After reading opinions on another thread I am thinking of making a Fighter over another Ranger. I used to always use Rangers partly because the Ranger on the old D&D cartoon was soooooo cool. A bow that shoots lightning? Sweet. I realized that as cool as the Ranger always seemed I rarely got to maximize him as I tended to spend more adventures indoors or underground.
So I want to try to make a Fighter that is a bad ass with a bow and a blade. Medium armor, quick and furious over heavily armored (slow) and punishing. Any tips on creating this type of character?
RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32, RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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As was also just stated above if you go fighter by level 7 you should be able to afford Mithril Full plate and run circles around anyone.
He wasn't talking about mithril; the fighter's Armor Training class feature means that at 7th level, he can move at full speed in heavy armor.
King Stag, it sounds like you are far more interested with the combat aspect of your character than with the skills a Ranger gets. The Ranger's strength has always been his high skill points and wide array of Class Skills, so if you're going that route, really, the Fighter is superior in nearly every way. As in, see everyone else's posts.
That said, since you said you didn't get to use your ranger much due to the terrain (What I'm hearing is, "The GM wasn't giving me chances to use what I made," - folks, your players are telling you what they want to do when they pick their classes, so pay attention), why not check out Urban Ranger or other variants?
The early advantage of the ranger is the leg up on certain feat trees and the avoidance of certain prerequisites to take those feats.
By level 10 or so the fighter's bonus feats and unique feats/abilities pretty much more than make up for that early "edge" that the ranger has for combat related activities
For me the ranger's benefits at mid to high level are the spellcasting and skills.
Yeah, I think for my style of play the Fighter is more my style.
I appreciate all the tips and advice.
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As was also just stated above if you go fighter by level 7 you should be able to afford Mithril Full plate and run circles around anyone.He wasn't talking about mithril; the fighter's Armor Training class feature means that at 7th level, he can move at full speed in heavy armor.
I know what, but at that level if you are concerned about being in heavier armor then he should have Mithril.
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I know what, but at that level if you are concerned about being in heavier armor then he should have Mithril.As was also just stated above if you go fighter by level 7 you should be able to afford Mithril Full plate and run circles around anyone.He wasn't talking about mithril; the fighter's Armor Training class feature means that at 7th level, he can move at full speed in heavy armor.Not to derail, but with armour training, the value of the mithril armour is somewhat lessened (combat-wise).
On the other hand, if you're looking for a role-playing effect, I like +1 mithril full plate of comfort: shiny, silvery and, most importantly, self-cleaning, all at around 25 lbs :-). And you can sleep in it.
True, but you are going to have some ACP (especially at level 7 since the Armor Training is only at 2) and a max Dex Bonus of +3 which since he is going Archer he may have a higher Dex to take advantage of. Not to mention if he looks at the Archer Archtype and decides he likes some of the changed fighter abilities then he loses Armor Training so having Mithril will definitely pay off.
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You should get a Boot Blade too. They're not very good mechanics-wise, but they're badass. :) Even if you never actually use it, being able to say you have it is a selling point.
As for "badass with a bow and blade", fighter will definitely get you what you want. Take Point Blank and Precise for the bow, Power Attack for the blade, and Quick Draw for switching between them easily. You'd also need decent STR and DEX so that your attack bonuses will be good either way. Dodge and Mobility will also help you keep moving around the battlefield.
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I know what, but at that level if you are concerned about being in heavier armor then he should have Mithril.As was also just stated above if you go fighter by level 7 you should be able to afford Mithril Full plate and run circles around anyone.He wasn't talking about mithril; the fighter's Armor Training class feature means that at 7th level, he can move at full speed in heavy armor.Not to derail, but with armour training, the value of the mithril armour is somewhat lessened (combat-wise).
On the other hand, if you're looking for a role-playing effect, I like +1 mithril full plate of comfort: shiny, silvery and, most importantly, self-cleaning, all at around 25 lbs :-). And you can sleep in it.
Or you could just play a Ranger and do that in any old armor you want (Endurance is an under-appreciated feat).
To the OP if you wish to switch over to the Fighter class more power to you. I find them to be amazing Damage dealers but a bit lacking in the non combat challenge department.
Does lead me to a question though; what advantages does a Fighter have over a well built ranger?
The ranger is a bit more niche-y but if you follow the usual guidelines (Fav enemy human -> undead -> evil Outsider & Fav Terrain Urban -> underground -> Forest) you should have your bonuses up most of the time.
Really the only advantage I see from Pure fighter is a few more feats, armor doesn't slow you down as much and you get your bonus damage slightly more often then FE comes up.
In exchange for that you get spells, massively more skills/points, a secondary character to use, better mobility, better saving throws and Evasion (which is awesome admit it).
I really can't see why anyone who wants to be a damage dealer wouldn't choose a Ranger.
A matter of taste of course.
I really can't see why anyone who wants to be a damage dealer wouldn't choose a Ranger.
... because clearly nothing can outdamage a druid...
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... because clearly nothing can outdamage a druid...A matter of taste of course.
I really can't see why anyone who wants to be a damage dealer wouldn't choose a Ranger.
Pssshhhh... Druids do high damage but lower chance to hit and take forever to open up the good feats. That medium BaB is a killer if you want to do damage.
Well, one wildshaped druid + 1 buffed animal companion + 3 pouncing tigers = lots and lots of damage per round...
Well, one wildshaped druid + 1 buffed animal companion + 3 pouncing tigers = lots and lots of damage per round...This brings up a question I always wonder about, do people find they really fight in such large open spaces on a regular basis that you can use such tactics all the time. I mean how does that work say in a 40ft by 40ft room or a hallway or anywhere pretty much not outside?
In truth, my level 8 druid is an archer specialist, but she has wildshaped on occasion.
The sort of tactic I was describing above is very situational. Setting up such a situation would take at least two rounds (one to buff your AC, one to summon the tigers) unless you had a quickened spell handy. Plus you'd have to have wildshaped already.
However, I have used similar tactcs, both as a player and a GM, in surprisingly crowded places. In fact for crowd control purposes, sometimes the more crowded the space, the better. One of the beautiful things about the summon spells is that you can cause your animals to appear right in the midst of, or even right behind your enemies.
I have had cases where my druid, her AC and three summoned creatures simultaneously attacked a boss and just destroyed it. But it's not the "normal" tactic. I save it for special occasions where we've scouted well and are able to get the jump on the enemy. And in those cases my druid doesn't wild shape, she full-attacks with her bow from range.
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Human switch hitter fighter (15 point, elite array):
Str 15+2 Dex 14 Con 13 Wis 12 Int 10 Cha 8
Role: Stand still with bow in hand rapid shooting until somebody screws up and comes close. Drop bow, draw sword (Falchion/two-hander/glaive?) and full attack.
L1) Point Blank shot, Rapid shot, Quick Draw
At first level, you shoot 2 arrows a round until baddies come to you, then you quick draw your big sword and attack with it. Carry some javelins and quick draw/rapid shot those for the str bonus to damage at short range. Don't carry a shield or a weapon in hand so you always have options, maybe get a spiked gauntlet so you're always armed.
L2) Power attack, buy a mw Composite +3 bow asap
L3) Weapon Focus: Main melee weapon (Two-hander/Falchion/Glaive)
L4) Specialization: Main melee weapon, Str+1
L5) Weapon Focus: Bow, Weapon Training: Bow
L6) Manyshot
At 6th, you are shooting 3 arrows a round until the baddies come to you, then you quickdraw your falchion/whatever and attack twice a round with power attacks. Hopefully, you have a +2 strength belt, a +1 composite+5 bow and a +1 falchion or something like that.
L7) Weapon Specialization: Bow, Armour training II (Heavy armour)
L8) Improved critical: main melee weapon (if you chose falchion, you are happy now), Con +1 or start bumping Dex
L9) Deadly aim? Greater Weapon Focus? Critical Focus?, Weapon Training: Bow+2, Sword+1
Put your money into strength belts early so you can settle on what your composite bow needs to be. Split between swords and bows for your attack dollar and avoid spending on armour because you'll be in the rear a lot. Don't bother with precise shot etc. - if melee is happening, try to be in it.
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Well, my archer fighter two Weeks ago fought uh a wide ooh underground swamp marsh. Where as this week, we entered a large ziggurat, and went into system t sized round as we descended down into it. Had a fight in a 40x40 room, with some overgrowth and stumps in the floor. Where there were 4 baykok in archer nests, in the 4 corners of the room, 30' up.
Depending on the fight tactics change, just a little but less so with archers. The archers main draw (ha), is that they get to do full attacks, more than probably went other martial class. In the room fight we had, I didn't have to move at all. In the swamp fight, I had to do a bit of moving, as will as line up some shots, so I didn't incur a cover penalty. Also, in the swamp fight, since it was wide open, I had to make sure to provide some backup for some of the less beefed up characters (wizard, rogue, bard).
As for the OP, I like the fighter as an archer a lot. Merger played a ranger, but I really like a lot of the synergy they get.
As for help with the fighter. Since you said you wanted to do bow and sword, switch hitter, you probably won't need point blank master (feat), our even the snap shot line. Personally, my archer fighter is dedicated solely to the bow. So in that case, I need snapshot more then you would, as well as getting class feature for pbm.
quickdraw as mentioned is a must. So is: power attack, precise shot, pbs, and possibly deadly aim. Deadly aim, is essentially power attacks archery brother. -1 atk/ +2 dmg, scaling.