I'm going to GM for a player who's completely new to Pathfinder. Not entirely new to role-playing, but Pathfinder is a daunting game to approach.
I've suggested a few beginner-friendly classes and Ranger seemed to spark some interested, probably a Half-Elf Ranger.
But after that choice was made, what should I recommend? Nice archetypes, important feats, interesting options?
For starters, what kind of character does your player want to play?
The mystical half-elven bowman who stalks the dark forest and only talks to animals?
The man who lost all that he lived for, only to be reborn in the flames of revenge as he tracks down his hates foes?
The jolly guide who never stops talking about that one hunting trip?
The spiritualist who has been granted divine power from her diety?
The ranger can be played in many ways, and I think the character concept is where you should start.
If you go bow human ranger might be better than half elf if you are starting at level 1 as being bow focused without precise shot is not fun as -4 to hit is not good.
I remember an old optimization guide from treantmonk that had a switch hitter ranger that was good at both melee and range which might be good for a new player if they really want half elf.
I think most of the archtypes for rangers are not quite as good as core.
If you go ranged picking good archey feats are quite nice.
Once you get to higher levels some of the spells in core not in core get quite nice.
As Wonderstell says, Rangers can be a wide variety of things. It's worth discussing playstyle with your player. That said, here are a couple of general suggestions:
1) Archery is a strong option, and Rangers can excel at it. Picking up the Archery style and a filling in the gaps with regular feats will make a powerful, straightforward character.
2) "Switch hitting" is a slightly suboptimal but thematically strong option. Taking Power Attack at level 1, using a 2-handed weapon for melee and investing in Archery style for ranged gives you a pretty flexible character.
3) Sword-and-shield builds work quite well for Rangers too. They can use Sword and shield style bonus feats to get early access to some goodies and avoid feat prerequisites.
In terms of Archetypes, Urban Ranger is a solid Rogue replacement. Unarchetyped Ranger is solid and doesn't need much fiddling with. Trapper and Skirmisher trade out spells if your player doesn't want magic.
It's worth considering Boon Companion as level 5 feat, as it turns Animal Companions from weak to full-progression.
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Illsurian archer can be a pretty good choice if you're looking for a spell-less ranger. At lvl 4 you apply half your highest favored enemy bonus to all ranged attacks, and you gain a few bonus feats, including weapon focus:longsword, for when you're backed into a corner.
Though my preference would actually be a straight ranger. And 4 level casting is a pretty good way to introduce players to spellcasting, giving them options without overloading them with the amount of available options.
For a newbie, just give them one book to look through: The Core Rule Book.
Archery is actually easier to deal with than melee (less AoOs, don't have to worry about reach or flanking, positioning is easier to understand, etc.).
Rangers are great intro classes. They teach you about monster types, combat styles, terrain, pets and/or party buffing, spells, etc.
They have lots of skill points, which is great because newbies always seem to try new and exciting things (can I climb that tree then jump onto the back of that ogre? Can I hide under that pile of leaves and jump up and get a surprise attack? Can I search that pile of boulders? Can I cauterize his wound? Can I talk to the dog? Can I drink that? Can I set that on fire? Can I make fire arrows and then set that on fire?)
Honestly, I would give a newbie ranger that trait that helps with Acrobatics and give them max skills in Acrobatics, Climb, Perception, Stealth, and Survival. Dabble in skills like Handle Animal, Heal, Knowledge dungeoneering and nature, Ride, and Swim.
The Guide Ranger is a great archetype, and pretty straightforward. Replacing Favored Enemy with a sort of "Smite Anything" x/day power means a new player doesn't get hung up on the whole Favored Enemy thing; it's nice to be able to say "oh, this is a big bad guy, time for Ranger's Focus!" instead of sitting around hoping the Favored Enemy you picked when you had no idea what was going on comes up. It also takes away the complications of the pet option in favor of a thematic "party guide" ability.
A lot of new players are drawn to a two-weapon fighting concept and are often discouraged, which is a bit sad. It also really bugs me as well that new players who want to go TWF are just told "use two kukris, it's best" - as in "welcome to Pathfinder, start learning, right now, to toss your character concept in favor of optimization". While I wouldn't burden them with obscure options in general, if they express interest in a concept like dual longsword, you could bring up Effortless Lace. If they want to have a scimitar and a heavy shield, mention Shield Trained.
Which comes down to a general point for a new player: they hopefully have a cool character concept/ fighting style pictured before anything else, so give them some options based on that.
Thanks for all the answers.
The player in question has a hard time formulating ideas for a character concept, but the nature-flavour of the Ranger was interesting (so no Urban Ranger) and there seemed to be an interest in being good with both ranged and melee attacks.
Sounds like Switch-Hitter is the way to go then. Here is a liite suggested reading - Treantmonk's Guide to Rangers. It's a little out-of-date but still pretty relevant. The main change would be considering Boon Companion as a near-mandatory level 5 feat.
In terms of traits, you can't go wrong with Initiave boosts, Will save increases and additional class skills/Trapfinding to round out the Ranger's skillset.
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My favorite Ranger/Slayer builds:
-The Switch Hitter: The most efficient of the builds IMHO. Can fight decently well at all ranges makes this character scary. It is a build that starts full round attacking and trys it's best to keep full round attacking. The build is actually not that hard to put together and has all the tools it really needs by level 7.
-The Sword and Board/TWF: Ranger/Slayers off Pre-req free feats. Allowing them to keep a lower dex. They also get feats sooner than even fighters. Making them one of the best TWF classes in the game. I personally like Sword and Board as it is a fun playstyle.
-The Mounted Ranger: This guy hit's like a MAC truck. He adds things the typical Mounted builds Lack. Skills, Spells, and Pre-req free bonus feats. Most people don't look at the ranger for Mounted combat as much as a Cav or a Paladin. But there is some real power and utility here.
-The Switch Hitter: The most efficient of the builds IMHO. Can fight decently well at all ranges makes this character scary. It is a build that starts full round attacking and trys it's best to keep full round attacking. The build is actually not that hard to put together and has all the tools it really needs by level 7.
Treantmonk's Guide to Rangers deals with the Switch Hitter, but it only includes Core.
Anything newer that really improves the build?
I'm thinking high Str, possibly Quick Draw and Power Attack as the first feats. At lvl 2 go for Archery Combat Style and select ... Raipdshot perhaps?
Nice traits to pick up? Alternate racial traits for half-elfs?
I was sort of drawn to the Wild Hunter archetype, but I'm not really sure if the Animal Focus is manageable enough for this player or if the archetype is really any good.
It would be nice if I could offer some nice choices, thus giving a chance for flavourful customization while still ensuring this player has a decently competitive character that isn't soon out-shined by everyone else at the table.
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-The Switch Hitter: The most efficient of the builds IMHO. Can fight decently well at all ranges makes this character scary. It is a build that starts full round attacking and trys it's best to keep full round attacking. The build is actually not that hard to put together and has all the tools it really needs by level 7.Treantmonk's Guide to Rangers deals with the Switch Hitter, but it only includes Core.
Anything newer that really improves the build?
I'm thinking high Str, possibly Quick Draw and Power Attack as the first feats. At lvl 2 go for Archery Combat Style and select ... Raipdshot perhaps?
Nice traits to pick up? Alternate racial traits for half-elfs?
I was sort of drawn to the Wild Hunter archetype, but I'm not really sure if the Animal Focus is manageable enough for this player or if the archetype is really any good.
It would be nice if I could offer some nice choices, thus giving a chance for flavourful customization while still ensuring this player has a decently competitive character that isn't soon out-shined by everyone else at the table.
Honestly not much has made it better.
The feat Boon companion comes to mind. But that is about it.
It's a great build for Core only and can work even in later APs and such. It is why it is such a good build.
Generally the Archery feats for Switch Hitters are something like Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Deadly Aim, Manyshot and Improved Precise Shot. Getting things like Manyshot and Improved Precise as bonus feats without needing huge Dex and Point Blank Shot is why it's an efficient build.
At level 7+ you can start picking up Improved Critical and other goodies to make melee nastier.
Boon Companion is pretty much a feat tax, in the same vein as Natural Spell for Druids. You need a good reason not to take it.
Pure Archers are "more optimal" than Switch Hitters, but both are valid. Switch Hitters occupy a nice narrative space too. Lots of martial heroes in myth and popular culture are skilled with both Sword and Bow.
As a first character they're close to perfect. They teach new players about melee, ranged, skills, pets and casting. One they learn and choose what they like they can specialise appropriately.
Mounted Archery/Switch Hitter might be the way to go. Full Attack AND move when shooting arrows, and the option to lance charge.
Would probably have to go with a Small race, but everyone likes the Hobbit, right?
And with a wolf or wardog animal companion, the new player can learn about CMB and CMD and how useful applying different kinds of conditions can be.
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But, with dex of 14, rapid shot and deadly aim, how do you ever hit???
Hardly do you use those together.
Personally I tend to just use Many shot over deadly aim because more arrows means more damage from Adaptive and Favored Enemy.
Only when the AC is really low can you use both.
I also never take precise shot as a +1 Adaptive Seeking bow is all a Switch hitter needs. Usually when something is in combat it is within a move action from you or your group. If the other front liner is running hundreds of feet ahead...let him die cause he is being/playing stupid. The goal of the switch hitting is to soften the target while they are at range...once they reach you they should be down some HP so they are easier to defeat in melee.
Don't take Precise Shot for a switch-hitter. When there's melee, you're in it. Focus your archery on long range stuff. Strength is more important than Dex (though that's definitely second), and but that high strength composite bow as soon as possible. (Until then, spears and slings are great options. And besides, any character should have a sling because it costs nothing.)
I love switch-hitters because of their realism. The switch-hitter is the Aragorn of rangers: great in melee, but also good with a bow. Very versatile, and can use any weapon. The right favoured enemy (or become a Guide) will close the melee gap with the pure fighter.
I took a level of Barbarian for the bonus move (the rage is nice too, though I only use it to finish the combat) and because it emphasizes the wild background of my Wildborn half-elf.
Also, while two-handed weapons are mechanically best (because you'll never have time to don a shield), a one-handed weapon has the advantage that you don't have to drop your bow. But with high strength, you can afford to carry some spare weapons. I sometimes leave a trail of weapons across the battlefield because I keep switching between ranged and melee.
All in all, it's a very fun class to play. And on top of that, you still get a ton of skills for outside combat, and eventually even some spells. But it'd be fun even without those.
Also switch hitters if say you run into an iron cobra or other low level cr construct and you don't have a big 2 handed person those fights hurt at low levels.
Pure archer vs monk with deflect arrows is also annoying.
Switch hitter could not be useless but yeah most of non core ranger stufff is not that good for switch hitters.
Actually main cost of the sling is weight of ammunition if you choose not to use stones. But switch hitter has lots of strength.
A finesse build with an elven curved blade can also work quite well for a switch-hitter - particularly for a Guide Ranger that can use Ranger's Focus at the right moment to make the smaller strength bonus pretty irrelevant. By the time having a medium strength score is getting noticeably lower damage results, Power Attack is a +9 and Guide can toss in another +4. Plus thematically, two-handing a curved blade with finesse and Power Attack is a very cool fighting style.
Oh, one other plug for a Guide switch-hitter - at level 11, Inspired Moment is a beautiful way to switch from bow to sword for an epic take-down. Drop bow, quick draw sword, sprint up, uber-full-attack.
Finesse build? Cool. I'm gonna pitch that to the player.
Half-Elfs can pick up the Elf weapon familiarity and both Elven Curve Blade and Elven branched spear works with finesse. So Reach when needed, otherwise great critical ranged with the blade. And a Rapier as backup, perhaps.
I don't like switch hitters.
First off, ranger get a feat to shoot in melee, so why switch?
Getting cln, wis, str and dex will mean mediocre damage, med to hits... Also, no room for special stuff.
When the Switch Hitter build was created the "Point Blank Master feat" did not exist yet.
Nowadays the main advantage of being a switch Hitter is in the first lvls, before you get all the needed Archery feats together.If you create the character at lvl 6+ there are not many mechanical reasons not to keep shooting.
Then there is the aforementioned flavor argument: Depending on the style of your campaign a dude standing in melee with his bow might look like a dumb concept.
I don't like switch hitters.
First off, ranger get a feat to shoot in melee, so why switch?
Getting cln, wis, str and dex will mean mediocre damage, med to hits... Also, no room for special stuff.When the Switch Hitter build was created the "Point Blank Master feat" did not exist yet.
Nowadays the main advantage of being a switch Hitter is in the first lvls, before you get all the needed Archery feats together.
If you create the character at lvl 6+ there are not many mechanical reasons not to keep shooting.Then there is the aforementioned flavor argument: Depending on the style of your campaign a dude standing in melee with his bow might look like a dumb concept.
Good to know. Since we're starting at level 1, I gather that switch hitting is valid. There's always a possibility to retrain at higher levels, should we reach them.
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there are retraining rules...but many people do not use them all that much for various reasons.
A common misconception- There is no one who can teach you because your level 5+. For some reason many people think pathfinder lacks mid to high level NPCs with class levels. They think old school that once your level 5 you pretty much are stronger than most NPCs.
Others do not like it because it promotes "Power gaming". People who build for levels 1-7 surviving and then Retrain all their feats for Rocket tag in the late game.
PFS uses it but it costs a lot of resourses(PP) and gold. THe higher the Level the higher the cost.
Ask your DM if he uses such rules as it is really up to him.
The other thing with a switch hitter is that melee damage may well overtake ranged damage on a full attack. For a character only specialized in ranged damage, going switch hitter makes little sense. For a character built to be deadly in melee - but who invests in some archery skill for the tactical advantages - being a switch hitter is very useful. Not to mention the benefits of being good with a melee weapon when a GM does something that makes archery weak or pointless.