Another Dwarven Ranger (just to see if I'm on the right path)

[hydra_ex]

The Quintessential Dwarven Ranger
Neutral Good Dwarven 18 Ranger/2 Fighter

Concept: A simple, powerful, Dwarven ranger. Easy to play, and does not have any mandatory gear requirements, although, obviously, better gear helps! It has a good HP, so you do not need to grind for AC gear, but if you choose to, a seizable 72 is attainable.
As a variant, one could also choose Warforged. In that case, I would drop quick draw, move every feat up in line, and take khopesh early. Damage would increase, but you loose 1 will save, and 3 saves against spells (which might be bad, considering the reflex is a little low as it is), but you gain a better weapon, and Power Attack Enhancements (take up to III), which, although reducing to hit, would increase damage. With the 6 remaining APs, spend 3 in Favored Defense tier 3, 2 in Fighter Trip II, and 1 left over in Warforged Construct Thinking.
Advanced Variant: Self-healing. Once you can afford a second GS item, make a GS sp cloak. Pick up some devotion enhc, empower heal instead of quick draw, and your'e done!

Gameplay: Buff up, and smash!!! You can provide resistances, and FoM to the group, as well as top off if not self-heal. Don't forget ram's might.


Starting Stats: (32-pt)
18 STR
14 DEX
18 CON
8 INT
8 WIS
6 CHA

28-pt variant:
Drop CON to 16; Raise WIS to 12.


Ending Stats:
44 STR (18 Base +5 Lvls +1 Enhc +6 Item +3 Tome +2 Ram's Might +3 Exceptional +4 Madstone +2 Rage spell)
22 DEX (14 Base +6 Item +2 Enhc)
28 CON (18 Base +2 Enhc +6 Item +2 Tome)
8 INT (8 Base)
14 WIS (8 Base +6 Item)
6 CHA (6 Base)


Hit Points: 541 - 561 Rage Spell - 661 Rage and Double Madstone Rage
144 Ranger
20 Fighter
180 CON
40 Dwarven Toughness
10 Fighter Toughness
22 Toughness
20 Minos Legens
20 Heroic Durability
10 Favor
30 Greater False Life
45 Shroud

20 Rage

80 Double Madstone Rage
20 Yuguloth


Spell Points: 556
202 Base
54 WIS
150 WIZ VI
150 Shroud


Armour Class: 51 - 63 fully buffed favored enemy - 72 max
10 Base
6 DEX
8 Armor Bracers
5 Barkskin
4 Tempest
4 Insight
1 Dodge Feat
3 Chattering/DT
4 Icy Raiments
1 Alchemical
5 Protection (Or Shield of Faith)

5 Paladin Aura
4 Bard Song
1 Haste
2 Favored Enemy

8 Shield (4 over tempest)
1 Shield Ritual
2 Shield Block
2 Defensive Stance


Saves: 32/27/18 - 31/32/21 Favored Enemy against Spells
11/11/6 Ranger
2/0/0 Fighter
8/6/2 Ability
5/5/5 Resistance
1/1/1 Prayer
4/4/4 GH


Important Skills

Balance: 36.5
11.5 Ranks
15 Tempest Necklace
6 DEX
4 GH

Hide: 33
23 Ranks
6 DEX
4 GH

Jump: 89
23 Ranks
15 Item
17 STR
30 Spell
4 GH

Move Silently: 33
23 Ranks
6 DEX
4 GH

Tumble: 31.5
11.5 Ranks
6 DEX
4 GH
10 Spell

Feats:
1: Tougness
3: OTWF, Fighter Bonus: Dodge
6: Mobility
7: Fighter Bonus: Spring Attack
9: Improved Critical: Slash
12: Power Attack
15: Stunning Blow
18: Quick Draw/Empower Healing Spell
Favored Enemies: Undead, Giants, Evil Outsiders, Contructs (in that order)

Level Ups:
Always raise STR

Skills:
Season as prefered... Balance, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Tumble are my picks.

Progression: All ranger, except levels 3 and 7, which are fighter.

Enahncements: (80 pts)

Fighter Haste Boost I (1 pt)
Ranger Sprint Boost I  (1 pt)
Dwarven Axe Attack II (6 pts)
Dwarven Axe Damage II (6 pts)
Dwarven Constitution II (6 pts)
Dwarven Spell Defense III (6 pts) 
Racial Toughness IV  (10 pts)
Fighter Strategy: Trip I (1 pt)
Ranger Favored Attack II  (3 pts)
Ranger Favored Damage IV (10 pts)
Ranger Favored Resistance III (6 pts)
Ranger Favored Defense II (3 pts)
Ranger Tempest III (8 pts)
Ranger Dexterity II (6 pts)
Fighter Strength I (2 pts)
Fighter Toughness I (1 pt)
[Variant: Remove Dwarven To-Hit I and II, Favored Defense I, II, Trip I, and get Devotion IV)

Best Possible Equipment:
Helmet: Minos Legens
Necklace: Tempest Necklace/Kensei/Stalwart Necklace
Goggles: Tharne's Goggles
Trinket: Bloodstone
Armor: Icy Raiments/DT (+5 Resistance/STR +1/EG guard)
Cloak: Resistance +5/Air x3 SP cloak
Gloves: Spectral Gloves/T3 HP Immunity Gloves
Bracers: Levvik's Bracers
Belt: FB Belt
Ring 1: Tempest Ring/FB Ring
Ring 2: Ring of Protection +5/Tumbleweed
Boots: Madstone Boots/30% Striding
Clickies of Rage FTW!
Weapons: 2 Mineral Dwarven Axes (Holy, Acid burst, +2 Con/Holy, Acid Burst, Acid Blast) and 2 T3 Triple Good Warhammer/Morningstar/Heavy Mace (Holy, Pure Good Burst, Good Blast)

[Noctus]

Solid build, will work smoothly.

I suppose the Feat IC:Piercing is for effect-rapiers?
If not i would swap it out for Two Weapon Defence.

[Ninety]

your hit points are off by 30... you will have 411 before rages and such. (dwarven toughness stacks)

edit #1:
Bracers: Levik's is +6 str +20% healing.
Belt: Belt of Giant's Strength... this isn't an item in game... I guess you mean belt of brute str from titan.... kind of pointless to have 2 +6 str items. bracers are more useful for this build since it has low AC and High HP... so change the belt to proof against poison of greater false life or a disease immunity belt of greater false life.

Edit #2:
drop the tumbleweed. you are getting +4 dex from the madstone boots, a +1 more on a non-ac non-dex based build won't matter. move the resist item to the ring slot and put the goggles you have listed in your cloak slot. this leaves the goggle slot open for the VoD goggles.

Edit #3:
don't ever use the full plate of the defender you lose evasion. And switching armors all the time sucks.

Edit #4:
Ram's might adds +4 to damage at high levels, not +2.
GH doesn't add anything to damage.

Edit #5:
You have in the leveling guide part right above feats always raise Dex... I think you mean Str.
ring #2 you have a ring of protection +5. both of the armors you have listed have protection +4. +1 ac taking up a ring slot is rather pointless when you don't even have more AC than some Sorc's I know.

[hydra_ex]

Yes, jsut for puncuting I took IC: Crit.

Also, I wasn't really thinking when I made this. Kind of jsut copying and pasting peices, so I don't know exactly what I did...

And I'm not so concerned with "Best Possible Equipment" since I jsut kind of threw it together, not as if I'm ever going to get it! (Tumbeweed is +1 to-hit. Don't foget forget it). But thanks for correcting my mistakes

[Ninety]

Yes, jsut for puncuting I took IC: Crit.

Also, I wasn't really thinking when I made this. Kind of jsut copying and pasting peices, so I don't know exactly what I did...

And I'm not so concerned with "Best Possible Equipment" since I jsut kind of threw it together, not as if I'm ever going to get it! (Tumbeweed is +1 to-hit. Don't foget forget it). But thanks for correcting my mistakes

tumbleweed is +2 to hit, not +1.

but so are the spectral gloves that you have listed as well, and they don't stack with each other.

[Meriadeuc]

Honestly, if you're going for a strength-based, DPS ranger, I really think that you're better off staying pure ranger untill level 20 in order to get a 5th favored enemy. Nothing you get from 2 levels of fighter is going to be worth giving that up, if your main focus is DPS.

[hydra_ex]

tumbleweed is +2 to hit, not +1.

but so are the spectral gloves that you have listed as well, and they don't stack with each other.

I'm not really too concerned with with all this loot, as I said before, so lets just stop talking about it...

And the reasons I took the 2 fighter lvls were for the 2 extra feats, and fighter STR I. Without that I'd need to go Human, and lose out on a ton of hp. But you are correct, to maximize DPS, you must stay pure ranger. However, DPS without survivability is utterly useless, and I'm willing to give that up.

[Vengenance]

This is a solid build that will do great DPS. My build is similar, but I went 12 Ranger/4 Ftr. I went Khopesh instead of Dwarvens, pretty much because I needed my enhancement points for things other than Axe Attack and Damage. Gol has a pretty good breakdown of Khopesh vs. Dwarvens and they come out about the same. Difference of 1 Feat versus the extra enhancement points. Your Hit-Points look a little low, I know with a Tier III shroud item my Dwarf Ranger stands at 470 hit-points with a 26 Con, so your numbers may be off a little. You should be able to get to close to the same level of hit points. It's a fun build to play, but if you plan on ranging, you won't be very happy with the low dex score, personally I seldom range on my Dwarven.

[Meriadeuc]

And the reasons I took the 2 fighter lvls were for the 2 extra feats, and fighter STR I.

I think what you need to ask yourself is whether the two extra feats you're taking are really worth losing the 5th favored enemy.

[Sue_Dark]

I have this exact build at L16 right now. Standing HP = 379 with no GS HP item. I was of the impression that a GS HP item gave like 40 HP? Am I wrong? How are you exactly hitting 411 when we have the same con, same enhancements, etc. 32 points diff is a bit odd. I dont rage, because the clerics gripe at him enough as it is. It's like playing a barb that can toss some buffs, sorta. Ac sucks, but hits are insane.

I also took IC: Pierce, more for things like Nips. (which I havent been able to get yet) I did however grab up some nice hvy picks. Bursting holy and fire are fun to play with from time to time.

[Grenfell]

Solid - fine.

I would personally look to get Ranger Dex 3 -- no harm in getting to 24 or 26 dex and using the old bow once in a while. Item Defense and such are just not that useful, IMHO.

17 str lets you get that dex up a touch also.

My str-build rog/ranger15 uses the bow from time to time; can be useful in Shroud Part 4 when your clerics have wiped but he's a sliver from death.

The thing that concerns me most is the low Will save. But there isn't much that can be done about that except for items.

/gren

[Vengenance]

I have this exact build at L16 right now. Standing HP = 379 with no GS HP item. I was of the impression that a GS HP item gave like 40 HP? Am I wrong? How are you exactly hitting 411 when we have the same con, same enhancements, etc. 32 points diff is a bit odd. I dont rage, because the clerics gripe at him enough as it is. It's like playing a barb that can toss some buffs, sorta. Ac sucks, but hits are insane.

I also took IC: Pierce, more for things like Nips. (which I havent been able to get yet) I did however grab up some nice hvy picks. Bursting holy and fire are fun to play with from time to time.

With a 26 Con my Dwarven Ranger has 470 hit points. That is with one Toughness Feat, Minos Legends Helm, GFL Item, Tier III Shroud Item (+45 Hit points), and all toughness enhancements.

[Yaga_Nub]

I'm not really too concerned with with all this loot, as I said before, so lets just stop talking about it...

And the reasons I took the 2 fighter lvls were for the 2 extra feats, and fighter STR I. Without that I'd need to go Human, and lose out on a ton of hp. But you are correct, to maximize DPS, you must stay pure ranger. However, DPS without survivability is utterly useless, and I'm willing to give that up.

Actually you need to factor in the changes to Toughness when you say something like that. Humans will now have only 10 hp less than dwarves and warforged with similar enhancements.

[hydra_ex]

I generally don't like including GS items in my builds' layouts, as I regard them as "unnatural". 401 Standing HP now w/o GS, facotring the toughness updates. Maybe you don't have a GFL, another toughness, Minos Legens, etc. If you put on a GS helm, it replaces your minos. Harry's AC is sufficiently low that my DEX should be fine.

AS for 5th enemeny, I took +1 to hit/dmg over +2 selective dmg. Couple that with 2 bonus feats and 4 xtra hp and its no contest, IMO. 2 is the max though, as Tolero's hinted at lvl 18 Tempest III.

Might mess around APs for ranger DEX though. And add in a turtling AC...

[DelScorcho]

Actually you need to factor in the changes to Toughness when you say something like that. Humans will now have only 10 hp less than dwarves and warforged with similar enhancements.

It will be interesting how this players out in the Tempest world. The thing about humans is the stat allocation of a human is slightly worse than the stat allocation for dwarves for three stat characters. My tempest dwarves could start at 18/16/16 (except for the one I made upon announcement of tempest when STWF was thought to be coming out went 18/17/13).

The human can start at 18/15/15. My dwarves can get 10 more points of toughness under the new enhancment system and 16 more points from the con racial enhancements. The humans get an extra feat, and this feat will probably be EWF-Khopesh to maintain parity with a dwarf that duals DA's and takes the damage enhancements. I have both types, and damage seems to be a wash. The humans also get an extra skill point and access of HV-boosts.

Depending on whether the player splashes another class, humans can theoretically get a higher strength (w/ 2 level fighter splash, the human will be at 32 strength with GHA-Strength and +2 tome). If someone went 18/14/16 on a human and splashed 6 levels of fighter (ultimately going 13 Rr/7 Fighter) they would be at 34/29/28 at 16, which is better than the stat allocation of any dwarven tempest I've made (best is 32/28/28 on my 10/6). It would require +3 tomes in strength, Dex, and Con and use of human adaptability enhancements in Strength and dex.

Bah, it doesn't matter. I can't roll a human melee. They run funny and look goofy.