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So I've been running a sword-and-board Ranger (combat master is weapon and shield) in a few games and just put three games worth of GM credit on him. He is now level 5! I'm trying to flesh him out to make him a bit more competent. Right now my gear looks like:
MW Mighty Composite Longbow +4
MW Cold Iron Scimitar
+1 Mithral Breastplate
+1 Heavy Darkwood Shield
For feats I took:
1: Improved Shield Bash
Ranger: Two-Weapon Fighting
3: Shield Focus
I'm looking into feats and gear. I have 3,912 GP to spend, and I'm leaning towards a Cloak of Resistance +1 and possibly getting an item to improve my out-of-combat roles. With a +12 to Perception and +14 to Survival, I'm thinking of getting boots that improve my Stealth. I'm also torn between feats.
Any suggestions? :D
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Potential feats:
Dodge
Weapon Focus (either)
Combat Reflexes
Alertness
Note that Boots of Elvenkind improve Acrobatics, it is the Cloak of Elvenkind that improves Stealth.
Eyes of the Eagle, I think, gives a +5 competence bonus to perception for about the same price.
I think the footprint book gives a bonus to Survival for tracking?
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How is your Dexterity? Will you be able to qualify for Double Slice? You definitely want to get Shield Master at level 6 as well.
You definitely need a magic weapon by level 5. You're going to start seeing incorporeal foes here and there from now on, and a masterwork weapon won't cut it. One option would be to get bashing onto your shield. Instead of 1d4 you'll be looking at 1d8+1, which is a big boost, and you'll have a magic weapon.
Until you get Shield Master, you might look into a cestus, kukri or dagger as your off-hand instead of the scimitar. It doesn't make sense to take -4 on your attacks when you could be taking -2.
If your Dex allows:
5 Double Slice
6 Shield Master
7 Improved Two-Weapon Fighting
8
9 Power Attack
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I run a sword and board ranger, CL 9, with 2 levels of fighter and 1 level of Horizon Walker. For Feats I have:
Boon Companion (Ranger)
Combat Reflexes (4 AoO/round)
Exotic Weapon Proficiency (Bastard sword)
Improved Shield Bash
Improved Two-weapon Fighting
Shield Focus
Shield Slam
Two-weapon Fighting
Weapon Focus (Bastard sword)]
My shield is a +1/+1 Bashing Spiked Darkwood Heavy Shield, 2d6+1+STR.
I'm pretty happy with his ability to contribute.
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Are sword and board Rangers actually viable? I mean which combat style should a SnB Ranger pick?
I'm trying to work out a Freebooter Ranger as a sword and board, but gave up, after I just can't seem to make him combat viable...
Race chosen is Dwarf...
While there's certainly a good argument for taking the TWF over Weapon and Shield if you're looking for more damage of getting a decent AC from the shield, acquiring Shield Slam 4 levels early is simply glorious.
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I'm going with a character who can effectively "tank" for the group, which is predominantly spellcasters or ranged characters. Since my first time actually playing him will be this coming Sunday (Don Walker's running 4EX: Day of the Demon for us!), it'll be nice to have the Monk and myself helping to move the fights in a direction we want. As someone else said: the AC will be nice (right now I have 21 AC with just a +1 breastplate and +1 shield), and while I may not have the DPS potential of the TWF characters, I trade it in for surviveability.
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While there's certainly a good argument for taking the TWF over Weapon and Shield if you're looking for more damage of getting a decent AC from the shield, acquiring Shield Slam 4 levels early is simply glorious.Are sword and board Rangers actually viable? I mean which combat style should a SnB Ranger pick?
I'm trying to work out a Freebooter Ranger as a sword and board, but gave up, after I just can't seem to make him combat viable...
Race chosen is Dwarf...
Ok... you sold me, Dwarf Shield Ranger GO!!!!
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No Double Slice then. You can still grab Improved Two-Weapon Fighting at level 10 though!
Grab Power Attack as your feat this level. It will help cement a tanking role for you, as you cannot draw an enemy's ire reliably in Pathfinder without being a threat. I would recommend losing the scimitar and making use of a cestus instead: this will allow you to use your heavy shield as your main weapon in two hands in instances where you do not have a full attack available.
Assuming you took the Weapon and Shield combat style, Shield Master is an amazing feat for you to grab at level 6. At that point, you may be served to upgrade your shield to a +5 as soon as possible, as it will increase its potency as a weapon and armour both, and at half the price of most weapons.
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Ok... you sold me, Dwarf Shield Ranger GO!!!!While there's certainly a good argument for taking the TWF over Weapon and Shield if you're looking for more damage of getting a decent AC from the shield, acquiring Shield Slam 4 levels early is simply glorious.Are sword and board Rangers actually viable? I mean which combat style should a SnB Ranger pick?
I'm trying to work out a Freebooter Ranger as a sword and board, but gave up, after I just can't seem to make him combat viable...
Race chosen is Dwarf...
Note: If you're using the Advanced Race Guide, you can racially be better at Bull Rushing. Having built a Boulder Helmet barbarian to get roughly +12 to Bull rush at first level, I've gotten familiar with a lot of things to be good at the maneuver (that don't require worshiping evil deities).
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Note: If you're using the Advanced Race Guide, you can racially be better at Bull Rushing. Having built a Boulder Helmet barbarian to get roughly +12 to Bull rush at first level, I've gotten familiar with a lot of things to be good at the maneuver (that don't require worshiping evil deities).Ok... you sold me, Dwarf Shield Ranger GO!!!!While there's certainly a good argument for taking the TWF over Weapon and Shield if you're looking for more damage of getting a decent AC from the shield, acquiring Shield Slam 4 levels early is simply glorious.Are sword and board Rangers actually viable? I mean which combat style should a SnB Ranger pick?
I'm trying to work out a Freebooter Ranger as a sword and board, but gave up, after I just can't seem to make him combat viable...
Race chosen is Dwarf...
Is using the Boulder Helmet to Bull rush a good ideal? Or should the focus just be on the shield. Aka should I enchant the Boulder Helmet?