This old Ranger: Help save my Age of Worms PC

[Kilroy]

I'm currently at wits end trying to find a way to make my Age of Worms Pc useful. We're level 17, and have recently finished some trials on an island (to avoid spoilers). My problem is that I'm playing a bow focused character in a core only game, and my character is remarkably ineffective. I'm playing a Ranger5/Rog2/Barb2/Fighter2/Horizon Walker 6, and in the last 7 or 8 fights, I haven't contributed to the party in any way, but I'm still taking a share of xp, so the party casters are levels behind where they would be otherwise.

General problems are:

- Squishy. Bad hp rolls put me at 140 hp, with con(16) as my high stat for point buy. AC in the toilet. I'm AC 24, and the things we're fighting can sometimes hit the AC 50 druid, so I may as well sell my armor. Foes seldom bother to attack me, or I would get one rounded.
- Wussy. DR&AC. I can't get through either. A typical round is "bounce bounce bounce whiff whiff whiff". My character doesn't understand how DR works, and trying to find out was ruled "gamey". Doing a d8+5 doesn't do much when most foes have hundreds of hp, DR 15/go fish, and an AC I frequently can't touch.
- Poor. (Very roughly 25% of recommended wealth by level) I have about 30K unspent. Gear is:

+1 Mighty Composite Longbow, +4 Str
+1 Undead Bane Longspear(crafted, paid xp)
+1 Evil Outsider Bane Adamantine Greataxe(crafted, paid xp)
+1 Mithril Chain Shirt
+2 Ring of Protection
+2 Cloak of Resistance
+4 str belt(crafted, paid xp)
+4 dex gloves(crafted paid xp)
+2 con amulet
Lesser Bracers of Archery
Lens of Detection
Wand of Cure Light Wounds
Boots of Speed

Feats/class abilities: Weapon Focus(Greataxe), Weapon Focus(Composite Longbow), Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Point Blank Shot, Improved Critical(Greataxe), Improved Critical(Composite Longbow), Power Attack., Track, Endurance, Rage, Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, Traps, 1d6 sneak attack.

Favored Enemies are animals and aberrations, for irrelevant but fun RP reasons, and have come up once each. Favored Terrain combat bonuses have come up once, total. We have, in 18 levels(died once), encountered a foe farther away than a range increment exactly once, and I was incapacitated by a Will effect the entire fight.

The rest of the party is: Barbarian, Monk, Druid, Cleric, Wizard.

Can anything be done to make this character provide more use to the party than they would get by me just leaving and boosting their share of xp? Anything I can buy for 30k, if we ever get back to town, that would be useful? Or am I better off helping the party by walking away and sitting out until the module is done? Keep in mind - core only (PHB/DMG/MM1). This is the most frustrated I have ever been in 20 years of D&D, by far. I have until Monday the 10th to decide what to do.

 

[Sollir Furryfoot]

I don't have the time now but I'll certainly come back later. What looks like the initial problem to me is that you're too spread out, not just in class levels but also in equipment. I'd sell the axe, the belt of strength, and the long spear, if you want enough gold to make a major enough overhaul to boost your character's ranged combat potential. See if you can be allowed to switch out some feats as well.

Most likely, I'd aim for a bow with a healthy grouping of elements (flame, frost, and shock properties), as well as many arrows of different kinds (silver, adamantium, cold iron, etc...) with a ehlonna's quiver or somesuch to keep them in. Even if your character isn't the brightest person on the block, for 17 levels he has experience and would be able to grasp DR.

Also, using core rules, how does a Druid get AC 50?

 

[Kilroy]

I don't have the time now but I'll certainly come back later. What looks like the initial problem to me is that you're too spread out, not just in class levels but also in equipment. I'd sell the axe, the belt of strength, and the long spear, if you want enough gold to make a major enough overhaul to boost your character's ranged combat potential. See if you can be allowed to switch out some feats as well.

For class levels, I probably should have gone straight Barbarian, as all the feats and claass abilities from Ranger&Fighter are pretty useless. We already had one though, and I wanted to try a bow fighter, not realizing how DR heavy the entire module would be, so I mostly did Ranger instead. I had to take a level of Rogue for Traps, as it really wasn't in the idiom of the Barbarian and no one else could. Once I had one, the second was worthwhile for Evasion. (I'm only down a point of BAB from the Barbarian, but it doesn't really matter.) I really do regret not focusing on Strength and a 2 handed weapon. That really is the only viable core melee build for this module.

I'm iffy on selling the belt, because then I can't use my bow anymore due to the strength requirement. (I'm base 14, the belt boosts it to 18.)

I'm iffy on losing my melee weapons for two reasons. We sometimes fight in small areas against things with reach, and I don't have a way to avoid getting obliterated by AoOs for bow fire. It's also frequently only possible to break through DR by power attack and rolling 20s. In most fights I give up on the bow after a few rounds and switch to melee, briefly, then switch to running away or masses of tanglefoot bags.

I can't switch out feats. I already asked about that when I was offered a bow as a special quest reward, and it replicated feats that I already had. I turned it down and let the wizard pick twice instead.

Most likely, I'd aim for a bow with a healthy grouping of elements (flame, frost, and shock properties), as well as many arrows of different kinds (silver, adamantium, cold iron, etc...) with a ehlonna's quiver or somesuch to keep them in. Even if your character isn't the brightest person on the block, for 17 levels he has experience and would be able to grasp DR.

I had a few (15) +2/(+1&other effect ) adamantium arrows, but at 220gp a shot they're really way too expensive to keep using when I'm blowing through 6/round. I don't have silver or cold iron because when I asked about them, I had to make a Knowledge(Arcana) roll which I couldn't do untrained. The wizard tried and failed. Getting through DR isn't going to be an option, as we don't have any idea what it is for most things, have no way to find out, and have no way to get it once we have found out mid fight. We tend to depend on greataxe crits from the Barbarian (who also has a +2 weapon and no way to bypass DR, but just hits much harder than I do and has twice my hp.) I can't think of a use for an Ehlonna's Quiver. I forgot to mention above that I also have Quick Draw.

As for elemental enhancements, I don't have much hope. Many things we've run in to have either elemental resists or SR. I was hoping for Holy, but our weapon crafters can't create that.

Also, using core rules, how does a Druid get AC 50?

Trying hard and getting lucky. His special quest reward item (The Mask That Should Not Be) lets him wildshape to aberrations, and he usually floats around as a Will-O'-Wisp. I haven't seen his character sheet, but I think it's something like +1 Size, +9 Deflection, +11 Dex, +10 Wisdom, +4 Armor(Mage Armor), +5 Natural Armor (Barkskin). Most of his wealth has been spent on stacked enchantments on a Wilding Monks Belt. He spends most of his time floating over the fights raining Fire Storms, Augmented, Animal Growth'd Rocs and Walls of Thorns and packs of Augmented, Animal Growth'd Tyranosauruses on things, and that seems to be what the module is geared to expect. I'm at a loss to see what I can do to compete with that sort of firepower.

It's faintly frustrating that we've found two major artifacts, but have yet to find a +3 weapon that's not evil or huge.

 

[Fiasco]

I had a few (15) +2/(+1&other effect ) adamantium arrows, but at 220gp a shot they're really way too expensive to keep using when I'm blowing through 6/round. I don't have silver or cold iron because when I asked about them, I had to make a Knowledge(Arcana) roll which I couldn't do untrained. The wizard tried and failed. Getting through DR isn't going to be an option, as we don't have any idea what it is for most things, have no way to find out, and have no way to get it once we have found out mid fight. We tend to depend on greataxe crits from the Barbarian (who also has a +2 weapon and no way to bypass DR, but just hits much harder than I do and has twice my hp.)

Sounds like the biggest problem you have is your DM. He allows some major abuses for some characters (read druid) and won't cut and slack for some of the others. Why not try and put the ball in his court? Ask him what could be done to even up the characters as there is clearly a major imbalance and a good DM would work to rectify that.

 

[FalcWP]

I agree - the first problem here is your DM. He's blocking you from doing anything really useful if you can't get past DR, and if his idea of a reward was an item that just duplicated your feats (without letting you change said feats)...

The second problem is your weapon. A +1 longbow? For a 17th level archer? You've spent 18,000 gold on enhancements to your weapons, which is enough for +3 on a single weapon - say a +1 Flaming Shock Longbow or a +1 Keen Thundering Longbow or a +1 Icy Burst Longbow or virtually any other comination you can think of would have been *much* better spent. Melee weapons are great for your backup plan when baddies have gotten past the front line (the monk, barbarian, maybe the druid/cleric if they like melee), but you're an archer.

I'd get a new bow, ditching the spear at least. Hire a sage to let you know the weaknesses of various baddies you've been fighting, then stock up on your cold iron/silver/adamantine arrows. Have the wizard hook you up with a Greater Magic Weapon every day to further boost your damage.

Now that your offense has been tuned up a bit, I would go to work on your defense. Most of your gold should go to upgrading that bow of yours, I would imagine, but if you can spare some, try a ring of blinking or a cloak of displacement. At least a miss chance would give you a shot. Like you said, you might as well sell your AC boosts if you can't get above a 24, although your wimpy armor has a lot to do with that. Either upgrade that, or actually *do* sell it, and get the wizard to hit you with Mage Armor every day - you would be carrying slightly less, and you'd only drop a single point of AC.

One good option for armor, and within your budget, is celestial armor. A basic set functions like +3 Chainmail (so, more protection than what you're using), is light armor that allows for up to a +8 Dex, and it would let you fly once per day. If you stick with your current armor, your best bet might be to add as much fortification as possible to it - that's likely to be the only real benefit to it at this point, since thinks like SR (13) and DR 5/Magic will give you little protection. Resistance to an energy type could be useful.

 

[Quartz]

Your PC is woefully underequipped. Either you've made some poor choices or your DM is nerfing you. At 17th level, your equipment should be +4 to +6, and you're typically +1 and +2. Your stat boosting items and rings and cloak should be +4 to +6. So you should have Celestial armour (+3 or better), a +5 floaty shield, +4 cloak, +4 natural armour, +4 or +5 weapons with special abilities. Your party spellcasters are of sufficient level to cast Wish and Miracle, so there's no need to stint.

But there's something else: you don't have any cool stuff. You've adventured at least 18 levels, and all you've got is standard equipment, and poor equipment at that.

 

[Menexenus]

I'm no power-gamer by any means, so I am willing to be shouted down. But in my humble experience, I've found bow-users are of the greatest utility at low levels and become significantly weaker in comparison to the rest of the party starting around level 7. I've learned to just avoid making archer characters.

 

[Nifft]

A Ranger PC in my group has a +3 Holy longbow. He's also got a bunch of arrows, +1 bane vs. various of his favored enemies -- goblinoids, evil outsiders and undead. He's a terror.

Put everything you have into your bow. It should be +1 Holy at the very least, and you should have a bunch of normal arrows with different heads (adamantine, silver, cold iron). Get your party's Wizard or Cleric to cast greater magic weapon on your bow every morning.

What benefit did you pick for your 6th level of Horizon Walker? Was it by any chance Shifting Planar Trait? That's my favorite.

-- N

 

[Kilroy]

Well, I finally got up the nerve to complain about the +1 bow, the DM called me a whiner, and that's that. There went 6 good years and one bad one.

 

[FalcWP]

If the DM lets one PC get an AC of 50 and calls another a whiner because he wants a halfway decent weapon when he's level 17, its time for a new DM. I'd say cut ties, find a new group, and don't look back - anyone who thinks it whining to want to be halfway useful in the game shouldn't be DMing.