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Message: <blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 448805" data-attributes="member: 1210">Well, having played a very successful ranger in 3e (though I later took rogue levels for the skill points), I have to say that they aren't underpowered; I think people just need to play to their strengths.First of all, rangers get 4 skill points per level and get ALL the best skills as class skills (with the exception of tumble).  Hide, Move Silently, Spot, Listen, Search, Wilderness Lore... all of them.  Use them!  Secondly, the favored enemy bonus is actually not too bad, if you pick well.  Some people will choose goblinoids or orcs as their first favored enemy; that's a legit choice, especially since at 13th level or whatever, you might just face a 13th level orc or goblin.  Sure, in the old days it wouldn't happen, but in 3e it will.  And don't forget: half-orcs count as orcs.Now, I do agree that it's kind of silly that you can't choose your own race, but many dms will let you get around this (silly) restriction.  And if you use the 'defensive favored enemy' variant in MotW, even undead or the like are a good choice.The two complaints I have about rangers are: 1) FRONTLOADED!!!  A first level ranger gets lots of cool stuff, but then, so does a first-level monk.  The real difference is, a ranger doesn't really get anything else until 4th level, when he starts to pick up spells.  Instead of every two or three levels they get new goodies every four or five.2) The DM chooses when a lot of your powers come into play, specifically anything tied to your favored enemy bonuses.  Well, again you just have to choose carefully.  If you know that the campaign features lots of weird monsters, take aberrations or magical beasts.  If you expect a lot of undead (assuming you can use the defensive variant) take undead.  If you are going to be in urban areas a lot, take humanoids (especially if your dm will let you take humans).Keep in mind, too, that just because something is a favored enemy doesn't mean you hate everything that falls under that umbrella.  If that was the case, eventually epic-level rangers would hate EVERYTHING.  It means you know how to fight, track, and deal with them.  You're trained in the ways of the magical beast (f'rex).  You know their spoor, you know where to hit them, etc.Rangers, imho, are a fine class; they lack the sexy of a lot of the rest, but they are good at a lot of stuff.  The pigeonholing into two weapon fighting is easily avoided, if your dm follows the advice in the dmg and lets you swap the feats out for PB Shot and Precise Shot, or something similar.  I've had this argument more than once before, and I think it always boils down to: the ranger's too frontloaded- agreed- and not sexy enough- also agreed.  But really, neither of those points make the ranger useless, or even dramatically less powerful than other classes.  Heck, add in some custom feats that work off of favored enemy- I know I've got several imc- and you're fine, you're actually able to pick up a new goody at 3rd level instead of waiting for those 1st-level spells.</blockquote>

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