Orc Ranger Help

[Thatwackyned]

I've never played Dark Sun before and am having trouble understanding the issue with no magic items. We are starting at level 10, and I'm devoid of magic items. How does the static bonus work against a frost cheese build? Am I going to be greatly underpowered?

 

[OSEZNO]

So far as I can tell, inherent bonuses work the same as if you had the enhancement bonuses from a level appropriate magic item without the extra affects (such as special dailies and all that).

So if you're playing with inherent bonuses, it should be fine.
Without it, it might be a little rough.

 

[Dice4Hire]

Ors in Darksun?

But that aside.

Attack and Damage: All characters gain a +1 bonus
to attack rolls and damage rolls at 2nd, 7th, 11th, 17th,
22nd, and 27th level.

Defenses: All PCs gain a +1 bonus to AC, Fortitude, Reflex,
and Will at 4th, 9th, 14th, 19th, 24th, and 29th level.

So at tenth level, you would have +2 to att/dmg and +2 to all defenses.

By a later clarification, the +2 to attack and damage also grants a 1d6 critical, so you would do 2d6 extra on crits.

 

[ppaladin123]

1. You should probably check with your DM before you build an orc/half-orc. They don't exist in the Dark Sun universe because they were annihilated during a mass genocide thousands of years ago. Of course, he might not include that detail in his campaign.

2. Frost cheese isn't going to work without magic weapons or powers to apply the cold property. Rangers don't have powers that do cold damage inherently so you'll be stuck unless you have an artificer or some other class that can grant it to your weapons.

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

There are no orcs, but there are tareks, which are basically the same thing. Ask your DM about them.

 

[Lancelot]

Further, standard Dark Sun isn't "no magic items"... it's "fewer magic items". The DM guidance is to hand out 2 less magic item treasure packets per level, if you're using static enhancement bonuses. It also recommends that you replace some of those magic item packets with "boons" of an appropriate level. These are permanent things that take the place of magic items - they're functionally identical, but tied to your PC's training and innate capabilities, rather than being external object they use or wear.

If your DM is starting your characters at 10th level with no magic items or boons at all, then I'd suggest you're going to be a little bit underpowered. If he was following the campaign setting guidelines, your party "should" have found up to 18 items or boons of varying levels by the time you reached 10th level. This is only 50% of what you'd find in a normal D&D campaign without static bonuses, but it's still something to consider.

[see pg. 209 of the Campaign Setting for more info, under the heading "parcels"]

I'd recommend maybe asking the DM if your PC could start with 50% of the normal magic item allocation, possibly with some of that allowance taken in boons.

However, even if he/she would prefer not to do this, my experience is that the static bonuses work well. A "standard" 10th level ranger will typically have one level+1 item (let's say, a weapon). His armor and neck slot are only going to be +2, which you're already getting through static bonuses. So, at worst, you're only behind the curve by a +1 attack/damage bonus. And there are many 10th level PCs out there who have fought their way up from 1st level and haven't yet found a suitable +3 weapon. So, don't sweat it.

 

[Thatwackyned]

Wealth
- You keep all your current gear.
- You may either replace your weapon OR your armour with a lvl 12 equivalent.
- You have two other items (Feet, hands, etc) whose value (combined) do not exceed 5000 gold pieces.
- You may include normal mundane gear, as you wish, within reason.
- note that most armour is NOT metallic... if you really really want that full plate armour suit, it can happen, just good luck with the endurance checks
- Also, I am using the reckless attack options
- I am using the Fixed enhancement bonuses to compensate for the world's lack of magic items (DS, p 209).
- you all have 2 potions of vitality (paragon) and 1 potion of vigor (heroic) in the form of hardened, but edible resins (same mechanism)
- equivalent of 500 gp each in personal cash.

That's what the DM gave us to work with.