I've been thinking about speed lately. Actually I started by thinking about playing a Ranger switch-hitter, then maybe a Dwarf Ranger, and then I realized that I didn't want to play a slow Ranger. Although wearing medium armor is going to make you slow anyway.
But of course there are ways to increase your speed, aren't there? Barbarian and Monk get a bonus, there's spells like Longstrider, and even the Fleet feat. And probably a lot that I've missed.
So how viable are these?
I've noticed that Fleet isn't very good. Only 5 feet extra, but with a maximum of light armor. Nice for a rogue perhaps, but not really for a Dwarf Ranger, or anyone else who can wear medium armor.
Monk's speed boost takes a few levels before you get it, and you lose it when you wear any armor at all, so that's useless.
Barbarian looks great, however. You get the speed boost at level 1, and it works with medium armor. So a Dwarf Ranger x/Barbarian 1 could be running around at 30 feet in medium armor, which is pretty cool. Still, it costs you an entire level of Ranger. Still, Barbarian doesn't look like the worst match for a Ranger.
Longstrider is a level 1 Ranger spell. I'd have to wait until I'm level 4 before I can use it, and it lasts only a limited time, but it's probably the cheapest speed boost.
There's also the Cleric Travel domain, which gives +10 extra speed with no restrictions, as well as the ability to ignore difficult terrain, and of course all the stuff you get as a cleric, like spells. (How do Cleric spells work if you also get Ranger spells later on? Do you just get them both, double the number of spells per day, and double the bonus for high Wisdom?)
Of course the question remains whether that extra speed is really worth all that trouble.
So what do you think? If you really want that extra speed as a Ranger, which is the best approach?
Did I miss anything? (I'm pretty sure I did.)
And is it worth it at all, to be running around at 30 feet in medium armor? It certainly helps to explore faster in a Kingmaker campaign, and for a switch-hitter, I think some melee maneuverability is quite useful, but maybe I'm overestimating the importance of speed.
Boots of striding and springing. Acts as the longstrider spell, gives you +10' enhancement to speed.
Mithral Breastplate doesn't reduce your speed.
Mithril is always a good idea, though not terribly relevant to a Dwarf, of course. I'm primarily looking for a way to overcome the Dwarven slowness, although I suppose I could just as easily go for a human, if I care about speed so much.
The main thing I'm still unsure about is whether I should worry about speed at all. It's just that I see Rangers as people who are pretty fast on their feet. And yet I also like the idea of a Dwarf Ranger.
Boots of Striding and Springing are always cool, but I won't be able to afford them right from the start. Same goes for the Mithral breastplate, of course.
As for the level of Cleric: is it really better than a level of Barbarian? I admit I don't care so much about Rage, which is of course the primary attraction of Barbarian. Do I want more spells earlier? Maybe. But is it really worth it to sacrifice a level of Ranger for it?
It would be so much easier if there was a simple feat that gave the Barbarian-style fast movement.