PUG switch-hitting Human Ranger, I need help on my Feats


Advice

Sovereign Court

Before I start I am truly a total noob here so...

As much as I have read, I was very leary of doing a Human Ranger just for the loss of low light vision. I found a post here on "How far can a Human see" and a separate post and answers I asked "Rangers and Light sources" that really helped, so Human it is.

I have read TreantMonks Guide as well as Lastoths and Gunsu Master, plus most every post here on Rangers in general. All of them pretty much have the same build as they see the class, that alone says how good these builds are. I have and have read all the Rule books but it is still not a substitute for players with time under their belt, so I am asking for your Advice on how I am looking at this and how I am setting up my character.

As someone who is going to RP as best I can, these builds are not as I see MY character being played. I look at it from the prospective of, do I want to run up to the nasty Troll beside the tank and have him squash me into green goo, now I am in his new bowl that use to be my Breastplate. I want to melee when it the right thing to do and not because my build forced me too. But, I still want the ability do so.

The first two, Power Attack and Quick Draw are kind of a given so the most efficient feat order is what I an looking for.

So here is my build and any suggestions or the order in which Feats should be taken would be most helpful.

Pathfinder Society build
Starting Traits:
Suspicious to get Sense Motive as a class skill
Then either Indomitable Faith for the +1 to Will or Armor Expert for the -1 to Armor Penalty checks. I think the Will save but asking.

Racial is +2 to Strength

Abilities: 20 point build

STR = 16 +2 = 18
DEX = 15
CON = 14
INT = 10
WIS = 12
CHA = 7 (yep, gruff guy)

Feats and class abilities:
Lvl 1 - Power Attack and Quick Draw
LvL 2 - Rapid Shot with Archery Combat Style
LvL 3 - Point-Blank Shot
LvL 4 - + 1 to Dex gets me the +3 Animal Companion WOLF (yep, Iconic)
LvL 5 - Weapon Focus"Longbow" OR Precise Shot
LvL 6 - Many Shot OR Improved Precise Shot
LvL 7 - Precise Shot OR Weapon Focus
LvL 8 - +1 to WIS OR DEX OR STR
LvL 9 - Deadly Aim OR ?
LvL 10 - Many Shot or Improved Precise Shot

I am at LvL 1 game 2 I have enough to get my Darkwood Compound Bow +4 Str at 850 gp and some Arrows.
I think I have a good grasp mostly of the items to buy but advice is always most welcome.

One other point is I could stay at the 18 Str and 16 Dex and save the 10,000 for a Belt of physical might ( +2 Str and +2 Dex) and have +5 and +4 on the abilities or were to go on those two stats.


Zenxzen wrote:


I want to melee when it the right thing to do and not because my build forced me too. But, I still want the ability do so.

So here is my build and any suggestions or the order in which Feats should be taken would be most helpful.

Pathfinder Society build
Starting Traits:
Suspicious to get Sense Motive as a class skill
Then either Indomitable Faith for the +1 to Will or Armor Expert for the -1 to Armor Penalty checks. I think the Will save but asking.

Racial is +2 to Strength

Abilities: 20 point build

STR = 16 +2 = 18
DEX = 15
CON = 14
INT = 10
WIS = 12
CHA = 7 (yep, gruff guy)

Feats and class abilities:
Lvl 1 - Power Attack and Quick Draw
LvL 2 - Rapid Shot with Archery Combat Style
LvL 3 - Point-Blank Shot
LvL 4 - + 1 to Dex gets me the +3 Animal Companion WOLF (yep, Iconic)
LvL 5 - Weapon Focus"Longbow" OR Precise Shot
LvL...

Ok, so you want a switch-hitter ranger? For PFS you have to own the books in question, which may limit your options. That said, if you have Ultimate Campaign, you can take the trait Blood of Dragons from page 62 to gain low light vision if you really want it.

Quick Draw...is not as necessary as you might think. You certainly don't need it before level 6 with this build (move action to draw a weapon and no difference in number of attacks between a full and standard at this point, so when the enemy closes, 5ft back (free) shoot one bow shot (standard), switch weapons (move).

Level 1 - Power Attack and Deadly Aim
Level 2 - Precise Shot with combat style* (unless you pull your longsword and charge in these situations)
Level 3 - Point Blank Shot
Level 4 - good choices
Level 5 - Weapon Focus: Longbow
Level 6 - Rapid Shot with combat style* (see level 2, if so, swap)
Level 7 - Quick Draw

Sovereign Court

Arksangiel wrote:
Zenxzen wrote:


I want to melee when it the right thing to do and not because my build forced me too. But, I still want the ability do so.

So here is my build and any suggestions or the order in which Feats should be taken would be most helpful.

Pathfinder Society build
Starting Traits:
Suspicious to get Sense Motive as a class skill
Then either Indomitable Faith for the +1 to Will or Armor Expert for the -1 to Armor Penalty checks. I think the Will save but asking.

Racial is +2 to Strength

Abilities: 20 point build

STR = 16 +2 = 18
DEX = 15
CON = 14
INT = 10
WIS = 12
CHA = 7 (yep, gruff guy)

Feats and class abilities:
Lvl 1 - Power Attack and Quick Draw
LvL 2 - Rapid Shot with Archery Combat Style
LvL 3 - Point-Blank Shot
LvL 4 - + 1 to Dex gets me the +3 Animal Companion WOLF (yep, Iconic)
LvL 5 - Weapon Focus"Longbow" OR Precise Shot
LvL...

Ok, so you want a switch-hitter ranger? For PFS you have to own the books in question, which may limit your options. That said, if you have Ultimate Campaign, you can take the trait Blood of Dragons from page 62 to gain low light vision if you really want it.

Quick Draw...is not as necessary as you might think. You certainly don't need it before level 6 with this build (move action to draw a weapon and no difference in number of attacks between a full and standard at this point, so when the enemy closes, 5ft back (free) shoot one bow shot (standard), switch weapons (move).

Level 1 - Power Attack and Deadly Aim
Level 2 - Precise Shot with combat style* (unless you pull your longsword and charge in these situations)
Level 3 - Point Blank Shot
Level 4 - good choices
Level 5 - Weapon Focus: Longbow
Level 6 - Rapid Shot with combat style* (see level 2, if so, swap)
Level 7 - Quick Draw

I do have all the books, but your take on Quick Draw really made my day. This is why I ask from those with time in game as I really wanted to take something else but felt I HAD to take Quick Draw early.

I think I like this Feat list better as its more inline with how I wanted to play.
As for the light sources I am going to get a Ioun Torch stone asap at 75gp and as soon as I can I will buy 1 or 2 Darkvision Potions to use if I really thought I needed too.

The Exchange

core feats for switch hitting ranger

melee power attack, cleave
ranged clustered shots, improved precise shot, deadly aim
Other Boon companion, quick draw.

extra feats that are nice to have:
ranged rapid shot, many shot.
Melee: improved critical falchion.
Both vital strikes chain

everything else is gravy.

feats you don't need and why.
precise shot: you don't need prerequisite feats for imp and you should not be shooting into combat you should be hitting with your falchion.
dodge, mobility, spring attack: if they are farther away than melee just shoot them with your composite strength bow.


This seems more of an archer ranger than a switch hitter. The switch hitter focuses on melee with his normal feats and uses the combat feats for archery. About the only normal feat you may want would be deadly aim.

Also the archer ranger got a little better since Treantmonk put together the guide. Prior to point blank master you could not really use a bow in close combat so the switch hitter was the answer to this. With point blank master which a ranger can take at 6th level you can create an archer that uses the bow even when attacking something directly in front of him.


Party comp plays a big role in the life of a switch hitter. If you are primary melee. Count on using archery less than usual unless you and the party make concerted strategies that force people to come to you and that you have a round or two of shooting before they arrive. If there is another toe to toe warrior in the group then you can get away with shooting sometimes and only when you or the casters are approached will you have something to do other than fire shots.

I once played in a campaign where there was a fighter as well as a few casters. So I picked ranger I went for the switch hitter build. I was hoping to play a Sable Co Marine which I did. However about 4th level the fighter moved away. I went from guarding the casters and shooting at enemies to being the primary tank. If I didn't engage the rogue couldn't flank and so on. I was prepared for this because a switch hitter can pull this off just pointing out that the rest of the party will effect what you are able to do.

If you are able to use your bow 50% of the time in the 1st 3 rounds of combat. Precise Shot is really worth it. You have gotten solid advice so far so other than being aware of how your team will attempt to fight is key.

Sovereign Court

I think Arksangiel has given me the feat order by which I would like to play, but Nephril to some degree and Mysterious Stranger and Gnomezrule have given me a rather subtle reminder that no matter how I want to play, it is in the end how the party needs each of us to play. If I am the only tankie kind in the group I need to make the change not them.

I was so intent on making my character, I forgot this is a team game and not necessarily a me game. This is why I prefer most of the time to ask those with more knowledge than I and remind me to try not to make the same mistakes because I didn't ask.

Review with the other players and GM first, then finish my build. Sounds like a plan.

Thanks You All, Zen

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