Zaruthustran
The tingling means it’s working!
Zaruthustran's Ranger Manual
GEAR
Be prepared. Seriously. You're the guy that should have rations, a mirror, fish hook, two waterskins, chalk, rope, grappling hook, pitons, caltrops, empty sack, winter blanket, tent, flint and steel, tindertwigs, torches, oil, antitoxin, signal whistle, sewing needle, soap, whetstone, glowsticks (er... "sunrods"), and other survival gear on your character sheet.
That said, you should also wear a belt and pouches stuffed with the bare essentials. Your pack will be HEAVY, and you might have to ditch it if you fall in water or need to move fast. Make that ditching easy on yourself by carrying a few bare essentials (water, food, flint, tindertwigs, knife) on your belt.
Wear spiked gauntlets and/or armor spikes, so if someone jumps you you'll be able to do a full attack (dual-wield attack)--you won't have to spend a move-equivalent action on drawing weapons. With spikes, you're never unarmed, you always threaten squares, and you've got weapons at the ready if you ever find yourself grappled by a bear or troll or whatever.
Try to find or buy a masterwork mithril chain shirt. Best ranger armor in the world.
Use lightweight weapons that can take a beating and serve multiple purposes. A throwing axe is a melee *and* a ranged weapon, can chop firewood or doors, and you can use the back of the axe head to drive pitons into rock or wood (or bash skeletons). A spear is also ranged and melee, is great for receiving charges from bears and other ornery beasts, can be used to probe a pool or trap, can be extended to reach a companion who's stuck in quicksand or down a pit, can help you pole-vault over an obstacle, can aid you in climbing a wall, can be used (when set up between two trees and draped with your cloak) to form a crude shelter, and more. A polished metal buckler covered in dark cloth ups your AC but also can be used as a signal mirror, cooking pan, small sled, or shallow bowl. Definitely carry a knife.
Also carry a whip and a net. These items are small, lightweight, and extremely useful in a variety of situations (even with the non-proficiency penalties).
If you're strong enough to bear the weight, carry manacles. More reliable and quicker than tieing captives with rope. Can also be used to securely anchor the end of a rope, or as a secure safety line when traversing a rope hand-over-hand.
SKILLS
Definitely max out spot. Other important skills are wild lore, listen, search, hide, and move. Consider at least one rank in handle animal and animal empathy so you can attempt these skills. Get knowledge: nature (your other party members will look to you for this kind of info, and you'll be embarrassed if you don't have the answer). Consider spending skill points on Craft skills, so you can fashion yourself a bow, arrows, leather or hide armor, flint axe, and spears if you ever find yourself in the wild with only a knife. Don't overlook the value of Climb and Jump.
Use Track to avoid traps: if you're tracking a goblin in the dungeon, and its tracks suddenly shift from the middle of the corridor to just the edge, then chances are there's a trap set in the space the goblin avoided.
Tracks can also tell you the gender, pace, condition, weight, and even attitude of the person you're tracking. A good tracker can even determine where the subject was looking. Read a book on tracking and you'll be amazed at the utility of this skill--it can be used for much more than "It went this way".
With a high Spot and good stealth skills, you should be scouting ahead and reporting on what you see. Determine a few basic tactics for common scouting situations: what do you do if you spot enemies but are yourself spotted (lead them back to the party? fight alone? lead them away? hide?)? What do you do if you spot a lone sentry (avoid? sneak past? capture and bring back to the party? kill?)?
Remember that scouting and infiltration is useful for more than gaining a surprise round in combat. You can plant weapons for later use, scatter caltrops in key locations, steal or poison supplies, weaken ropes, lock or unlock doors, etc. Think about "Home Alone", the Ewok assualt in "Jedi", and old "A-Team" episodes, and how manipulation of the terrain gave huge advantages to the protagonists.
Use your ambi/twf ability. You should be the one carrying the torch in your off-hand: use your primary weapon in your main hand, and twf with your armor spikes (perhaps a spiked knee or forearm smash). Or just fight with the torch as your second weapon, like Aragorn did on Weathertop.
FEATS:
My wood elf ranger uses a longspear, and so chose Combat Reflexes. When he got to third level he took Hold the Line; anyone who charges him provokes an AoO. But that's certainly not the only way to go.
Chose feats that augment your role. Are you an archer/thrower ranger? Get the archer feats. Are you a melee man? Consider dual-wielding throwing axes, clubs, or the less-versatile choice: short sword (and getting Weapon Focus in those weapons). The spring attack feat chain fits the image of a mobile fighter. The mounted feats are a good choice too: you'll eventually get an animal companion, and it'd be cool to ride into battle atop a horned buck or bear.
KNOWLEDGE
Go to the library and read the US Army survival manual and the SAS survival guide. These two books will make you the most effective, knowledgable ranger on the block. You talk the talk, and your character walks the walk.
-z
PS: Shield Expert is cool and all, but I doubt a ranger would want to lug around a Large shield. Get a buckler instead (it can be used with bows and TWF). Avoid the -1 for twf by using your armor spikes as your "off-hand" weapon.
GEAR
Be prepared. Seriously. You're the guy that should have rations, a mirror, fish hook, two waterskins, chalk, rope, grappling hook, pitons, caltrops, empty sack, winter blanket, tent, flint and steel, tindertwigs, torches, oil, antitoxin, signal whistle, sewing needle, soap, whetstone, glowsticks (er... "sunrods"), and other survival gear on your character sheet.
That said, you should also wear a belt and pouches stuffed with the bare essentials. Your pack will be HEAVY, and you might have to ditch it if you fall in water or need to move fast. Make that ditching easy on yourself by carrying a few bare essentials (water, food, flint, tindertwigs, knife) on your belt.
Wear spiked gauntlets and/or armor spikes, so if someone jumps you you'll be able to do a full attack (dual-wield attack)--you won't have to spend a move-equivalent action on drawing weapons. With spikes, you're never unarmed, you always threaten squares, and you've got weapons at the ready if you ever find yourself grappled by a bear or troll or whatever.
Try to find or buy a masterwork mithril chain shirt. Best ranger armor in the world.
Use lightweight weapons that can take a beating and serve multiple purposes. A throwing axe is a melee *and* a ranged weapon, can chop firewood or doors, and you can use the back of the axe head to drive pitons into rock or wood (or bash skeletons). A spear is also ranged and melee, is great for receiving charges from bears and other ornery beasts, can be used to probe a pool or trap, can be extended to reach a companion who's stuck in quicksand or down a pit, can help you pole-vault over an obstacle, can aid you in climbing a wall, can be used (when set up between two trees and draped with your cloak) to form a crude shelter, and more. A polished metal buckler covered in dark cloth ups your AC but also can be used as a signal mirror, cooking pan, small sled, or shallow bowl. Definitely carry a knife.
Also carry a whip and a net. These items are small, lightweight, and extremely useful in a variety of situations (even with the non-proficiency penalties).
If you're strong enough to bear the weight, carry manacles. More reliable and quicker than tieing captives with rope. Can also be used to securely anchor the end of a rope, or as a secure safety line when traversing a rope hand-over-hand.
SKILLS
Definitely max out spot. Other important skills are wild lore, listen, search, hide, and move. Consider at least one rank in handle animal and animal empathy so you can attempt these skills. Get knowledge: nature (your other party members will look to you for this kind of info, and you'll be embarrassed if you don't have the answer). Consider spending skill points on Craft skills, so you can fashion yourself a bow, arrows, leather or hide armor, flint axe, and spears if you ever find yourself in the wild with only a knife. Don't overlook the value of Climb and Jump.
Use Track to avoid traps: if you're tracking a goblin in the dungeon, and its tracks suddenly shift from the middle of the corridor to just the edge, then chances are there's a trap set in the space the goblin avoided.
Tracks can also tell you the gender, pace, condition, weight, and even attitude of the person you're tracking. A good tracker can even determine where the subject was looking. Read a book on tracking and you'll be amazed at the utility of this skill--it can be used for much more than "It went this way".
With a high Spot and good stealth skills, you should be scouting ahead and reporting on what you see. Determine a few basic tactics for common scouting situations: what do you do if you spot enemies but are yourself spotted (lead them back to the party? fight alone? lead them away? hide?)? What do you do if you spot a lone sentry (avoid? sneak past? capture and bring back to the party? kill?)?
Remember that scouting and infiltration is useful for more than gaining a surprise round in combat. You can plant weapons for later use, scatter caltrops in key locations, steal or poison supplies, weaken ropes, lock or unlock doors, etc. Think about "Home Alone", the Ewok assualt in "Jedi", and old "A-Team" episodes, and how manipulation of the terrain gave huge advantages to the protagonists.
Use your ambi/twf ability. You should be the one carrying the torch in your off-hand: use your primary weapon in your main hand, and twf with your armor spikes (perhaps a spiked knee or forearm smash). Or just fight with the torch as your second weapon, like Aragorn did on Weathertop.
FEATS:
My wood elf ranger uses a longspear, and so chose Combat Reflexes. When he got to third level he took Hold the Line; anyone who charges him provokes an AoO. But that's certainly not the only way to go.
Chose feats that augment your role. Are you an archer/thrower ranger? Get the archer feats. Are you a melee man? Consider dual-wielding throwing axes, clubs, or the less-versatile choice: short sword (and getting Weapon Focus in those weapons). The spring attack feat chain fits the image of a mobile fighter. The mounted feats are a good choice too: you'll eventually get an animal companion, and it'd be cool to ride into battle atop a horned buck or bear.
KNOWLEDGE
Go to the library and read the US Army survival manual and the SAS survival guide. These two books will make you the most effective, knowledgable ranger on the block. You talk the talk, and your character walks the walk.
-z
PS: Shield Expert is cool and all, but I doubt a ranger would want to lug around a Large shield. Get a buckler instead (it can be used with bows and TWF). Avoid the -1 for twf by using your armor spikes as your "off-hand" weapon.
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