New to the Ranger Class

[Gunmetal]

Hello fellow DDO members!

I've been playing the game for about 2 months now and I LOVE it! I have tried Barbarian, Rogue, Fighter, and Monk and was thinking about trying out the Ranger class. My question to you is this;

How should I start my build? What should I do to NOT gimp my ranger? Where should I put my stats to maximize ranged damage?

Firstly, I want a ranged ranger. Secondly, I was thinking about taking a pure ranger to 20, when Module 9 comes out. Could someone explain to me the pro's and con's of a ranged ranger and whether or not I should take a level in rogue, or any other class for that matter. I have never played a ranger before. I do have Drow unlocked and was planning on making a Drow Ranger. Any info would be greatly appreciated! Thank you in advance!

B.

[Demoyn]

What should I do to NOT gimp my ranger? Where should I put my stats to maximize ranged damage?


Which is it? Do you want to make a character that isn't gimped, or do you want to make a ranged ranger? You can't have it both ways.

[Gunmetal]

Which is it? Do you want to make a character that isn't gimped, or do you want to make a ranged ranger? You can't have it both ways.

So are you saying all ranged rangers are gimped? I was looking for constructive criticism.

[maddmatt70]

So are you saying all ranged rangers are gimped? I was looking for constructive criticism.

Ranged combat is just very far behind the 8-ball. What you can do is be a twf fighter most of the time and then pull out the bow for manyshot or sometimes range for tactics. Make an elf level 20 ranger. The only feat you need is improved critical ranged because rangers get all the other key ranged feats. The rest of the feats spend to get tempest and improve your melee. Make your character strength based but with a decent dex. Ranged characters don't have an issue hitting targets, but everything they can do to bump dps is appreciated and you wouldn't need weapon finesse if your character is strength based so you get save a feat. I have made and leveled up 3 different ranged characters over the years..

[Gunmetal]

Ranged combat is just very far behind the 8-ball. What you can do is be a twf fighter most of the time and then pull out the bow for manyshot or sometimes range for tactics. Make an elf level 20 ranger. The only feat you need is improved critical ranged because rangers get all the other key ranged feats. The rest of the feats spend to get tempest and improve your melee. Make your character strength based but with a decent dex. Ranged characters don't have an issue hitting targets, but everything they can do to bump dps is appreciated and you wouldn't need weapon finesse if your character is strength based so you get save a feat. I have made and leveled up 3 different ranged characters over the years..

Interesting points. I may need to rethink my Ranger strategy. Thanks for the advice Matt.

[Leyoni]

So are you saying all ranged rangers are gimped? I was looking for constructive criticism.

That was constructive criticism.

The places where ranged combat is preferred over melee combat are negligible. The game is designed for melee combat (when combat is even required -- in some quests the casters do all the work and the combat classes just run around breaking boxes and stuff).

Current game thinking favors the two-weapon fighting melee ranger. There are many build threads that give variations on this. The biggest debate is on the amonut of STR, DEX, CON and WIS that the character should have. It comes down to decisions on AC (which is very gear dependent) and weapon choices. The WIS decision depends on if the build is multiclassing monk. Most builds put 12 or 13 on INT in order to grab Combat Expertise (12 if a +1 tome is available, even as low as 11 sometimes if the player has a +2 tome around -- never saw one based on 10 with an unbound +3 tome getting used).

[VKhaun]

STR = Damage with bow weapons as a ranger (Ranger1 gives a feat to add str mod to bow damage)
DEX = Chance to hit.

Bows = Lower attack rate then any other weapon by far.

Split stats, lowest attack speed.

Gimp. And frankly boring to play standing next to casters doing real ranged damage and bringing massive utility to the group. If you absolutely had to min max for a ranged projectile weapon you'd probably do it as a fighter for the majority of your character. Maybe not even go ranger at all, and use repeating crossbows that wouldn't get bow strength bonus anyway. Fighter +damage and +attack would probably stack up pretty good against even a fully favored enemy, but that's off the top of this newer player's head.

[spifflove]

lol i was thinking the same thing. But if you are quick you can fire as you close and then whip out the two swords. But build for twf first and ranged second.

Everyone is locked into these feats:

Dodge
Mobility
Spring attack

Improved critical pierce
oversized two weapon fighting

and a dex ranger: weapon finesse.

So you have one slot to make your archer build. I recommend improved crit ranged.