC, the 3.0 version of Order of the Bow Initiate was pretty decent.

If you just want to add something to the Ranger class... 1d6 sneak attack/skirmish every 4 levels shouldn't be all that unbalanced, although at higher levels he will still get boned on DR.

[Goladar]

If you just want to add something to the Ranger class... 1d6 sneak attack/skirmish every 4 levels shouldn't be all that unbalanced, although at higher levels he will still get boned on DR.

Would adding that to every shot be too much?

[TallerSpine]

I need one more post before I can post a link, so here it is. My next post will include a link (to the giantitp forum, which I find strange that I need a certain number of posts before I can link this thread to an already existing thread on the same forum, but whatever).

[TallerSpine]

Check out this thread:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?212842-3-5-Best-Archer-Ranger

[jdizzlean]

I agree that it's pretty much equipment based.

you can rule that any enchantment on the bow, gets applied to the ammunition, and then you can just load up on the enhancements, that would be a start.

you could create an artifact that in addition to that, the bow would provide a SLA to ammunition fired, that would help scale for later game.

ranged sneak can be a thing, but it really only applies to the first attack per target, assuming competent hide checks, or consecutive attacks assuming competent hide and move silent, but you're figuring one full attack every other round then, which cuts down on overall dps

unfortunately, Pure ranger (ranged) just isn't very strong beyond becoming a machine gun

[Godskook]

Scout 4/Ranger 16 With Swift Hunter and Improved Skirmish has access to an additional +7d6 Skirmish damage at very little cost to the Ranger progression, imho. Combined with Greater Many Shot from XPH, so he can "full attack" his skirmish(read: get as many attacks as a 2H Fighter of his BAB).

A Human Swift Hunter Ranger Primary mockup:

Scout 1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot(Note: Precise Shot is nice, but not needed)
Ranger 1
Scout 2 - Free?
Scout 3
Scout 4 - Swift Hunter(Scout Bonus Feat) - You now deal +2d6 Skirmish
Ranger 2 - Rapid Shot, Improved Skirmish
Ranger 3
Ranger 4
Ranger 5 - Free?
Ranger 6 - Many Shot
Ranger 7
Ranger 8 - Greater Manyshot

Honestly, the worst part about the above is having to wait so long to get Ranger Bonus feats when you have perfectly fine feat slots to use. If you as the DM are feeling a tad generous, simply adding Greater Many Shot to the Scout Bonus Feat list does this to his progression:

Scout 1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot(Note: Precise Shot is nice, but not needed)
Ranger 1
Scout 2 - Free?
Scout 3
Ranger 2 - Rapid Shot
Ranger 3 - Swift Hunter
Ranger 4
Ranger 5
Ranger 6 - Many Shot, Improved Skirmish
Scout 4 - Greater Many Shot

Adding this line "If you already have this feat, you may select another feat you qualify for" to the Ranger's combat-style class feature does this:

Scout 1 - Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot(Note: Precise Shot is nice, but not needed)
Ranger 1
Scout 2 - Rapid Shot
Scout 3
Scout 4 - Swift Hunter(Scout Bonus Feat) - You now deal +2d6 Skirmish
Ranger 2 - Many Shot, Improved Skirmish
Ranger 3
Ranger 4
Ranger 5 - Greater Many Shot
Ranger 6 - Free feat!

And in this setup, he gets access to +5d6 Skirmish at level 9, bypassing 2 immunites at level 5, 3 at level 10, and is barely behind Fighter BAB for attacks per full-attack, but he gets them as a standard action.

Also, I'd allow the Solitary Hunter ACF from dragon if he wants it. Adds his FE bonus to attack against his FEs and lets him not worry about his animal companion.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Allow Power Attack to work on ranged attacks (with the x2 multiplier) and you're probably fine. Skirmish/Swift Hunter builds also work, if you want to stick to pure RAW; movement and attacking is but a Cleric 1 dip (for Travel Devotion + a few Turn Undead uses) away. I have a lot of info on the subject here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?473666-New-Scout-Handbook).

[jdizzlean]

as a way of adding utility w/o any equip/race/class distinctions, you can also look at any of the church member options from Complete Divine

and for cheese, the Pious Soul feat, which would require serious book-keeping on your part

[Goladar]

Ok, how about this.

I Replace the rangers spells with Trick Shots. I remove Combat style and bonus/duplicate feats and replace them with the class features of the Archer class. I also add Skirmish damage to every first shot in a full attack(maybe require the enemy to be threatened by an ally?) and it can't be combined with a Trick Shot.

How's that?