Rogue vs/+ TWF Ranger?

[ZombieRoboNinja]

There seem to be a lot of people arguing that rangers are superpowered in 4e. I'm wondering what people think of how they compare and contrast to rogues as melee strikers... and whether a lot would be gained by multiclassing the two.

ROGUE VS RANGER

It seems at first like rangers have all the advantages here. Higher-damage weapons. Slightly less added damage (quarry vs sneak attack), but no need for combat advantage to get it. The two would probably be about even on AC, but rogues would get better Reflex (since they focus on Dex rather than Strength.) But it'd really come down to power selection, which I haven't looked through in detail. Which single-class melee striker
is mechanically superior?

MULTICLASSING

I'm thinking this wouldn't be as huge as it might seem initially. Multiclassing a ranger into rogue gives you a free +2d6 once per encounter, but it requires you to effectively reduce your [W] by a damage die by using a light blade instead of heavy. (For example, you'd need to dual-wield shortswords instead of longswords.)

The errata'd ranger-multiclass feat is a lot better: +1d6 damage per round "until the end of your next turn," so a maximum of +2d6 damage, but with no weapon-type restrictions. And since the rogue doesn't seem to lose anything by holding a dagger in his offhand, I could definitely see making a dagger-TWF rogue with the dual-wielding feats and ranger multiclass for a few dual-wielding powers.

After that, it comes down to individual powers. So which ranger attack powers would be great for a rogue, and vice versa?

 

[Backstat]

I personally find that ranger multiclassing in a rogue is kind of worthless. Having an extra +2d6 is nothing compared to having it with the myriad chances of getting a sneak attack almost every round, which can deal significantly more damage. If your using daggers (which I recommend you should for Daggermaster PP), the damage die can be increased by one from the Bugbear's Oversized feature (race can be found in back of 4E MM), and again by the Daggermaster's Meditation of the Blade, by another step. However, you'll have 1d6s most of the time with daggers.

The errata'd ranger-multiclass feat is a lot better: +1d6 damage per round "until the end of your next turn," so a maximum of +2d6 damage, but with no weapon-type restrictions. And since the rogue doesn't seem to lose anything by holding a dagger in his offhand, I could definitely see making a dagger-TWF rogue with the dual-wielding feats and ranger multiclass for a few dual-wielding powers.

Are you saying Hunter's Quarry lasts until the end of your next turn if your multiclassing into ranger? I would like a link please

 

[Mistwell]

Where is there already errata?

 

[Nifft]

Where is there already errata?

Nowhere official.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Lab_Monkey]

There are some advantages to multiclassing a ranger into rogue. It gives you access to Thievery (which alone should cost you a feat) and 1/encounter sneak attack. Plus it opens the door to gaining the rogue's apparently* more useful Utility powers at higher levels.

I'm planning an archery based ranger for an upcoming campaign. I'll probably multiclass into Rogue for the reasons listed above. Sneak attack with his short sword won't come into play often. However, he's going to try to stay out of melee most of the time and SA provides at least one additional option when he is forced into it.

*: I don't have the PHB in any form yet, so I'm basing this on the comments of others.