[D&D 3.5] So what do people think of the Darkwood Stalker PrC?

[KillianHawkeye]

So I'm making a new Lv5 character for a game to replace one who died. We're fighting tons of orcs, so I'm trying to optimize Favored Enemy. To that end, I'm making a Wood Elf Ranger 1/Scout 4 + Swift Hunter with the Elven Ranger sub level from Races of the Wild to boost my Favored Enemy (orc) from +2 to +3.

I wanna know what people think about the Darkwook Stalker prestige class from Complete Warrior. It seems to be perfect for my character, since it gets it's own version of FE(orc) at the normal Ranger bonus but at a faster pace, and it stacks with my existing Favored Enemy. Plus, getting Sneak Attack on top of Skirmish when I'm already planning on being a sniper sounds great, not to mention full BAB. But anyway, what is the collective wisdom about this class? Is it as good as it looks? Too narrowly focused? Better for melee combat or ranged? Anything that I've overlooked?

Any feat suggestions for this build? I'm looking at Improved Skirmish and Improved Favored Enemy, plus the basic archery feats like Manyshot.

Thanks!

[PairO'Dice Lost]

You might also want to consider the assassin PrC; it loses the +8 ancient foe, has 3/4 BAB, poor Fort, and Dodge Critical, but it gains +2d6 sneak attack, poison abilities, hide in plain sight, and spells (including some very nice ones like the deliciously flavorful heart ripper)...plus it gets death attack a whole 9 levels earlier, and a race-nonspecific one at that.

Assuming you're set on darkwood stalker, the general consensus so far as I've seen is that it sucks unless you're fighting nothing but orcs; since that's why you're considering it, that shouldn't be an issue.

[Pluto]

Any feat suggestions for this build? I'm looking at Improved Skirmish and Improved Favored Enemy, plus the basic archery feats like Manyshot.

If you like the class, go for it.

But Scout/Ranger is going to give you pretty much everything DS gives you, but better. (Even an improved Death Attack analogue, I believe, if you use CoR spells.)

[Kaiyanwang]

Talk to your DM. It's a little bit metagamey, but it's better you know if you will fight orcs forever (possible, they advence by character class).

If you will stop to see orcs, you are screwed. Otherwise, if you like ti, is fine.

What's your alignment? * In Champions of Ruin ther is a fine presige class, a sort of elven dark hunter able to use poison, to sneak attack, and to use killing ranged combat spells (the ones Pluto was thinking I guess).


*Edit: nevermind, the class (Justice of Weal and Woe) has not Alignment prereqs. And has a death attack and ranged combat bonus feats.

[KillianHawkeye]

You might also want to consider the assassin PrC

Well I don't plan on being Evil, and death attack isn't the reason I was looking at Darkwood Stalker in the first place.

Champions of Ruin

I don't think anybody in my group has that book. Is it for Forgotten Realms?

[Eldariel]

I don't think anybody in my group has that book. Is it for Forgotten Realms?

Sorta, but in reality it's just the best Archery splat in 3.5 and has way little in terms of setting-specific stuff.

[Kaiyanwang]

Sorta, but in reality it's just the best Archery splat in 3.5 and has way little in terms of setting-specific stuff.

It's a nice boost for rangers and assassins IIRC (spells) and for meleers (dire flail smash as an example - daze it's a good condition to bestow, better than stun).

I love that book.

[Optimator]

CoR is one of my favorites as well. My DM banned the Splitting enhancement for weapons, but the Split Arrow spell (or is is Arrowsplit?) is still awesome. Plus, it isn't a volley so you can apply all your bonuses to each arrow. Also, arrows that do strength damage and light you on fire and pierce wooden walls. Sunny times.

[hamishspence]

I like CoR as well- though partly for it's fluff on evil alignment- how The Ends Justify the Means can lead to a character becoming evil, and so on.

[KillianHawkeye]

Hmm... I guess I'll have to see if I can track down a copy somewhere. Thanks!

[FMArthur]

The Knowledge Devotion feat from Complete Champion is everything Favored Enemy should have been. It's not half bad combined with it either. All you have to do is make a free knowledge check when you begin to fight someone, and you gain a bonus on attack and damage from +1 to +5. Easy to optimize to get the higher bonuses early.