Ideas for rangers

[Tasslehoff Burrfoot]

I've been reading up on Rangers and how they work on Ravenloft and ran some test builds on my toolset level up place and I realized I have no idea how to figure out a fun ranger build for my wife.
  I made one with the following stats
Str-14
Dex-16
Con-12
Int- 14
Wis-14
Cha-8
****Elf Ranger
Planned on giving her a number of useful skills like parry so she can have extra AC but the biggest problem I'm having is I don't think she's going to do enough damage with two weapon fighting Dex based.

Ranger seems like a complicated class to fool with. I mean if you just went with a random go at it it won't turn out so well. It's not like they can do sneak attack damage so they almost have to go strength based unless I'm missing something.

[dazza555]

One thing I've noticed with damage output, is most of it doesn't come from strength but from combined weapon enchantment and elemental damage. So a dex build may suffer at first, but will even out quickly in mid levels.

Also, just because I'm that person, dumping charisma will negatively effect your ranger's animal empathy skill

[Tasslehoff Burrfoot]

Thx for the tip! I know she liked the idea of animal empathy. It's worth it on the server?

[peps]

Thx for the tip! I know she liked the idea of animal empathy. It's worth it on the server?

Aside from very few dungeons, no, not at all. I have never found a great use for it, but that's just my opinion.

[modderpunk]

Depends if you look purely at dungeoning or also role playing.

[Tasslehoff Burrfoot]

The key is... I want my wife to have fun. I'm starting to think rogue would be the best option for her. I could put my knowledge of rogues to help. She wants to play a ranger but I have no idea how to make it out the gate fun.

[BahamutZ3RO]

The key is... I want my wife to have fun.

I honestly find that the worse my characters are at combat the more fun they are. Having a terrible build means you have to depend more on other people, you get involved more with other people, and you have more painful moments for your character to grow and change through.

[InMyDarkestHours]

My main problem with the pure ranger I play is the skill and attribute spread required in order to play a pretty standard Elf ranger concept and still retain some mechanical effectiveness.

[dazza555]

Animal empathy is handy out in the wilds. If you encounter a wolf pack, you can empathy one and flee while they fight amongst themselves.

[DrXavierTColtrane]

1) I've never played a ranger on this server.

2) I have, however, observed dazza555 as knowing of what he speaks, so you could do worse than listening to him.

3) I also think this is true from my own experience: "I honestly find that the worse my characters are at combat the more fun they are." It doesn't have to be combat, however. Having a flaw is what makes a character interesting.

4) IMO for your wife to "have fun," it's important she "own" the character. Although you can answer her questions and make playing the game more fun for her through your RP, the character needs to be a skin she enjoys wearing.

[Bad_Bud]

-1 to the Animal Empathy skill ain't gonna hurt nobody. There's rarely an animal you can't succeed on instantly. +1 to AC or attack or increased carrying capacity is far more valuable.

[Sinful Mystic]

The key is... I want my wife to have fun.

I honestly find that the worse my characters are at combat the more fun they are. Having a terrible build means you have to depend more on other people, you get involved more with other people, and you have more painful moments for your character to grow and change through.

I am going to disagree. For your first character fighter works nicely. You can immediately contribute without having a complicated character and learn the game while having some durability. POTM is too hard to get fancy with your first PC. Give her AC, Hp and a chance to tank.

[Tasslehoff Burrfoot]

Thx for the advice guys!

[DrXavierTColtrane]

I am going to disagree. For your first character fighter works nicely. You can immediately contribute without having a complicated character and learn the game while having some durability. POTM is too hard to get fancy with your first PC. Give her AC, Hp and a chance to tank.

IMO barbarian is the easiest class to start with. But that doesn't mean she wouldn't find it boring. A beginner I know started with a bard and has had to relevel the PC a couple of times because of the "fancy" factor, but she finds the class much more interesting than she would barbarian. She could, after all, be playing that same PC a year from now.

[dazza555]

-1 to the Animal Empathy skill ain't gonna hurt nobody. There's rarely an animal you can't succeed on instantly. +1 to AC or attack or increased carrying capacity is far more valuable.

Should also consider the rp reason for having below average charisma rather than just mechanical.

[Bad_Bud]

-1 to the Animal Empathy skill ain't gonna hurt nobody. There's rarely an animal you can't succeed on instantly. +1 to AC or attack or increased carrying capacity is far more valuable.

Should also consider the rp reason for having below average charisma rather than just mechanical.

Yes, if that is your point, argue that. The difference in skill points is negligible and unnoticeable.

[Dud_Goose]

Favored Enemy: Undead gets a lot of mileage on this server.

Favored Enemy: Human would also be very effective against many in pvp, should it come to that.

[Indigocell]

-1 to the Animal Empathy skill ain't gonna hurt nobody. There's rarely an animal you can't succeed on instantly. +1 to AC or attack or increased carrying capacity is far more valuable.

Should also consider the rp reason for having below average charisma rather than just mechanical.

Yes, if that is your point, argue that. The difference in skill points is negligible and unnoticeable.

This is sound advice right here. If you're playing sort of a "wild" elf ranger, then dumping the charisma stat makes sense. I wouldn't worry about the penalty for it either.

[ladylena]

My advice, do not wait to have 14 wis by level 16. Do not, if you are going pure ranger. I mean it could work if you are cross classing. Also animal empathy is freaking amazing, I wish I had put more points into it at early levels with Erzse. But live and learn!

[Syl]

Rangers are just the same as fighters with some changes both get 10 hp and 1 full BAB and while yes the stats are a bit more spread out this make them have a slightly more higher saves. also Favored enemy doesn't have to be taken and she can use that feat to get something else. say exotic weapon or spell focus.

Animal empathy does come in handy more than some think and that -1 point is hardly noticeable. It works great for if you wish to have another animal with you to help protect a land from poachers.

Rangers can have it a bit rough in the beginning since they don't have all the armors unlocked. but with that dex and spells it wont matter. they will even out eventually. I'm sure the wife will build the character how she would want to once made.

Edit: I'm going to throw in there that any class can be thrown together specially if you're focusing on more RP than Fighting players.

And weaknesses help if they aren't that great at combat or at least close combat maybe they will need to go ranged. My first character Sylvonas, and my two rogues Monica and Tsubaki were just throw togethers. and sometimes they are the most fun. Like Tsubaki, she is far more RP than combat seeing as she is a unarmed fighting Thief.

Don't let the spread out points discourage you or the wife, that +2 wisdom gives the ranger a starting advantage most fighters don't have.