all about rangers

[Len]

Efficient quiver (aka Quiver of Ehlonna, but they don't want the name Ehlonna in the SRD)

They don't want that name in Eberron either, but I don't know what it's called there because I don't have one yet. You don't need this at low levels, when you can easily keep enough arrows ready for one combat.

Mithral chain shirt and handy haversack are very useful (as already mentioned).

Don't put off getting your composite bow, even though you're planning to up your strength later. The extra damage per shot is vital. You can get a masterwork composite bow, get it enchanted to +1 at some point, and then when your strength bonus goes up trade it in on a stronger bow (with more enchantments added later).

Feats: "All rapid shot, all the time" is dead right. On the other hand, I think Shot on the Run is not very useful.

You might want to get a mount as your animal companion and take Mounted Combat and Mounted Archery.

There are some neat archery feats in CW.

If you actually want your animal companion to be useful, you need Natural Bond (CAdv).

If you stick with ranger you'll be hurting for feats. You can add some levels of fighter for more feats (notably Weapon Spec). (Unless you're required to stay with your randomly chosen class!)

Skills: Personally, I'd never play a ranger without Knowledge (nature). But then, I've seen a druid who had no Knowledge (nature).

Note the synergies (if you haven't already):
Knowledge (nature, dungeoneering, geography, planes) -> Survival (for various purposes)
Survival -> Knowledge (nature) (hey, you get synergies both ways!)
Search -> Survival (for tracking)
Handle Animal -> Ride

Favoured Enemy: Undead is a great choice. Human is also very useful. Beyond that, aberration and outsider (evil) would probably be my next choices, but it depends on the campaign.

Spells: Entangle is great for pinning down enemies or at least impeding them so you don't have to fight them all at once.

Arrow Mind (from CAdv) lets you use your bow in melee (it threatens an area and doesn't provoke an AoO when you shoot).

 

[Rackhir]

As a ranger you should have enough skill points to afford a decent arrow crafting skill. Personally, I figure that any such skills should cover making bows and arrows. Its not like skill points are so plentiful that a PC can afford lots of Crafting skills. I would just tell the DM that it's what your character is doing in his downtime like sitting around the campfire at night while traveling. With a decent number of ranks that should keep you in arrows at least.

Generally speaking in D&D for a fighter type you are better off concentrating on being really good at one thing than trying to have a smorgasboard of different combat areas. Archery is a very good route and there are a TON of ranger spells in Complete Adventurer that make it better such as my favorite - Arrow Mind which lets you threaten a standard 5' Area.

Shot on the Run is basically worse than useless. It costs you I think 3 feats to get and the ONLY advantage is that it lets you split your movement before and after taking a single shot. It has several disadvantages in that you can't use Multishot or pretty much ANY other kind of special skills/combat manuvers (Like the OoBI's Precision Shot) with it, since it only permits you to do an attack action not a standard action, which is what most other special skills/attacks require.

If you are doing a lot of travelling, mounted combat is KILLER with an archer. Since you can get a full move (your mount's) while still getting in a FULL attack! And you can take your attack at any point in your mounts movement!!! It is infinitely better than shot on the run. If you take a mount as your animal companion, that will also help address the major problem with mounted combat, getting your mount killed. Your animal companions gain HD and other benefits as you go up in level, which helps a lot since they are usually much weaker than even a 5th level char.

Two levels of fighter are defnitely worth taking since that will get you two extra feats. You might want to see if you can persuade your DM to let other fighter types take Weapon Spec as well, so you can continue to focus on Ranger levels rather than having to take a total of 4 fighter levels to get weapon spec. Weapon Spec is especially useful now that in 3.5 it doesn't have the 30' range limitation.

There is a problem with getting a "Mightier" bow than your character's str can use, in 3.5 you get a -2 on attacks if the bow is stronger than your str bonus.

I still like the 3.0 class Deepwoods Sniper from Masters of the Wild for an archery prestige class. The only feat you'll need to qualify for it that you wouldn't have already is Far Shot.

 

[Lord Pendragon]

And you can take your attack at any point in your mounts movement!!!

Small clarification.

You can use ranged weapons while your mount is taking a double move, but at a –4 penalty on the attack roll. You can use ranged weapons while your mount is running (quadruple speed), at a –8 penalty. In either case, you make the attack roll when your mount has completed half its movement. You can make a full attack with a ranged weapon while your mount is moving. Likewise, you can take move actions normally.

Attacks while mounted are resolved at the half-way point, not at any point in the mount's movement.

 

[SBMC]

I agree with folks here who said stay with one combat style; in the long run it is better. Note that you should always be prepared to execute combat in any situation but all your feats and skills should focus on one. The only exception to this would be the Fighter who can afford to master 2 or 3 styles during a 20 level career due to his feat allowances (but then again he can't sneak nor cast spells).


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Just to validate what others have said (not that it requires my validation)

Rapid shot is AWESOME as is Manyshot (you get those for free anyway with the Ranger).

Far Shot is incredible as well; seeing as you can hit more that is farther away; a key for any archer. Shot on The Run is indeed not very good; great in a particular situation if it ever comes up but to spend a feat on it? For a non-fighter? Not worth it at all (I took this once with an archery oriented Ranger - it sucked). Mounted Archery is indeed a great feat as well - provided you spend some serious time on horseback in combat (and have a warhorse).

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Now, The "Primary" question: Do you want to be the quintessential Ranger such as the lover and protector of natural things; loves being in and communing in nature; talking with animals etc. (the vanilla flavored Ranger)

Or a bit different; such as a Ranger who wants to do battle all the time and uses his additional Ranger abilities towards that end - such as a Ranger that is really more like a combative scout. Or a more "Divinely" oriented Ranger that spends more time concentrating on spells and such.


This will define, really, where the skills and feats really go.

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Another very important question here is to provide good advice to you is whether or not you can multiclass at all (if not at 2nd level; maybe the DM allows it after "X" levels or something).


Multiclassing Options:

The CW has a PrC geared solely towards archery (I don't have the book here in front of me to give you the name). The Scout class from CA, with the skirmish ability, would make a great one (though you loose BAB progression). In CA there are other classes that the ranger would fit very nicely into as well (and seem to be created for a ranger). "Heroes of Battle" has a PrC called "Dread Commando" that is really cool if you like that kind of a concept.

 

[Thanee]

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.

Heh.

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.

For a bow-focused character, at least 60 arrows (and you can collect the ones that missed... half of them will still work), maybe even more. 1/2 - 2/3 of them cold iron, the rest silver-tipped. Use different feathers to make sure you pick the right ones.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Thanee]

I think it's a good idea not to focus on one style only. Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot is all that's really needed for the bow-chain as a ranger. Maybe Weapon Focus, too.

After that, I would get Power Attack at least, maybe Quick Draw.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Vraister]

One note to the buckler: Don't you always get a -1 on your attack rolls when you use a buckler?

Vraister

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

One note to the buckler: Don't you always get a -1 on your attack rolls when you use a buckler?

Vraister

Only if you're using a buckler and a two-handed weapon or a buckler and an off-hand weapon.

If you're using a buckler and nothing in that hand, you do not suffer the AB penalty.

 

[Dog Moon]

Somewhere, I think in one of Malhavoc Press's books, is a Devlin's Ring which costs 2,000gp and whenever you pull the string on your bow, it creates a nonmagical arrow. I BELIEVE, but not sure, that it's in the 3rd book of Eldritch Might.

I recommend Deepwood Sniper, from Masters of the Wild. It improves your crit range and multiplier, plus gives you some other neat bonuses.

 

[Patryn of Elvenshae]

If you buy a mithril buckler, you don't suffer the -1 attack penalty, I believe.

Not true. A mithril or masterwork buckler does not impose a -1 Armor Check Penalty.

All bucklers impose a -1 penalty when you're using both hands on a weapon or weapons.