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2007-09-12, 04:32 PM
Anyone know of any variants for rangers that replace the animal companion with something else?

And any tips on feats for a TW Fighting ranger to get? (I know TW fighting rangers don't 'win' D&D, and I don't wanna do "Greatsword and spiked armor" cheese either).

GimliFett
2007-09-12, 04:42 PM
PHBII offers a swap of Distracting Shot Attack for the Animal Companion. It treats targets of your attacks as flanked for purposes of your allies' attacks, IIRC.

AslanCross
2007-09-12, 04:48 PM
For a TWF Ranger, the Dodge-Mobility-Spring Attack tree is good. Two-Weapon Pounce (PHB II) allows you to hit with both weapons when charging, although you lose the +2 AB charging bonus.

Two-Weapon Rend (PHB II) is also good.

Depending on your weapon choice, the Crescent Moon weapon style feat from Complete Warrior could help you. (Short, long or bastard sword and dagger). It gives you a free disarm attempt after attacking with both weapons.

If you're open to taking multiclass levels in Scout, Swift Hunter is perfect. It allows both your Skirmish and Favored enemy abilities to progress, stacking both Ranger and Scout levels.

Zherog
2007-09-12, 05:18 PM
For a TWF Ranger, the Dodge-Mobility-Spring Attack tree is good.

No it's not. It's actually a very, very bad choice because you can only make a single attack while using Spring Attack.

Fax Celestis
2007-09-12, 05:21 PM
If you find you need feats, you could use the variant in CCham that trades spellcasting for a bonus fighter feat every four levels.

Orzel
2007-09-12, 05:37 PM
Favored Power Attack... always... sometimes

Nenemis, Improved Favored Enemy(CW), and Favored Dodge are nice for TWF rangers is your DM hints/repeats on monster type. Same with the CW two weapon hit feats.

TheOOB
2007-09-12, 06:57 PM
If you have access to Tome of Battle, taking some feats to get some tiger claw maneuvers would go a long way, heck, multiclass into a warblade.

Person_Man
2007-09-12, 07:14 PM
Here's an index of every alternate class feature (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=904261).

Here's the Ranger section:


Planar Ranger (UA, p 55): Wild empathy works better on fiendish/celestial creatures than it does on regular animals, may aquire a fiendish or celestial animal as a companion.

Urban Ranger (UA, p 55): No animal companion greater than medium, replace tracking with urban tracking, no woodland stride or camouflage. Add only one half level to wild empathy checks. Gain Hide in Plain Site in any area, and additional spellcasting.

Shape-changing (UA, p 58): Gain wildshape as druid (small and medium animals only) and fast movement as barbarian. Lose combat styles.

Half-Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RD, p 158):
1st level: Urban Tracking, lose tracking
4th level: Street magic (swap spell lists)
13th level: Skill mastery, lose camouflage

Gnome Ranger Substitution Levels (RS, p 149):
1st level: Gnome Favored Enemy (bonus with certain skills vs favored enemy instead of damage)
4th level: Burrowing Animal Companion (stronger animal companion, can't share spells with it)
8th level: Gnome Ranger Spells (switch some spells on list)

Kobold Ranger Substitution Levels (RDr, p 109):
1st level: Kobold Favored Enemy (favored enemy works with different skills)
4th level: Dire Weasel Companion, Kobold Ranger Spells (different spells)
7th level: Subterranean Stride (underground stride instead of woodland stride)

Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RW, p 155): d6 hitdice,
1st level: Elf Favored Enemy (extra bonus vs certain races)
4th level: Elven Hound Companion
10th level: Strongheart Slayer (+4 morale bonus on will saves vs. drow and driders, +4 for bonus vs spider venoms), lose a favored enemy

Arcane Hunter (CM, p 32): lose normal favored enemy, gain "Favored Enemy (Arcanists)"

Spell Reflection (CM, p 35): Lose evasion, gain the ability to reflect spells targeted at you that miss.

Champion of the Wild (CC, p 50): Lose spellcasting for bonus feats.

Spiritual Connection (CC, p 50): Lose wild empathy, gain speak with plants and speak with animals spell effects.

Spiritual Guide (CC, p 50): Lose animal companion. As long as you're in natural settings, gain a bonus on several skills. Use commune with nature once per day.

Distracting Attack (PHB 2, p 55): Lose animal companion. Whenever you hit with an attack, the enemy is then considered flanked.

Phynxkin Companion (DrM, p 13): Gain a phynxkin instead of your normal animal companion.

Trap Expert (DS, p 12): Lose tracking. Gain trap finding, and disable device as a class skill.

Crowd-Walker (CS, web): Exchange woodland stride for the ability to move in crowds more easily.

Hidden Stalker (CS, web): Lose camouflage and normal hide in plain site, gain the ability to hide more easily in urban settings.

Rival Organization (CS, web): Do not gain favored enemies. Instead, gain bonuses when fighting members of an organization which you have studied.

Urban Companion (CS, web): Instead of a normal animal companion, instead gain something similar to a familiar.

Urban Tracker (CS, web): switch normal tracking for urban tracking.

Voice of the City (CS, web): Lose wild empathy to gain the ability to communicate with people who speak languages you do not know.

Planar Ranger (PlH, p 34): gain knowledge: the planes as a class skill
4th level: Planar Animal Companion
8th level: Portal Intuition (attempt to determine where portals lead), lose swift tracker
13th level: Planar Tracking (use plane shift to follow quarry), lose camouflage

Dr. Weasel
2007-09-12, 11:11 PM
Dear Lord... Somehow I missed that despite my searches for such a thing.

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