WIS-based Ranger 30

[Jaffool]

I want to know what's important to a Wisdom ranger.

What should I prepare my dex for? I don't want to make it higher than I need to. I'd like to have Str high for a mighty bow and I can use Str for the first two levels until I get Zen Archery if I have to.

Feats I'm currently interested in:
Combat Focus line (seems neat RP and worth mechanically after investment)
Various save feats, reflexes or fort depending
Exalted/Epic companion and Natural Bond (curious of what feats for my companion should be taken for companion. Thinking boar for the animal, no real reason other than tank)
Protective Ward
Spot/Listen feats
Reserve Spell feats if they exist

Race also up for grabs, but RP is my main factor in that. Wood elf OP and all but I like the idea of anything working for this character.


Are there other things I should be looking into?

[Tsidkenu]

Wondering if you need a 3 level dip in monk for the bonus AC (+10% speed boost which will aid kiting)? In which case you can aim for wearing robes. I can't think of any other way to boost your AC comparable to a Dex ranger without a monk dip for Wisdom-to-AC.

Boar is an excellent choice of companion and will certainly fulfil your tanking needs. What's great about a Wis Ranger is you'll have spell slots to spare to buff it up more than a pure Dex or Str ranger would.

Extend Spell is a must-pick feat for spellbook management for this kind of ranger.

Someone else out there is playing a Wis ranger atm and they could probably give more advice than I have; either that or ask MrM3ntalist who is a ranger expert.

[Jaffool]

I thought about the Monk thing and it seems appealing, but I worry about my companion losing stats. I'm going to look into this now and see how meaningful it will be. Practiced Spellcaster if I dip, right?

EDIT: I'm gathering that a level dip would mean missing out on 2 HD, +2 Nat AC, and +1 STR/DEX for my companion. If I have 30 Wis (unlikely), that means an increase of 6 or so AC compared to using chain (I think?). It's a lot to give up on for my companion, but a huge benefit to me.. I figure I'm more important in the end than the companion, but I don't want that 2/3 AC to be the difference between tanking and getting tanked for the companion. Thoughts?

[Toxen]

http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Natural_Bond

Perhaps this feat can allow you to do your monk dip?

[chad878262]

Could also dip phantom if you prefer.

[Sun Wukong]

I have a single class wisdom based ranger, she is at level 23 at the moment.

The feats I have taken are as follows:
1: Blindfight
3: Zen Archery
6: Natural Bond (Technically speaking, you now have all the pre-epic feats you need as Wisdom based ranger.)
9: Combat Focus
12: Combat Vigor
15: Combat Awareness
18: Combat Strike (+4 AB and Damage every five minutes)
21: Bane of Enemies (+2d6 Damage against your favored enemies)
23: Epic Animal Companion, Protective Ward (Protective ward could be taken at pre-epic level, it is +2 AC, which I do not need but took because of otherwise I would end up at odd wisdom score.)
25: Great Wisdom I
26: Great Wisdom II
27: Great Wisdom III
29: Great Wisdom IV, Great Wisdom V

The basic way of leveling has been: Buff up my animal companion, you should choose anything other than the badger, and let it tank while I spam Manyshot, or the arrow related reserve feats/spells. As a wisdom based Ranger you do have the benefit of being able to buff your animal companion, yourself, and have enough slots to make use of the ranged reserver arrow spell feat thingies.

Now, this is the way I have gone and you do not have to follow my steps. But once again, as a ranger, do not pick up the badger because your ranger spells are not suited for buffing it up. Anyhow, look here for the stats of some of the Epic Animal Companions: http://bgtscc.wikia.com/wiki/Druid


As for other feats you could consider Pre-epic:

- Steadfast Determination just so you do not fail some saves by rolling a one even while you beat the DC.

- Protective Ward, +1 AC and +2 at level 24.

- Luck of Heroes, +1 to all saves and AC.

- Iron Will for Indomitable Soul? Or just Great Fortitude and Lightning Reflexes for +2 to their respective saves? As a wisdom based ranger your saves tend to be pretty close to one and theother. High Fortitude and Reflex saves with a ton of wisdom to boost your will save.

- Weapon Focus (Shortbow, Longbow, or Sling) Sling can be used with a heavy shield, if you worry about your own AC, and rangers do get Shield proficiency by default.

- Practised Spellcaster (If you do go for something else, like monk dip)

- Last but not least, Able Learner, to spend crossclass skill points at whatever since a ranger gets a ton of them. (6 + intelligence modifier, which means that Ranger is one the rare classes that can get by with starting intelligence of 6! )

As for feats to consider Epic:
- Epic Prowess? It is +1 AB.

Extend Spell is a must-pick feat for spellbook management for this kind of ranger.

I do not have it, and most of the buffs I use already have long durations. Thus I would actually consider it a wasted feat.

Wondering if you need a 3 level dip in monk for the bonus AC (+10% speed boost which will aid kiting)? In which case you can aim for wearing robes. I can't think of any other way to boost your AC comparable to a Dex ranger without a monk dip for Wisdom-to-AC.

A dexterity based ranger usually reaches 30 dexterity, or slightly more, 32, 34. This is +10, +11, or +12 on your AC if you do not wear any armor.

Now, a wisdom based ranger could leave their dexterity at 14, cast cat's grace to bump it up to 18 and make full use of a regular Chainshirt for +8 AC. Or a mithral Chainmail for +10. Now, if they are a slinger, they can wield that +3 Heavy Shield for a +5 AC.

What I am saying is that you are not that far behind, and anyhow, you will have your buffed up animal companion to tank for you.

[Jaffool]

Thanks for that advice! I like pretty much all your build, my concern now is whether I'll be able to deal damage. Without fighter weapon specs or sneak attacks, what does your damage look like on average?

[Sun Wukong]

My archer at level 30, perhaps on some far distant day:

Code: Select all

1d8  (Longbow with unlimited mundane arrow...)
+3   (Mighty)
+4   (Enchantment Bonus)
= 11,5~

Code: Select all

1d6  (Shortbow of Magic, Epic)
+5   (Mighty)
+4   (Enchantment Bonus)
+1d4 (Arrows of Fire)
= 15~

Yes, going past 20~ points of damage with a bow is something of a struggle.

But if the right conditions are met, either of the two could be boosted by:

Code: Select all

+4   (Combat Strike, every 5 minutes for around 13 rounds.)
+7   (Favored Enemy)
+2d6 (Bane of Enemies)

So the longbow damage could be at:

Code: Select all

29,5~ (Both)
25,5~ (Favored Enemy only)
15,5~ (Combat Strike only)
11,5~ (With nothing to boost)

And the shortbow damage could be at:

Code: Select all

33~   (Both)
29,5~ (Favored Enemy only)
19~   (Combat Strike only)
15~   (With nothing to boost)

Oh, and you can multiply the damage by two when you use Manyshot.

As for the animal companion, you can expect it to hit something like 20-30 damage. (Includes 5 points of rarely resisted Magic damage.)

Now, large amounts of DR can slow you down. But lets face it, you got 7 attacks per round, and basically 10 when you use Manyshot. Then you have your animal companion by your side, and the damage just starts to pile up. Just make sure you and your animal companion focus on the same target.

Both of those 'Epic Bows' should be relatively cheap to acquire, and I think you can get far better bows from the Avernus store. (Ones with several dices of elemental damage.)