[3.5] Nice prestige class for Ranger?

[Fenryr]

Hi! First of all, yeah. I did a search. Didn't like a lot so here's a new try:

Which prestige class YOU PERSONALLY think would fit to a dual wield Human Ranger? Chaotic good, paranoic. Leader of the party (God, please help me!).

So far the best option is Horizon Walker. I wish I could do Tempest but we Rangers don't have the feats granted by the fighting style, we're treated like if we have 'em (unless I speak with the DM and he allows me some flexibility).

Thanks in advance. And yes, my English sucks.

[Ernir]

Which books are available to you? What level are you currently at? What do your skills look like?

Anyway, general Ranger multiclass is something like... take a level of Spirit Lion Totem Barbarian (Complete Champion) to get full attacks on a charge, three or four levels of Scout (Complete Adventurer), and the Swift Hunter feat (Complete Scoundrel) to stack the Ranger and Scout levels for FE bonuses and skirmish. And yes, it's what I'd personally do.

[Assassin89]

Does he wield scimitars? Because the dervish allow him to use scimitars as light weapons. Also it does not require any of the fighting style feats, but it does require dodge, mobility, combat expertise and weapon focus(any slashing melee weapon) and 12 skill points in perform(dance) and perform(tumble).

[tyckspoon]

So far the best option is Horizon Walker. I wish I could do Tempest but we Rangers don't have the feats granted by the fighting style, we're treated like if we have 'em (unless I speak with the DM and he allows me some flexibility).

D&D makes no distinction between "has the feat" and "treated as having the feat." The two produce the same meaning and the same mechanical effects in almost all situations; the difference is in the qualifiers. Normal feat selection requires you to meet the feat's printed prerequisites and choose the feat when you have a feat selection available. Combat Style feats require you to be a Ranger of a certain level and wear nothing heavier than Light armor. As long as you satisfy those requirements you have the feat for all relevant purposes.

That said, while you can use your bonus feats to qualify into Tempest, I would endorse Horizon Walker anyway until at least your first Planar terrain choice.

[Eldariel]

This class called "Ranger" is pretty good to go with Ranger. Especially with few levels of this "Scout". Best Ranger-class for dual wielding is really Mystic Ranger.

Wiseass remarks aside, Dervish [CWar] is really the best you're gonna get. Skirmishing Dervish is a decent one-trick pony. Well, aside from ToB, but even there it's the base classes that take the cake; few levels of Bloodclaw Master are worth it, but beyond that...


Oh yeah, Champion of Corellon Larethian [RoTW] is a nice 2-level dip for TWF if you get some means to dualwield a weapon on the list (such as Dervish).

But yes, suggest (Mystic) Ranger 7/Scout 3/Dervish 10 with Swift Hunter if you really want a TWF Ranger with a PrC.

[Tam_OConnor]

Questions: Is this for an ongoing character? If so, what are your feats/skills at the moment? Level? How optimized is the rest of the party? Details would be nice.

That said, general recommendations:
Scout, and the Swift Ambusher feat
Highland Stalker, if you can spare a level of rogue or scout
Dread Commando

[Fenryr]

@Enrir: My mistake. Any book is fine and he's 8. The highest skills are Move Silently, Hide, Spot and Listen. Still can rearrenge skill points, stats and feats 'cuz we haven't started yet. And thanks for the idea.

@Assassin89: No but I can change that.

@tyckspoon: Wow, thanks. Still, some people say (here in the forum) that the feats are virtual and no real. That I need to expend slot feats. So... who's right?

@Eladriel: Thanks a lot for the ideas. Gonna check and think.

@Tam_OConnor: I still can make changes. Doesn't matter the feats and skills and stats. And the rest of the party... Minotaur Evil Cleric, Kender Rogue, Half-Ogre Barbarian and Kobold Sorcerer (we play in Dragonlance). Gonna check the Dread.

Thanks.

[Trodon]

@Enrir: My mistake. Any book is fine and he's 8. The highest skills are Move Silently, Hide, Spot and Listen. Still can rearrenge skill points, stats and feats 'cuz we haven't started yet. And thanks for the idea.

@Assassin89: No but I can change that.

@tyckspoon: Wow, thanks. Still, some people say (here in the forum) that the feats are virtual and no real. That I need to expend slot feats. So... who's right?

@Eladriel: Thanks a lot for the ideas. Gonna check and think.

@Tam_OConnor: I still can make changes. Doesn't matter the feats and skills and stats. And the rest of the party... Minotaur Evil Cleric, Kender Rogue, Half-Ogre Barbarian and Kobold Sorcerer (we play in Dragonlance). Gonna check the Dread.

Thanks.

I am so jealous of you right now. I like the Beast Heart Adept in Dungeonscape page 48.

[tyckspoon]

@tyckspoon: Wow, thanks. Still, some people say (here in the forum) that the feats are virtual and no real. That I need to expend slot feats. So... who's right?

Must be a different section of the forums, I've never seen anybody advance that claim here in Roleplaying Games. I'm fairly certain I am right- if I wasn't, I wouldn't have claimed what I did. There is no text in the SRD that suggests that a Ranger's Combat Style would not qualify for anything that needs the granted feats, and if you replace any instance of "you have a feat" with "you are treated as having a feat" you will find that the meaning of the sentence does not change at all. Which means, gramatically and even mathematically speaking, that the two are the same thing.

[Fenryr]

I liked the Dread Commando. The problem is that Sudden Strike can't be used while flanking and Bluff is not a skill class for the Dread Commando. A good way would be Deadeye Shot but that's a bow, not swords. Besides Human Paragorn, how is possible to obtain Bluff as skill class? I wanna Feint.

Horizon Walker and Tempest are the best choice so far (haven't looked at the Beast Heart Adept).

Anyone else got something to say?

Thanks again!

[Thurbane]

FWIW, I also concur that (so long as wearing light armor) the Ranger is "treated as having" the feats granted by his combat style, including for the purposes of taking a PrC or other feats in a feat chain.

[WeeFreeMen]

Ranger 8
Scout 2
DC 4-5
Ranger X

Use some of the variant rules.
I take it that your not going bow, and using the TWF variant.
On that note, grab Dodge, Mobility for DC. (You can get both at first level if you take a "Character Flaw," (specifically / preferably: -Shakey- -2 ranged attacks) this allows you to knock out the two "blah" feat reqs. Scout and ranger are base, so no need to worry about entry req. Grab the feat that lets you stack ranger and scout for abilities.

Variant rules: There is a variant that allows you to use Skirmish damage on Melee attacks, instead of ranged. In this case, (first round of combat) move 10/20 ft get +xd6, Mobility/Dodge + Concealment will help with dancing around the battlefield.

Second, Dread Commando has a variant rule that instead of getting the Armor reduction penalties, you can instead get Concealment equal to 5*X% (were X is DC level, max of 25%) Thats pretty good. Allows for SS /SA too, I believe.

So, you only used 3 feats. Dodge, Mobility, Scout+Ranger.
your TWF line comes from Ranger, so no need to worry about that.
I recommend Improv. Initiative if your taking the Concealment, First strike root. Other than that, Martial Study (Steelwind Strike) -> Martial Stance (Absolute Steel) [Add 10ft move, and +2 AC]. However, that's sub-optimal, I just like the idea of it.

Thats my 2c.
Good luck.