Generating Opportunity Attacks (BM Ranger)

chorolus

First Post
Just wanted to ask the veteran Ranger players out there... What options do we have to generate Opportunity Attacks? I'm aware of the Beast Protector feat, but if the GM simply refuses to attack your pet, do we have any other options?
 

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Well, I made a Hybrid Bard/Ranger took that feat and use Misdirected Mark and put the mark on my beast companion.

Works nice.
 


Misdirection Mark? Is that a Bard Multiclass feat? I haven't heard of that one before...
Bard At-Will. Range 10, 1d8+cha damage, the enemy is marked by an ally within burst 5. Unless your defender is a Warden or a Fighter (maybe a Battlemind too now...) the Mark is usually just -2, so it is kind of blah. But you can do some fun stuff with it.
 


Have your beast go camp next to enemy artillery and controllers. If you look at the stats on beasts they're adequately tough. Take one that can fly or at least spider climb and it can definitely make pain for your range/area attacking opponents without much way they can stop it in most situations, plus you get to HQ those back-rank monsters.

Now, once you DO have your beast next to the artillery Beast Protector works well as the DM has really only 2 choices, eat an OA from the beast every time he attacks with them or attack the beast. Combine it with the misdirected mark and it sounds pretty effective. Another trick might be to combine the beast with some sword mage warding ;)
 

@ Chorolus: Having read some of your other questions in other threads, you mentioned you were a bit of a powergamer. I'm not sure that a Beastmaster is the most 'optimal' build a ranger can play. It's true you can go Beastmaster just for the companion and play as a normal TWF or ranged without the bonus feat those builds grant you.

Even if you place the Beast up next to ranged attackers, most of them should justly shift away before attacking, and so avoiding your OA. Most ranged attackers should be fairly aware that shooting someone with a snarling wolf at their side is quite distracting.

Here is a pretty deadly build for a Two Weapon Ranger/Fighter that has LOADS of ways of generating OA and extra melee basic attacks with Stances, feats and the Fighters Combat Challenge Feature:

====== Created Using Wizards of the Coast D&D Character Builder ======
level 11
Half-Orc, Ranger|Fighter, Daggermaster
Hybrid Ranger: Hybrid Ranger Reflex
Hybrid Talent: Fighter Combat Talent
Fighter Combat Talent: Tempest Technique (Hybrid)
FINAL ABILITY SCORES
Str 21, Con 15, Dex 20, Int 9, Wis 12, Cha 11.
STARTING ABILITY SCORES
Str 16, Con 14, Dex 15, Int 8, Wis 11, Cha 10.

AC: 27 Fort: 24 Reflex: 25 Will: 19
HP: 78 Surges: 9 Surge Value: 19
TRAINED SKILLS
Stealth +14, Perception +11, Endurance +13, Athletics +14, Thievery +14
UNTRAINED SKILLS
Acrobatics +11, Arcana +4, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Dungeoneering +6, Heal +6, History +4, Insight +6, Intimidate +7, Nature +6, Religion +4, Streetwise +5
FEATS
Level 1: Hybrid Talent
Level 2: Mobile Challenge
Level 4: Weapon Focus (Light Blade)
Level 6: Midnight Blade Student
Level 8: Sneak of Shadows
Level 10: Two-Weapon Fighting
Level 11: Two-Weapon Opening
POWERS
Hybrid at-will 1: Dual Strike
Hybrid at-will 1: Twin Strike
Hybrid encounter 1: Off-Hand Strike
Hybrid daily 1: Skirmishing Stance
Hybrid utility 2: Pass Forward
Hybrid encounter 3: Rain of Blows
Hybrid daily 5: Dervish's Challenge
Hybrid utility 6: Off-Hand Defense
Hybrid encounter 7: Opportunist's Rend
Hybrid daily 9: Fighter's Recovery
Hybrid utility 10: Resume the Hunt
ITEMS
Magic Hide Armor +3, Magic Dagger +3 (2), Iron Armbands of Power (heroic tier), Amulet of Protection +3
RITUALS
Raise Beast Companion
====== Copy to Clipboard and Press the Import Button on the Summary Tab ======

The Hybrid Talent: Tempest Technique gives you +1 AC, +1 ATQ and +2dmg with two light blades with the off-hand property; up until lvl 11 you will use short swords, then you will switch to daggers when you begin crit-fishing with daggermaster.

You are going to be making a lot of double attacks; twin strike when you want to pile the damage on 1 target, and Dual Strike when you are near 2 targets and want to do a bit of striker-defending.

Remember Dual Strike marks both targets, so if either of them shift away from you, you get to use your combat challenge as an IM. Reaction and your feat Mobile Challenge lets you shift after them. This means if you mark a ranged attacker, when he tries to shift away to shoot you in the face you get a free attack as an Im. Reaction, then you shift right back into his face. If he dares shoot you in the face now, you get another attack as an Opportunity Action. If he doesn't shoot... great, one attack less! so you didn't get your Quarry Damage, but hey, you got 2 extra attacks ... see what I mean by striker-defending?

Plus once per encounter you can use Dual Strike and Off hand Strike (minor action!)and deal Quarry Dmg as well. Actually to be really brutal you should probably combine Off Hand Strike with Rain of Blows and have 4 attacks in one round and set up your marks for your striker-defending!

Midnight Blade Student allows Dual Strike to target REFLEX!!!!! Your accuracy just became off the charts BRUTAL!!!

Pass Forward is an At Will (yippee!) utility that makes your Skirmishing Stance very safe and easy to trigger against isolated foes. You can circle around them four squares without provoking opportunity attacks, gain +2 bonus to AC and REF and deal +1d8 dmage to your next attack.

Dervish Challenge basically turns your Combat Challenge into Twin Strike on steroids. You will have to set it up with a fighter power to have the target marked. And if they shift away or attack someone else while you are in this stance you get a free melee basic attack with BOTH hands (each adding you STR to damage ofc)... and if they were a ranged attacker that was foolish enough to shift away, well you shift right after him (thanks to Mobile Challenge)and wait for him to shoot you in the face. If he foolishly shoots at anyone, you interrupt with an OA using BOTH HANDS AGAIN!!! (and ofc, adding strength damage!)

Off hand Defense is a third Daily Stance, good to have up your sleeve... hey if you've run out of offence, may as well have a good defense! (after all your hp aren't top range)

Opportunist's Rend makes this build Beautiful! A double attack with STR bonus to damage that can be used as a melee basic attack... so basically, you can use this either to charge (meh) or when someone triggers your combat challenge or an OA! This gets absurdly awesome when you are in your Dervish's Challenge Stance! Im. Reaction for 3 attacks!!!!

Fighter's Recovery... this makes your life really difficult; all your attack encounter powers are gone... now you have to choose which on to take back, rain of blows or Opportunists Rend! Difficult Choice!...

Resume the Hunt would be especially cool if your DM lets yo use it between attacks of your Dual Strike or Twin Strike. It's a free action. It allows you to move your speed without provoking OAs and gain +2 to all defenses. Pretty neat if your first attack kills your foe and you skip to the other side of the battle field and smack someone else with the second attack. Still useful even if your DM doesn't allow this.

With Two Weapon Opening feat and Daggermaster... it all gets a bit silly.

No wolf or drake to keep you warm at night... but do you seriously need it? Your DM is going to have a seriously hard time avoiding all your free attacks even if he doesn't ever deliberately provoke OAs. Which is what you wanted to achieve. Anyway, it's an option to keep in mind.
 
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Thanks for all the info there jbear...gotta go to work, but later today I will definitely take a look!

Though I may be a bit of a power gamer, I tried playing a straight melee and later on a straight ranged Ranger...and got a bit bored with them. Thought adding a beast and extra synergy to the mix would add some fun via flavor even if it costs me a bit of cheese, lol. At a glance, your suggestions look pretty vicious though, I'll definitely do some comparisons.
 

Is it allowed to Multiclass as well as add hybrid class feats? I overlooked it at first, but you're a dagger-master warrior Ranger? I didn't know you could do that, lol. If you can Multiclass on top of Hybridizing, can you take Hybrid feats in more then one class? I'm curious as to how the Hybrid Character mechanics work, but can't find many resources online... I don't have an active subscription to DnD Insider, so my Character Builder is horribly out of date...and I think I heard something about Wizards never planning to add Hybrid character features to the Character Builder anyways?

That bard Misdirection Mark ability from a couple posts back does look intriguing though... So it basically 'compels' the enemy to attack your pet, allowing you to then spam OA's on it(assuming you have the Beast Proctector feat) every time it does attack? Can you get that power as an at-will power with a hybrid feat?

Well....lunch is over, back to work =/
 


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