D&D (2024) Treantmonk's Ranger DPS video:

Redwizard007

Adventurer
Most people don’t mean mechanically sound when they say optimize
I'd argue otherwise. My table is slightly optimized and my bard-barian wouldn't be able to keep up with them if I didn't munchkin the living hell out of it. Optimizing allowed me to make a mechanically weak multiclass into something that didn't drag the party down. I'm not concerned with boosting my DPR by 1.8, but I do want to be effective in my given role.
 

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mellored

Legend
That's about the level of optimization that I do, but I also take things depending on the RP flavor I'm going for even if not mechanically optimized (e.g. Crown of Madness:LOL:)
Crown of Madness can be very strong.

It's just hard to use and requires paying attention to to initive. Even 1 turn of an enemy attacking an enemy instead of an ally is potent. Add in a Rogue with Sentinel and you got a power house, if you can land it. And since push is easier it should be better now.

Still could end up doing nothing if your not careful of are unlucky.
 



ECMO3

Legend
You can get it level 2 via a class feature or origin guide feat.

Wisdom based ranger also works for beastmaster a'la Tashas. Spam Shillelagh every round outside combat.

That works, but usually I would rather have a different fighting style, even if I am not boosting dexterity or strength.

This is especially true with the 2024 rules and nick.

Shillelagh works, but you are tying yourself to a club or a staff and I don't particularly like to do that, especially with the weapon masteries. You are giving up a fighting style to take Shillelagh and it is not really better than if you just took the approriate fighting style, and kept using dex/strength even if you are using a club or staff.

A staff is going to benefit from dueling too, so at low level it is either awash or worse than getting dueling and using a d8 weapon, at high level it breaks away. A club works best when using nick with a scimitar in the other hand, so you are doing more damage with the club but doing less with scimitar than if you got Two Weapon Fighting. Again at lower level a Short Sword and Scimitar combo with two weapon fighting is going to do substantially more damage (and have better masteries). When you consider Vex and favored enemy, I think sword and scimitar with a 16 dex will still be competitive even after Wisdom is 20 and your club damage is 2d6 and about that time you are getting to where you can take a dex ASI or feat too, even if you started out pushing Wisdom.

As much as I hate the new Favored Enemy, you need to consider it when talking about a Ranger in the 2024 rules. This mechanic strongly drives the class to a two-weapon fighting type character and maximizing the number of attacks you make matters a lot if you are striving for high weapon damage.

If you are sold on Shillelagh on a Wisdom Ranger, I think a 1-level Druid dip or Magic Initiate is a better way to get it. That way you keep your fighting style.
 
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Zardnaar

Legend
That works, but usually I would rather have a different fighting style, even if I am not boosting dexterity or strength.

This is especially true with the 2024 rules and nick.

Shillelagh works, but you are tying yourself to a club or a staff and I don't particularly like to do that, especially with the weapon masteries. You are giving up a fighting style to take Shillelagh and it is not really better than if you just took the approriate fighting style, and kept using dex/strength even if you are using a club or staff.

A staff is going to benefit from dueling too, so at low level it is either awash or worse than getting dueling and using a d8 weapon, at high level it breaks away. A club works best when using nick with a scimitar in the other hand, so you are doing more damage with the club but doing less with scimitar than if you got Two Weapon Fighting. Again at lower level a Short Sword and Scimitar combo with two weapon fighting is going to do substantially more damage (and have better masteries). When you consider Vex and favored enemy, I think sword and scimitar with a 16 dex will still be competitive even after Wisdom is 20 and your club damage is 2d6 and about that time you are getting to where you can take a dex ASI or feat too, even if you started out pushing Wisdom.

As much as I hate the new Favored Enemy, you need to consider it when talking about a Ranger in the 2024 rules. This mechanic strongly drives the class to a two-weapon fighting type character and maximizing the number of attacks you make matters a lot if you are striving for high weapon damage.

If you are sold on Shillelagh on a Wisdom Ranger, I think a 1-level Druid dip or Magic Initiate is a better way to get it. That way you keep your fighting style.

I would get it vis guide.
I'm not sold on it vs vex/nick combo. Bit I woukd probably be dex based with wisdom secondary.

With your build probably melee first 10 levels switching to archery later or if DM hands out a nice bow. Then pump wisdom and do your control thing.

High level Ranger should probably focus on AoE or control since it cant compete on danage at those levels. Two of the subclasses look mediocre.
 

ECMO3

Legend
With your build probably melee first 10 levels switching to archery later or if DM hands out a nice bow. Then pump wisdom and do your control
thing.

With my build after level 10 I am mostly a caster, so a bow or some melee weapons or whatever are nice for mop up. But when it comes to magic items I am trying to find or make at that level to fit my character; I am looking for a Wand of Fear, Pipes of Haunting or Mace of Terror.

Given the choice I prefer thrown weapons to bows most of the time.

I'm not sold on it vs vex/nick combo.

Vex-Nick is definitely feast or famine. If you roll well you usually do really well, if you roll poor you do really poor and combat is a lot more swingy than it is with other masteries.
 
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Zardnaar

Legend
With my build after level 10 I am mostly a caster, so a bow or some melee weapons or whatever are nice for mop up. But when it comes to magic items I am trying to find or make at that level to fit my character; I am looking for a Wand of Fear, Pipes of Haunting or Mace of Terror.

Given the choice I prefer thrown weapons to bows most of the time.

Vex-Nick is definitely feast or famine. If you roll well you usually do really well, if you roll poor you do really poor and combat is a lot more swingy than it is with other masteries.

I called builds more lower lever and was wondering how you inflicted fear

I'm not sold on builds requiring specific magic items for example. Way to DM dependent.

How does your build work without those items? I know you have 16 dex for example.

I've seen a fear archer in BG3 that's hilarious.

Looks like volley isn't a thing either.
 

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