House K Special Forces build 2 fight/18 ranger

[nerdychaz]

House Kundarak Special Forces
2 fighter / 18 Ranger

What I really want to know is if this build is viable or not. The plan is to forget about evasion and concentrate on the heavy armor. I wanted to build this character with an uber amount of feats, and I got it.

It looks like this character will be self healing, self buffing, high AC, high intimidate, decent balance, and a high heal skill to get more hp from a shrine, that way I don’t sap extra manna from the healer.

Planned stat increase equipment includes +5 dex item for increase to AC through dwarven armor mastery. +6 Strength item. Whatever + Wisdom I can get for more SP. Intimidate item. With a bloodstone I will be able to achieve a +12 to confirm crits. Stability armor will grant an additional +2 to AC.

The plan is to sword and board with a dwarven axe on tough enemies. On easier enemies, go with TWF, Range when I can. I want to be a secondary intimitank, or do you think I could be THE tank with this build?

Thoughts?

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 3.34
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Level 20 True Neutral Dwarf Male
(2 Fighter \ 18 Ranger) 
Hit Points: 376
Spell Points: 346 
BAB: 20\20\25\30\30
Fortitude: 20
Reflex: 12
Will: 10

                  Starting            Ending          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats         Base Stats         Modified Stats
(32 Point)       (Level 1)          (Level 20)           (Level 20)
Strength             18                 25                   26
Dexterity             8                 10                   13
Constitution         18                 20                   22
Intelligence          8                 10                   10
Wisdom               14                 16                   16
Charisma              6                  8                    8

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 8
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 8
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 8
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 8
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 8
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 8

                  Starting            Ending          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills        Base Skills        Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)          (Level 20)          (Level 20)
Balance              -1                 12                   16
Bluff                -2                 -1                   -1
Concentration         4                  6                    6
Diplomacy            -2                 -1                   -1
Disable Device       n/a                n/a                   n/a
Haggle               -2                 -1                   -1
Heal                  2                 26                   26
Hide                 -1                  1                    1
Intimidate            2                 22                   28
Jump                  4                 29                   29
Listen                2                  3                    3
Move Silently        -1                  1                    1
Open Lock            n/a                n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a               n/a                   n/a
Repair               -1                  0                    0
Search               -1                  0                    2
Spot                  2                  3                    3
Swim                  4                  8                    8
Tumble               n/a                n/a                   n/a
Use Magic Device     n/a               n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+4)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Shield Mastery
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Feat: (Automatic) Attack
Feat: (Automatic) Defensive Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stability
Feat: (Automatic) Dwarven Stonecutting
Feat: (Automatic) Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Dwarven Waraxe
Feat: (Automatic) Giant Evasion
Feat: (Automatic) Heavy Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Heroic Durability
Feat: (Automatic) Light Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Martial Weapon Proficiency (ALL)
Feat: (Automatic) Medium Armor Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Orc and Goblin Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Poison Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Shield Proficiency (General)
Feat: (Automatic) Simple Weapon Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Sneak
Feat: (Automatic) Spell Save Bonus
Feat: (Automatic) Sunder
Feat: (Automatic) Tower Shield Proficiency
Feat: (Automatic) Trip
Enhancement: Dwarven Shield Mastery I
Enhancement: Fighter Critical Accuracy I
Enhancement: Fighter Intimidate I
Enhancement: Fighter Toughness I


Level 2 (Fighter)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Fighter Bonus) Weapon Focus: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage I
Enhancement: Fighter Strength I


Level 3 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+1.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Undead
Feat: (Selected) Skill Focus: Intimidate
Feat: (Automatic) Bow Strength
Feat: (Automatic) Wild Empathy
Enhancement: Fighter Armor Class Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Energy Resistence Boost I
Enhancement: Ranger Sprint Boost I


Level 4 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+1.5)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Automatic) Rapid Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Two Weapon Fighting
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery I
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I


Level 5 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Automatic) Diehard
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution I
Enhancement: Dwarven Shield Mastery II


Level 6 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Oversized Two Weapon Fighting
Spell (1): Camouflage
Spell (1): Jump
Spell (1): Longstrider
Spell (1): Merfolk's Blessing
Spell (1): Ram's Might
Spell (1): Resist Energy
Spell (1): Summon Nature's Ally I
Spell (1): Tumble
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity I


Level 7 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Evil Outsider
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Damage II


Level 8 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Manyshot
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity II


Level 9 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+3)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Bullheaded
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Wild Empathy
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery II


Level 10 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+3)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Spell (2): Barkskin
Spell (2): Bear's Endurance
Spell (2): Cat's Grace
Spell (2): Cure Light Wounds
Spell (2): Hold Animal
Spell (2): Mass Camouflage
Spell (2): Owl's Wisdom
Spell (2): Protection From Energy
Spell (2): Snare
Spell (2): Spike Growth
Spell (2): Summon Nature's Ally II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion I


Level 11 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Feat: (Automatic) Evasion
Enhancement: Dwarven Constitution II


Level 12 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Dragon
Feat: (Selected) Improved Shield Mastery
Enhancement: Dwarven Shield Mastery III
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild I


Level 13 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Feat: (Automatic) Greater Two Weapon Fighting
Feat: (Automatic) Improved Precise Shot
Feat: (Automatic) Precise Shot
Spell (3): Cure Moderate Wounds
Spell (3): Neutralize Poison
Spell (3): Remove Disease
Spell (3): Summon Nature's Ally III
Spell (3): Wild Instincts


Level 14 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Enhancement: Ranger Dexterity III


Level 15 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Feat: (Selected) Improved Critical: Slashing Weapons
Enhancement: Dwarven Armor Mastery III


Level 16 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Spell (4): Cure Serious Wounds
Spell (4): Freedom of Movement
Spell (4): Mass Longstrider
Spell (4): Summon Nature's Ally IV
Enhancement: Dwarven Axe Attack II


Level 17 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Feat: (Favored Enemy) Favored Enemy: Chaotic Outsider
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion II
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild II


Level 18 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Feat: (Selected) Power Critical
Enhancement: Ranger Energy of the Wild III


Level 19 (Ranger)
Skill: Balance (+0.5)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+2)
Enhancement: Racial Toughness IV


Level 20 (Ranger)
Ability Raise: STR
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Intimidate (+1)
Skill: Jump (+3)
Enhancement: Ranger Energy Resistence Boost II
Enhancement: Ranger Devotion III

[Seamonkeysix]

If you are going to wear heavy armor and be a dwarf, I'd personally just go pure fighter. My thoughts are that at end game combat, you really won't have the juice to heal yourself during a boss fight with this build (actually you wouldn't be able to heal yourself in most high level fights). It will be mildly helpful while soloing, but nothing that is all that noticable. Your capstone as a fighter would totally outweigh the benefits you would get from being mainly ranger. (If the heavy armor and axe and board direction is where you want to go). You would have some versatility with this build, but I think you would either switch to light armor (because evasion is worth it) or rerolling pure fighter. Additionally, as a pure fighter, some of the things you are interested in (i.e. ranged combat, TWF, ect...) would still be feasible.

Just my 2 cents.

[nerdychaz]

originally I wanted to make a ranger, but I thought 2 levels of fighter was worth it for all the feats. Armor proficiciency, tower shield, and 3 chosen feats made the build sound good to me. Thank you for the input.

[Seamonkeysix]

I think Ranger is a great class, I just think the heavy armor thing is what is making your build a bit sketchy. Lotsa rangers have taken 2 levels of fighter for the extra feats...or even more popular is the 18 Ranger/1 fighter/1 monk. The difference is the heavy armor...and to a lesser degree, the axe and board.

I think you might want to look at the "Exploiter" build. You could tweak it a bit to do what you want it to do more, and would probably be a lot happier in the end. Then you really would have a versatile toon with good AC, ranged and melee combat, some self healing, and could still get some intimidate if you wanted.

Or...pure fighter with the concept you have. Good AC, great intimidate, some ranged, good DPS with melee, and well, your self healing will be limited.

[k1ngp1n]

Ranger class levels don't do well with S&B, and your AC will be, at best, not worth it. If you really want a High AC Tower Shield, self healing character, go Pally 18/Fighter 2 DoS. The ranger levels simply don't match up with what you're wanting your character to do.

Also, don't invest precious skill points in heal. It isn't worth it. (While us clerics appreciate the concern, we'd rather you build a character capable of doing other things than saving us, at best, 1 top off cure light wounds.

[Dark-Star]

There can be only one Special Forces Build.

[unbongwah]

My problems with this build:

• With DEX as a dump stat you can't take the Tempest pre-reqs, which is a pretty important PrE for TWF. It also hurts your AC.
• Without a monk splash, base WIS 14 is overkill on a ranger build. The bonus SPs from high WIS will be pretty negligible.
• Evasion is pretty sweet. If anything, I would figure out how to get decent AC in mithril breastplate, not heavy armor.

Basically, I think you're undermining some of the ranger's key strengths (Tempest, Evasion) for questionable (if any) gains. If you really want a high-AC ranger, take a look at the Exploiter. If you want a heavily-armored tank, look at some fighter- or paladin-based builds; ranger isn't the right class, IMHO.

[emptysands]

If you wear heavy armor you are going to lose evasion.

18 Ranger/2 Fighter Dwarf strength build can work very well. I regularly pull aggro off Barbs in ToD and VoD.

Don't bother with Wisdom. You need a higher Dex in order to get Dodge/Mobility/Spring Attack - so you can't get Tempest.