Making a ranger from black desert kinda need helps

[Kidbuu51]

Ok so I've been playing a ranger on BDO (black desert online) and the character regularly switches between a bow and two swords. Hmmm wonder where they got that from. So I was wondering what might be the best feat progression for such a fighting style. My build is gonna be ranger 2, scout 4, ranger X, stalker of karash X. Currently I'm a level 0 gnoll ranger with exotic weapon and quick draw as feats. So I was think I'd take the TWF feats, and chose ranged style. But would that be the best way? I am aware how sub optimal TWF is so let's get that out of the way.
Real important forgot feats are at ever odd level not every 3rd

[Saintheart]

Obligatory link to the old Swift Hunter Handbook (http://dictummortuum.blogspot.com/2011/09/swift-hunters-handbook.html).

Feat count at once every odd level rather than once every three levels means you'll have access to 10 feats over the levels rather than 7, which is nice.

On my rough observation you're best off putting feats towards either moving a lot or enhancing the skirmish damage, since that's about the only commonality you'll have switching between two swords and a bow. Travel Devotion is best for getting the required movement in to trigger skirmish damage, but it's probably best to dip a cleric level and maybe pick up a Nightstick if you've got rubbish CHA to give yourself enough uses of the ability to make it viable.

The main advice I'd have is this: 3.5 punishes generalising. It punishes ranged combat even moreso. You already know TWF is a miserably bad fighting option, so if you're going to go that way, throw everything at optimising that and leave hitting with a bow a distinct if not minor second.

[Eldariel]

Honestly, I'd pick Archery. Rapid Shot is the feat that makes Archery worth even considering. It's the only one you need. And it's granted at Ranger 2. Then you can pick up TWF like the good drone that you are, get Gloves of the Balanced Hand for Improved TWF and go to town (until 11 BAB when you'd need Greater TWF but c'est la vie). This path would save you the trouble of having to invest 3 feats into archery, which is probably smart. In general, I'm not sure how good Swift Hunter is here; it limits your archery to 30' (60' with Ranged Skirmisher [DR346]) and kinda forces you to keep taking levels in Skirmish/FE-improving classes. It also forces you to come up with ways to move each round while still full attacking (Cleric for Travel Devotion is the usual one), which really restricts your options.

If I were you, I'd just go Ranger 2/Barbarian 2/Warblade X and use boosts and bonuses-for-all-hits (start with Blood in the Water and either Punishing Stance or Leading the Charge; Punishing Stance is better early, Leading the Charge shines later - down the line you get Dancing Mongoose, Raging Mongoose, Girallon Windmill Fleshrip, Leading the Charge + Bounding Assault + Pounce from Barbarian, and all sorts of beautiful combinations to make either work for you), on both to make it worth it. Barbarian would give you Pounce and Ranger gives you Rapid Shot. Then you just pick up TWF, ITWF, GTWF and you're pretty much golden. Focus on feats that improve both such as Knowledge Devotion (might want to start with Education), Extra Rage (pick up Whirling Frenzy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy )), etc. and then add like Stormguard Warrior [ToB] and Woodland Archer [Races of the Wild] and you've got a veritable switch-hitter, that's extremely mobile, sharp and dangerous at both, melee and distance. It's not as good as two-handing instead but it's decidedly not bad.

[Kidbuu51]

Honestly, I'd pick Archery. Rapid Shot is the feat that makes Archery worth even considering. It's the only one you need. And it's granted at Ranger 2. Then you can pick up TWF like the good drone that you are, get Gloves of the Balanced Hand for Improved TWF and go to town (until 11 BAB when you'd need Greater TWF but c'est la vie). This path would save you the trouble of having to invest 3 feats into archery, which is probably smart. In general, I'm not sure how good Swift Hunter is here; it limits your archery to 30' (60' with Ranged Skirmisher [DR346]) and kinda forces you to keep taking levels in Skirmish/FE-improving classes. It also forces you to come up with ways to move each round while still full attacking (Cleric for Travel Devotion is the usual one), which really restricts your options.

If I were you, I'd just go Ranger 2/Barbarian 2/Warblade X and use boosts and bonuses-for-all-hits (start with Blood in the Water and either Punishing Stance or Leading the Charge; Punishing Stance is better early, Leading the Charge shines later - down the line you get Dancing Mongoose, Raging Mongoose, Girallon Windmill Fleshrip, Leading the Charge + Bounding Assault + Pounce from Barbarian, and all sorts of beautiful combinations to make either work for you), on both to make it worth it. Barbarian would give you Pounce and Ranger gives you Rapid Shot. Then you just pick up TWF, ITWF, GTWF and you're pretty much golden. Focus on feats that improve both such as Knowledge Devotion (might want to start with Education), Extra Rage (pick up Whirling Frenzy (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/classFeatureVariants.htm#rageVariantWhirlingFrenzy )), etc. and then add like Stormguard Warrior [ToB] and Woodland Archer [Races of the Wild] and you've got a veritable switch-hitter, that's extremely mobile, sharp and dangerous at both, melee and distance. It's not as good as two-handing instead but it's decidedly not bad.

That would be great but I have my heart set on ranger scout. Limiting multiclassing as low as possible. The style is a skirmisher to stay as close to combat as possible. So I'm not concerned about the 30 range. I'm just looking for what might be the best options to stick with this kind of combat style kinda like working the combos of the black desert ranger.

[Darrin]

This is probably doable if you take the Champion of the Wild ACF (Complete Champion), which lets you trade your spellcasting for bonus feats.

Hmm... Gnoll is problematic, because it has 2 racial HD and LA +1. However, you said it was a "level 0 gnoll", and I don't know what that means. Could you clarify that?

Also, I'm not sure you need EWP or Quickdraw, as all of your available feats are probably going to get sucked into either TWF or Archery. You don't really need either feat if you're using a elvencraft longbow (+300 GP, Races of the Wild), which allows you to switch between ranged and melee attacks without wasting any actions. It's also a dual weapon (quarterstaff), so you can TWF with it.

So... let's try a Scout 4/Ranger 14/Stalker of Kharash 2 and see if everything fits:

Race: ???
1) Scout 1. Feat: PB Shot. Bonus: Track. Skirmish 1d6.
2) Ranger 1.
3) Ranger 2. Feat: Rapid Shot. Bonus: TWF.
4) Scout 2.
5) Scout 3. Skirmish 1d6AC+1.
6) Ranger 3. Feat: Swift Hunter. Skirmish 2d6AC+1
7) Ranger 4. Bonus: Improved TWF (CotW). Skirmish 2d6AC+2
8) Ranger 5.
9) Ranger 6. Feat: Greater Manyshot. Bonus: Manyshot. Skirmish 3d6AC+2.
10) Scout 4. Bonus: Improved Skirmish. Skirmish 3d6AC+2/5d6AC+4.
11) Ranger 7. Skirmish 3d6AC+3/5d6AC+5
12) Ranger 8. Feat: Alertness. Bonus: Greater TWF (CotW).
13) Ranger 9. Skirmish 4d6AC+3/6d6AC+5
14) Ranger 10.
15) Ranger 11. Feat: Favored of the Companions. Bonus: Improved Precise Shot. Bonus: Improved Rapid Shot (CotW). Skirmish 4d6AC+4/6d6AC+6
16) Stalker of Kharash 1. Scent of Evil.
17) Stalker of Kharash 2. Favored Enemy Evil.
18) Ranger 12. Feat: Woodland Archer.
19) Ranger 13. Skirmish 5d6AC+4/7d6AC+6.
20) Ranger 14. Bonus: Improved Favored Enemy (CotW).

Hmm. Not much wiggle room there.

[Saintheart]

^^^^

Don't forget he gets feats every odd level, not every third. On a cursory glance this seems to have the default 'every 3 levels' grant of feats, if those bonus ones are the ACF?

[Darrin]

^^^^

Don't forget he gets feats every odd level, not every third. On a cursory glance this seems to have the default 'every 3 levels' grant of feats, if those bonus ones are the ACF?

Whoops, I missed that.

Champion of the Wild gives bonus feats (from a limited menu) at Ranger 4th, 8th, 11th, and 14th. However, unlike the Ranger's Combat Style, you still need to meet the prereqs.

So... if you get feats every odd level, then how about:

Race: ???
1) Scout 1. Feat: PB Shot. Bonus: Track. Skirmish 1d6.
2) Ranger 1.
3) Ranger 2. Feat: Rapid Shot. Bonus: TWF.
4) Scout 2.
5) Scout 3. Feat: Swift Hunter. Skirmish 2d6AC+1.
6) Ranger 3. Bonus: Endurance.
7) Ranger 4. Feat: Precise Shot. Bonus: Improved TWF (CotW). Skirmish 2d6AC+2
8) Ranger 5.
9) Ranger 6. Feat: Greater Manyshot. Bonus: Manyshot. Skirmish 3d6AC+2.
10) Scout 4. Bonus: Improved Skirmish. Skirmish 3d6AC+2/5d6AC+4.
11) Ranger 7. Feat: Alertness. Skirmish 3d6AC+3/5d6AC+5
12) Ranger 8. Bonus: Greater TWF (CotW).
13) Ranger 9. Feat: Favored of the Companions. Skirmish 4d6AC+3/6d6AC+5
14) Stalker of Kharash 1. Scent of Evil.
15) Stalker of Kharash 2. Feat: Woodland Archer. Favored Enemy Evil.
16) Ranger 10.
17) Ranger 11. Feat: Nemesis. Bonus: Improved Precise Shot. Bonus: Improved Rapid Shot (CotW). Skirmish 4d6AC+4/6d6AC+6
18) Ranger 12.
19) Ranger 13. Feat: Extra Favored Enemy. Skirmish 5d6AC+4/7d6AC+6.
20) Ranger 14. Bonus: Improved Favored Enemy (CotW).

[liquidformat]

Whoops, I missed that.

Champion of the Wild gives bonus feats (from a limited menu) at Ranger 4th, 8th, 11th, and 14th. However, unlike the Ranger's Combat Style, you still need to meet the prereqs.

So... if you get feats every odd level, then how about:

Race: ???
1) Scout 1. Feat: PB Shot. Bonus: Track. Skirmish 1d6.
2) Ranger 1.
3) Ranger 2. Feat: Rapid Shot. Bonus: TWF.
4) Scout 2.
5) Scout 3. Feat: Swift Hunter. Skirmish 2d6AC+1.
6) Ranger 3. Bonus: Endurance.
7) Ranger 4. Feat: Precise Shot. Bonus: Improved TWF (CotW). Skirmish 2d6AC+2
8) Ranger 5.
9) Ranger 6. Feat: Greater Manyshot. Bonus: Manyshot. Skirmish 3d6AC+2.
10) Scout 4. Bonus: Improved Skirmish. Skirmish 3d6AC+2/5d6AC+4.
11) Ranger 7. Feat: Alertness. Skirmish 3d6AC+3/5d6AC+5
12) Ranger 8. Bonus: Greater TWF (CotW).
13) Ranger 9. Feat: Favored of the Companions. Skirmish 4d6AC+3/6d6AC+5
14) Stalker of Kharash 1. Scent of Evil.
15) Stalker of Kharash 2. Feat: Woodland Archer. Favored Enemy Evil.
16) Ranger 10.
17) Ranger 11. Feat: Nemesis. Bonus: Improved Precise Shot. Bonus: Improved Rapid Shot (CotW). Skirmish 4d6AC+4/6d6AC+6
18) Ranger 12.
19) Ranger 13. Feat: Extra Favored Enemy. Skirmish 5d6AC+4/7d6AC+6.
20) Ranger 14. Bonus: Improved Favored Enemy (CotW).

If you take the acf to replace your animal companion with a familiar you don't have to take alertness which opens up another feat. Also the familiar is probably a better choice long term since you could go with a raven and have a very useful scout whereas animal companion is hard to keep useful.

On another note why Stalker of Kharash? The only reason I can really see is to acquire HiPS but that can be snagged through other means that don't require a 4 level dip (like being a shadow creature). Highland Stalker might be a good prc to look at with full bab and fast skirmish progression.

[DEMON]

On another note why Stalker of Kharash?

OP's request. The expected reason would be FE: Evil and it's combination with Swift Hunter.

[liquidformat]

OP's request. The expected reason would be FE: Evil and it's combination with Swift Hunter.

You can get FE:evil without that class and it has nothing that pares well with Swift Hunter though....

[DEMON]

You can get FE:evil without that class and it has nothing that pares well with Swift Hunter though....

The only other way that comes to my mind is Harper Paragon and that has worse prereqs and also worse BAB.

SoK seems to be the better option.

[liquidformat]

The only other way that comes to my mind is Harper Paragon and that has worse prereqs and also worse BAB.

SoK seems to be the better option.

hum, I could have sworn there was a source saying you could take FE(Evil) if you had 2 ranks Knowledge (Religion) but I am not seeing it anywhere. I guess it is a house rule we have and I just didn't realize that...