Strength ranger suggestions

[Oshido]

Hey all.
As my druid nears 30 I have been thinking of a strength ranger next. Figure on going 21 ranger 5 fighter 4 rogue. With Overwhelming critical using a spear and shield. Rangers can use the Elder Dream right? Not worried about sneaking so much. Question is a.c. Would full plate be better here then ranger runic leather? Would a.c. be abbissmal?
Idea would be a Norse type warrior tracker. Able to deal out good damage and do some rangery things. Overwhelming crit, elder dream, blade thirst, bane of enemies.
Is blade thirst even worth having on this or forgo wisdom instead. Assuming can use Elder Dream. Am I way off on this?

[Baron Saturday]

Rangers can and should use the Elder Dream. The ranger studded leather offers 13 AC (3 base + 4 dex + 6 bonus), 1 more than adamantine full plate, so is a great choice for as soon as you can get your hands on it.

AC would be something like 42 base, 52 buffed, 62 with imp. expertise. Which is doable.

Personally I'm a huge fan of blade thirst, but as you'll have the +4 Elder Dream, it would really only be for the 4 vamp regen. Which is still nice, but YMMV. Ranger spellcasting also nets you camouflage, freedom of movement , invisibility purge, aid, cat's grace and ultravision, so consider those when deciding to go for it or not.

[Maladus]

To get the full benefit from the Runic Leather, wouldn’t you need 18 Dex? That seems a little high for a Str based Ranger no?

[Temperance]

It's easily filled out with a decent Cat's Grace casting and a Dex skleen. Plus the armor has an enhancement of +2 Dex on it already. Just need 10 base and you're golden.

[Baron Saturday]

Looking at the requirements for overwhelming crit, I'm thinking that it's probably not worthwhile on a weapon that will end up being only 18-20 x2.

[Oshido]

Spear is 1d6 x3 crit. Kinda like the idea of 2d6 from overwhelming crit and end game a elder dream with massive critical as well. Though it doesn't leave room for esf discipline or extend spell for blade thirst. if you even need that?

[Baron Saturday]

My bad about the crit multiplier. The description of overwhelming crit is wrong - it actually gives 1d6 per multiplier, so a spear would get 3d6. I went ahead and fed the numbers into the damage comparison tool. Have a look and decide for yourself if it's worth giving up ESF discipline and extend spell.

[afreshstart]

Why not 3 bard? If you'll not invest in sneaking (imho you shuld you get hips at wilderness, which can be quiete handy against high AC enemies) you'll have a ton of skill points to spare, and you can invest in spellcraft. And you don't really need extend for blade thirst imho.

[Oshido]

Super cool Baron thanks.
I'll take hide ms just wasn't too woried about getting it in. If a choice between pick lock disable trap is take those. Should be lots of points though.

[flower]

Spear is one handed and /x2 multiplier unless EE changed it and if it did, then it will be most likely set back at /x2.

Also from this leather benefits anyone even without dexterity modifiers. It has 3 base AC with +6 and offers +1 dex mod. This is even with full platemail +1. And if you can get rest of dexterity it allows, then you are even better than with adamantite platemail.

[Oshido]

Where are you getting the x2 crit from? Arelith wiki says changed from 1d8 x 3 to 1d6 x 3. Mechanical changes doesn't say x2. Reg nwn spear is x3 as well. 1 handed with shield or two handed getting str to damage but not bonus 2 ab . I've used spears in Arelith and was x 3.

[flower]

Hm that is weird half year (or more) ago I looked at wiki and there was X2.

[Ork]

Just a side note: if you're a ranger that's invested a lot of levels into the class, you will have a persistent +4 weapon from blade thirst that stacks overtop weapon stats. With that in mind, you won't need elder's dream and could get by with a bronze spear enchanted with keen, +1 stat, and essence.

[flower]

Just a side note: if you're a ranger that's invested a lot of levels into the class, you will have a persistent +4 weapon from blade thirst that stacks overtop weapon stats. With that in mind, you won't need elder's dream and could get by with a bronze spear enchanted with keen, +1 stat, and essence.

Elder dream still would be superior imho with basically double perma essence (2d6 divine) and there are fewer spells/things reducing divine damage.

[Oshido]

If anything the vampiric regen is the only useful thing left from blade thirst of going elder dream. Which for me is the only really useful thing wisdom gives from ranger as most others can be cast via scroll potion or wand. No wisdom more con. and dex.

[Baron Saturday]

And since vamp regen is most useful for dual-wielders, I can see it being a pretty skippable feature for you. That being the case, you could just skip spellcasting altogether and get that sweet mundane CL.

[Invader_Nym]

If you go 23 ranger 4 fighter 3 rogue you can pick up weapon spec and epic weapon spec on the same level (27) and pick up a ranger bonus feat at 23.

It'll also bring your animal companion and spell durations up a little. Something to think about.

[Baron Saturday]

If you go 23 ranger 4 fighter 3 rogue you can pick up weapon spec and epic weapon spec on the same level (27) and pick up a ranger bonus feat at 23.

It'll also bring your animal companion and spell durations up a little. Something to think about.

I would do this if going for a more spell-reliant ranger, but he doesn't seem hugely interested in that. Going 23/4/3, you also lose 1 AC from fighter and the ability to take your first 3 rogue levels (and thus get UMD) earlier.