New Ranger Combat Styles

[A2Z]

So, I finally got the Black Company Campaign Setting. I haven't gotten very far in to it yet but one thing that caught my eye were the new ranger combat style. For those not familiar with it, in addition to Archery and Two-Weapon Fighting they've added Two-Handed, Mounted and Light. I may be missing one I don't have the book with me.

Anyway, I thought it was a great idea but we need more. What about straight sword and shield fighters? Or even others. There's more possibilities out there.

So, mainly I'm trying to work out a new combat style for my current ranger who wants to use a sword and shield. I'm having a bit if trouble coming up with working combanations though. Here's a few of my ideas.

Defensive Style 1
Combat Expertise [PHB]
Improved Combat Expertise [Complete Warrior]
?? (ideas?)

Defensive Style 2
Dodge [PHB]
Improved Dodge [Black Company] (+2 against 1 opp. or +1 against 2)
Greater Dodge [Black Company] (+2 against 2 opp. or +1 against all)

Shield Style
Improved Shield Bash [PHB]
Shield Charge [Complete Warrior]
Shield Slam [Complete Warrior]

Charge Style
Fast Movement (+10 Movement)
Fleet of Foot [Complete Warrior] (Make one turn while charging)
Greater Charge (make a full attack after charge when opponent flat footed or denied dex bonus)

There's also the standard dodge/mobility/spring attack and power attack/cleave/great cleave but I'm kind of looking for something new.

Anyway, some of them may be weaker than the standards while some may be too powerfull. I'd like to know what others think and what ideas the rest of you can come up with.

 

[LazerPointer]

Defensive style 2 seems like a waste to me, since the third feat in the chain is pretty much what many here houserule Dodge to be in the first place.


While you're at it, I'd love to see a...hmmmm.....

Spear Style
Point Blank Shot
Combat Expertise
Improved Trip

or something like that.

 

[A2Z]

Defensive style 2 seems like a waste to me, since the third feat in the chain is pretty much what many here houserule Dodge to be in the first place.

Can you recommend something to replace it with?

What if I bumped up Improved Dodge and Greater Dodge? Would that be too powerfull?

Defensive Style 2
Dodge [PHB]
Improved Dodge (+2 against 1 opp. or +1 against all)
Greater Dodge (+2 against all opponents)

 

[RisnDevil]

Try this instead

Defensive Style 2
Dodge (+1 against all opponents)
Improved Dodge (+2 against all opponents)
Greater Dodge (+3 against all opponents)

Might be a little OVER balanced, but like LazerPointer said, most people house rule Dodge to that anyways. Oh, and the bonuses of course DON'T stack.

 

[Gnome]

I've always wanted to see a two-handed weapon style for rangers, but can't think of 3 feats that would make this work.

 

[A2Z]

I've always wanted to see a two-handed weapon style for rangers, but can't think of 3 feats that would make this work.

Well, I think Power Attack/Cleave/Great Cleave would be the quintisential Two Handed Style really.

What does everyone think of this revised Defensive Style?


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Defensive Style
Combat Expertise [PHB], (take a penalty of up to -5 to attack to add to defense)
Improved Combat Expertise [Complete Warrior] (take a penalty of up to your base attack bonus to add to defense)
Greater Defensive Strike (get an attack of oportunity against an opponent who attacks and misses you)

GREATER DEFENSIVE STRIKE [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Defensive Strike
Benefit: If an opponent attacks you and misses you can take an attack of opportunity against that opponent with a +4 bonus on your attack roll. You must be threatening the opponent to gain this attack. You gain no bonus against an opponent that does not attack you or against an opponent that attacks and hits you.
Special: A fighter may select Greater Defensive Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats.

 

[SteelDraco]

GREATER DEFENSIVE STRIKE [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Dex 13, Int 13, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Defensive Strike
Benefit: If an opponent attacks you and misses you can take an attack of opportunity against that opponent with a +4 bonus on your attack roll. You must be threatening the opponent to gain this attack. You gain no bonus against an opponent that does not attack you or against an opponent that attacks and hits you.
Special: A fighter may select Greater Defensive Strike as one of his fighter bonus feats.

This is fairly overpowered, IMO. Just getting an AOO on opponents who miss you would be quite good; the +4 bonus to the attack is just unnecessary.

I've seen two different versions of this basic idea. One triggers when you're missed by several points, most often five. The other allows the benefit of the feat only against your dodge target. I like both those ways of doing it better than simply triggering an AOO on anyone who misses you. After all, at 3rd level, a human fighter could have all the prereqs, this feat, and Combat Reflexes. Crank your AC as high as possible, and you'll get an extra attack, possibly several, in most rounds.

 

[hero4hire]

Charge Style
Fast Movement (+10 Movement)
Fleet of Foot [Complete Warrior] (Make one turn while charging)
Greater Charge (make a full attack after charge when opponent flat footed or denied dex bonus)

There are a whole bunch of Charging Feats that I would take to make a charging character over these.

Powerful Charge
Greater Powerful Charge
Leap Attack

to name a couple...not that I advocate combining Powerful Charge with Leap Attack...

I'd suggest:
Powerful Charge
Fleet of Foot
Gr. Powerful Charge

 

[dontpunkme]

Legends and Lairs' Wildscape offers the following alternate ranger combat styles. I won't post full details because I'm not sure if any of this is OGL, but I will give a listing and an brief explanation.
1) Two-Handed Fighting (Self explanatory)
2) Ranger Knight (One-handed weapons and a shield)
3) Outrider (Mounted)
4) Spear-Fighter (See explanation for #1)

Additionally it contains the following alternates to combat styles"
1) Slayer (Hunter who uses a weak sneak attack)
2) Lorekeeper (Master herbalist and biologist)
3) Explorer (Traveler and polyglot)

I picked this book up for $5 bucks when L&L had they're sale in December.

 

[A2Z]

I've always wanted to see a two-handed weapon style for rangers, but can't think of 3 feats that would make this work.

Here's another two handed style that would be fun I think.

Breaker
Quick Draw
Power Attack
Improved Sunder

This is fairly overpowered, IMO. Just getting an AOO on opponents who miss you would be quite good; the +4 bonus to the attack is just unnecessary.

I've seen two different versions of this basic idea. One triggers when you're missed by several points, most often five. The other allows the benefit of the feat only against your dodge target. I like both those ways of doing it better than simply triggering an AOO on anyone who misses you. After all, at 3rd level, a human fighter could have all the prereqs, this feat, and Combat Reflexes. Crank your AC as high as possible, and you'll get an extra attack, possibly several, in most rounds.

You're probably right. I was just basing that off of the existing defensive strike as a startng pooint. Someone else told me there's already a feat, Riposte, that does that though. Anyone know what book it's in?

There are a whole bunch of Charging Feats that I would take to make a charging character over these.

Powerful Charge
Greater Powerful Charge
Leap Attack

to name a couple...not that I advocate combining Powerful Charge with Leap Attack...

I'd suggest:
Powerful Charge
Fleet of Foot
Gr. Powerful Charge

What book could I find those in?

Legends and Lairs' Wildscape offers the following alternate ranger combat styles. I won't post full details because I'm not sure if any of this is OGL, but I will give a listing and an brief explanation.
1) Two-Handed Fighting (Self explanatory)
2) Ranger Knight (One-handed weapons and a shield)
3) Outrider (Mounted)
4) Spear-Fighter (See explanation for #1)

I like the sound of some of those. Can you give me an idea of what the Knight style does? Without posting any copyrighted material of course.