all about rangers

[PrinceZane]

I convinced our DM to do a random char picking. Basically we were gaining a brand new player (never played, ever), and it was time for us to start over (because... that's just what we do. I get going, get rich, start plotting, and we restart before I can put the money into action).

So he wrote down all the classes on paper, labeled them 1-6, and then rolled 2d6 and the numbers were the classes you got to choose from. We did this because everyone has been so comfortable in playing their strong point, no one is learning or anything anymore, myself including.

So I got a choise between a ranger or bard. Personally, I dislike bards (as helpful admittingly as they can be), so I went with the ranger.

SO... I'm building a ranger. I decided to go archery ranger, and we set out to start our adventuring careers. However, I learned REALLY quick, that I'm very underprepared. I almost ran out of arrows after the first 2-3 days of traveling.

The question is how do you guys set up your chars? How many arrows, how many different types, etc? We're level 1, with 425g to start.

My idea was a basic longbow with basic arrows, and a melee weapon to start with. Tossing an arrow or 2 to get a feel for how tough its going to be, if its apparently easy to hit then I'll run up to swing, if I'm having to make decent rolls then stay back (due my dex > str). When I get back to my house I can post my stats (I got some pretty decent rolls 4d6 drop lowest).

I plan on specing out a nice 4str bow, maybe even wait till a 5 if I can get some gloves str. Are there any quivers that can have like infinite basic arrows or that can hold a ton, instead of having 12 different quivers floating around my back all Rambo style.

We've never had a ranger in the group, nor have we "really" came across any (We had some bandits that did a very nice hit-and-run but that was about it).

 

[Staffan]

Efficient quiver (aka Quiver of Ehlonna, but they don't want the name Ehlonna in the SRD) lets you carry 60 arrows, plus 18 javelin-sized, and 6 bow-sized objects. You could also go for a Heward's Handy Haversack or a Bag of Holding, keeping spare quivers in there to refill between combats.

 

[PrinceZane]

yeah, i just found QoE, and was curious does it "have" to be jav sized, or could u sub arrows there too? posting my stats in just a bit, finishing up dinner. heh

 

[PrinceZane]

We were on a 4d6 drop lowest system for stats as said before. I rolled under DM witness, 17, 18, 16, 14, 13, 12. Stats are as follows:

Char Name: Heician Holilo (for formal affairs)
Char Nickname: Zane (for informal affairs)
Race/Class/Level: Elven Ranger level 1
Align: CN
Deity: Reserved for animal companion (for humor/randomness)
Visual: Male, 131 years old, 139 pounds, 5'4, light blue eyes, dark brown skin, black hair

Stats:
Str - 17 (+3)
Dex - 20 (+5) - racial mod
Con - 14 (+2) - racial mod
Int - 14 (+2)
Wis - 13 (+1)
Cha - 12 (+1)

HP - 10
AC - 18 (10 + 3 armor +5 dex)
Touch - 15
Flat Footed - 13

Init - 5

Save Throws:
Fort - 4 (2 base + 2 con)
Ref - 7 (2 base + 5 dex)
Will - 1 (0 base + 1 will)

Attack:
Longbow - +6 attack bonus, 1d8 damage, Crit x3, 100' range
*10 arrows left* (I apparently had some crazy brain fart and only grabbed 20, and even forgot the blade I "thought" I bought mentioned earlier. Maybe I was alot more tired than I thought Sat night)

Skills (that matter, i.e. have ranks):
Handle animal: 5 (1 + 4 ranks)
Hide: 9 (5 + 4 ranks)
Listen: 7 (3 + 4 ranks + 2 racial)
Move Silently: 9 (5 + 4 ranks)
Ride: 9 (5 + 4 ranks)
Search: 6 (2 + 4 ranks)
Spot: 7 (3 + 4 ranks)
Survival: 5 (1 + 4 ranks)

Gear:
Studded leather armor - +3ac bonus, Max Dex +5

No other possessions (besides bow/arrows)

Feats:
Track
Point Blank Shot

Special Abilities:
Fav Enemy (undead)
Wild Empathy
"Elven stuff"

Languages:
Common
Elven
Undercommon
Aquatic (for the heck of it - we've never encountered water creatures or any water type quest in the 2-3 years I've played with these guys)

 

[PrinceZane]

I lied... I do have more stuff...

Other Items (forgot about stuff we found already):
1 breastplate
1 heavy steel shield
1 chain shirt
1 map of Highfolk region/area
1 Bulls eye lantern

303xp

324gp
2000cp

 

[Lord Pendragon]

First of all, if you're an archer, I suggest that you make that your primary tactic in combat. So don't think "I'll fire some arrows and move into melee if they're easy to hit." Think "I'll keep firing arrows unless something forces me into melee--i.e. I need to protect the wizard or there's no clear line of fire." You should be firing 2 arrows a round in a full attack, so you'll be doing very nice damage so long as you've got a clear line to the target. Make sure to get all the arrow feats ranger doesn't give you asap.

A note about melee: there's an archer in our group (currently 12th-level). He's a horror with that bow of his, but he simply doesn't have the AC or hp to stand on the front line for long. At 1st-level, you're probably fine, but long-term, the front line is not a place for the archer to be. Ever, if he can help it.

As Staffan pointed out, the answer to your arrow problem is the Quiver of Ehlonna (to hoolies with you, SRD generic naming convention!) As a rule, plan on keeping plenty of normal arrows on hand, along with a handful (perhaps a single quiver of 20 each) of special material arrows and +1 arrows (to beat magic DR). An archer does less damage, but gets more attacks, as a general rule, so not having the proper material to beat DR is more detrimental to the archer than the greatsword-wielding barbarian.

As your backup melee weapon, you might consider a spiked gauntlet. That way if you find your bow sundered or a big nasty right next to you threatening an AoO, you're already armed, and don't have to spend an action drawing a weapon.

 

[Plane Sailing]

You might want to put some skill ranks into craft(arrowmaking) so that you are less likely to be caught short in the wilderness?

I can see two valid ways of taking the archer ranger path.

Method 1 (the obvious one): Focus entirely on archery to the exclusion of other other combat styles. You'll become a holy terror and annoy the other fighters for your ability to continually get off full attacks doing a boatload of damage.

Method 2: (the one it looks like you are taking): Don't min-max, use the freebie archery feats to give you excellent ranged attacks and use your normal feats to give yourself some interesting melee possibilities too - e.g. 2HW + power attack + cleave etc can be even better for clearing our mooks than archery.

n.b. Diehard will eventually be a great feat for your ranger (since you already get the prereq of Endurance for free at 3rd level).

Cheers

 

[Belbarid]

We were on a 4d6 drop lowest system for stats as said before. I rolled under DM witness, 17, 18, 16, 14, 13, 12. Stats are as follows:

Char Name: Heician Holilo (for formal affairs)
Char Nickname: Zane (for informal affairs)
Race/Class/Level: Elven Ranger level 1
Align: CN
Deity: Reserved for animal companion (for humor/randomness)
Visual: Male, 131 years old, 139 pounds, 5'4, light blue eyes, dark brown skin, black hair

Work toward the Elven Wildrunner from MotW or Shadowdancer (or both) and combine Hide in PLain Sight with Feats like Shot on the Run. It's tricky and you may end up taking some hefty penalties to Hide and Move Silently, although there's a ton of magic items out there that will help with that. Payoff's worth it, though.

 

[Shadowdweller]

I forget what it's called, but I believe Races of the Wild (splatbook) has a magic quiver that produces an infinite number of normal arrows, and a limited number of silvered/cold iron/admantine arrows per day for around 18,000 gp. Obviously not something to be obtained right away, but possibly useful in time.

Also consider using a buckler: Less AC than that heavy shield, but you can use a bow while wearing it at no penalty, which means you don't have to strap it on after shooting (or take it off before).

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

As a bit of advice, "All rapid shot, all the time."

Barring some odd corner cases, you'll always be a more effective archer with that extra attack than with the +2 on your to-hit rolls.

Get yourself a masterwork buckler, as Shadowdweller mentions.

Also, you'll want to eventually look into a mithral chain shirt, since it will let you apply more of your Dex to AC than the breastplate you're currently wearing.