Ranger-SOU

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Well, I am sure this topic has been broached in some manner before. I am rather conflicted. I have started a half-elf ranger. I don't want to go Arcane Archer. I want this fellow to mix it up a bit hand to hand. I like the idea of a paladin-esque character. I like to play a good character (as in alignment).
However, I also like to be able to disable my own traps and unlock my own doors. Any suggestions on class progression and what melee weapon I ought specialize in since I haven't picked any weapon focuses yet? I've seen some people liking rapiers? What's the story with those?

 

The rapier thing is taking improved critical with it becasue the critical range goes from 18 to 20 down to 15 to 20, id you find a keen one it becomes 12 to 20 you've got a possible critical . Evil huh?
As for what path you should take, the only way to get disabling traps etc as a class skill is in rogue, at least that way the higher DC traps you'll be able to disarm.
Weapons in general though, the game seems built to be the best weapons are longswords but with Hordes of the Underdark installed, that problems overcome just a little . Personally I'd choose a weapon you think would be cool for the character to use, with maybe a backup weapon and hold off focusing in any until maybe lvl 9 when you'll have found a good one you'll like.

 

Well, I like the idea of a bastard sword or a katana. Perhaps I'll throw in a couple of levels rogue, some fighter, and then see what's available as I go along.

 

Another thing to keep in mind when chossing a favored weapon type is whether you want to go with two weapons, weapon and shield, or a two-handed weapon. If you like two weapon fighting, choose a small weapon to focus on then use two of them. That way you get the +1 for both hands and keep the penalties down. Improved critical can be taken for just the one weapon as well.

 

I would suggest that you multi-class your character with Rogue and Champion of Torm. Rogue will give you the ability to disable traps and pick locks. You don't really need to take any more than one to three levels of Rogue...just do it at a time when you've saved enough skill points to dump into the Rogue skills that you need (pick lock and disable trap). As a Ranger, you should be earning enough skill points per level to be able to save some for the Rogue level-ups.

COT will bring some "paladin like" benifits to your saves, as well as some additional feats like a fighter.

It's hard to give more detailed advice, as I don't know exactly what your character stats are, nor what level you are.

 

I have proceeded quite a bit. I am at Ranger 6, Rogue 1, Fighter 3. I am fighting with a long sword and a rapier. The long sword has been focused on- the rapier is the off hand weapon. Any suggestions or revisions?

 

My first thought is that you are in XP penalty mode. Take another Rogue level and keep it within one level of Fighter. Other than that, I'm not sure...don't know too many details of your character.

 

Besides the XP penalty already mentioned...

The off-hand rapier is not an optimal choice. You are suffering a further penalty to your attack by not using a small weapon in your offhand. You'd be better off with 2 longswords or a longsword and a dagger/handaxe. If you take the exotic weapon proficiency you could use a kukri offhand, which, IIRC, has the same critical threat range as the rapier and is small.

 

Actually a Kukri it technically a tiny weapon, and therefore will still give the higher penalty when used with a medium weapon (two size categories apart).

A short sword, light hammer or hand axe would do the trick though.

 

Thank you for the advice. I will see the rapiers (somehow got two of the same type) and see if a good kukri is to be found. Actually I have a small hand axe that it pretty cool (don't want to give the name as that would be kind of a spoiler). I'll use it.

What is an XP penalty? I don't understand.

 

The difference in size category between the two weapons makes no difference to the penalty. The offhand weapon must be at least one size category smaller than the wielder.

For a half-elf (medium size), a short sword, light hammer, hand axe, mace, dagger, kukri, kama, etc. will work. For a small character (halfling/gnome), I think that only a dagger or kukri fit into the tiny category.

 

Tough question, but I'll try to explain. When you mix more than one class in the same character you run the risk of getting an experience point penalty...that is when you lose 20% (I think) of the XP you would have gotten when you make a kill...I can't remember if XP penalty affects quest completion experience. Any time you have two classes that are more than one level apart, you incur XP penalty.

There are ways to avoid XP penalty and still have a multi-classed character. One way is to take note of your race's preferred class. Elves favor Wizard, Dwarves favor Fighter, Half Orc favor Barbarian...and so on and so. You may always disregard your favored class when determining if you have XP penalty. In other words, a Dwarven Fighter who is multiclassed with Rogue would never have an XP penalty because the Fighter levels are ignored. If you added levels of Druid to your Dwarf, you would still be OK so long as your levels of Druid and Rogue stayed within one of each other.

Humans and Half-Elves are an exception...they may consider any class that they have the most levels in to be a favored class. You therefore have more multi-class options with these races.

Taking your character for example...you are a Half Elf Ranger / Rogue / Fighter. Since you have the most levels in Ranger, it is considered the favored class of your character. Next, the game will look at your levels of Rogue and Fighter to determine penalty. Because they are not 1 level apart, you are assessed an XP penalty. The only option you have for the duration of your character is to keep Rogue and Fighter within one level of each other.

Keep in mind that Prestige classes never count to multi-class penalty. You could have gone Ranger / Rogue / Champion of Torm (similar benefits as from Fighter), with no chance of XP penalty at all.

I hope this explains it.

 

Nicely described, Hacken Slash. The penalty is 20% and should affect both XP from kills and from quests, but I've not tested it. For every 100 XP earned, the character only gets 80.

GT - If you choose to add another level of Rogue when you reach level 11, then you will be at 6/2/3 and will no longer suffer the penalty. You could then add 2 more levels of Rogue without running into the penalty because you'd be at 6/4/3 and your Rogue and Fighter levels would still be less than 2 levels apart.

 

I am afraid that i made a mistake at the beginning of this post. I am a human character. Sorry guys. Thank you hacken slash. Indeed that was a very good explanation. I think I understand.

As long as my non-primary classes are less than or equal to one level apart it won't be a problem. Even if I abandon them all together and take up a prestige class. So, I should go ahead and get my rogue levels up to my fighter levels before I proceed in any other way, correct? Thanks.

 

@Big Stick, you are correct, I just tested it with a level 1 ranger with no weapon finess, no weapon focus, and a humble 14 str:

1 weapon, any kind: +3
two long swords: -1/-1
long sword/short sword (small weap 1 size diff.) +1/+1
long sword/kukri (tiny weap 2 size diff.) +1/+1

and oddly:
2 kukris +1/+1

Go figure

 

The primary weapon size makes no difference to the two-handed penalties (as long as it's not a two-handed weapon, of course), so the 2 kukris result is what I would expect.

That's why it's so nice to put your focus on a single small weapon, with Weapon Focus: Kukri that same char would be at +2/+2. With Weapon Focus: Long Sword he'd be at +2/+1.

As long as the offhand weapon is light (at least one size category smaller than the char), the penalty is reduced by 2.

 

So Blade of the Gladiator and Ember's Axe would be good? I have both of those on my character right now. I could get rid of the rapiers.