Earth Mother's Revenge (30 Ranger/ 3 Rogue/7 WM)

[sabregirl]

Alas Evelynn had the best name for a Ranger build, though the build itself seems to have subsequently disappeared, so a replacement ranger build is in order. This version takes into account legendary save feats, and some of the new edits. This build can also be done as a dexer however my own version is str (my dex ranger is now a pure ranger with called shot).

Preferred races - Kolyarut, Salamander or Half-Kyton. Basically any race that gives you feats towards WM will help but two or more are necessary to make the build very solid in the harder legendary areas (i.e. hells)


Stats at 60 (no artifact no cleric buff) Strongheart, deflection bur and Rona set light armor. Max AB dualing with bard song 93 (against favored enemies) - note that 1 attack per round ignores the - 4 dualing pen and is at 97 ab.

Stats
Starting stats for (Kolyarut)
STR 15 (20)
DEX 10 (15)
CON 14 (16)
WIS 16 (14)
INT 12 (14)
CHA 8

Starting Stats (after Half-Kyton)
STR 18
DEX 9 (13)
CON 14 (18)
WIS 10 (14)
INT 13
CHA 8

Level Progression
18 Ranger, 2 Rogue, 3 Rgr, 7WM, 9 Rgr, 1 rogue

Stat points
1 point into dex rest of points into str -remember to keep grt strs odd.

Feat Progression

01: Ranger(1): Blooded, Luck of Heros, Favored Enemy: Outsiders
02: Ranger(2)
03: Ranger(3): Weapon Proficiency Exotic
04: Ranger(4)
05: Ranger(5): Favored Enemy: Aberrations
06: Ranger(6): Expertise
07: Ranger(7)
08: Ranger(8)
09: Ranger(9): Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword
10: Ranger(10): Favored Enemy: Animals
11: Ranger(11)
12: Ranger(12): Toughness
13: Ranger(13)
14: Ranger(14)
15: Ranger(15): Whirlwind Attack, Favored Enemy: Undeads
16: Ranger(16)
17: Ranger(17)
18: Ranger(18): Iron Will
19: Rogue(1)
20: Rogue(2)
21: Ranger(19): Great Strength I
22: Ranger(20): Favored Enemy: Elementals
23: Weapon Master(1): Weapon of Choice: Bastard Sword
24: Weapon Master(2): Armor Skin
25: Weapon Master(3)
26: Weapon Master(4)
27: Weapon Master(5): Great Strength II
28: Weapon Master(6)
29: Weapon Master(7)
30: Ranger(21): Great Strength III
31: Ranger(22)
32: Ranger(23): Epic Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword
33: Ranger(24): Great Strength IV
34: Ranger(25): Bane of Enemies
35: Ranger(26): Favored Enemy: Vermin
36: Ranger(27): Great Strength V
37: Ranger(28)
38: Ranger(29): Favored Enemy: Constructs
39: Rogue(3): Great Strength VI
40: Ranger(30): Favored Enemy: Humans

Favored Enemies
You'll have a ton so some selection can be done but this is what I recommend in approximate order of importance remember that whatever you take earlier will get more bonus than those taken later

Outsiders
Abberations
Undead
Elementals
Monstrous Humanoids
Reptilian Humanoids
Animals
Dragons
Constructs
Vermin
Magical Beasts

Legendary Feats
Legendary Luck
Legendary Will
Great Str 5 -7
Epic Reflexes

Skills
Max Concentration, Listen, Hide, Animal Empathy and Discipline, save points for tumble and UMD dump. Don't forget 4 intimidate for weaponmaster. Use the blind fight pandect at the appropriate level, before that you're relying on listen alone

Weapon
Bastard swords have been my weapon of choice, especially nice for the pharlan bastard sword which has bonus physical immunity. Do not choose light flail as it can't be offhanded but longsword would be another nice choice.

Comments
The two pre-epic rogue levels give a save bonus of +3 to reflex, though at the expense of 1 AB, still as a ranger AB is usually pretty good so a good trade in my opinion. STR version really needs Kolyarut for optimal performance due to stats and free feats but if you took out exotic weapons you could save a few feats. Kolyarut version should have 125 AC with URs only at lvl 60, 16 base dex will help vs. dex checks. My version of this has done up to Malbolge and did very well. Extremely high damage output potential.

-S

[Lythe Featherblade]

Looking at your enemies list, how common are animals at 40+, would you want elf instead of animal (or instead of any of the others)?

[sabregirl]

As far as I know most of the empable creatures post 40 are technically animals, including things like fire grubs and silt scorps. I am nearly 100% sure that there isn't a thing that's considered an elf beyond the drow and since I have no love (and little purpose) for spending excess time in the drow areas, I don't see much of a reason for taking elf as a favored enemy but if you intend to spend time there go for it. Anyway things like drey are considered half-elves so you'd have to take them as a favored enemy as well to cover everything. Fortunately critters like driders and droghers are aberrations so you're not completely without favored enemies there. With my current choices, I've been to most of the areas and there aren't many creatures I hit that I don't get the extra ranger positive damge on (indication of a favored enemy). The first 4 on the list seem to cover 90% of whats out there, the rest are definitely more optional.

-S

[Balduvard]

Kolyarut gets spring attack as a free feat on top of what the half-kyton gets, so that frees up a feat pre-LL (I chose Great Str 4, since Kolyarut starts out with an odd str--it'll balance in LL). I rearranged the feats in the following order since the Great Ability feats weren't as essential to my progress:

1 (M1) - Luck of Heroes, Toughness
3 (R2) -Heavy Armor
6 (R5) -Weapon Focus, Favored Enemy: Undead
9 (R8) -Expertise
11 (R10) - Favored Enemy: Constructs
12 (R11) -Iron Will
15 (R14) -Blind Fight
16 (R15) - Favored Enemy: Dragons
18 (R17) -Whirlwind Attack
21 (R19) -Armor Skin
22 (R20) -Favored Enemy: Aberrations
24 (W1) -Imp. Crit, Weapon of Choice
27 (W4) -Lightning Reflexes
30 (W7) -Great Str 1
32 (R23) - Bane of Enemies
33 (R24) -Great Str 2
34 (R25) -Epic Prowess
35 (R26) - Favored Enemy: Outsiders
36 (R27) -Great Str 3
38 (R29) - Favored Enemy: Reptilian Humanoids
39 (M3) -Great Str 4
40 (R30) - Favored Enemy: Elementals

Legendary Luck
Legendary Will
Great Dex 5 (Legendary Reflexes for STR)
Great Dex 6-8 (Great Str 4-6)
ESF Discipline (animal emp for STR)

[jammeyh]

Do u think Salamander would work

[starlandra]

sabregirl said:

...For the Dex version rapiers seem the obvious choice although it's very annoying to have blade thirst not work on your weapon of choice until you can read the transmute book at lvl 40...

I had no idea that that would work! Now I wanna start my ranger getting to level 40 is fast enough that that is not a biggie I think

[sabregirl]

Note that blade thirst is only +6 until level 50 on this build, however it plays nice with GMW so you can get the other bonuses, like keen and get someone else to GMW you. Really I think it gives you little to no excuse NOT to use a non-slashing weapon. I went with warhammers on my str version.

Salamander would probably be pretty workable for the STR version of this build.

-S

[jackpace]

I was thinking of making a build similar to this, but instead of monk, I was going to use 3 levels of Assassin toward the end for a small death attack and for some points in tumble. I would still keep my full offhand ranger defensive bonus and duel weild feats while using light armor.

But I only have one character barely over 40, so really have no idea if there are good UR light armors. Everyone seems to use heavy armor or robes in their builds.

I also don't have any rare subraces, but was given a thrikeen book, so I am using that.

So some of you experienced folks think that 30ranger/7WM/3Assasin would do good past 40?

[sabregirl]

I will say this that currently, the dex version of this has fairly questionable viability with critical hits running rampant, shield or no. Maxing parry may help as my dex ranger is a bit old now . . . However the AC and conceal on the dex version of this build currently are likely to be too low to survive well in the hells.

If you are going STR I would now recommend against using monk and instead go with any other class that gives tumble AC, rogue or assasin is great. If you are str you can actually dual just as effectively in plate mail as light armor if you can get an item that gives you the two weapon fighting and ambidex feats for free. Add in the better offhand ac from no monk levels and you have *almost* survivable AC dualing as a str fighter. If you scrimp and save you may even have enough skill points for maxing umd on rogue/assasin levels. Definitely a nice addition to any build. Str version should have better survivability as AC is similar to other str fighters but ranger buffs should be very helpful.

-S

[phalthallus]

I keep seeing how great the AC on a strength ranger is, because of the shield AC that's been added, but I'm wondering how much wisdom you need to make it worth dualing. The way I read it:

Shield AC Bonus:
Rangers will receive Shield AC on weapons wielded in their offhand equal to their wisdom modifier x1.5, to a maximum of ranger level / 4 (including legendary levels if the character's control class is ranger). The bonus and maximum will be halved if the ranger has any monk levels. Kamas can never benefit from this Shield AC bonus.

You are only getting 1.5x your MODIFIER. 14 wisdom = 2 modifer, so you're talking about 3 AC. Isn't that right? Or am I missing something (highly likely)?

Upping the max from 15 AC to 20, in the latest proposed change, seems silly, since to get more than 15 AC you'd have to have a modifier of 11, or a base wisdom of 32, right?

I'm probably missing something here, because a Ranger who has 32 Wisdom is seriously gimped, trying to get any strength or con at all (regardless of the con bonus rangers get in LL's).

Someone please set me straight on what I'm missing here.

[tyranlthixis]

Hi sweetie,

Just thinking about this. In light of the new changes maybe you could ditch the weapon master levels and use COT or Fighter instead and bring up the crit with dev crit. If you were able to squeeze in one or both of the tumble increasing feats, you'd bring your ranger out of the gutter dualing. Maybe pick up some of the tumble skills as well. Would need to sit down and do the math but it may make the build playable in the hells.

Tyran

[sabregirl]

As to the offhand AC - phal you're missing the +6 you're getting from having your wisdom buffed. So at 14 base wisdom (enough to get you all of your spells) that means a modifier of 8 multiplied by 1.5 means an offhand bonus of 12AC. Base wisdom of 18 (30 with +12) will get you to 15 offhand AC. To get the max of +20 (only achievable by a pure ranger) you'd need 28 base wisdom. This is a lot admittedly but presumably a combination of a couple of demi trips plus a wisdom artifact could get you there. In any case it helps those with fewer ranger levels get a nicer AC boost.

I will most likely reincarnate my dex ranger as a pure str version if possible and boost wisdom as much as possible. My current str ranger utilizes this build with the exception of rogue levels instead of monk. I think dex ranger will continue to be completely inviable without LSA tumble. STR ranger is still a better path due to the minishunt, a dexer avoids getting hit while a STR fighter is immune to what hits him. A STR ranger will mostly likely have viable AC even without LSA tumble, though LSA tumble is required for the effectiveness of a pure ranger.
In any case hopefully I'll be able to update this build soon with proposed changes.

-S

[phalthallus]

See? I knew I was missing something. Thanks sabregirl. (I won't call you sweetie)

That makes a lot more sense then. +20 would be very nice indeed, though require a lot, as you said. High wisdom AND being pure, which isn't all bad, especially considering the new proposed change to level 1 feats.

I saw here or in another post you liked the idea of going 35 R/5 Harper...do you still think that's what you might do? I've been trying to decide what to do with those 5 possible remaining class levels. I've become a big fan of Bard, saving me 40+ points in UMD; I don't like the idea that the lower layers of the Hells, and demi-god status on top of those, could keep me from using scrolls.

It's too bad if what you say about a dex ranger is true; the class is obviously made with dexers in mind - using bows and dexterous blades both. So to see them unable to be viable as both a strength and a dex version is disappointing.

Thanks again for the info!

[sabregirl]

Well with the ranger pseudo-devcrit, 35 ranger is a rather unnattractive number of levels since your DC is dependent on yout number of ranger levels and 55 total ranger levels will give you a DC of 52 . . . . not exactly exciting. My only real debate now is pure ranger (DC57) or 39 ranger 1 monk (DC56). WM ranger is still fun but to do that you give up the pseudo-devcrit and considering the power of a dualing WM I don't think it's too much of a problem.

And for dex ranger I suppose I wouldn't say totally inviable, just inviable in the lower hells levels. But with LSA tumble you might be able to get somewhere.

-S

[sabregirl]

Updated build for STR with current skills and stats.

-S