D&D 5E Building a Spell-less Ranger - Advice is sought!

[Greenfeuer]

Hello there people, I am making a Halfling Spell-less Ranger.

We are converting our characters from Pathfinder, a formerly Warhammer second edition. So there is som lore / reason to choose what I choose, for bonus racials + other abilties.

http://www.adnd3egame.com/documents/ranger variant.pdf - Link

I like to have comments on my build and suggestions, aswell on the few mods that are made. If they are bad good or in balanced or well balanced.

My background story will be Folk Hero but my GM agreed to let me drop animal handling for somthing else, since I won't be using it alot. Hardly
use the rideing pony my halfling has for anything but short trips or carrying stuff, he prefer to go by foot. The skills will be: Acrobatics and Survival.

I will be level 8.

My proficent skills will be: Perception, Stealth, Atheltics. - Acrobatics and Survival from story!


My stats will be as following:

12 Str
16 Dex
14 Con
10 int
14 Wisdom
10 Cha

I my get less Wisdom for more 12 Cha, because my character is quite social. I tend to carry / have alot of gear, for hunting trolls and such on this character +1 strenght score is quite need to have

Feats: Lucky, Sharpshooter.



I will trade a few things for more racial to fit the Warhammer lore since we play in that world.

Heavy armor for: Halfling Weapon Training: When you attack with a dagger, a short sword, or a sling with which you have proficiency, the damage die for that weapon increases by one step: from d4 to d6, or d6 to d8.

Medium armor for: Magic Resistance or Gnome "Halfling" cunning.

All shields beside buckler for: Night Vision.


I am going ranged so I naturally choose Archery, but I will be using a Sling


I got a got problem with the following class ability -

SCOUT’S INSTINCTS: At 3rd level, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make with any two of the following skills:Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. At 10th level you can choose another two skill proficiencies togain this benefit.

The problem is, I run out of skills to choose, since it seemse to double the proficiency, and I don't got that with Nature or Investigation, which leaves the question. Wil I be allowed to chose another then? Do I simply get proficency in the skill I choose, that I normally didn't? - As it is, I am forced to drop one of the skills, to take nature or investigation.


Another one is I am going to trade following ability for a feat. Or is it worth more?

CALL NATURAL ALLIES Starting at 13th level, when you are in an area of your favoredterrain, you can call natural creatures from that terrain to fight on your behalf, using your attunement to the natural world to convince them to aid you. The DM chooses beasts appropriate to the terrain to come to your aid from amongthose that could hear you and that are within 1 mile of you,in one of the following groups:• One beast of challenge rating 3 or lower• Three beasts of challenge rating 1 or lower• Six beasts of challenge rating 1/2 or lower• Twelve beasts of challenge rating 1/4 or lower.

Because it simply don't fit my character.


Going to mod my Herbalist kit into a Halfling Cooking kit which is a mixture of that and Cooking. - Since apperently Halfling cooking as healing propperties in Warhammer. - This changes nothing in the rules but more my characters approach for RP flavor.


With that said, looking forward to all of you guys feedback!



I am thinking of which ability to choose for archtypes abilties too.

HUNTER’S PREYAt 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of yourchoice:

• Giant Killer: When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you canuse your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature. In addition, when fighting Large or larger creatures you may Dodge as a bonus action.

• Horde Breaker: Once on each of your turns when youmake a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature thatis within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon. In addition, when within 5 feet of two or more foes, you may Help an ally as a bonus action.

• Relentless Harrier: Your tenacity can wear down themost potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 2d4 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn. At 7th, 11th, and 15th levels, you gain an additional d4 ofdamage, to a maximum of 5d4 at levels 15 and higher.

 

[Greenfeuer]

Feel free to come with suggestions of other "Ranger" types who don't rely on magic or pets.

Preferably Stealthy or Rogueish or using traps alot.

 

[zaratan]

edit.

sorry, wrong window.

 

[mellored]

I personally would just make a fighter sub-class.

3: You get expertise in survival and animal handling. You get advantage on checks relating to your favored terrain.

7: ... what else do ranger do besides have survival skills?

 

[Georlik]

Or simply Champion Fighter / Thef Rogue with Outlander Background.
Simplest solutions are the best IMO.

 

[Shendorion]

If I were asked to build the character, I'd take the Outlander background, do 3 levels of rogue (assassin archetype,) and the rest fighter (battle master archetype). The rogue levels buy you Expertise (two skills of your choice, but I'd take Perception and Stealth to get surprise as often as possible,) cunning action (shoot, move, hide for advantage every turn,) a little damage boost from sneak attack, and the assassin's ridiculous ambush ability. Battle Master gives you interesting tactical options, multiple attacks per round and superiority dice to pile more damage into the ambush when you can manage it.

It hits all the high points. Starting rogue will cost you proficiency on WIS saves, but it gets you the skill list you wanted. You're an excellent hit-and-run combatant without magic tricks or performing animals, and starting at lv. 8 means you skip the weak levels on the build (5-8).

 

[Sword of Spirit]

Two thoughts:

First, you seem to be drawing from old playtest material, since some of the things you mentioned in your post are not how the published game works. I could be wrong and you might just intentionally be using variant material, but for instance the racial weapon die damage increase went away early in the playtest, and there is no difference between a buckler and any other shield in the final material. If you don't have a PHB, you can download the Basic Rules and the OGL for free.

Second, WotC already has an option for a magic-free ranger style character. It's a fighter subclass called the scout, which you can find here:

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/kits-old

It is an Unearthed Arcana article, so it's not in finished format, but it is brand new this month, so it's up to date with current material.

 

[Greenfeuer]

The old material is okay with my GM - The Halfling Weapon training is a way sling can be viable instead of reskinning the shortbow.

I prefer to go Ranger so faar, it fits my character better. The Fighter Scout Class however I may consinder since it seemse cool, but so faar Spell-less Ranger, with a few mods are more my style

About shield, we find a way to make a buckler, just a weaker shield with 1 AC or a weakness of somkind - My character had a Mithril Buckler, Sword and Chain Shirt back in our Pathfinder game, so we try to convert som of those items.


About Handle Animal - I don't see any abitilies beside Scout's Instincts that has much to do with Anmial Handling when I am going Hunter. Favorede enemy fits perfectly too, for my characters story. He has a history of hunting trolls and have a special hate for orc and goblins. - Warhammer lore etc. - Not that I must have favored eenemy but I see alot of good reasons to take Ranger for roleplay flavor too.

I find the superiority dices abit boring somwhat.

 

[Greenfeuer]

I am useing new Materiale, the old was the Halflings Weapon Training tho. But a good "feat/racial" that worked well.

Fighter Scout is cool again, but I feel it lacks utillity. :/


Question is tho, what is more powerfull? A spell-less ranger or a Fighter Scout?

I am confused with Favored Enemy however. Not sure what my advantages in on m enemys exact?

 

[Dausuul]

I prefer to go Ranger so faar, it fits my character better.

What about it fits your character better? This is a key question; it's hard to make recommendations when we don't know what you're trying to achieve. What, specifically, does the ranger class provide that an assassin/champion MC build wouldn't?