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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ruleslawyer" data-source="post: 1648283" data-attributes="member: 1757">Having DM-ed for 20 years, and DM-ed 3e since its inception, I think I do "have a clear idea of how the game mechanics work", actually. The unfettered's AC bonus applies only when the unfettered is using light armor and no shield; unlike the unfettered, a ranger can use a shield, which at 20th level is an easy +7 AC.  Moreover, the ranger's TWF virtual feats allow him to use the shield as a weapon while engaging in sword-and-board, so a ranger doesn't really lose out on attack potential while effortlessly matching the UF in AC. A 20th-level ranger also has the ability to maintain a +5 natural armor bonus with barkskin, one of the "handful of spells" you're so quick to dismiss. On average, a ranger is actually quite likely to have a better AC than the UF. Finally, a ranger's favored enemy bonuses, animal companion, and ability to cast summon nature's ally add up to much more extra damage in melee than 5d6 per successful sneak attack. And none of those extra damage potentials are blunted by the traditional sneak attack mitigating factors (concealment, fortification, creature type, etc.) The 20th-level unfettered gets +5d6 to every attack while flanking? Fine. Compare with the 20th-level ranger flanking with his dire lion companion and his summoned dire ape; that's a lot more than even +20d6 expected SA damage per round. Moreover, the ranger's companion and summoned creature<s> allow him to set up flanking opportunities for the rogue, who's dealing +10d6 damage per SA.</s><s></s><s>I've got an unfettered fighter running in my current D&D/AU blend campaign, and he's really not that great, despite the fact that the player is one of the better tacticians in the group. On balance, I'd say the AU class to watch for is the magister; while taking out some of the more potent D&D spells blunts the class's raw power a bit, the magister gets really scary the moment that sorcerous blast becomes available.</s></blockquote>

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