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Melee Ranger Great Weapon Master
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<blockquote data-quote="Kobold Stew" data-source="post: 6692802" data-attributes="member: 23484"><p>So I've been thinking about this question since I saw it posted last night, and I have the way *I* would make a melee ranger. Is it optimized? Absolutely not. Would it be fun? For me, yes. So thanks for the prompt.</p><p></p><p>Concept: a Wisdom-based melee ranger, using Shillelagh (partly because I personally dislike GWM and the -5/+10) </p><p></p><p>Stats: Alt Human, With Wisdom as the main stat, Dex at 14, Con as high as it can go; the rest to taste. Using the standard Array, that would give me 16 Wis, 14 Con, 14 Dex with a 12 10, 8 to be assigned. With point-buy, you could have 16/16/14, with 10/8/8. I'd probably just take 16/14/14/10/10/10.</p><p></p><p>Feat: The bonus feat would be Magic Initiate, Druid, which gives Shillelagh, another cantrip (Guidance, perhaps, or Produce Flame for a ranged attack), and a first-level spell (good spells in the druid list: Goodberry, Entangle, Healing Word, Longstrider etc.). </p><p></p><p>Fighting Style: Duelling gives +2 damage, so your 1-H Shillelagh attack does 1d8+5 magical bludgeoning damage. Eventually you'll wear a breastplate for AC 18 with a shield. </p><p></p><p>Dip?: I agree a 1-level fighter dip may be worthwhile. For this build, it gives the Con save (if taken first), Second Wind, and another fighting style. If I pursued this route, I would only do it if I had access to the Mariner fighting style from the Waterborne pdf (if allowed); AC with shield now 19, and you have a swim speed and a climb speed, which gives great maneuverability, and synergies if the spell taken was Longstrider. </p><p></p><p>Level 4: If your Shillelagh is empowering a quarterstaff being used 1-handed, you could increase the fun with Polearm Master (giving 1d8+5, 1d4+5 attacks), and extra opportunity attacks. </p><p></p><p>I think this this all works -- not super powerful, but I think it would be completely playable and fun.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Kobold Stew, post: 6692802, member: 23484"] So I've been thinking about this question since I saw it posted last night, and I have the way *I* would make a melee ranger. Is it optimized? Absolutely not. Would it be fun? For me, yes. So thanks for the prompt. Concept: a Wisdom-based melee ranger, using Shillelagh (partly because I personally dislike GWM and the -5/+10) Stats: Alt Human, With Wisdom as the main stat, Dex at 14, Con as high as it can go; the rest to taste. Using the standard Array, that would give me 16 Wis, 14 Con, 14 Dex with a 12 10, 8 to be assigned. With point-buy, you could have 16/16/14, with 10/8/8. I'd probably just take 16/14/14/10/10/10. Feat: The bonus feat would be Magic Initiate, Druid, which gives Shillelagh, another cantrip (Guidance, perhaps, or Produce Flame for a ranged attack), and a first-level spell (good spells in the druid list: Goodberry, Entangle, Healing Word, Longstrider etc.). Fighting Style: Duelling gives +2 damage, so your 1-H Shillelagh attack does 1d8+5 magical bludgeoning damage. Eventually you'll wear a breastplate for AC 18 with a shield. Dip?: I agree a 1-level fighter dip may be worthwhile. For this build, it gives the Con save (if taken first), Second Wind, and another fighting style. If I pursued this route, I would only do it if I had access to the Mariner fighting style from the Waterborne pdf (if allowed); AC with shield now 19, and you have a swim speed and a climb speed, which gives great maneuverability, and synergies if the spell taken was Longstrider. Level 4: If your Shillelagh is empowering a quarterstaff being used 1-handed, you could increase the fun with Polearm Master (giving 1d8+5, 1d4+5 attacks), and extra opportunity attacks. I think this this all works -- not super powerful, but I think it would be completely playable and fun. [/QUOTE]
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