Help with a ranger

[skyclad]

Hello! I think I should post this here rather than in the character builder thread because I don't want a complete build just some help and opinions. I'm going to be in my first ever 3.5 game along with 2 other players, one sorcerer and one barbarian. Since we're all beginner I don't have to worry much about optimizationg but I'd like to at least be effective :) I thought of trying to be a jack of all trades kind of character, beeing the primary skill monkey of the party, my primary weapong beeing a bow but I'll also have a greatsword when it's necessary. Core Only.

Stats (rolled) are:

STR: 13
DEX: 16
CON: 14
WIS: 12
INT: 10
CHA: 9

I thought of doing something like this:

1. Point blank shot, Power attack (human)
2. Combat style: Rapid shot
3. Precise shot
4. Animal Companion: Eagle (for sending messenges and stuff, too weak to fight anyway.), +1 STR
5. -
6. Improved Combat Style: Manyshots, weapon focus: composite longbow.
7 and onward, Horizon Walker for seven levels taking shifting and tremorsense as my planar abilities. Raise DEX.

I don't think the campaign will go longer than that but if it does I'll continue with ranger.

I'd like some advice for what feats to take at level 9 and 12, and for equiping him. A composite longbow with a +2 STR rating seems good. What I'm also looking for is arrows with special effects. The ones I could find was arrows of sleep and arrows of slaying. Arrows of slaying seemed cool but I'd like to have some more, possibly having lots of arrows with different poisons on them. I couldn't find rules for poisoning arrows in the PHB and I haven't got the DMG right now.

So please, any help with equipment, especially special arrows, feats or just generally any comments about this build.

Cheers!

[Quietus]

Why are you getting Power Attack? You can't use that with ranged attacks.

[Morty]

I can't speak for skyclad, but it's always good to be able to hold on in melee.
Too bad it's core only- rangers get many nifty spells in splatbooks. But anyway, it looks like quite solid archer build.
And BTW, what are your favored enemies?

[Matthew]

You should probably swap Intelligence and Wisdom round. You never get the Skill Points back that you lose through low intelligence, but Magical Items can help improve your Wisdom. In the long run, a +1 Intelligence Bonus will contribute more to your Skills than a +1 Wisdom Bonus.

Quietus has a point about Power Attack not working with the build to increase Ranged Damage, but I think Mort is right to say that it's probably one of the best Feats going regardless and it's worth having for those occasions where you need to contribute in Melee.

A Great Sword/Long Bow combination is pretty good.

Weapon Focus isn't much of a Feat at Level 6. There are better ones out there, though I'm not a big hater of such things.

[skyclad]

You are right M0rt I picked power attack if I should be forced to enter melee. Favoured enemies will probably be goblinoids at first level and abberations at level 5 but I'm not sure. Goblinoids might be a waste later on but I think it will be good the first levels.

You make a good point about swapping WIS for INT matthew. My spellcasting will be pretty useless anyway. (and as you said items can bring it higher.)
I know weapon focus is pretty MEH but as I said I need help finding good feats to take. Perhaps Dodge/Mobility/Shoot on the run?

[Saph]

You make a good point about swapping WIS for INT matthew. My spellcasting will be pretty useless anyway. (and as you said items can bring it higher.)
I know weapon focus is pretty MEH but as I said I need help finding good feats to take. Perhaps Dodge/Mobility/Shoot on the run?

The Dodge/Mobility tree isn't really worth it IMO, and in any case having to remember to choose a Dodge target every round will drive you crazy. All that work, and all you get is a +1 AC? Besides, Shot on the Run only lets you fire one arrow.

Cleave is a better feat if you're in melee combat much, but you probably won't be. Greater Manyshot would be nice if you have some way of doing sneak attack or precision damage, but you don't. Maybe Improved Initiative or Quick Draw?

To be honest, Weapon Focus is about the only core archery-boosting feat left. You've got every other one but Far Shot, which isn't going to be much use unless you regularly fight outdoors at long distance.

- Saph

[Jannex]

If you're starting the game at level 1, your composite longbow should only have a +1 Str rating for now; swap it out for a +2 composite at level 4. You take a -2 penalty to attack with a bow if you don't have enough Strength to bring it to full draw.

I do like the Dodge/Mobility/Shot on the Run feat tree, personally, and since Tumble is cross-class for Rangers (for reasons best known to WotC, since it's never made sense to me...), Mobility is extra-useful for you. Other than that, you might consider Improved Critical (longbow) at 9th level; since you're limited to core-only, you don't have access to some of the really shiny feats out there, and a 19-20/x3 crit range is nothing to sneeze at.

Edit: Good point about Improved Initiative, Saph. Even though there's no source of precision damage, going first seldom hurts. And yeah, Weapon Focus isn't especially interesting, but it's another +1.

[Matthew]

Actually, it might be worth swapping Strength with Constitution at the outset here as well. The extra Damage is probably more desirable than the extra Hit Point at Level 1 and you can always raise it to 14 at Level 4.

As for what to about the Feat at sixth Level. Whilst it's true that options are limited and Weapon Focus isn't a bad Feat, when restricted to Core, Cleave is a good Feat, as are the various Feats that raise Skills by +2/+2.

Just a couple of thoughts.

[Miles Invictus]

Dude, just play a cleric, druid, or wizard.

...nah, I'm joking. Your build sounds a lot like a Ranger I've been wanting to play for a while now, in that he's a Ranger who will become a Horizon Walker. Not much similarity, I guess, but I have been thinking about Ranger builds.

Have you considered Craft Wand or Scribe Scroll? The Ranger doesn't get more than a handful of spells per day, but they do have a few decent spells. Entangle, Resist Energy, and Speak with Animals (if you're going to be using your animal companion a lot) are good candidates for wands.

Since you're trying to do both melee and ranged combat, you might find Quick Draw useful. Plink away at enemies until they charge you, and then switch weapons as a free action. If you combine this with Precise Shot, you'll be a credible threat regardless of your position on the battlefield.

If your character had a bit more Intelligence, I'd recommend Combat Expertise and Improved Disarm. Unarmed enemies do less damage, waste actions, and provoke attacks of opportunity. As the Ranger is a relatively frail front-line combatant, this is a good thing.

For your character, I'd suggest Quick Draw and Precise Shot.

[skyclad]

Thank you all for your comments :)

Saph: Thank you for reminding me about improved initiative, I had almost forgotten about it. Going first is always useful. Quick Draw is another very good idea.

Jannex: Yes I will get a +1 STR at first, or I might save my money to buy a magical one with a +2 rating when I hit 4th level. Improved critical is nice as well.

Matthew: The reason I put the 14 in constitution is because I will probably have to do some tanking every now and then, and when I raise my con at 4th level I won't gain hit points retroactively. I don't think delaying the +2 str mod until 4th level will be much of a problem. As for cleave, I'd like to focus on archery and general usefulness with my remaining feats.

Miles Invictus: I'm going to skip item creation feats for now, I can buy those wands should the need arise. Quick Draw is a great idea.

I think I'll do Quick Draw (6), Improved initiative (9) and focus: longbow (12) for this guy. (and improved critical at level 15 if we get that far.)

Cheers everyone!

[Matthew]

Skyclad, Characters get Hit Points from Constitution Bonus increases retroactively! The only thing they don't get in this way is Skill Points!

[skyclad]

Skyclad, Characters get Hit Points from Constitution Bonus increases retroactively! The only thing they don't get in this way is Skill Points!

Really? Well that's just super then :)

[Generic PC]

Why would you be tanking as a Ranger, when your party has a Barbarian?

anyway, if you need any other suggestions, Diehard might be nice if you are worried about hitpoints, as that will allow you to drink a potion while at -1 to -9. Even better, you dont need to take Endurance, as you get it at level 3. This will maake it so you can just keep going and going and going, as long as you have a CMW potion.

[Orzel]

Drop Weapons Focus For Quick Draw. Your Attack bonus should be high enough.

Since it's core only and you're switching Int and Wis, Iron Will might be nice sometime.

I'd go

Ranger1. Point blank shot, Power attack
Ranger2. Combat style: Rapid shot
Ranger3. Precise Strike
Ranger4. +1 STR
Ranger5.
Ranger6: Improved Combat Style: Manyshot, Quick Draw
Ranger6/HW1: Any Mastery but Desert and Aquatic
Ranger6/HW2: + 1 Dex, Any Mastery but Desert and Aquatic
Ranger6/HW3: Any Mastery but Desert and Aquatic, Improved Initiative or Iron Will
Ranger6/HW4: Any Mastery but Desert and Aquatic
Ranger6/HW5: Any Mastery but Desert and Aquatic
Ranger6/HW6: +1 Dex, Shifting, Improved critical or Iron Will
Ranger6/HW7: Cavernous


If you could only have Favored Power atack and Lion's Charge.

[skyclad]

Yes Orzel that's pretty much what I was thinking too :)

What are those feats and from what book are they?

[Orzel]

Favored Power attack increases your power attack ratio by 1 when using Power Attack against FEs. 2 damage for 1 attack vs FEs. 3 for 1 with two handed weapons. Squish goes the outsider. It's in CW.

And Lion's Charge is a level 2 Ranger spell similiar to Psionic Lion's Charge. A swift action spell that lets you make a full attack after a charge in the same round. It's in Miniatures Handbook.