Playing a Ranger

[The Souljourner]

I've decided that I've had enough of everyone ragging on the ranger and how bad he is, so I'm going to try one out. Now, the problem is, no one I know has played more than a single level of ranger... so I ask you.. how do you maximize the fun of playing a (mostly) single class ranger?

Here's the stats on the campaign: Starting at 3rd level, standard equipment. Going to be a party of 5 of us. I rolled pretty good stats: 16 16 15 14 13 12.

Here's some ideas I've been tossing around -

Take one level of Barbarian for the +10' movement. I really like the idea of a fast moving lightly armored wilderness warrior, kind of a commando type guy. Rage could be useful once in a while.

Take shield expert - get the most out of the vitual feats, and help make up for the light armor restriction.

Race - maybe Wood Elf, from FR. They're great as a ranger class. The premise of the campaign is that all the planes are colliding, so I can be from pretty much any standard D&D setting. However... I really don't know of any other than "generic D&D" and "FR". Are there any I'm missing?

I'm fairly certain shield expert is the way to go, but the rest is up in the air. Suggestions, ideas? What have you found works well for your ranger?

-Nate, aka The Souljourner

 

[AGGEMAM]

I know it is cheesy, but why not a 1st level drow ranger with the twin sword style feat.

 

[Crothian]

My biggest sugestion is place a decent score in Wisdom, so you get spells earlier. Also, craft wondrous items is great for a Ranger. While you can't make the really powerful stuff, you can create many useful lesser items like boots of elvenkind (if you go elven) and pealrs of Power. My single classed half elven ranger is 9th level and I really am happy I placed my high score of 16 in Wisdom.

I'm not sure if shield expert is the way to go. 2WF is very good especially with twin sword style from FRCS. If you decide to go human (which is nice for that extra feat and skill points) you can take EWP Kukri and use paired those. They are not only a weapon, but a tool. I try to have my Ranger use items with multiple functions like that.

 

[Tyrrell]

when you get to a level where you can have animal companions teach them to aid and to flank.

your skills rock: spot, listen, hide, move silently find ways to use these.

if you aren't playing a human (like your elf idea) take human as a favored enemy.

I don't know how to maximize your spell choices but I'd certainly start looking beyond the PHB for ranger spell choices.

 

[Crothian]

Well, he won't ever have many spells. In the PHB entangle rocks for first level. Briars Web in MotW is a great second level spell.

If you want I have a list of ranger spells from many different sources. Just the names albebetized by level along with what book they can be found in. There are some full spells from the Wizards site on there as well. So, I can post that it might help you locate spells. Also helpful if you go the craft wondrous items route.

 

[Enkhidu]

Single class rangers excel at being woodland scouts, if you take the right skills. I'd max out the Wilderness Lore, Listen, Spot. With those 3 maxed, it will be extremely difficult to suprise you in the woods (or indoors, for that matter). With an extra skill point or two for being human or having a high INT, you can also grab move silently and hide at max as well. At that point you become a great commando.

Lastly, try going with Power attack as a feat (along with the spring attack chain if possible, easy to do as a human): think about sneaking up on your foes using your superior skills, and then cutting loose with a full power attack routine (especially nice with 2 weapons at the ranger's quite good BAB) while they are flat footed. Or, if you don't think you can take them in one round, try attacking once with a full power attack and springing away. The key is to do it while they are flatfooted if possible - it can be a huge damage dealer.

Hope that helps!

 

[The Souljourner]

AGGEMAN - I don't want to play a +ECL race - I hate the loss of levels.

Crothian - how is twin sword style better than shield expert? With shield expert I get the same +2 ac for 1 feat, but with shield expert I can make the shield magical on defense as well as offense.

And thanks for offer of the spell list, I'd definitely like to see it.

I'm not really looking for my spells to be a big help, but I'm willing to try. It's too bad rangers don't spontaneously cast... that would make them a lot cooler, and would make a lot more sense, in my opinion.

Enkhidu - yeah, I'm planning on trying to max out hide, spot, listen, move silently, search, and wilderness lore. It's doable with the stats I have, even being an elf.

It would be a lot easier on my skillpoints if I were human, plus the extra feat.... I just really like the idea of a wood elven ranger. I'd go wild elf even, but their favored class is sorcerer, and I really want to take a level of barbarian for the movement. Too bad Dash is only +5 movement, otherwise I'd just take that instead.

Decisions decisions.

-Nate, aka The Souljourner

 

[(Psi)SeveredHead]

A good Spot skill means you see enemies sooner. Not only are you less likely to get caught flat-footed (your Dex is very important to you), but you start the encounter at a great distance, giving you an extra round or more off full attacks with your ranged weapons.

 

[Crothian]

This is long

Mechanics wise they are very equal, I just like the feel of two weapons verse weapon and shield.

Here's the large list of spells. It is not 100% comprehensive, I haven't updated it for a few months.


Ranger Spells

Level 1
Adhere to Wood (R&R)
Alarm (PHB)
Animal Friendship (PHB)
Animal Trick (MotW)
Bloodhound (MotW)
Camouflage (MaoF and MotW)
Chameleon Skin (R&R)
Chill/Warmth (R&R)
Clean (R&R)
Dawn (MotW)
Delay Poison (PHB)
Detect Animals or Plants (PHB)
Detet Fey (FM)
Detect Snares or Pits (PHB)
Dowsing (R&R)
Eagle Eyes (S&SC)
Entangle (PHB)
Exacting Shot (Below)
Far Strike (QW)
Handfire (MaoF)
Hawkeye (MotW)
Hunter’s Mercy (MaoF)
Keen Ear (S&SC)
Low-Light Vision (MaoF)
Lucius’s Rustling Leaves (S&SC)
Magic Fang (PHB)
Minor Symbol of Divinity (R&R)
Nature Watch (MaoF)
Pass Without Trace (PHB)
Protection from Fey (FM)
Rabbit Feet (R&R)
Ram’s Might (MaoF)
Read Magic (PHB)
Resist Elements (PHB)
Sethris’ Potency (R&R)
Shade’s Sight (R&R)
Smell of Fear (MaoF)
Spark (R&R)
Speak with Animals (PHB)
Speed Swim (MaoF)
Stalking Band (MaoF)
Steak Sleep (R&R)
Summon Nature’s Ally I (PHB)
Surefoot (MaoF)
Towering Oak (MaoF)
Web Walking (S&SC)
Whispering Branches (S&SC)

Level 2
Ambush (Merc)
Animal Messenger (PHB)
Athanae’s Know Creature (Merc)
Barkskin (PHB)
Blight Enemies (MCR)
Bottle of Smoke (MotW)
Branch to Branch (MaoF)
Briar Web (MotW and DotF)
Call Aquatic Animal I (R&R)
Chameleon Skin (S&SC)
Circle of Sounds (R&R)
Claws of the Beast (MaoF)
Cure Light Wounds (PHB)
Detect Chaos/Evil/Good/Law (PHB)
Divine Wisdom (R&R)
Easy Trail (MaoF)
Fey Bane (FM)
Fingerteeth (Merc)
Fleet Feet (S&SC)
Hold Animal (PHB)
Hunters Stealth (R&R)
Liliandel’s Flurry (R&R)
Nature’s Favor (MotW)
One with the Land (MaoF)
Protection from the Disease (Merc)
Protection from Elements (PHB)
Scent (MaoF)
Sleep (PHB)
Snare (PHB)
Speak with Plants (PHB)
Stonelore (S&SC)
Summon Nature’s Ally II (PHB)
Tanil’s Touch (R&R)
Wild Sense (PGK)
Wolf’s Cry (R&R)

Level 3
Animal Infusion (R&R)
Animal Reduction (MotW)
Animal Spy (R&R)
Beast Soul (R&R)
Blade Thirst (MaoF)
Cloak of the Trickster (FM)
Control Plants (PHB)
Decoy Image (MaoF)
Detect Favored Enemy (MotW)
Diminish Plants (PHB)
Easy Image (MaoF)
Embrace the Wild (MotW)
Forestfold (Motw)
Greater Magic Fang (PHB)
Heal Animal Companion (Below)
Living Prints (MaoF)
Neutralize Poison (PHB)
Plant Growth (PHB)
Remove Disease (PHB)
Rumor of the Earth (S&SC)
Safe Clearing (MaoF)
Sethtel’s Stick servant (R&R)
Shocknet (Merc)
Sphere of Pure Air (Dun)
Stonetell (Dun)
Summon Nature’s Ally III (PHB)
Summon Senttinel (Merc)
Tree Shape (PHB)
Water Walk (PHB)
Wild Stealth (MCR)

Level 4
Call Aquatic Animals II (R&R)
Cure Serious Wounds (PHB)
Foebane (Below)
Freedom of Movement (PHB)
Land Womb (MaoF)
Mass Camouflage (MaoF)
Nondetection (PHB)
Polymorph Self (PHB)
Reargaurd (Merc)
Snakebite (MaoF)
Strongoak’s Affinity with Nature (S&SC)
Summon Nature’s Ally IV (PHB)
Tanil’s Purging (R&R)
Tattoo Item (R&R)
Tree Stride (PHB)
Wall of Thorns (PHB)
Wind Wall (PHB)
Unite Allies (MCR)
Yaral’s Totemic Transformation (R&R)

Abbreviations
DotF: Defenders of the Faith
Dun: Dungeons
FM: Fey Magic
MaoF: Magic of Faerun
MCR: Monte Cook’s Ranger
Merc: Mercenaries
MotW: Masters of the Wild
PHB: Players Handbook
PGK: Player’s Guide to Kalamar
QW: Quintessential Wizard
S&SC: Spells and Spellcraft
R&R: Relics and Rituals

Exacting Shot
Transmutation
Level: Rgr 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: Ranged weapon touched
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This transmutation makes a ranged (projectile) weapon strike true against the caster's favored enemies. All critical rolls against favored enemies automatically succeed, so every threat is a critical hit. The affected weapon also negates any miss chance due to concealment whenever the caster fires at a favored enemy (unless it has total concealment, in which case the normal miss chance applies). If the ranged weapon or the projectile fired has any magical effect or property related to critical hits, this spell has no effect.

Foebane
Evocation
Level: Rgr 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: Weapon touched
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell imbues one of the caster's weapons with great killing power against a single favored enemy type. Against creatures of that type, the weapon acts as a +5 magic weapon and deals +2d6 points of bonus damage. Furthermore, while the caster wields the weapon, he or she gains a +4 resistance bonus to saving throws against effects created by creatures of that type.
The spell is automatically canceled 1 round after the weapon leaves the caster's hand for any reason. The caster cannot have more than one foebane weapon at a time.
If this spell is cast on a magic weapon, the powers of the spell supersede any that the weapon normally has, rendering the normal enhancement bonus and powers of the weapon inoperative for the duration of the spell. This spell is not cumulative with exacting shot or any other spell that might modify the weapon in any way. This spell does not work on artifacts.
Note: A masterwork weapon's bonus to attack does not stack with an enhancement bonus to attack.

Heal Animal Companion
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Drd 5, Rgr 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Target: Caster's animal companion touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
Heal animal companion enables the caster to wipe away disease and injury in one of his own animal companions (gained via class feature or the animal friendship spell). It completely cures all diseases, blindness, or deafness of the animal companion, cures all points of damage suffered due to wounds or injury, and repairs temporary ability damage. It cures mental disorders caused by spells or injury to the brain.
Heal animal companion does not remove negative levels, restore drained levels, or restore drained ability scores.

Servant's Guise
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Rgr 1, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 10 minutes/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Servant's guise allows you to subtly alter your clothing, weapons, and equipment, but not your form, features, or body type, in a manner that makes you unworthy of notice. You must choose the style of clothing and decide what your weapons and equipment look like or whether they appear at all. This spell does not alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment. A battleaxe made to look like a dagger or a sash still functions as a battleaxe. If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +5 bonus on the Disguise check.
Note: Creatures get Will saves to recognize the glamer as an illusion if they interact with it (such as by touching you and having that not match what they see, in the case of this spell.)

Greater Trackless Domain
Transmutation
Level: Drd 4, Rgr 3
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 200-ft.-radius spread
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell, an improved version of trackless domain, affects a larger area and allows the caster to select which beings leave tracks in the domain, and which do not. The caster can select one creature, or one subtype of creature (for example, bears as a subtype of animals), per caster level. The selected creatures do not leave any trace in the trackless domain, and all other creatures leave normal signs of their passage. Thus, the caster can set up a trackless domain that allows him to track certain creatures, and not others. For example, if a caster was investigating an area where a lot of one type of animal, say wolves, lived, but wanted to find the elf bounty hunter hiding among them, the caster could set the area so that the elf's tracks remain, and other normal tracks for the area are excluded. It is also useful for hiding the passage of selected people, say a group of adventurers, while not eradicating all tracks in the area.

Obliterate Tracks
Transmutation
Level: Drd 2, Rgr 1
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Area: 100-ft.-radius spread
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell obliterates all tracks and signs of passage in the area of effect. Scents vanish, broken twigs are repaired, and the area looks as if no one has passed through it in at least a month. The effect is instantaneous, and subsequent signs of passage remain. The spell cannot eliminate the tracks of Huge or larger creatures. Further, it cannot repair anything more than tiny branches on plants; it is not a plant healing spell and does not cure wounds (hit points) suffered by plants.

Trackless Domain
Transmutation
Level: Drd 3, Rgr 2
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Area: 100-ft.-radius spread
Duration: 24 hours
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
This spell creates an area in which no creatures can be tracked. In effect, all creatures passing through the area are affected by a pass without trace spell. The trackless effect affects beings only within the area of effect of the spell; once subjects leave the area they can be tracked normally. For example, if a bear passed into the trackless domain, it would suddenly cease to leave tracks, scent, or any sign of passage. If the bear later left the area at a different point, tracks and scent would resume.

 

[AGGEMAM]

Re: This is long

This is long

No kidding ?