Melee Ranger Dex/Int question

[Doctor Proctor]

The main reason is i want race to be Genasi really, and the way i see it is that if i go for Dex over Int im missing out over a +1 to defences.

Honestly, there's no reason why you couldn't just go 18 STR, 16 DEX and then 13 INT (with the Genasi bonus). You don't have to eke out every little bit of mechanical bonus out of the racial stats. You'll be down just a bit in terms of AC and REF, but only by a single point. The 13 INT will still get you access to a lot of INT based feats that Rangers normally don't have, which could be flavorful for your character.

One of the main reasons to consider keeping DEX though is that a lot of dual weapon Ranger powers work for both attacks with two weapons and ranged weapons. The ranged versions, however, are DEX based. See Twin Strike for an example. So while you could rely on Heavy Thrown RBA's, you'll get more flexibility and act sooner in the encounter if you stick with DEX as your secondary. Not to mention the class skill synergy and feat prerequisites for things you might like (such as the Paragon and Epic tier feats for Heavy and Light Blades).

 

[elephantgrey]

As chance-to-hit is so important in 4e (basicaly all damage/effects relly on you hitting) lowering you main stat seams silly to me. Just my oppinion though.
and as ive said before, initiative seams not that important to me, seeing as how most fights last for more than a few rounds, so you dont really loose turns by being slower.
That said, tere is a point to be made with the feat prerequisite thing.

 

[mneme]

EG: Actually, you don't generally want a 20 Str with -any- ranger except for a heavy armor ranger -- since Dex isn't just a secondary attack stat; it also governs 2/3 of your defenses [20 Dex is, of course, a much more defensible choice].

I think the idea of a STR/int Genasi ranger is supportable, but you really want to work the concept so you're getting a unique power set from the unusual combination rather than just being a cheap knock-off of the STR/Dex ranger with worse Initiative and no ranged attack. For instance, you could hybrid with wizard, using a staff build and an 18/18 stat array and be equally capable of throwing down twin striking focus fire and Genasi Blaster supercharged area attacks.

 

[Klaus]

As chance-to-hit is so important in 4e (basicaly all damage/effects relly on you hitting) lowering you main stat seams silly to me. Just my oppinion though.
and as ive said before, initiative seams not that important to me, seeing as how most fights last for more than a few rounds, so you dont really loose turns by being slower.
That said, tere is a point to be made with the feat prerequisite thing.

IMHO, starting off with a post-adjustment 19 in your prime stat is a better investment than starting with a 20. That frees up more points to invest in one or two secondary stats, or to shore up a lagging defense.

 

[Neonchameleon]

For crying out loud! He isn't preparing for Lair Assault here. I'd recommend 18 str over 20 str, but honestly who cares. He knows he isn't trying for a razor-optimised character. Just one good enough. And once you've started at or above a 16 in your primary stat with a two weapon ranger, you're good enough. Much more is just gravy.

The feats you miss out on are Two Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Defence, and certain light blade feats. All useful, but not critical especially if you go with axes (which are better for rangers than for any other class I can think of). It's a "Kill them before they kill you" approach. And if you want a 20 in prime stat, two weapon defence isn't on the cards anyway.

As for making the Str|Int genasi supportable, get one of the Ritual Caster multiclass feats. (I'd seriously recommend getting Cha 13 if you can afford it and then being able to multiclass Bard for rituals, healing, and possibly even the Bard of All Trades feat - how better to show off your Int?) Viable, interesting, offbeat, and still able to make cuisineart out of monsters due to sheer number of attacks and decent statics.

 

[elephantgrey]

For crying out loud! He isn't preparing for Lair Assault here. I'd recommend 18 str over 20 str, but honestly who cares. He knows he isn't trying for a razor-optimised character. Just one good enough. And once you've started at or above a 16 in your primary stat with a two weapon ranger, you're good enough. Much more is just gravy.

The feats you miss out on are Two Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Defence, and certain light blade feats. All useful, but not critical especially if you go with axes (which are better for rangers than for any other class I can think of). It's a "Kill them before they kill you" approach. And if you want a 20 in prime stat, two weapon defence isn't on the cards anyway.

As for making the Str|Int genasi supportable, get one of the Ritual Caster multiclass feats. (I'd seriously recommend getting Cha 13 if you can afford it and then being able to multiclass Bard for rituals, healing, and possibly even the Bard of All Trades feat - how better to show off your Int?) Viable, interesting, offbeat, and still able to make cuisineart out of monsters due to sheer number of attacks and decent statics.

I was thinking of multiclassing into wizard, but you might be onto something with bard. might go 20 10 8 15 10 13 and pick up Bardic Ritualist and Master of Stories. Im in a toss-up between Marauder and Beastmaster. Two Weapon Defense would be useful, but being able to have a raptor and a falcon familiar sat on my sholder would be cool.

 

[Herschel]

I say go for it and build your feats, multiclass or whatever you can to work off Intelligence and make a more unique Ranger.

And I say unique in the best possible way.

Dex is probably more optimal, but no reason you HAVE to go that way.

This. My only suggestion would be to NOT buy that pre/post-racial 18/20 in STR as it's simply IMO too many points you lose on other stats. You can then get a nice INTAND WIS score for solid defenses accross the board and pre-requisites for things. An 18 post-racial strength is really the "best" way to go due to the point buy costs.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

15 int will leave you with an absolutely horrible AC of 15 on level 1 (for a frontline fighter) and no chance to increase it with armor specialization feats...

You are better served with 20/13/10/12/13/8 which allows you to upgrade to chain and scale armor... and even leaves you with ok defenses... and quite good hp.
You can even safely increase wisdom without even falling more behind and get some ok secondary effects later on.

The other options, as mentioned is dropping your Str to 18, having 16 int, 14 wisdom and a 13 to put anywhere you want (constitution is still a good choice to get hide expertize at epic).

Both stat spreads serve you well...
The only thing, your spread will serve is being killed very fast...

 

[OnlineDM]

Wow, lots of people here approach character creation so differently than I do!

If someone asks me, "Can I make a Str/Int ranger work?" I start thinking about the issues. Okay, you give up a good ranged attack, falling back on heavy thrown weapons there. Certain dex-related feats are off the table, but that's not the end of the world. Initiative is lower, no biggie. AC and Ref will still be fine. Yep, it works - go for it!

I guess I'm not an optimizer. Heck, my favorite character is my bard, Factotum, who tried to be good at everything. Every feat is a multiclass feat. His stat array is all 13s, with a 14 in Charisma (post-racial 16, since he's a human). He is not a wrecking ball in combat, but he gets by just fine. And he's a blast to play. All of the other LFR players at my store know Factotum and look forward to being at a table with him, rather than dreading the fact that he might not be as razor-sharp in combat. He gets the job done, and he's fun.

So, to the OP: Yes, your Str/Int genasi two-weapon melee ranger can work just fine, and he sounds like a character with lots of cool possibilities. I say go for it!

 

[mneme]

OD: I tend to go "Ok, you're down a few things; lets see if we can find something unique to make it worth losing those things!"