Broken Ranger with Barbarian MC

[Angellis_ater]

Ok, one of my players has built his ranger into a level 13 (beastmaster) ranger with paragon multiclassing into Barbarian. And he's devastating the battlefield - to such a degree that nothing of equal level is a challenge to the party anymore.

Wielding an Executioners Axe his frigging At-Will - Devastating Strike -(with power attack) against a Quarry is an amazing 1d12+4d8+16 (+6 from Power Attack, +5 from Strength, +3 from Enhancement, +2 from Iron Armbands).

This is an impossibly high number, he regularly reduces 100+ HP enemies to dust in 1-2 rounds. His average, for the at will is 41 damage. Once he starts whipping out Rages, Dailies and more - I'm weeping and the rest of the crew are mostly relegated to providing the occasional flanking (when his doggy isn't close enough) or healing him.

Now - I've contemplated asking the player to change to a new character (and he seems interested in playing a Druid) - but this seems more of a systematic problem with the Barbarian having his "bonus striker damage" incorporated into his powers instead of as a separate class feature. I can, without a problem, see a Str/Dex Rogue MC into Barbarian and be almost as dangerous (except there won't be as big of a weapon).

 

[Thanee]

Hey, at least he doesn't seem to have found Bloodclaw weapons yet.

But yeah, stacking the bonus damage from Ranger and Barbarian does sound wrong.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Angellis_ater]

Oh they did, but I only made the mistake of handing out the Bloodclaw once and the rogue using it didn't give it up and then the player removed his own character from play, items and all.

IF he could, he would.

 

[Mentat55]

This is one of the problems of building the barbarian's striker damage directly into the powers -- multiclassing lets you get at the big damage without any real limitations (unlike Hunter's Quarry or Sneak Attack, which are limited to 1/encounter).

 

[shadowoflameth]

Consider a swarm. Then the wizrd can shine with area attacks, and the ranger barbarian does half damage. The lamia can sustain damage with a minor if he stays in range, and your ranger still has a rangers hp.

Wraiths can also be a humbling encounter.

In an extremely annoying case, try a swarm shifter wraith. ave. 41/half (for insubstantial) =20/half again (for being a swarm)=10/half yet again (for weakening the lout =5 for an at-will. enjoy.

Remember, he's still a ranger, and has that classes defenses, hp, etc. he isn't invincible. And he is a striker. It isn't a crime to be very good in your role.

 

[Kwalish Kid]

It sounds like you could do with some minions! Then the powerful attacks will be less useful.

 

[NaturalZero]

Power attack hurts this guy though. He's eating a -2 when (with the right gear) he could be doing comparable damage with a charge and have an attack bonus +3 higher. It could be worse.

 

[chitzk0i]

His AC cannot be very good. Archers that are out of reach ought to put the hurt on him.

 

[Otterscrubber]

The fact that barbarian x-class has no limit to the extra damage seems to be an egregious oversight on WotC part. The seem to have put very few limits on the abilities of many of the classes in PHB2.

 

[Prism]

, +5 from Strength, +3 from Enhancement, +2 from Iron Armbands).

This is an impossibly high number, he regularly reduces 100+ HP enemies to dust in 1-2 rounds. His average, for the at will is 41 damage.

I reckon he would probably do more damage using twin strike to be honest. The double roll to get the quarry damage in is the key. At this level I'd probably rate the rangers dailies as better than the barb rages and the encounters about even. I think you may have to start aiming at encounters 2-4 levels above the party. Are the other characters well built too?