Ranger shadowdancer

[666bender]

hello all.
I know it ain't the BEST most damage build, but it is surly a super fun one until now.

i do have some Q's on where to progress further.

Urban ranger (trapfinding) ranger 6 \ shadow dancer 1 so far.

special house role : every 4 levels can retrain ANY 1 choice made.

1/2 elf
str:18, dex:14, con:13 (+1 next lvl), int:12, wis:13 (+1 at 12), cha :12
fighting style : Underhanded.

feats:
1: skill focus stealth + power attack
2: improve dirty trick
3: combat reflexes
5: boon companion (small cat)
6 : dodge (free)
7: shadow dancer + mobility
9: planned on spring attack .

Favorite enemies:
1=humans, 5= evil outsiders.

here are the open Q's:

1. 1 VS 3 VS more of shadow dancer?

1 = the main and needed hide in plain sight. (mainly RP reasons as i play like a rogue...)
3 = shadow
but, more levels hurt the cat, spells, and the rest of the ranger.

2. is whirlwind attack worth the path ?
i got all the feats except expertise.

3. what else? dazing attack for sure, but what else to add to my spring attacks?

[Juda de Kerioth]

you should use ranged weapons with ranger shadow dancer.

for me.

At 4th level Wolf Companion

then with the 3rd lvl shadow dancer ability, you could use your ranger, your wolf to flank and your shadow to debuf

[avr]

I'd want to take ranger up to 10 ASAP. Another combat style feat, another favored enemy, 2nd & 3rd level spells. Rangers don't get a lot of spells but even once/day it's useful to have instant enemy or bloodhound or whatever.

Whirlwind attack: how to irritate several enemies at once without inconveniencing any of them. You even place yourself in the middle of the enemies where you can be easily flanked if you're not already. Save your feats for other stuff.

Quick dirty trick will let you do a dirty trick as part of a spring attack. You can get it as the 10th level style feat perhaps. You've missed getting greater dirty trick somehow, you probably want it.

[666bender]

thanks.
greater dirty trick is great, sadly shadwdancer need so many feats...

lvl 9: spring attack
lvl 11 (ranger 10) : quick dirty + crit focus
lvl 13: dazing assault
lvl 15: greater dirty trick + dirty critical .

sadly, cant fit the greater dirty trick any where unless i give up my animal companion , which isnt worth it.
the cat will stay small, and take bodyguard and will use aid another. that will add some to hit and AC .
at very high levels, i plan on replacing it with a giant WASP (DM allow as a ranger of Calistria ) for a flying mount that will also use spring attacks. so i can do 2 dashing attacks in and out or store the wast (carry companion spell) and hide in plain sight when scouting.

i wish i could fit in some enforcer (fear on attacks) or other stuff to make the spring attack worth it (crit feats etc).

[666bender]

Juda de Kerioth wrote:

you should use ranged weapons with ranger shadow dancer.

for me.

At 4th level Wolf Companion

then with the 3rd lvl shadow dancer ability, you could use your ranger, your wolf to flank and your shadow to debuf

but than , even with boon companion it's wolf -2 (ranger is -3, another 3 shadow dancer and +4 from feat) .

a companoin -2 will die real fast.

for me it's either the animal OR the shadow.not both.

[Scott Wilhelm]

Juda de Kerioth wrote:

you should use ranged weapons with ranger shadow dancer.

Then Shot on the Run instead of Spring Attack?

Personally, I'd just have to have Sneak Attack Damage.

There are those Dimensional Dervish Feats.

[666bender]

sneak attack VS full BAB-1, power attack with sometimes favorite enemy and a animal companion tend to even out.

the up side of a ranger over a sneak attack-based character are the options.
maybe Slayer was better, but the DM hated that class.

ranger with 1 SD will be as good in full attacks as any other melee. better than most fighter, as the saves + animal companion + spells even the fighter out.
ranger and rogue are almost the same skill points... so no +5d6 sneak isnt a huge loss.

the idea of the character is a being like batman, the arrow etc. (no bow - the style).

when no combat , and city game- you are the "go to guy" with diplomacy, stealth, perception and favorite enemy (human) bonus. hide in plain sight mean you walk into everywhere, listen to talks and steal stuff.
trap finding add another tool.

when traveling at low-mid levels - the plan is to use the kitty to defense the rear rows (wizard, cleric) while i mix spring attacks in and out and flank full attacks with the barbarian.

at lvl 9+ the pet will serve as a flying mount that spring attack with me, making 2 attacks worth the while

[Juda de Kerioth]

well last time i play a shadowdancer, i did it from slayer and man this was better than ranger tho...