So given the prior thread I made for advice not only yielded some incredibly helpful results but is in fact still going, I decided this would be the right place to also ask for some advice on another character. One I already made, but is currently feeling... rather lackluster.
My character's information is as follows:
Level 4 Ranger, Deep Walker archetype
Plumekith Aasimar (+2 Dex, +2 Wis)
Chaotic Good
STR: 16
DEX: 16
CON: 15
INT: 13
WIS: 18
CHA: 12
Lv1 Quick Draw, Aberrations Favored Enemy
Lv2 Archery Style (Precise Shot)
Lv2 Two-Weapon Fighting
Lv4 Endurance, Animal Companion (badger)
Composite Longbow +3
Throwing Axe (x2)
Light Hammer (x2)
Studded Leather Armor
Ring of Protection +1
If this Ranger's looking a little unfocused, that's probably because he is. See the GM told us this campaign would be based in the Darklands/Underdark, and while he forbid us from using any of the Darklands races (for story and balance reasons), he told us this ahead of time so we could plan accordingly. Now, I had made not one, but two characters before making my Ranger here. The first was an Orc Green Knight Cavalier, wielding a bastard sword and shield. However, I was told the team wouldn't have anything for ranged. So after that I made a Human Gunslinger, focused on pistols. But then I found out that with my Gunslinger, absolutely everyone in the party would pretty much be wimps. At the time our party consisted of:
*A Tiefling Rogue
*A Catfolk Slayer
*A caster of some sort
*A homebrew class focused on tanking via magical brew and dealing damage via their animal companion
So what the party was lacking was someone with a decent Strength stat, who could also offer some non-magical ranged damage. After humming and hawing over it, I settled on the Ranger- the fact it has an archetype tailor-made for underground campaigns helped- and opted for a sort of "switch hitter" build; using a composite bow in tandem thrown weapons that would make use of my STR and give me melee options. Unfortunately in the time since I created this character, various things have happened:
*The Catfolk Slayer has dipped levels into Ninja and has Gnome heritage allowed by the GM, giving them access to a Ripsaw Glaive. Somehow despite double-classing (and looking to triple class into Samurai), they pump out positively obscene damage.
*Our caster had to dip, resulting in us getting a Human Sorcerer GMPC so we weren't crippled on magical offense and utility. Despite the horror stories of GMPCs everyone downright adores her, to the point where we don't want to add a new person to the party because we don't want to make it too big and we (the players, GM is fine doing whatever we decide on the matter) don't want to retire the GMPC.
*The Rogue has become an NPC antagonist, and the player rolled up a Half-Orc Fighter/Barbarian, planning to retrain their Barbarian levels into Bloodrager. They got some obscenely good rolls and has generally minmaxed the character, resulting in the Half-Orc and Catfolk dealing damage miles better than the rest of the party.
*Our homebrew brewmaster changed things out to become a gun user that shoots bullets and magic. While he uses a gun, it's more for thematic and aesthetic; it operates more like a standard bow in terms of rolls and damage, as well as a medium through which to use spells/spell-like abilities.
*We added a Fetchling Bard to the party, but the player's schedule has meant they've had to dip or be unavailable about half the time.
*Due to some filthy Drow machinations, my character was forced to tear out one of his eyes in order to free the group from a magical trap. As a result of this, he has a -2 penalty on ranged rolls and sight-based Perception checks, aaaand ended up with a curse. Said curse prevents the eye from simply being regenerated, and while the GM plans for said curse to offer some boons in return he doesn't have them mapped out quite yet. To be fair to the GM he hadn't outright planned for my character to do end up with such a cost; it had to be someone of Good alignment, and that narrowed the options down to my Ranger and the GMPC. I just played true to the character.
So that's the current situation. Because of the obscene damage output from our frontline I really feel like my Ranger here isn't really offering much when it comes to combat, so I want to retrain him to be less all over the place in the hopes that I might actually feel like I'm contributing something when it comes to the character. Sure as a Ranger my Survival skills keep us from getting lost in the caves, but I want to feel like my character is doing something in a more visceral sense. Really get that sense of accomplishment, y'know?
So I'm looking at and wondering how I might be able to retrain my Ranger to accomplish that. I've looked at other classes and can't really find anything that feels good to multiclass with- at least, nothing that doesn't step on toes nor require an alignment shift, which our GM treats as a pretty big deal. Given the obscenity that is our frontline, despite the ranged penalty my current thought is to focus entirely on archery and the bow, so that I can hopefully minimize redundant/wasted stats.
One thing that is an absolute must for me though is the "Boon Companion" at level 5. I went through a lot of hell to get this Badger who comes with some houserule benefits as a result. Seriously, think "Brother Bear" and you get an idea of what I had to deal with. So I want to make sure this thing does not die, and getting it a 4-level jump is exactly what's needed. Also looking at "Celestial Servant" for the many wonderful boons it gives, but I digress; no matter what I do with regards to retraining, the badger has to stay.
As an Aasimar with a bow I'm naturally also looking at the Angel Wings racial feat a ways down the line, letting me rain death upon enemies from above- or at least get to better vantage points and such. I know in the Darklands I shouldn't expect much in terms of space to fly, but the GM has promised more than just tight quarters and long tunnels.
Aside from that, I'm not too picky about what I want to do. Empty Quiver Style letting me fight with the bow itself is appealing, as are the ranged maneuvers one can pick up by taking Deadly Aim, but I've already got a -2 penalty; adding -1 to that has me hesitant.
Also I'm not exactly married to nor divorced from my spell list. I could go either way, more or less.
So yeah, if people can point me in the right direction that would be great. I know it's a lot to ask, but I can't really figure out what I'm supposed to be doing otherwise.
* Retrain Precise Shot to Rapid Shot. (Take Improved Precise Shot sans prerequisites at 6th, then Manyshot in the general feat slot at 7th...that is, if you're all about the archery.)
* It's a shame you've already upgraded that bow so far, because an Adaptable orc hornbow (and a cracked opalescent white pyramid ioun to "turn it on") is really nice.
* Being Enlarged while flying with a polearm is like being a huge, mobile sphere of utter carnage. Retrain TWF to Combat Reflexes and grab a nice Fortuitous bardiche (or fauchard w/second OWP ioun). Plan on a Glove of Storing to instantly swap between the bow (making attacks) and the polearm (making AoOs off-turn)., eliminating the need for Quick Draw in the build.
* Anything with DR sufficient to stymie your archery will also stymie your TWF (so, second reason to swap that out for 2hPA backup plans).
* Assuming your GM doesn't have the entire adventure smothered under 10' ceilings, trade in your badger for a roc at 7th, and mount up. (Cheapest and earliest way to fly, although retraining a feat elsewhere for Mounted Combat will soon present itself as a very good idea, and you'll have to invest in keeping the thing alive perhaps more so than usual.)
* Retrain Precise Shot to Rapid Shot. (Take Improved Precise Shot sans prerequisites at 6th, then Manyshot in the general feat slot at 7th...that is, if you're all about the archery.)
* It's a shame you've already upgraded that bow so far, because an Adaptable orc hornbow (and a cracked opalescent white pyramid ioun to "turn it on") is really nice.
* Being Enlarged while flying with a polearm is like being a huge, mobile sphere of utter carnage. Retrain TWF to Combat Reflexes and grab a nice Fortuitous bardiche (or fauchard w/second OWP ioun). Plan on a Glove of Storing to instantly swap between the bow (making attacks) and the polearm (making AoOs off-turn)., eliminating the need for Quick Draw in the build.
* Anything with DR sufficient to stymie your archery will also stymie your TWF (so, second reason to swap that out for 2hPA backup plans).
* Assuming your GM doesn't have the entire adventure smothered under 10' ceilings, trade in your badger for a roc at 7th, and mount up. (Cheapest and earliest way to fly, although retraining a feat elsewhere for Mounted Combat will soon present itself as a very good idea, and you'll have to invest in keeping the thing alive perhaps more so than usual.)
This all seems great, but at level 4 and given where we are in the campaign, those ioun stones are going to be a very long ways away. I've got no idea, in-character or out, where I'd even begin to find or look for them. To be honest I don't think our GM even knows what ioun stones are nor what they do. Odds are more likely I'd need Exotic Weapon Proficiency to get a hornbow or fauchard before.... odds are around 7th-10th level.
Also, as I said before, I'm holding onto the badger as long as possible. I had to go through quite a hassle to earn this specific badger, and it has some unique homebrew perks as a result. My character ended up spending several days in the body of a badger, and the shenanigans involved in that could probably be a whole story on their own. So rather than drop the badger, I'm more than willing to go the extra mile to make it work.
EDIT: Just wanted to be clear I'm not being a negative nancy; the suggestions for feats and the glove of holding are spectacular, and more than likely what I'm going to be looking at doing. Getting the hornbow (and proficiency for it) more than likely seem very worthwhile too.
To be honest I don't think our GM even knows what ioun stones are nor what they do.
Well, ...I can't fix that.
To be honest I don't think our GM even knows what ioun stones are nor what they do.Well, ...I can't fix that.
I can probably point him in their direction and see what he thinks about them. Given the aforementioned minmaxers though, that might be a whole can of worms he's not keen on opening. But hey, I can still bring them up to him and see what he thinks.
Just don't let the minmaxers know about Wayfinder resonance powers.
(Be that as it may, this sounds like a cash-starved/what's-in-the-loot-pile-is-what-you-get kind of campaign where you're never in a city to trade for the equipment that best compliments your concept.)
Just don't let the minmaxers know about Wayfinder resonance powers.
(Be that as it may, this sounds like a cash-starved/what's-in-the-loot-pile-is-what-you-get kind of campaign where you're never in a city to trade for the equipment that best compliments your concept.)
Well I wouldn't say that. At the start of the campaign yeah, things were pretty bare-bones in terms of benefits and items we got. Then we raided the first few levels of a magical/cursed tower, fought a Minotaur in an area full of hallways and teleporters, then managed to find ourselves a secret treasure room and become absolutely loaded with cash. I don't recall the exact details, and people have spent a good bit of money, but we should have a fair bit and hopefully the DM will keep throwing loot our way.
I didn't (but probably should have) realized how important the circumstances and details of the campaign are to what I can build my character. This is a campaign focused on the Darklands, and so far both Drow and Duergar have proven to be our enemies, so it really is going to be a lot like Minecraft or Subnautica in that we go exploring down below, then have to backtrack or otherwise make our way to a hub before diving back in.
Having just asked my DM, he said that ioun stones do exist in the setting (shared between campaigns), so it is possible for me to get one. But since they're magical/woundrous items, I'm gonna have to find one- presumably either in a dungeon or on the market. Long story short, not gonna be able to just pick one up. So it's something at least.
Wagons full of gold you can't spend because you're never in a town is functionally equivalent to not having it.
Dotted, I'll play around and see what I can do for you.
Right now, here's what I'm looking at so far with regards to retraining my Ranger. Keeping the stats is:
-Throwing weapons gone.
-Trade the Composite Longbow for a training (Exotic Weapon Proficiency), adaptable Orc Hornbow. Or have it made composite too, dunno.
Deep Walker (Ranger archetype):
(1) 01 Favored Enemy-> Aberrations
(1) 01 Point-Blank Shot
(2) 02 Archery Combat Style -> Rapid Shot
(3) 03 Combat Reflexes
(3) 03 Endurance
(3) 03 Deep Knowledge (+2)
(4) 04 [Nada]
(5) 05 Boon Companion
(5) 05 Favored Enemy-> Drow
(6) 06 Archery Combat Style -> Improved Precise Shot
Sniper (Slayer archetype)
(7) 01 Manyshot
(7) 01 Studied Target
(7) 01 Accuracy (essentially a free Far Shot)
(8) 02 Deadly Range (despite being useless until third level...?)
(8) 02 Slayer talent (Rogue Talent/Trapfinding/Blood Reader/Ranger Combat Style)
(9) 03 Sneak Attack
(9) 03 Angelic Blood/Celestial Servant
Back to Ranger:
(10) 07 Rock Hopper
(11) 08 Swift Tracker
(11) 08 Angelic Wings
From there aside from fitting in the "Free Spirit" feat I'm not sure what I would do. To be honest I am a little iffy on multiclassing into Slayer on account of the fact it has no benefits to my animal companion, but the accuracy and slayer talent both have a certain amount of appeal. I can't exactly go Hunter on account of being a non-Neutral alignment, after all.
It's just theorycrafting really, and right now I admit I'm not too confident in it, but thoughts?
Dunno if this is against the rules, but just gonna bump this because I still need and would really appreciate the help.
The penalty to your Ranged attacks is gonna hurt a Bow build, after all you are sorta missing an Eye. Taking a -2 penalty to all your Ranged attacks is gonna hurt something fierce. It might be worth retiring your ranged build entirely and instead focusing of diving into melee.
On the flip side, Archery is the best weapon style in pathfinder. Between Rapid Shot and Many Shot you have full strength to damage on 6 shots per attack. Other folks have mentioned ways to boost your damage, but really your chance to hit is going to always be what you should focus on. Aspect of the Falcon, Weapon Focus, Reckless Aim, and other sources. Even then, every time you miss it'll kinda suck.
I'd suggest keeping to Ranger, as it has Spellcasting, very powerful high level abilities, and with Boon Companion you get full animal companion progression. Swapping to another class won't help you overcome your current problems.
Finding a niche can be tricky, but maybe you can specialize into something else? If you do decide to go melee you could take Dirty Fighting and use it to flank with your Badger companion to become a maneuver master for the party.
I think, since he is 4th level, that his composite bow is a +3 Strength rating Composite Longbow...not a +3 magically enchanted composite longbow.
Shrouded would be right. It's just a +3 Strength rating, no magic enhancements. Kind of annoying how you can't differentiate between those, but hey. That's what PF2E is gonna be for.
Anyways these suggestions for archery are really helpful. My GM doesn't have any details regarding the boons of this curse mapped out at the moment, but depending on what he decides there may be something that negates or otherwise cancels out the ranged penalty. If not I'll just have to seriously consider changing things out.
I don't exactly see an option in terms of Ranger Combat Styles that's focused on maneuvers. There's underhanded and deceptive, but that's about it. Or would I be looking at TWF/Two-Handed, etc?
Also I have no idea why Slim wants you to get rid of Precise Shot.Because Rapid Shot without Precise Shot is far better than Precise Shot without Rapid Shot (the OP build only had one) in a full-BAB martial. Rapid Shot qualifies for Manyshot; Precise Shot doesn't. This means the Ranger can taken Improved Precise Shot at 6th in his weapon style slot, and pick up Manyshot with any ordinary feat slot. Now, I don't know about you, but I'll take an extra one or two attacks every time, even missing an eyeball. (My assumption is that'll eventually get cured somehow.) And besides, it's not like everything you shoot at will be in melee. A good half the time, they're not. And if they are melee....
...Ditch Combat Reflexes (which you can't use with a bow unless you spend feats to do so) and pick up Precise Shot at 3rd level....
If he's going to switch-hit, he'll need Combat Reflexes as a ranger in lighter armor than a tank build. That means polearm tactics similar to a low-AC barbarian.
He'll be +3 to hit Enlarged with a polearm than he will be with archery penalized by vision problems, +5 if flanking is involved (with his badger or other ally). Enlarged bardiche does 2d8+6 with his listed states -- that's two arrows' worth right there.
In fact, I'd suggest ditching the throwing gimmick entirely (why would you do that if you already have a bow? ...I don't get it), and trade TWF for Power Attack. --If you're going to switch-hit, don't mess around. Go clobberin'.
Then, a typical combat encounter goes like this: 1) Fight breaks out, and ranger plinks at oncoming targets. 2) Any subsequent round in which he knows he'll be in melee the next round but can't engage the enemy on foot, he fires only one shot with his bow, then swift-action triggers a spring-loaded wrist-sheath, move-action consumes the produced Enlarge Person potion via Accelerated Drinker*, then Quick Draws and equips his polearm for 20' reach. (He'll had the bow attached to his belt with a weapon-cord so it doesn't get lost.) 3) Two-hand Power Attack into melee with a fresh pile of hitpoints to help his allies. 4) Enjoy AoOs. 5) If a sole melee opponent drops and he has attack actions left in a full attack while distant enemies are still present, Quick Draw a different bow (a MW Adaptable), and take the shot(s).
(*The OP doesn't have traits indicated; grab Accelerated Drinker. Arguably the best combat trait in the game...assuming your GM will ever let you get to effing town to buy potions and other supplies.)
Snipped
We uh... don't have traits, actually ^^" GM is kinda new to being a GM, and this is my.... third (if you count the first campaign getting stalled, then rebooted before stalling again as two separate campaigns) campaign, so traits haven't really been a factor. GM has considered them, but so far we've yet to actually take or use any. Y'know, besides racial traits like darkvision, resistances, etc.