I need help multiclassing a ranger

[Pagrek]

So my ranger is in a Curse of Strahd game and just picked up a staff he found lying on the ground. It was a Staff of Frost and picking it up overwrote his character flaw so he now will try to acquire power at any cost. He cannot use the staff as a ranger, and the only other character at the table who can use the staff, a warlock, built his character entirely around playing with fire and flat out refused to accept it before I could even tell him that my ranger was going to keep it anyway. Now I'm close to 6th level and need to multiclass to Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard to be able to use the staff.

I was a little whimsical when I first built my ranger. I saw the Horizon Walker subclass and decided I wanted to play a melee ranger. I don't remember the reason, but I went Stout Halfling and then somehow got offended that Halfings all seem to be agile Dex fighters, so I went with a Str build. I was going to Multiclass to Paladin for two levels to get access to smite, so my attributes are a bit unoptimal as well. My ranger currently has Str 16 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 8 Wis 13 Cha 13.

I know the staff doesn't really gel with the build I have going, but it's the first magic item I've gotten in a long time, our games tend to stretch out and be RP heavy with some sessions not really accomplishing much of note, and I really want to use this. Any advice on synergies so I don't axe my character entirely? I want to be able to go to Ranger 11 to get my full Horizon Walker abilities, but I'm not too stressed on getting there immediately

[Man_Over_Game]

So my ranger is in a Curse of Strahd game and just picked up a staff he found lying on the ground. It was a Staff of Frost and picking it up overwrote his character flaw so he now will try to acquire power at any cost. He cannot use the staff as a ranger, and the only other character at the table who can use the staff, a warlock, built his character entirely around playing with fire and flat out refused to accept it before I could even tell him that my ranger was going to keep it anyway. Now I'm close to 6th level and need to multiclass to Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard to be able to use the staff.

I was a little whimsical when I first built my ranger. I saw the Horizon Walker subclass and decided I wanted to play a melee ranger. I don't remember the reason, but I went Stout Halfling and then somehow got offended that Halfings all seem to be agile Dex fighters, so I went with a Str build. I was going to Multiclass to Paladin for two levels to get access to smite, so my attributes are a bit unoptimal as well. My ranger currently has Str 16 Dex 15 Con 14 Int 8 Wis 13 Cha 13.

I know the staff doesn't really gel with the build I have going, but it's the first magic item I've gotten in a long time, our games tend to stretch out and be RP heavy with some sessions not really accomplishing much of note, and I really want to use this. Any advice on synergies so I don't axe my character entirely? I want to be able to go to Ranger 11 to get my full Horizon Walker abilities, but I'm not too stressed on getting there immediately

Dip into Druid. Use Wild Shape to enhance your stealth and to get into places your human form can't safely reach. Go into Shephard to gain the means of having animal allies, which may help you use Ranger spells like Beast Bond. You can also grab powerful totems, like the Hawk totem, which don't scale too much with Druid levels. This is the one to be if you want to "have power over others", and may push you towards being a pack leader.

You can also go into Warlock, grabbing either the Fey (for things like Sleep + Critical hits) or Hexblade (for the Hexblade's Curse and Shield). The Archfey would like your fickleness and drive, the Hexblade would like your need to form yourself into the perfect weapon. Either way, the rechargeable Warlock spell slots and invocations will help increase your sustainability and adaptability in combat when combined with Ranger spells.


So those are my suggestions. A stealthy, primal-focused leader guiding his tribe, or a power-hungering warrior that will do anything for the hunt.

[Vogie]

The most bang you'd get out of an unplanned dip would probably be sorcerer or Warlock - I'd prefer Sea Sorcerer, which would tie in quite well with the object you've gotten, as it gives added bonuses to cold cantrips, as well as the cantrips themselves.

However, since you're a Horizon Walker already, a single level in Storm Sorcerer will give you 10 ft flight every time you cast a spell... however, it would take your bonus action which is kind of a nonbo in combat. But being able to use something minor to jump a crevasse would be useful, depending on the terrain.

Another alternative would be Stone Sorcerer - while you likely wouldn't use the 13+Con armor, access to the various Smite spells would be quite useful for the rest of your character concept, and free up future paladin spell selection.

For Warlocks, a single dip in Raven Queen will give you the Sentinel Familiar, Hexblade will give their Curse for expanded crit range & access to the shield spell, Fiend will give that flow of THP while in the midst of battle, Celestial gives you more cantrips & free healing, GOO gives some mind-warpy powers & Telepathy, and lastly, Archfey gives a PAoE Fear, as well as access to Sleep & Faerie Fire.

[Pagrek]

Yeah, I'm leaning Hexblade for access to the shield spell. I have 19 AC, but our DM rolls high. He's not cheating, he rolls openly, but he's like a reverse Wil Wheaton, he crits way too often and just rolls high in general.

[CTurbo]

For flavor purposes, I'd dip Draconic Sorcerer(White or Silver) but unfortunately you'd probably want to bump Cha at least to 14 if not 16 to get your money's worth