Tomb of Annihilation Ranger: V Human; Advice requested

[KorvinStarmast]

We have a small party (3 or 4) heading into ToA at first level. *We're Doomed!* :smallbiggrin:
I have two different ideas, and I am not sure which will fit this campaign best.
In the party is 1 Paladin and 1 Nature Cleric.
My idea #1 is: Ranger, Gloom Stalker, 27 Point Buy. 13 15 14 9 13 8 (Costs 5 9 7 1 5 0 respectively).
Ranger Var Human Feat = Medium Armor Master (This lets me sneak in scale armor, add more dex to armor class, etc).
S 13 D 16 C 14 I 9 W 14 Ch 8

My worry: in Chult's jungle, I hear that Exhaustion is an issue. Is that a Con Check or a Con Save in this adventure?

Idea # 1a: the above, but with Con Resilient and the numbers adjusted a bit.

Idea #2: Bring the Healer Feat, since this adventure is rumored to be semi lethal.

Final Stats: 12 15 13 10 14 8 => 12 16 14 10 14 8. healer Feat.
What are your recommendations, Playground?

Background: either Criminal or Outsider
Skills: Perception, Survival, Athletics, Thieves' Tools Prof, Stealth, Insight ... might swap in Acrobatics for Insight .... will discuss with the group. Our cleric may be the better leader on our insight checks ...

This guy was either a Highwayman, or a bounty hunter, in his background.
Aragorn he was not. :smallbiggrin:

If we get a 4th player, I'll likely play a monk rather than this Ranger.

Last thought: is Hunter better than Gloom Stalker for this adventure? The Gloom Stalker appeals to me for a variety of reasons.

[xroads]

Exhaustion isn't an issue unless the party is dehydrated. For my players, this hasn't been a problem. Half the group has the wanderer background feature, there are two divine casters for water purification, and they have a ranger.

You have a nature cleric, so the cleric will probably know "purify food & drink" & "goodberries." So you don't have too worry as much about food & water (unless of course the cleric dies). Also, rain catchers are relatively cheap.

The big concern will be insect repellent. You'll want to stock up on that. My player's stocked up on it and are still worried they'll run out.

If someone in the group has the alchemist or herbalist proficiency, try to convince your DM to let your player create insect repellent while camping. In my case, I let my players make a survival check every day to find the ingredients and an alchemy/herbalist check to create the repellent. If they're successful, they get a 1d4+2 doses.

Hope this helps.

[Unoriginal]

You're going to need someone who knows how to navigate. Hiring a guide is a good idea even if you have someone who can navigate.

To add to what xroads said: Exhaustion risk to be an issue if someone's wearing heavy armor.

Now, on this adventure being "semi lethal"... it's pretty lethal in itself. My lvl 1 PCs got two CR 5 encounters the first session they went in the jungle. Thankfully they had a bunch of NPCs with them, including one hireling.

[KorvinStarmast]

Thank you, Unoriginal, my Ranger will take forest as favored terrain, which gives a boost to navigation/not getting lost, and will have the survival skill among the skill proficiencies chosen.

xroads:

Will keep the insect repellant in mind.

Do either of you have an opinion on which feat is a better fit?

[Whit]

1. If your playing adventure league as I am and also doing ToA s well you can change class or other things until lvl 5.
We started at lvl 1 now lvl 4. Large group but lack a Druid and cleric. Our paladin is the healer.
Xroad has good points.
Navigation survival hunting is key even if you hire a guide. If yiu can’t get to where your going, more random encounters.
Food water is important but should be fine with good berries and purify water.

As starting group with starting items, I sold my l. crossbow and extra melee weapon for 1/2 gold to buy different and extra supplies in the chult city. Your party should ask around what type terrain Tropical forest type for spell change. Good berry purify water. Etc. simple role play fun.
I would not suggest healing feat.
Paladin is huge. Your melee, cure disease(important) and some healing.
Your nature cleric range with little melee and healing (important)
Ranger range and melee with ranger skills. Good skills(important).
Athletics and acrobats are helpful as well
Also depending on dm Light source can be issue. If your human holding a bow how can you hold a torch or your not close enough to someone who is. A light spell can trip is huge also.

We have a large group but no cleric. I usually main but wanted to try an EK.

Fun adventure. But got lost a lot bad rolls. We had 3 players drop in fights. But larger group larger the encounter.

[KorvinStarmast]

Final Decision, and thanks for the help.

Ranger (planning on Gloom Stalker if he reaches 3)
S 14 D 16 C 14 W 12 I 10 Ch 8
Background: Criminal/Spy (The proficiency in stealth, deception, and thieves tools are handy, see later about the party build. The dice proficiency may or may not ever come into play)
Feat: Medium Armor Master (Significance is less trouble with making noise while sneaking about in medium armor and another AC + for my higher dex. With proficiency in some wis skills, )
Skills: Athletics, Survival, Investigation Perception(Spy-Criminal background and we have no wizard) No, not optimized, but it fits the back story.
Obviously, long bow and short sword. Ended up with scale mail, but as we have already had a dinosaur race (our cleric won!) we got a few gold and I traded in my original scale for a chain shirt at 1/2 price. Now the shield can be used for enclosed places if need be and I'll have a decent AC for mixing it up. We are tracking encumbrance, or I'd have stuck with the scale mail.
Rest of Party: Dragonborn Paladin (I am guessing devotion? we'll se)
Tabaxi Nature Cleric
We will be getting a Barbarian, bugbear PC race, who may or may not MC to druid. We'll see how that goes.

The joke's on me. Our cleric didn't take the light cantrip due to being tabaxi and "why would I take that? I have darkvision." Laughed we did, the dragon born and I. We are back to OD&D days, carrying torches .... fun times.

The dinosaur race was a real hoot for our first adventure in Chult. When we can next get our peeps together, it looks like we are going into the wilderness for a trek.

I am the only dex based character; so I end up having to fill in the rogue role. Hence the Criminal Background. Our Paladin is the party face, but it's a dragon face! Woot! :smallbiggrin:

If we last as far as levels 6 / 7 I will have to face the "MC into rogue or not?" decision.

[Unoriginal]

Doubt you'd gain much from MCing into rogue

[KorvinStarmast]

Doubt you'd gain much from MCing into rogue Depends on how long the campaign runs, but yeah, since I am sorta of roguing up a bit up front, the real attraction to that is the expertise for selected skills.

Thing is, the gloom stalker has some nice later on features ... staying straight Ranger probably works fine. If we live to 8 I may boost Wisdom and leave the dex at 18. We'll see.

But what if we find ogre gauntlets? If I go expertise in Athletics, all of a sudden I become mister grappler or mister shover ... but you can't count on that.

[2D8HP]

Final Decision[....].


That sounds AWESOME!

Had I a better memory for class features I'd totally steal be inspired by your build.

Nice!