My ranged build

[Tuladoran]

This build is meant for ranged damage, but due to the high Str will also serve as a quite capable TWF build if you must, just be wary of the low con / hp. I enjoy ranged quite a bit and find it to be quite viable.

I'm up to level 7 with this guy so far, and with his silver bow he dominates content on normal and usually leads kills in harder difficulties. I solo on sorrowdusk isle a lot for xp (goes quick, pretty fun) when I don't have time for groups, and have no problems with the groups of trolls / ogres.

Race = Elf (for bow damage enhancies)

Two questions: do evasion from ranger and rogue stack to become improved evasion?

Can I take Ranger Dex III, Rogue Dex I, and Elven Dex II and have them all stack? Rogue Dex I seems to be missing from the Character Planner when I try.

Attributes (28 Point Build)
----------------------
Str
17 +1 (Level) + 2 (Tome) + 6 (Item) = 26
Dex
18 + 2 (Level) + 2 (Tome) + 6 (Item) + 2 (Elf Enh) +3 (Ranger Enh) +1 (Rog Enh) = 34*
Con
8 + 2 (Tome) + 6 (Item) = 16**
Int
8
Wis
11 + 1 (Tome) + 6 (Item) = 18
Cha
8 + 1 (Tome) + 5 (Item) = 14

*If Rog Dex won't stack with Ranger Dex, will require a +3 tome to hit max dex
** For 32 Point build, add 4 more to con for base 12, 20 overall. This is the preferred method.

Level 1 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Feat: (Selected) Weapon Focus: Ranged Weapons
Feat: (Automatic) Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Bow Strength
Feat: (Automatic) Defensive Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Elven Keen Senses
Feat: (Automatic) Enchantment Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Heroic Durability
Feat: (Automatic) Immunity to Sleep
Feat: (Automatic) Light Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Shield Proficiency (General)
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak
Feat: (Automatic) Sunder
Feat: (Automatic) Trip
Feat: (Automatic) Wild Empathy

Level 2 (Ranger)
Feat: (Automatic) Rapid Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Two Weapon Fighting

Level 3 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Point Blank Shot

Level 4 (Ranger)

Level 5 (Ranger)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Giant

Level 6 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Manyshot

Level 7 (Ranger)
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Wild Empathy

Level 8 (Ranger)

Level 9 (Ranger)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Ranged Weapons
Feat: (Automatic) Evasion (Ranger)

Level 10 (Ranger)

Level 11 (Ranger)
Feat: (Automatic) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Precise Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Precise Shot

Level 12 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Piercing Weapons
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Trapfinding

Level 13 (Rogue)
Feat: (Automatic) Evasion (Rogue)

Level 14 (Rogue)
Feat: (Automatic) Trap Sense
Enhancement: Ranger Energy Resistence Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Extra Action Boost I
Enhancement: Rogue Haste Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost II
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost III
Enhancement: Ranger Skill Boost IV
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity I
Enhancement: Elven Dexterity II
Enhancement: Elf Ranged Attack I
Enhancement: Elf Ranged Attack II
Enhancement: Elf Ranged Damage I
Enhancement: Elf Ranged Damage II
Enhancement: Rogue Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Attack I
Enhancement: Ranger Favored Damage I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Accuracy I
Enhancement: Rogue Sneak Attack Training I
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild I
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity III

I'm personally levelling 1-11 Ranger, then 12-14 Rogue. Will be using rogue skill points to max out UMD and pick up 2d6 sneak attack damage. As for ranger skills, spot / balance are must haves IMO, and I am a big fan of jump as well.

To-hit Silver Bow, +3 Sturdy Arrows
13 BAB
12 Dex
3 Arrows
4 Greater Heroism
1 Weapon Focus
2 Elf Attack
------
35 - Most of the time
2 Flanking
3 Sneak attack (Enhancies + bracers of hunter or new goggles)
1 Haste
4 Greater bane bow instead of silver bow, same arrows
-----
45
Add bard bonuses for more fun.

UMD:
17 Ranks
2 Ability
4 Greater Heroism
3 Cartouche
5 Skill Boost
-----
31- no failure on ress, can use heal with better than average rates, stoneskin, GH, etc.


I really feel this build has the best of everything, 30 point extended resists, high UMD, great bow damage, rarely miss, 2d6 sneak attack damage.

What say you?

[QuantumFX]

Ranger DEX and Rogue DEX never stack. Evasion feats from 2 sources never result in a character with improved evasion.

It looks like you're going for a dual weilder that thinks most of his damage will come from sneak attack. Without any sort of hate management I have 1 thing to tell you - Good luck. Dual Weilders with a decent STR score already generate rediculous amounts of hate. And without things like subtle backstabber, bluff or diplomacy you're better off staying pure ranger. (FE damage applies in all situations while sneak attack doesn't)

If your goal is to open up some useful skills you'd be better off with levels of bard. Balance and UMD become class skills, better saves, more SP and better wand useage.

[MrCow]

The fact that you are including your skill boost for "no fail resurrection" seems a bit sketchy. Also, you will probably burn a few scrolls of greater heroism attempting to pop that on because you will have about a UMD of 22 unless you skill boost for that as well (and with a DC of 40, that may take a few tries).

[Tuladoran]

Ranger DEX and Rogue DEX never stack. Evasion feats from 2 sources never result in a character with improved evasion.

It looks like you're going for a dual weilder that thinks most of his damage will come from sneak attack. Without any sort of hate management I have 1 thing to tell you - Good luck. Dual Weilders with a decent STR score already generate rediculous amounts of hate. And without things like subtle backstabber, bluff or diplomacy you're better off staying pure ranger. (FE damage applies in all situations while sneak attack doesn't)

If your goal is to open up some useful skills you'd be better off with levels of bard. Balance and UMD become class skills, better saves, more SP and better wand useage.

Yeah, wasn't sure if the two evasions would stack (they do in PnP, iirc) to give Imp Evasion, and had no clue on the enhancies. So that means it needs a +3 tome to max out on dex instead of a +2 and I have 2 more AP to spend on something else. No biggie.

I am not going for a two weapon fighter at all. This is purely a ranged character. Yeah they may not be the bee's knees, but I enjoy doing ranged combat. The rogue levels are there to get that little bit of extra sneak attack damage on ranged hits to up the damage a little bit, and the fact that it lets me max UMD is just a bonus.

[Tuladoran]

The fact that you are including your skill boost for "no fail resurrection" seems a bit sketchy. Also, you will probably burn a few scrolls of greater heroism attempting to pop that on because you will have about a UMD of 22 unless you skill boost for that as well (and with a DC of 40, that may take a few tries).

Why sketchy to include skill boost for ress? I will have six skill boosts (5 base plus the extra from the enhancie right? or is it four base) and won't be using them for anything but UMD'ing ressurection scrolls for the most part. And I included GH because it is a pretty common buff... If I don't have it, I certainly wouldn't Skill boost a Greater Heroism scroll to cast ress, I would just boost for ress and be done with it. Might blow a few, but money doesn't mean much in this game anyways, and it is nice to be able to do it.

[QuantumFX]

I am not going for a two weapon fighter at all. This is purely a ranged character. Yeah they may not be the bee's knees, but I enjoy doing ranged combat. The rogue levels are there to get that little bit of extra sneak attack damage on ranged hits to up the damage a little bit, and the fact that it lets me max UMD is just a bonus.

If you're going ranged you should consider fighter levels rather than rogue levels. Improved precise shot makes ranged sneak attacks pointless. (You want all your foes in a nice conga line at distance rather than close up.) And most of the pansy melees (the idiots that won't invest in intimidate) will be powerless to pull aggro from you. Fighter levels give you the opportunity to increase your base pre crit damage. (ex. Greater/Weapon Specialization, power crit, Fighters STR enhancements, Damage boost clickie.) And sneak attacks are post crit damage. (It can't take advantage of that nice x3 crit multiplier on your bows.)

Also to touch on your AP expenditures... Ranger's Dex and Elven Dex do stack. (Grand total +5 DEX for an elf)