============================================================================= ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NeverWinter Nights : Hordes of the Underdark Ranger Guide ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ============================================================================= ---------------------------------------------------------- By DarthMuffin aka Coffee_Man and many muffin/coffee names| E-Mail : See Contact Info Section | Date : December 25, 2003 | Version : V1.1 | ---------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- NOTES ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -I don't PvP unless I am forced to. You won't find any good strategies regarding duels in this guide. -Please note that English isn't my primary language, so there are probably some (many) spelling/grammar mistakes here and there, and even some typos. Feel free to correct them if you want to, but I'm sure that my guide is perfectly understandable. -Important Note : Playing a Ranger doesn't mean you have to pump DEX! You can also pump strength and do crazy damage! -Important Note II : Staying in light armor to Dual Wield doesn't mean you have to pump DEX either! You can use Cat's Grace to buff your AC! -Important Note III : Dual Wielding doesn't involve using weapon finesse and small off-hand weapons! You can pump strength and wield two katanas! (You can't say I'm not trying to get your attention!) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- WHAT'S NEW? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -This section (!) -Info on a possible Ranger/Wizard multiclass -More stuff in the feats section -Changed some stuff in "Favourite Build" section -Added info on Dexterity/Finesse Rangers -Added permission of using this guide to Neoseeker and Sorcerers's Place Also, I didn't get any E-Mails from readers yet. I don't know if it's a good or a bad thing though. After thinking about it, I came up with 3 possible answers to this : 1) My guide is perfect 2) Nobody read it 3) Nobody thought about writing something Since my guide is probably not perfect, the 1) is out. I do hope that some people did at least read some parts, so I'll take out 2). That leaves us with 3). Well, if you think you have some useful stuff to say, go ahead and E-Mail me; it won't do any bad to anybody. Soon to come : -Possibly a new build for a dexterity/finesse Ranger -Information on 3.5 Ed. Rangers ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- INTRODUCTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I wrote this because I realized that many people underestimate Rangers. I saw some horrible topics with "Rangers SUCK" as the subject. At first, you may think it's true... When you look at what they get, you can think that favored enemies are not worth the loss of the fighter's weapon specialization, the barbarian's rage and the paladin's saving throws. Also, you have to stay in light armor if you want to use their Dual Wield feat, which is actually Ambidexterity and Two Weapon Fighting all in one. The catch is that even if your Ranger doesn't meet the requirements for these feats (and Improved Two Weapon Fighting at level 9), he will still get them. As for the favored enemies feats, they helped you to kill the tougher enemies (if you chose them, and you should have). Don't forget that the bonuses are cumulative, and at level 20 you would do +5 against each of your favored enemies. Light armor isn't really a problem. If you play an Archer or a Dexterity/Finesse Ranger, you'll have a great AC. If you play a strength Ranger, you can easily boost it with Bracers of Dexterity or your second level spell Cat's Grace. With the coming of Epic Levels, your Ranger continues to gain favored enemies each five levels. So at level 40, you have a +9 against hated enemies. Also, once you reach level 21, you will be able to choose the Bane of Enemies feat, which allows you to deal 2d6 extra damage against them. And what's even better is that every three levels past 20, Rangers get a bonus feat, in which Favored Enemy is. As a consequence, you can potentially have nearly every enemy in the game as a favored enemy... That's GREAT. That means that you can do the usual +9 and the additional +2d6 against everything you run into! In this guide, I'll try to do my best to explain the possible builds and gameplay strategies I used. Of course, feel free to send any good stuff you know about Rangers. Just be sure to check the e-mail section at the end. Finally, I have to say that I make a lot of references to role-playing and powergamming. I'm not a very good role-player (but I try to!) because it really bugs me to pick useless feats because of role-playing reasons. The same thing goes for attribute spreading. However, being a pure Ranger fan, I have some kind of grudge against powergammers who multiclass every single character to get bonuses here and there. I'll try to stay general in my builds, but this is not a guide for those who like to multiclass. Also, if you're a hardcore role-player, please don't get on me if you think my builds are too much geared for powergamming (like I said before, I can't stand raising charisma because it gives nothing good to my Ranger). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | NEWBIE'S GUIDE TO DnD ROLLS (Table of Content follows) | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Those who understand the DnD system should go to the Table of Content right away. I'm writing this section because I didn't understand crap about the Attack and Damage rolls when I first played NeverWinter Nights. In my opinion, the game manual doesn't give a simple breakdown of these rolls, and there are probably many people out there who don't understand. I'll keep this VERY simple, just to make sure you understand the basics. If you want to learn more about all the rules, I'd suggest reading a specialized guide (DSimpson's great guide is available here at gamefaqs). First off, you have to understand what those dX mean. "d" stands for "die". The number following the "d" is the number of sides the die has. Normal dice are d6, or dice with 6 sides. In NWN, all the rolls are made with a d20 (20 sides die). Thus, you can roll from 1 to 20. Some weapons use 2d6 to calculate their damage; 2d6 means that you roll a d6 (6 sides die) two times. As a consequence, the minimum roll would be 2 and the maximum 12. Ok, lets get started with the attributes. At character Creation, you have to spend your 30 attribute points in the desired sectors. Note that it is possible that you only end up with 27 points at creation; that means that your class needs a specific number of points in a certain attribute. In the case of the Ranger, the game automatically sets your wisdom to 11, since you need at least 11 in wisdom to cast your first level spell (you can't lower it). Now, we were saying that you had to spend your 30 points. Since the coming of the really crappy (personal opinion here) 3rd edition rules, you can't just pump a crazy amount of points in one attribute. As you add more points, the cost for each point goes up. For example, a human who wants to raise his strength from 13 to 14 will cost him 1 point. If he wants to raise it again from 14 to 15, it will cost two. Here's how it works : The 6 first points cost 1 point each The 7th and 8th points will cost 2 points each The 9th and 10th points will cost 3 points each The 11th and 12th points will cost 4 points each Et cetera. This table works for any race. For example, an elf starts out with a dexterity of 10; raising it to 16 will cost 6 points, and 10 points to 18. Elves also start with 6 constitution; raising it to 12 costs 6 points, while raising it to 14 costs 10. At levels 4,8,12,16,20,24,28,32,36 and 40, you get to raise one attribute by one point. If your strength is at 19, you can raise it directly to 20 when you hit one of these levels. That being said, it is better to raise many attributes at character creation and then pump points in one attribute than raising a single attribute at the beginning and spreading the points you get when you level up in the others. See the end of the section for an example with a sample character. Right next to the number of points you have in an attribute, you'll see another number with a "+" or a "-" in front of it. An attribute with 10 points in it has a "+0". Any attribute over 10 has "+X", and any attribute under 10 has "-X". This is the ability modifier. This the number used to calculate the various rolls. You DON'T get any modifier for an odd numbered attribute. Here's a breakdown : 6 --- -2 7 --- -2 8 --- -1 9 --- -1 10 --- 0 11 --- 0 12 --- +1 13 --- +1 14 --- +2 15 --- +2 16 --- +3 17 --- +3 18 --- +4 Et cetera. Now, it gets interesting. How do I know if I'll hit my enemy? You'll have to check your Attack Bonus (if any) in your character sheet. What the hell is an attack bonus? Simply put, it's your ability to hit with a certain weapon, and it is calculated with your ability modifier and special feats (weapon focus, two weapon fighting). For example, you have 14 strength and weapon focus in short sword : your attack bonus would be 2 (14's modifier) + 1 (weapon focus) = 3 + base attack. Your base attack goes up as you level in a certain class (you can get these attacks in the tables at the end of your manual). A level 1 cleric, who has a 0 base attack, with 16 strength and no feats would have an attack bonus of 0 + 3 + 0 = 3. Again, see the end of the section for an in-depth example. Keep in mind that melee weapons use the strength modifier to calculate the rolls (except if you chose the weapon finesse feat. In that case, the finessable weapons (dagger, short sword, rapier etc.) will use the dexterity modifier) and ranged weapons (bows, crossbows) use the dexterity modifier. To succeed in hitting an enemy, your roll (a d20 in NWN's case) + your attack bonus must beat the enemy's AC. It's as simple as that. For example (yes, I like examples), lets say you roll a 12 : add your attack bonus (we'll keep the cleric with 3) = 15. If your enemy has an AC lower than 15, you hit. An AC of 15, you hit. An AC higher than 15, you miss. Weapons also have critical thread range. Let's take a short sword, with a thread of 19-20/x2. If you roll a 19 or a 20, your next attack will do double damage. Axes, with a thread of 20/x3, will critical on a 20 roll, but will do triple damage. For the damage rolls, it's even easier. First, check your weapon's base damage. Let's take a short sword, which has a damage potential of 1d6 (1 to 6 damage points). Weapons use the strength modifier to calculate the damage, so lets say that our character has a strength of 14 (+2). The damage potential would be : 1 to 6 + 2 = a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 8. Two handed weapons (Great Sword, Great Axe et cetera) use your strength modifier multiplied by 1.5. For example, a fighter with 14 strength wielding a great sword would do : 2d6 + (2 x 1.5) = 2 to 12 + 3 = min of 5 and max of 15 damage. Feats like the fighter's weapon specialization add to the damage. The same fighter with weapon specialization in great swords would do : 2d6 + (2 x 1.5) + 2 (w.spec.) = 2 to 12 + 3 + 2 = min of 7 and max of 17 damage. Finally, off-hand weapon only takes one half of your strength modifier. For example, if you have 14 (+2) strength and you dual wield short swords, your damage would look like : 1d6 + 2 = 3 to 8 (main hand) 1d6 + 1 = 2 to 7 (off-hand) Now, you know the basics. Lets have an example with a sample character. Bob is a level 4 human fighter. His attributes are : STR 16 (+3) --- 6 x 1 + 2 x 2 = 10 DEX 10 (+0) --- 2 x 1 = 2 CON 16 (+3) --- 6 x 1 + 2 x 2 = 10 WIS 10 (+0) --- 2 x 1 = 2 INT 12 (+1) --- 4 x 1 = 4 CHA 10 (+0) --- 2 x 1 = 2 Total = 30 He has, among others, the weapon focus and weapon specialization feats in long swords. His attack bonus would look like : 4 (base attack) + 3 + 1 (focus) = 8 His damage would look like : 1d8 + 3 + 2 (spec) = min of 6 and max of 13. I hope that those of you who didn't understand now have a better idea. Like I said before, it's a great idea to read a guide on the DnD rules (there's a really good one at gamefaqs.com); you'll learn a lot, and will enjoy the game much more. Ah... I miss the 2nd edition rules so much... Of course if you don't understand anything, BioWare's "the higher the better" (quoted from the manual) will do fine. Now, lets get started with the Ranger... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | TABLE OF CONTENT | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Section A : The Ranger 1 - Why a Ranger? 2 - Ranger versus Other Fighting Classes 3 - Ranger Pros and Cons Section B : Types of Rangers 1 - Strength Ranger A - Single Weapon B - Dual Wield 2 - Archer 3 - Finesse Ranger Section C : Creating your Ranger 1 - Race 2 - Abilities (Stats) 3 - Skills 4 - Feats 5 - Animal Companion 6 - Favored Enemies Section D : Divine Spells 1 - Level One Spells 2 - Level Two Spells 3 - Level Three Spells 4 - Level Four Spells Section E : Equipment Section F : Multiclassing 1 - Core Classes 2 - Prestige Classes Section G : Playing Tips Section H : Favorite Build Section I : Conclusion 1 - Contact Info 2 - Copyright Stuff 3 - Versions 4 - Thanks ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION A : THE RANGER | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Why a Ranger? ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I have to say that I have my reasons. First off, I'm a HUGE Lord of the Rings fan, and Aragorn is my favorite character. In case you didn't read the books (or see the recent movies), Aragorn is a Ranger. My second reason is that I think Rangers are cool. You got to like those skilled warriors of the woods, who can fight masses of enemies or hunt down single targets. To play a good role-playing Ranger, you need to have a good reason to play a Ranger. Also try to write his story : why did he become a Ranger? Is it because he's fleeing the law? Or was he raised by Druids or other Rangers? For you powergamers out there, you'll probably want to have every single enemy in the game as your favored enemy. I guess that's it. Rangers are good warriors, with a d10 for their hit points and traditional warrior base attack bonus. Their special abilities are : -Limited Divine Spellcasting -Favored enemies -Dual Wielding (Light Armor only for ambidexterity and two weapon fighting; improved two weapon fighting, at level 9, can be used even in heavy armor) -Animal Companion -Animal Empathy as a class skill (beside the Druid, the Ranger is the only class who has it) Also, Rangers get the most skills of the warrior classes (equal to barbarians, I think), and their class skills include Heal, Discipline, Hide, Move Silently, Craft Traps, Set Traps and the usual Craft Armor and Weapon. Craft and Set Traps are really great skills. Since the coming of SoU, you can create your traps, which helps since you don't have the Thief' Disable Traps to recover traps. Bane of Enemies is now fixed (it was broken). Rangers are now officially the best damage dealers in the game! Before you start reading, I just wanted to say that, although it's a really great world, I'm not a huge fan of Faerun and all the Forgotten Realms stuff. Actually, I used to be a fan (after playing the BG saga), but the NWN OC destroyed what I liked about it. I won't go into details, but let's just say that NWN doesn't really represent the Forgetten Realms for me. True to say, the number one reason why I'm playing NWN now is because it's a great RPG and it's the closest thing I have to a LotR RPG. As a consequence, you will notice that some parts of my guide are biased (I hate Half-Orcs, I favor Greatsword to Greataxe for my Strength Rangers, I don't like multiclasses etc.). Although I'll try to stay general in my builds, many of them have been influenced by the LotR culture. One last thing : when I write "thief", I, of course, mean "Rogue". I'm just used to the old 2nd Edition DnD rules. Sorry if any Rogue players are offended :). And finally : If you're still not convinced on how Ranger's are nice to play, I highly suggest you to go to nwvault.ign.com and download the really good modules "Kale's Rangers" by gwhicker. Those modules will show you how versatile Rangers are, and how to use their skills. Before playing these, I thought that animal empathy was the worst skill in the game, but I changed my mind... And these modules are perfect to play your first Ranger, also. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - Ranger versus Other Fighting Classes ------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Versus Fighters : It's easy here. Fighters get more feats and Weapon Specialization. That's all. Weapon Specialization is not THAT great. If you're a fighter, you'll obviously pick it, but it's not a must for the other classes. If you really, really, really want it, wait for epic levels so that you can pick up both Normal and Epic Weapon Specialization. As for the additional feats, they get so many that it will become a pain to pick feats that give bonuses to your build. Of course it's great to have them, but don't forget that your Ranger has Favored Enemies, an Animal Companion and some Spellcasting. Don't forget that you also get your Dual Wielding feats for free. Versus Barbarians : Barbarians get more hit points per level, can rage and get uncanny dodge. Their only weakness is that they can't wear heavy armors, but it can be easily obtained by multiclassing. Surprisingly, adding some Barbarian levels to your ranger is a really good idea. You get some additional hit points and uncanny dodge, which is useful since you stay in light armor. Personally, I consider Barbarians superior to fighters in many ways. If you're looking for powergamming, I strongly encourage you to multiclass to Barbarian, but try not to sacrifice too much your Ranger levels to keep a decent animal companion. In short, Barbarians are much like Rangers (role playing wise). As a matter of fact, it's not difficult to role-play a multiclass Ranger/Barbarian. Versus Paladins : Paladins are also much like Rangers, in some ways. They are the fighting version of the Clerics, just as Rangers are the fighting version of the Druids. Paladins usually stay in heavy armor, and are much like fighters. They have some nice abilities, such as immunity to fear, divine grace and lay of hands. They also get Turn Undead, which is very nice. However, past level 3 or so, they don't get anything special beside upgrades to Turn Undead and Lay of Hands. It could be a good idea to get immunity to fear and divine grace by multiclassing, but it's not THAT important. Also, your charisma will probably not be very high (probably 10 or even 8). As for role-playing, Lawful Good Rangers are rare. Paladins can add their charisma modifier against evil creatures through Smite Evil. Your ranger has a constant bonus against his favored enemies. And it applies all the time. In my opinion, Favored Enemies are better. I said before that paladins are much like Rangers; the main difference is that Paladin are more defensive (shield, saving throws, Turn Undead, etc.) and Rangers are more offensive (favored enemies, dual wielding, animal companion). Versus Monks : Monks get many special abilities, and a lot of them are linked to wisdom. You'll probably end up with a wisdom of 14, so yeah, you could try an unarmored Ranger (with a good dex and wis, your AC would be fine). Also, you could use your Dual Wielding feats to build an excellent Kama Monk. In this case however, your monk levels would need to be higher than your Ranger's. Since this is a guide about Rangers, I'll skip this. Monks are a very special class, and it is hard to compare them to others. Just to glorify the Ranger once more, I'll add that they get more hit points. That's about it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 - Ranger Pros and Cons ---------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pros : - Rangers use d10 for the hit points - Rangers use the warrior's BAB progression - Rangers get Dual Wielding feats for free - Rangers can cast some nice spells - Rangers can summon an animal companion - And, best of all, Rangers have favored enemies Cons : - Dual Wielding works in light armor only - Actually, that's not really bad - Rangers get their Animal Companion at level 6 - Rangers only get to cast 4 levels of spells (oh come on, he's a fighting class, alright?) As you can see, the Cons aren't really bad... At the end, it all comes down to your playing style. To enjoy your Ranger, you'll have to understand that you're not a Barbarian or a fighter, neither a thief. You'll have to use your Traps sometimes, if you cannot beat a certain monster. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION B : TYPES OF RANGERS | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The following sections will provide you with good "skeleton builds". Even though they are perfectely playable, it's always great to personalize your Ranger the way you like. If you want an example, look at the "Favourite Builds" section to see what I did. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Strength Ranger --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Strength Ranger will obviously focus on his strength and damage. You have two choices : you can ditch your Dual Wielding feats, and pick up (or multiclass for) the Heavy Armor feat (you can also just stay in medium) OR you can stay in light armor and Dual Wield. I will discuss both forms separately. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A - Single Weapon ----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Ranger doesn't care about Dual Wielding. He will find the best armor available to him (probably between medium and light armor). Why not create a fighter instead? Well, true to say, I think it's useless to level a fighter after level 4 or 6. If you really want, you can start as a fighter and then take ranger levels. Also keep a good composite bow (Cat's Grace will give you the dexterity you need to shoot) to add your great strength modifiers to the damage. This is, in my opinion, one of the most simple Ranger build available. Note : I have read many posts saying stuff like there's no reason to level a Ranger beyond 9 for the dual wielding feats. In my opinion, it's exactly the contrary. Fighters give you feat... and only feats. Unless you want to create some kind of crazy warrior specialized in all the weapons, there's no point of leveling a fighter beyond 10 or so. Ranger levels will give you those nice favored enemies and a pretty strong animal companion; I think that's a LOT better than taking Improved Power Attack and Blind Fight as your fighter's bonus feat (the list isn't that long, you know). Of course if you're a thief who wish to dual wield, 1 or 9 Ranger levels will suffice, but what I'm saying is that you should really limit fighter levels in your build. Now that my personal rant is over, let's get back to the builds. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- B - Dual Wield -------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Who said you had to be a dexterity based Ranger to use your dual wielding feats? Light armor isn't really bad, you know. It will let you use your hiding skills, which is great. Also, Rangers look better in light armor (just imagine a guy living in the woods with a full plate on O_o). You will need a higher dexterity score than with the Single Weapon Ranger, and that's why I recommend being an elf. With cat's grace, your AC will be great. You can choose any weapons you want; some people will say that wielding two medium weapons gives you too important penalties, but later, the small -2 will barely bother you. Also keep a good bow! This is currently my favorite build. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - Archer ------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archers will want to find a good composite bow, so that they can add some of their strength to their damage (you need that if you are not an Arcane Archer). You'll probably want to be Elven, to get your dex as high as possible. If you want, you can easily become an Arcane Archer by taking some Wizard levels (wiz is Elf's favored class, also). Personally, I think that the Dexterity/Finesse Ranger is better, since you can both fight and shoot arrows with potential. An Arcane Archer is quite deadly though. Since they fixed Bane of Enemies (in the last patch), pure Rangers are now better at dealing damage with a bow than Arcane Archers (!). Of course you'll need to use some magical arrows to pierce through damage resistance and your attack bonus will be lower than an arcane archer, but it's just another proof that rangers are not a useless, underpowered class. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dexterity/Finesse Ranger ---------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is another great build, since it lets fight in melee and shoot enemies with your bow. This Ranger will focus on his dex, but will have a good strength and constitution as well. You will stay in light armor to get the Dual Wielding feats and your AC will be great because of your high dexterity. This build will do less damage than Strength ones, because, of course, of the strength. You will not get feats such as Devastating Critical, but you can get Blinding Speed (in case you play on a PW where the cheesy Boots of Speed are prohibited). In short, you sacrifice damage for AC and better ranged attacks. Note : There has been a lot of debates on Dex-based characters using weapon finesse. The general rule is that strength is better. However, two classes can effectively use weapon finesse : Rangers and Thieves. Thieves will do crazy damage to the common enemies due to their backstab. Rangers will do a little bit less damage, but it also applies on Undeads (immune backstab) and those big nasty enemies (such as construct). Any other classes are not as good because they only depend on strength to deal their damage. Fighters would come in second, as their specialization adds +2 and epic adds +4. Note II : If you try your builds in the Hordes of the Underdark official campaign (start at clvl 15) or any other "Halls of Training" modules, don't get a normal weapon to see if the damage you do is fine. For example, lets say you start the HotU official campaign. You're clvl 15 and you get one of those short swords in the armory. When you'll attack the drows downstairs, you will do a pitiful 5-10 damage. Get a weapon with an enchantment (say a +2) and you should do in the high 10s. Don't forget that at level 15, you would normally have at least a +1 weapon, but the campaign doesn't give you one to start with. Note III (yep, there's a lot to say) : Pumping DEX to ridiculous levels can be a good or bad thing. Your attack bonus will become higher, but you'll eventually end up having to wear clothes so that you don't limit your DEX bonus to AC. However, since you don't have Uncanny Dodge I, it might get dangerous to use only DEX for your AC. When you reach the maximum DEX bonus for leather armours, for example, you might want to start tossing your points in STR to get some added damage. It's your call. And finally : You might want to carry a big scary weapon (greatsword) in your backpack to break physical resistance. Conclusion on the builds : The game really tells you that the typical Rangers are the Dexterity/Finesse Rangers. While it's probably true (in most cases), Strength Rangers are also really great to play. The breakdown is actually really simple : Great melee damage, all around build : Single Wielding Good melee damage, more attacks : Strength Dual Wielding Crazy ranged combat : Archer Average melee damage, good ranged potential : Dexterity/Finesse Keep in mind however that being a Ranger, you will have a higher DEX than other fighting classes so basically, almost every build can effectively use a bow (don't forget cat's grace!). Some builds are more bow dependant, others use their bow as a backup. If you are not playing a heavy armour/12 or 10 dexterity ranger, you should always have a good old bow in your inventory (just to show people that you are proud of being a Ranger :D). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION C : CREATING YOUR RANGER | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Race -------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Human : Human is the most basic race. Simply put, you can't go wrong with human. They don't have any bonuses to attributes, but they don't have any penalties either, which helps to make a well rounded character. The extra feat at first level is really nice, especially if you're not a fighter. The extra skills are also nice, and often underestimated. Finally, you can freely multiclass a human, which is nice when you want to do crazy class configuration. Elf : Elves are cool. They have a bonus to dexterity, but a penalty to constitution. In the Ranger's case, this is not a really bad trade-off, since you need a high dexterity for your armor class, and it will let you use your bow also. The favored class can be a problem, but if you're like me and don't like to multiclass your characters, it's not a problem. Keen senses is good bonus to have, and immunity to sleep and resistance to enchantment is really helpful. Finally, their racial weapons give some quality weapons to classes who don't get martial proficiencies. Elf is probably the best choice for any pure Ranger build (or Arcane Archer build). Half-Elf : Half-Elves are actually Humans who give up the extra feat and the extra skills for some various elven bonuses. In my opinion, it's not a bad trade- off, but powergammers generally avoid half-elves. If you are like me and can't stand being a puny mortal (elves and half-elves are immortal for me (Tolkien... Tolkien...)), this is a good race to take if you can't stand the elven attributes. Unfortunately, the game uses human models, so you're stuck with an obese character. Dwarf : Dwarf nay sound like an odd choice for a Ranger, but since the coming of the 3rd Edition Rules, they have a penalty to charisma instead of dexterity. Their bonus to constitution is welcome, and charisma is not important for a Ranger anyway. Their special abilities are always welcome. Finally, you would have to keep multiclassing with fighter only, which is not really bad since you will probably play a strength ranger with a dwarf. Half-Orc : Half-Orc are ugly and stupid. Their bonus to strength is obviously nice for Strength Rangers, and charisma is not important anyway. Intelligence, however, is more important because of skills, and having a penalty here is not welcome; you should keep it at least at 8. The Barbarian favored class is nice, because as I said before, Barbarians levels can surely help your Ranger. Gnome : Gnome is not a good choice for a Ranger because of the penalty to strength. Also, being a small race, they cannot wield the big bad weapons we want. Leave the gnomes, they won't help you for this class. Halfling : I never liked Hobbits. The bonus to Dexterity is nice, but the penalty to strength is bad. Once again, halflings are small creatures and cannot wield big scary weapons. Halfling might be a fine choice for a dexterity/finesse ranger, but Elf is really better. Ok, so here are the races I recommend for each build. Strength - Single Weapon Ranger : Human, Half-Elf, Dwarf, Elf, Half-Orc You will want either to stay with general stats, of to buff your strength or constitution. Half-Orcs have a penalty to intelligence, and therefore will have less skills. While it's not crucial, it can hurt. Personally, I think that powergammers should go with either Dwarf or Human, and role-players will want humans or Half-Elf (or Dwarf and Half-Orc, since, after all, role- players do anything they want). Personally, I usually play Half-Elf since I can't stand being a mere mortal (LotR persona shows up!). Strength - Dual Wielding Ranger : Elf, Human, Half-Elf, Dwarf I don't recommend Half-Orc here, since this build is more skill dependant (you may need to use your traps and hiding). Dwarf will have his usual Con bonus, and Cha isn't important unless you want an extensive use of Animal Empathy. Elf will get a bonus to his AC, which is good since you use light armor only. Humans and Half-Elf are the basic choices. Personally, I think the four races are good, but I'd go for elves. Archer : Elf, Half-Elf Elf is obviously the best choice, because if Dex bonus. Half-Elf is an alternative, tough powergammers will want to stay with Elf. Both races can become Arcane Archers, though you may not want to sacrifice your favored enemies for Arcane Archer levels. Dexterity/Finesse Ranger : Elf, Human, Half-Elf, Dwarf The same as for Strength Dual Wielding, though I recommend Elf or Human. If you want to fight enemies in close combat more, go with a Human so that you can have a higher constitution. If, however, you want to use your bow, take an Elf. Personally, I usually pick Elf (I like Elves!) but either choice is good. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - Abilities (Stats) ------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strength - Single Weapon Ranger Human and Half-Elf STR : 16 + levels DEX : 14 CON : 14 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 This is a good, solid build. I kept DEX at 14, since you will probably want to keep medium or light armor (if you want heavy, then lower it to 12 or even 10). Personally, I prefer keeping it like that to be able to effectively use my bow (I like bows :D). Dwarf STR : 16 + levels DEX : 12 CON : 16 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 Pretty much the same build, except that we sacrifice CHA in favor of CON, which is quite good if you don't mind about Persuade or Animal Empathy. Not much to say here; try this build if you want some change from the usual Human. If you want to stay in medium armor, lower CHA to 6 (O_o) and raise DEX to 14. Half-Orc STR : 18 + levels DEX : 12 CON : 14 INT : 08 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 I don't have much experience with Half-Orc, so I'll keep this easy. It's still the same build, modified by the obvious Half-Orc's abilities adjustment. For you powergammers with a "Damage RULZ" motto, this is the one. Same thing as for the Dwarf for the CHA/DEX spread (I wouldn't touch INT though). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Strength - Dual Wielding Ranger Human and Half-Elf STR : 16 + levels DEX : 14 CON : 14 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 As you can see, we still have the same original build. This time, we sacrifice CHA for more DEX, which will help for your AC (must be wearing Light Armor). I admit that I only played once with this build, so I don't have much experience here. I guess it would work fine though. Dwarf STR : 16 + levels DEX : 14 CON : 16 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 06 This one is your typical ugly Dwarf (but can a Dwarf really be ugly?). Once again, it's the exact same build with more DEX instead of CHA. For advanced players, I guess. Elf STR : 16 + levels DEX : 16 + levels CON : 12 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 This is the one I recommend for Strength Dual Wielding. With Cat's grace, your AC will be great, and the lower hit points aren't really a problem. What I usually do is to drop two points into DEX so that I can take full advantage of heavier light armors (like the 3/4 armors). This way, I'm not dependant on cat's grace for my AC. This is my favorite build. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Archer Elf STR : 12 STR : 14 DEX : 18 + levels DEX : 18 + levels CON : 12 CON : 12 INT : 10 INT : 10 WIS : 14 WIS : 14 CHA : 10 CHA : 08 Raising DEX after 18 at character creation, is, in my opinion, a waste of points. These are the two builds I tested, and they both work well. The second is more for powergammers who want to get more from "Mighty Bows". Half-Elf I just don't know what to do with Half-Elves. Might as well stick with elves for Archers. If you have some good point distribution, send them in. I might come up with something on my own though. Half-Elf would be more for role playing value, and more emphasis on CON or STR than DEX. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Dexterity/Finesse Ranger Human and Half-Elf STR : 14 DEX : 16 + levels CON : 14 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 This time, we put more emphasis on DEX. With the Weapon Finesse feat, you will be able to fight in melee, and a great DEX score also means that you can be a good Archer. I would put all additional attribute points in DEX. Dwarf STR : 14 DEX : 16 + levels CON : 16 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 06 An odd choice for a DEX based character (I'm used to the old 2nd Ed., where Dwarves had a penalty to DEX), the Dwarf is actually a good choice. You get more hit points, and CHA isn't that useful anyway. Elf STR : 16 STR : 14 DEX : 16 + levels DEX : 18 + levels CON : 12 CON : 12 INT : 10 INT : 10 WIS : 14 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 CHA : 08 This is my favorite for Finesse Rangers, because it combines both a melee fighter and an archer. You have two choices here : either drop everything in DEX, or boost your CON by two points and then everything else in DEX. Both way works fine, but I personally prefer focussing on DEX (at worst, you can still take Epic Toughness or Great Constitution later). The second build is an alternative, with a slightly lower damage for a higher attack bonus. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 - Skills ------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like I said before, Rangers are the most skilled of the warrior classes. Every Ranger should make good use of their skills : they get a good amount of points, and some of them are really useful and will save your life more than once. Animal Empathy (Class Skill) : What you think I'm gonna say : this skill is useless, don't pick it. What I'm actually telling you : It's a great skill. Really. No sarcasm, I swear! You see, sometimes it's just nice to get some extra help, and animals are found almost everywhere (especially outdoors!). Also, if you're getting overwhelmed by an amazingly high amount of animals, a successful check on that big bear can turn the tide of the battle. It's not a crucial skill, but it's sure nice to have. Concentration (Class Skill) : Skip this one. The few spells you have will almost always be cast before combat. It *could* help to cast a healing spell during combat, but you're not a cleric. Also, you don't get many useful healing spells... Disable Trap (Cross-Class Skill) : It's generally a bad idea to choose cross-class skill, and you're not a thief. I would skip this one, since there are more important skills to get. Of course it would be nice to have an "infinite" amount of traps for your set traps skill, but since it's a cross-class skill, you would have to waste too many precious points to make it useful. Discipline (Class Skill) : A great skill. It helps you to resist knockdown and other nasty special attacks, which is nice. However, I must say that I rarely see enemies who are using knockdown non-stop (and I told you I never PvP). Take it if you've got nothing better to take. Heal (Class Skill) : Another really great skill. Healing Kits are cheap to buy and can heal great amount of hit points. Don't forget that it's linked to WIS, and you should have 14 WIS. Max this one, you never know when you need healing, and sometimes there's no cleric around. Hide (Class Skill) : If you're in Heavy Armor, forget this one. If, however, you stay in medium or light armor (and you should, in my opinion) this one is great. Ok, you won't be able to backstab like a thief, but you can scout ahead to spot possible enemy locations and then position yourself to attack. This is one of the skills I would max. Listen (Class Skill) : I'm not a fan of Listen. Frankly, I don't remember a single situation where I wished to have some points in listen. I would skip it and leave it to thieves. Lore (Class Skill) : This is an average skill. It helps you to identify items, and sometimes help to read some special inscriptions and the like. Shops can identify for a small (100 gold) fee. I never saw any other use of lore outside BioWare's campaigns. I would dump a couple of points in here only for the OCs, and perhaps if you're playing in a heavy role-playing/story PW. Otherwise, skip it; your intelligence is not really high either. Move Silently (Class Skill) : Same as hide. Max this one if you're in light or medium armor. Open Lock (Cross-Class Skill) : You're still not a Thief. Forget this one; you can always bash chests and doors open. Parry (Class Skill) : I just don't know about this one. Some say that it sucks, others say it's good. First off, you can only parry the number of attacks you have each round. So if the enemy has more attacks (more levels), you're screwed. Also, there's the old saying "the best defense is to attack". I never really tried it, but I would skip this. Perform (Forbidden) : N/A Persuade (Cross-Class Skill) : First, it's a cross-class. Second, your charisma will not be high. However, roleplaying wise, most Rangers are supposed to be reclusive, so you could create a really interesting character by putting points in persuade (a social Ranger!). Personally, I prefer to leave this one to Paladins, Clerics and Sorcerers. Pick Pocket (Cross-Class Skill) : This one is for Thieves. You're a Ranger. And I doubt that pick pocket will give you loads of cash either. Search (Class Skill) : Not bad. If you're Elf, you can get the full bonuses even when running. It's usually nice to see traps before you run into them. Also helps to see hidden doors and the like. I would drop a few points. Set Trap (Class Skill) : With thieves and assassins, Rangers are the only other class to get this one as a class skill. Since you don't have remove trap, you'll have to buy your own traps or craft them. This one can be quite useful, but if you play in a party, I would leave this to thieves. If you're soloing, it might be a good bet to drop a few points here. I generally take this one in multiplayer as well, just in case; but I wouldn't max it. Spot (Class Skill) : As for listen, I don't think this is really crucial. You still have a bonus against your favored enemies, and that's enough, in my opinion. Taunt (Cross-Class Skill) : I'm not sure, but I think that taunted creatures get a lowered AC. It's a cross-class skill and it's useless (actually, I never really bothered trying it). Leave this one. Use Magic Device (forbidden) : N/A Appraise (Cross-Class Skill) : There are better skills out there, plus it's a cross-class skill. Remember, you're not a thief with ungodly amounts of skill points. Also, if you fail the appraise check the first time you visit a shop, you cannot roll a new check until you raise the number of points you have in the skill. Finally, there's plenty of ways to get gold in NWN, and it's a bad idea to waste precious skill points for a small discount. Tumble (Cross-Class Skill) : I actually wished this was a class skill. The AC effect is the best, in my opinion. Since it's a cross-class skill, I wouldn't really recommend it, but if you have points to waste (you shouldn't), I would drop them here. Humans might want to use their bonus skill into this (or set trap). Craft Trap (Class Skill) : Great, since you don't have unlimited traps via remove trap. If you don't care about using traps, this one is, of course, useless. Also, it's not supported in every PW, so be careful. Bluff (Cross-Class Skill) : Just leave this one. If you really want a diplomatic ranger, take persuade instead. Intimidate (Cross-Class Skill) : See bluff. I would leave these to Barbarians. Craft Weapon (Class Skill) : Great for role-playing, but not that useful. It lets you customize your look and create some basic weapon. I would avoid this one, since it's not crucial. But it's nice to create your own weapons... Craft Armor (Class Skill) : See Craft Weapon. Conclusion on Skills : While you have the most skill points of the warrior classes, keep in mind that you're not a thief. Your limited skills should be placed exclusively in useful/crucial skills, except for role-playing purposes. Here are the skills I usually take : Hide Move Silently Animal Empathy Heal Set Trap Search Disable Trap? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 - Feats ------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Since you don't have the fighter's bonus feats, you need to carefully choose them. Depending on your build, you have to take the most important feats only. Also plan your epic levels feats, so that you don't mess up your stats (if you want to take Great Attributes feats). Like for the skills, I'll list all the feats, giving my opinion on each of them, and then recommend specific ones at the end. Alertness : Have you read my opinion on the Spot and Listen skills? The bonuses are not worth a feat. Ambidexterity : You get this one for free at level 1, though it only works if you stay in light armor. Armor Proficiency Light : You get this one for free at level 1. Armor Proficiency Medium : You get this one for free at level 1. Armor Proficiency Heavy : Take this one if you are a more fighting Ranger. Keep in mind that your DEX will be higher than the other classes, so you may be better to stay in medium or light armor. You can also multiclass for this one. By no means a must. Called Shot : I've never been a great fan of called shot. I prefer to kill the enemies instead of disabling them. It can be useful to slow them down though, especially for archers (a leg shot on scary monsters will let you run away and shoot again). Cleave : Get it if you're going to fight in melee. This one is really great. The free attacks really helps when you're being surrounded. Combat Casting : You're not a Cleric. Read my skill description of concentration for more information. Also, the small bonus is not worth a precious feat. Deflect Arrows : Too many prerequisites. Leave this one to monks. Deflecting a single arrow per round is no big deal either... Disarm : Same as for Called Shot. The 13 INT requirement hurts, also. I would leave this to fighters or thieves. Might be good for a Ranger/Thief multiclass. I saw some discussions on this one on the Internet. Most people seem to think it's useless, others say it's useful. It does sound cool for sure to disarm your enemies, but I'd leave it for other classes who can afford the INT requirement. Dodge : A good feat. Gives an extra point to AC against the enemy you're fighting. Nice to have around. It is negated if you get flanked, but if you multiclass to get Uncanny Dodge I, it doesn't. Empower Spell and Extend : You're not a Wizard. Besides, I don't see the use of an empowered or extended level 1 Ranger spell. Extra Turning : Paladins and Clerics only. Great Fortitude : Your fort saves are already good. Leave this one. Improved Critical : Excellent Feat. Take it with your weapon of choice. Makes you critical more often with the chosen weapon by doubling the critical thread. If you use a rapier, it does get interesting indeed. Improved Disarm : See disarm. Improved Knockdown : In my opinion, knockdown is enough. I would leave this one. Also, a requirement of 13 INT is hard to get, since Rangers already need some specific attributes. If you already have the hight INT for Disarm, it might be worth it. Improved Parry : I never used Parry. A +4 bonus isn't much for a feat either. Improved Power Attack : The only reason I pick Power Attack is to get cleave. A -10 penalty to attack rolls is too heavy, and a +10 damage is not that much considering that your attack will most likely miss. Improved Two Weapon Fighting : You get it for free at level 9. It also works in heavy armor, unlike the others (but I guess it's some kind of bug). Improved Unarmed Strike : Leave it to monks. You get martial proficiencies, use them! Iron Will : Will saves are really important, and a bonus is always welcome. Take it if you have a feat to burn. You could also just wait for the epic version, but a +2 is nice to have anytime. Knockdown : Not crucial, but useful. When you use it, it's a bargain; you either get many free attacks on the enemy if you succeed, or get screwed if you have a bad roll. Not a must, but it can help. Lightning Reflexes : Reflex saves are nice to have. Take this one or Iron Will. Picking up both would hurt though. I would go for Iron Will. Maximize Spell : Guess what? You're still not a wizard! Mobility : Not bad, but you may want to keep your few feats on more important stuff. It can't hurt, however. Point Blank Shot : For Archers. Those who do not depend on their bows should skip this one. It think it also makes you do more damage, but I'm not sure. Power Attack : Get it for Cleave. Otherwise, it's only useful for bashing stuff like chests or killing high HPs and low AC enemies. Quicken Spell, Silent Spell, Spell Focus, Spell Penetration and Still Spell : No comments. Rapid Shot : For Archers, once again. Skip it if you don't depend on your bow. Shield Proficiency : You get this for free at level 1. Skill Focus : Even though your skills are important, it's not worth wasting a feat on them. Stunning Fist : Leave it for monks. Toughness : 40 free hit points. Take it as soon as possible; it's like a free modifier in constitution. Two-Weapon Fighting : You get it for free at level 1. Weapon Finesse : The "must have" feat for Dexterity/Finesse Rangers. It allows them to make their attack rolls using their DEX modifier. Archers can take it to use small weapons as a backup. In my opinion, the best weapons to use are Rapiers or short swords. Weapon Focus : Take it for your weapon of choice, which should be the same you picked improved critical for. Weapon Proficiency Martial : You get it for free at level 1. Weapon Proficiency Simple : You get it for free at level 1. Weapon Proficiency Exotic : Not a must, but don't forget that you can use you Dual Wielding feats with Double Bladed Weapons. Powergammers might like dual wielding kukris. Weapon Specialization : Fighters level 4 only. Not a must. Get it if you multiclass as a fighter, of course. You could also wait for epic levels to take both normal and epic specialization. More damage is never a bad thing. Arcane Defense : Wizards only. Artist : You're not an actor... Blind Fight : This one can actually be useful. Fighting against concealed enemies is quite irritating, but I think that you should spend your precious feats elsewhere. Blooded : The bonuses aren't worth a feat. Brew Potions : While having some cat's grace potions wouldn't hurt, there are better feats out there. At later levels (30+), it is possible that you have all the feats you want. In that case, I think it's better to take stuff like Epic Toughness (and keep your bonus feats for favored enemies). Bullheaded : I don't like those lvl 1 only feats... the bonus aren't that good. Circle Kick : Leave the unarmed stuff to monks. Courteous Magocracy : Not really useful for a Ranger. Craft Wand : You can't even select this one. Curse Song : You're still not a Bard. Dirty Fighting : I can't believe how this feat is useless : you sacrifice ALL of your attacks for a very small amount (1d4) of damage. An OK feat in IceWind Dale 2, I was stunned when I realized how sucky it was in NWN. Divine Might : For Clerics and Paladins only. Divine Shield : Same here. Expertise : There has been some debates on this one. 5 bonus to AC is really great, and it is possible to live with a -5 to attack rolls. However, I heard somewhere that parry was better, and I don't like parry. Also, there is a requirement of 13 INT, which is hard to get. I would leave this one, unless you really want Whirlwind Attack (which is not THAT great, compared to the BG2 version). Extra Music : You can't even take it. Extra Stunning Attack : Monks only. Great Cleave : I'm undecided on this one. The feat itself isn't that great (it's useful, but not a must), but it gives access to the powerful (and overpowered) Devastating Critical. Personally, I wouldn't take it, but if you want it, you don't have to hurry since Devastating Critical will take a while to appear. Finesse Rangers should skip this one. Greater Spell Focus and Greater Spell Penetration : No comments. Improved Expertise : See expertise. Though I think that a -10 is starting to hurt bad. Improved Initiative : I like initiative checks. I would take this one, if you have nothing better to get. It can help; sometimes, having the first attack makes the difference between life and death. Lingering Song : Not for a Ranger. Luck of Heroes : In my opinion, this is the only worthy level 1 only feat. +1 to all saves is nice, but I think that there's more important stuff out there. Rapid Reload : Keep your good ol' bow. Resist Disease : Not worth a feat, in my opinion. Resist Poison : Same here. Resistance to Energy : Nice, but I would stick with Epic Energy Resistance. You don't have many feats to burn before Epic levels. Scribe Scroll : You won't cast enough spells to make it useful. Silver Palm : Another level 1 only. And the bonuses aren't nice for a Ranger. Snake Blood : Same here. Spring Attack : Not bad, but there are better feats out there. Also, 2 feats as prerequisites is quite hard to get. Stealthy : With your DEX score, your skill points in hide and move silently and your 2nd level spell camouflage, you don't need a small +2. Strong Soul : Not worth it for a Ranger. I prefer to buff my Saving Throws with "Epic Throws" feats. Thug : Not worth it. Whirlwind Attack : This one can be useful, but I don't really like it. There are many prerequisites, such as INT 13, Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Cleave and DEX 13. I think that's too much for a Ranger. You have to take it if you want to become a Weapon Master, but I don't like multiclassing. Too bad it's no longer like the Baldur's Gate version. Zen Archery : In most cases, your DEX will be equal or higher than your WIS. Leave this one alone. And if your DEX is lower than 14, you probably don't give a crap about ranged attacks anyway. Epic Feats Armor Skin : +2 to armor class. That's nice, take it as soon as possible. Automatic Silent, Quicken and Still spells : You're a Ranger. Bane of Enemies : Wonderful. +2 to hit and +2d6 damage to all your favored enemies. Take it as soon as it hits the list. If only they had included Death to Enemies as well... Blinding Speed : If you're a DEX based Ranger, you won't be able to take Devastating Critical. So this one might be worth it if your module/PW doesn't have the cheesy boots of speed or other haste items. Construct, Dragon, Undead and Outsider Shape : You're not a shifter. Damage Reduction : Really nice, but the CON requirement of 21 is too heavy, unless you're a Dwarf. Anyway, I usually prefer to pump STR (or DEX if I'm finesse). Devastating Critical : This is probably the most overpowered feat in the game. It's wonderful. It's crazy. It's ungodly. Take it if you're STR based. Beware the requirements: STR 25, Cleave, Great Cleave, Improved Critical and Overwhelming Critical. And don't forget that many servers have it disabled or prohibited. Energy Resistance : Quite nice. I would take it in fire and/or lightning if I have a feat to burn. Epic Dodge : Requirements too hard. Plus you would have to multiclass for the feats. Epic Fiend : Blackguard only. Epic Fortitude, Reflexes and Will : Quite nice. A +4 is welcome, especially on Will saves. Epic Prowess : +1 to all attacks. Quite worth it, in my opinion. Especially if you dual wield. Epic Reputation : Doesn't really help your Ranger. Epic Skill Focus : Like for Skill focus, I would leave this one to other classes. Epic Shadowlord : ShadowDancer only. The summoned shadow isn't nice either. Epic Spell Focus and Epic Spell Penetration : No comments. Epic Toughness : Great. When you don't know what to take, this is the one. 20 free hit points is always nice. Epic Weapon Focus : Take it with the weapon you use. Always nice to have around. Epic Weapon Specialization : If you multiclass to fighter, then take it. Like for normal specialization, it's by no means a must. Great Attributes : Not that great. Quite handy if you want to reach some feat requirements (Devastating Crits), but there's better stuff out there. Improved Combat Casting : You won't be casting many spells during combat. Improved Ki Strike : Leave this to monks. Improved Sneak Attack : Thieves only. Improved Spell Resist : Would be nice, but it only gives +2 per feat. There's more important stuff out there. Improved Stunning Fists : Monks only. Improved Whirlwind Attack : You need 23 DEX, and all the stuff you needed for Whirlwind. Not worth it, except for DEX based chars who can't take Devastating Crits. I wouldn't take it though (finessable weaps don't have great range). Lasting Inspiration : You're not a singer. Mighty Rage : Leave this to your friends the barbarians. Overwhelming Critical : Not that great, but gives access to the all powerful Devastating Crits. Take it as soon as possible (if you want Dev Crits, of course). Perfect Health : CON 25+ is hard to achieve. Very hard. I would leave this, though Dwarves may want to take it. You would probably have to leave Devastating Crits if you choose this one. Planar Turning : Clerics only. The requirements are crazy, also. Self Concealment : Really nice, but you would have to multiclass. Since I hate multiclassing, I leave this to thieves. Superior Initiative : I'm usually fine with Improved Initiative. Not worth it, in my opinion. Terrifying and Thundering Rage : Barbs only. Conclusion on feats : Feats are the most important part of your combat skills. These choices are really important, and will make your character either good or bad. Since you don't have an ungodly amount of feats like fighters, the choices are crucial. When you get to epic levels, your Ranger will get a bonus feat every 3 levels, in addition to the usual feat every 4 levels. The bonus feats are : Bane of Enemies Blinding Speed Epic Toughness Epic Prowess Epic Weapon Focus Improved Combat casting (no comments) Favored Enemies Since you get 6 bonus feats (23, 26, 29, 32, 35, 38), you can get six additional favored enemies. Even though these do not add to your damage, it lets you apply your bonus to more enemies, and thus making you a better damage dealer than a fighter. Of the other bonus feats, the useful ones are Prowess, Focus, Bane and toughness. I'd suggest getting these as your "normal" feats, to leave you more favored enemies feats. Overall, these are the feats I recommend (in no particular order) : Strength Ranger : Power Attack (for Cleave) Cleave Improved Critical Knockdown Toughness Weapon Focus Great Cleave (if you want Devastating Critical) Iron Will (if you're Human) Armor Skin Bane of Enemies (Overwhelming Critical)* (Devastating Critical)* Epic Prowess Epic Weapon Focus Epic Will As many Favored Enemies as you can *Watch out for server rules; not very RP-friendly. Archer Ranger : Point Blank Shot Rapid Shot Weapon Focus Toughness Improved Critical Called Shot (since you can't get knockdown) Iron Will (Human) Armor Skin Bane of Enemies Blinding Speed Epic Prowess Epic Weapon Focus Epic Will As many Favored Enemies as you can Dexterity Finesse Ranger : Power Attack Cleave Weapon Focus Toughness Weapon Finesse (a must have) Knockdown (or Iron Will) Armor Skin Bane of Enemies Blinding Speed (if you can't get boots of speed or another haste item) Epic Prowess Epic Weapon Focus Epic Will As many favored Enemies as you can ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 - Animal Companions ------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Animal Companions are one of the nice bonuses for playing a Ranger. While they look like very "normal" summons, you can use the 3rd level spell Greater Magic Fangs to make them more powerful. It also lets them deal magical damage, bypassing the frustrating damage reduction. Here are the choices : Badger : Who doesn't like badgers? Does cute little animals are unfortunately not that good in NeverWinter Nights. While nice to look at (I like badgers :D), it's not a good choice for your Ranger. Wolf : Your traditional wolf. A nice little companion that can help you in many situations, but I don't understand how someone could choose this one over the Dire Wolf (aside from role-playing reasons, of course). Brown Bear : Yah! I huge bear comes to bite your enemies! This is the most damaging pet, and it's also the one with the most hit points. Unfortunately, its AC is painfully low. For balance reasons, I guess. This is one of my favorites. Boar : I never really like these wild pigs. I might as well pick up a charismatic badger instead (I really like badgers :D). An average companion. Hawk : A pretty cool pet. He flies around, doing its pitiful damage to enemies around. It also has Disarm, but I don't remember seeing it using the feat a single time. If you multiclass, however, and that you don't keep many levels of Ranger (below 30-35), any pet you choose will be too weak, so this one might be actually a good idea, since you can just use it to scout around. Panther : A long time favorite of Wizards and Druids, this one's main bonus is the backstab, which allows it to deal the most damage of the pets when it backstabs (and when fighting against sneakable stuff). A nice pet to have around, though I must admit that I've never been a huge fan of panthers. Giant Spider : This small-sized Shelob has interesting immunities (spell, if I remember correctly). However, it has a low AC, low hit points and low damage (though it has poison attacks, but I'm not sure (never tried it :P)). Not a really good companion, in my opinion. Dire Wolf : A nice solid performer. The dire wolf is the basic animal companion, combining, a good AC, nice hit points and a fine damage. There's not much to say here, beside the fact that if you don't know which companion to take, this one might be a good choice. Dire Rat : I never tried this one. Though I don't really like the idea to have a rat following me around, he might be a fine companion. Advises are welcomed. Conclusion on Animal Companions : Your Animal Companion is your best friend. He will follow you everywhere and do whatever you command him to do. With the Greater Magic Fangs spell, he can become a powerful ally. Always summon him before resting, so that you can summon him again if he dies in combat. I usually choose from the Dire Wolf, the Brown Bear and the Panther. I recommend either the brown bear or the dire wolf to dexterity or archer Rangers, and Melee Rangers may like the panther's backstab. Personally, I like the bear :). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 - Favored Enemies --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Favoured Enemies are the most important part of your Ranger. They are the reason why Rangers are the best damage dealers in the game. Before the coming of epic levels, Favoured Enemies weren't that great. Well, they were useful, but they only gave a +5 damage, and that was against 5 types of enemies in the game. Now, if you go pure, it's a +9 and you can have nearly all the enemies in the game as your favoured enemies. Also, the Bane of Enemies feat gives you an additional +2d6 (2 to 12) damage. That's a lot. You have to plan your Favoured Enemies carefully. At lower levels, a small +1 or +2 isn't a big dead, but it can help (since you want all the damage you can get at lower levels). On the long run, you want to have : The most dangerous enemies The most common enemies Enemies with Immunities (Criticals or Sneaking if you take thief levels) Here are the racial groups : Aberration* Animal* Beast* Construct* Dragon* Elemental* Fey Giant* Dwarf* Elf* Gnome Goblinoid Half-Elf Half-Orc* Halfling Human* Monstrous humanoid* Orc* Reptilian humanoid Magical beast Outsider* Shapechanger Undead* Vermin Your Ranger has 9 Favoured Enemies, and you can take 6 additional via epic bonus feats. That's a total of 15, and there are 24 racial groups. As I said before, the choices you make are crucial. If you take the maximum number of Favoured Enemies, you will end up with only 9 groups of enemies who are not favoured. The groups with an "*" are the ones I usually take. The only additional advice I can give is to start by taking the most common enemies, and then move on to the more dangerous. You also have to adapt yourself to the module/PW you play; if it's full of rats, you should definitely take Vermin. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION D : DIVINE SPELLS | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rangers, like Paladins, have spells from the first four levels of Divine Spellcasting. They get some unique spells, but most of them are from the level 1 - 4 Druid spells. Some will say that they are not really useful, but about 4 of them are really great to use, and will make your Ranger stronger in many ways. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Level One Spells -------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cure Light Wounds : Might be useful at the beginning, but when you get it, it won't be enough. I prefer to use medical kits anyway. Entangle : Quite nice to use. However, most enemies will save lather on, so it's only useful at the beginning. Grease : Almost exactly like Entangle, this one will also slow enemies, even if they save. So, in a sense, it's actually better than Entangle since even if the enemies save, your spell will have helped you by slowing them. Summon Creature I : At the level when you'll get your first spell, the charismatic badger will not be able to do much damage. Actually, your "normal" summons will never be really good, so you should just stick with your animal buddy. Camouflage : Gives you a +10 modifier to your hide checks. For a level 1 spell, this is really great. Actually, you should stick with this spell for your level 1 slots. Magic Fangs : Gives more power to your animal companion. Always nice to use until you get the greater magic fangs, which is a lot better. When you've got some trouble, cast this and your animal should be able to cut through damage reduction. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - Level Two Spells -------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cat's Grace : Gives you a bonus to dexterity. Really nice to use when you need more AC and/or more to hit with weapon finesse or a bow. Especially useful for Dexterity/Finesse and Archer Rangers. Hold Animal : It paralyses an animal. Bleh. I usually prefer risking a animal empathy check, and there are better level 2 spells anyway. Resist Elements : Resistance to elements is always nice to have around, especially against mages who like to use spells like fireball. It would be a good idea to keep at least one, just in case. Sleep : Might be good against crowds, but I prefer grease. Most enemies will save anyway. Summon Creature II : Same deal as for Summon I. The Boar will not be good enough when you'll summon him. One with the Land : +4 bonus to animal empathy, Hide, Move Silently and Set Trap checks. Wow. That's four of your most important skills. A really great spell. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 - Level Three Spells ------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Aid : The bonuses aren't that good, in my opinion. Besides, there are much better spells at this level. Cure moderate wounds : It won't heal enough when you get it. Stick with medical kits. Invisibility Purge : Not bad. You could keep one just in case. Neutralise Poison : Once again, I'd stick with medical kits. Remove Disease : Same deal again (med kits do cure disease, right?). Summon Creature III : A dire wolf isn't bad, so if you're in deep trouble you might want to try it. However, there are better spells here. Blade Thirst : Gives a +3 enhancement to a slashing bonus. Really excellent, until you get a better enhancement (but that won't be soon). Use it to cut through damage resistance. Greater Magic Fangs : Way better than the first one. Always cast it before heavy battles. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 - Level Four Spells ------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cure Serious Wound : It actually heals a fine amount of damage. Not bad, and the other spells of this level aren't that great. I usually stick with medical kits though. Freedom of Movement : Not bad. Since there are not many good spells at this level, it might be a good idea to keep one, just in case. Polymorph Self : I never really tried it. The forms aren't really appealing, if you ask me. I would leave this one alone. Summon Creature IV : I never really liked spiders, so I never used it. It's your call. Mass Camouflage : Same as the first one, except that all allies in an area get the bonus. Not useful unless you play multiplayer. Thieves will probably like it. Conclusion on spells For a Ranger, spells are not that important, but some of them are great. Here are the ones I recommend : Level 1 : Camouflage, Grease, Magic Fangs (until you get the greater's) Level 2 : One with the Land, Cat's Grace, Resist Elements Level 3 : Greater Magic Fangs, Blade Thirst Level 4 : Mass camouflage, Freedom of Movements ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION E : EQUIPMENT | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Note : Most of the information here is based on roleplaying multiplayer PWs. In case you never played these, let me specify that "ultra-uber" items do not exist. That's why I keep this section really simple : in most serious PWs, you are just glad to get a weapon with a single bonus early on. If you just play the campaigns, you'll want the most crazy items available, and then upgrade them in the underdark with the smith. I'll keep this simple, as items are not as important as in other games (Diablo 2, anyone?). In NWN and most DnD games, your character is more important than the sword he wields (and I think that's better than games like D2). Of course if you have a normal (non-enchanted) armour and a crappy sword when you face a Dragon you'll have a really hard time, but most of the time, as long as you can damage the enemy and stay alive, everything is fine. Rangers will either use slashing (Great Sword, Long Sword) or piercing (Short Sword, Arrows) weapons. There's really nothing special to say here. Get the best you can find, and don't forget Blade Thirst if you have a slashing weapon. For armours, you will generally stay in Light Armour or Medium Armour (Single Weapon). Don't forget Cat's Grace if you can't take the full advantage from your armour's dexterity bonus. Also, dexterity-based characters (18+ at creation) may prefer to use no armour at all. Just try to keep your AC as high as possible, and keep your eyes open for interesting modifiers. For the rings and amulet, get what you think is good. Just use some logic, and adapt yourself to the monsters in your PW/module. Full of spellcasters? Get Spell resistance and Elemental reduction. Full of smelly Orc Barbarians? Damage Reduction would help for sure. If you don't see any predominant enemy creatures, just get what you think is best. The same goes for boots. If they exist in your PW, you may want to get the boots of speed. As for the helms, I never wear them. They make your character look ugly. If you like helmets, the same general rule applies : look for mods that you like! Finally, an elven cloak will do nicely to aid your hiding skills. If you don't need this, pick up any mod you want. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION F : MULTICLASSING | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bleh... I hate multiclassing... The way I see it, multiclassing, in the 3rd Edition Rules, is an elegant way of powergamming. Just think of it for a second : why do one wants to multiclass? The answer is simple, really. You want to get something your class doesn't have. How many times have you seen Paladin 1 / Sorcerer X? What the bloody hell is this class combo? It's just to get better saving throws and some immunities! With the 2nd Edition Rules, you cannot multiclass with any class you like. There were heavy ability requirements, and multiclassing (or dual classing) needed to be planned to be effective. I don't know what they were smoking when they created the new rules... Anyway, we're stuck with those new rules and we have to work with that. Alright... But why do you want to multiclass anyway? Don't you think a pure Ranger is nice to have? If the answer is yes : you're cool and you can skip this section. If the answer is no : well, we're gonna try to get something good out of this crap... Read on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Core Classes------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- We'll get started right away, just so that I can move on from this crappy section of my guide... Fighter : Like I said before, Fighter levels will give you feats. Only feats. Yes, it would be nice for your Ranger to have a couple of more feats to mess with, but no, they are not needed. However, since you are probably one of those hardcore powergammers if you are reading this, I'll add that adding enough fighter levels to get both weapon specialisation and epic weapon specialisation will make you the absolute best damage dealer in the game. Add some (7) weapon master levels and you'll do ungodly damage on criticals. Dual wield for even more fun. If you -must- multiclass to fighter, be either Human, Half-Elf or Dwarf, and try to wait until epic levels so that you can take both specialisation and epic spec. at the same time (if your server gives access to epic levels), with the less fighter levels possible. Barbarian : Barbarian levels can actually improve your Ranger, and it's not that difficult to roleplay this multiclass. Barbarian levels will give you the much needed Uncanny Dodge I feat and more hit points without hurting your attack bonuses. Don't forget that it will slow down your favoured enemies progression. The Rage can be useful, though you can't take full advantage of it unless you take more levels in Barbarian than in Rangers. Bard : I never really liked bards. It might be because I'm a really bad actor, and I'm more the scientific type. Anyway. I don't really see anything good out of this good, except for the Bard Song, which (I heard) gives some really great bonuses. Don't forget that your charisma shouldn't be high, so you might not be able to get the most out of this one. Cleric : Might work because of your wisdom. Some domain abilities might be useful, also (war domain spell). Taking Cleric levels will slow down your skills and favoured enemies, and you will only get some low-level skills. I would leave clerics alone. Druid : Druids are much like you. Actually, they're the spellcasting version of the Rangers. You share some of your abilities with them, also. I don't think it's a good multiclass (I don't think multiclass is good, actually), but it might be useful for a Druid who wants to dual wield and get some more attack bonus. Monk : Would help your AC because of your wisdom. Might be good for Dexterity/Finesse Rangers. You could wear no armour and let your Dex and Wis do the job. It would be, however, a weird multiclass (monks have to be lawful, and Rangers tend to be chaotic). Paladin : That would be quite a strange multiclass. You would have to pump your charisma to make it useful though. Now that I think of it, it might actually make a nice role-playing multiclass, but anyway. The attribute spread would be quite hard to get correctly, however. Rogue : Probably one of the most known multiclass. There are tons of rogue players who get 1 Ranger level for the dual wielding feats. I never really liked rogues, so I usually avoid playing as one. The sneaking, combined with your hitpoints and attack bonus, should be quite nice. Sorcerer and Wizard : Those do not generally multiclass well. The wizard variant is slightly better since you get spells faster. Again, the attribute spread would be quite hard to get, and your attack bonus and hit points would get quite hurt. Works fine if you want an arcane archer. If you want to try a Fighter/Mage (made famous in Baldur's Gate II), Ranger levels instead of Fighter levels might be a good idea. Make a traditional Dexterity based Ranger and add Wizard levels according to what you want (more spells or more fighting). Cat's grace will improve your attack bonus and AC (you'll probably end up wearing robes). Favoured enemies will also help you damage does enemies. The DC of your spells will not be high, so you would have to stick with buffs. This build should not be tried by new players, as it's quite difficult to play as a warrior/spellcaster class in NeverWinter Nights. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - Prestige Classes--------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Arcane Archer : For Archer Rangers. You get enchanted arrows and crazy attack bonuses. Don't forget that with Bane of Enemies, your Ranger will actually do more damage. That being said, Arcane Archer levels will help your Ranger with the enchanted arrows. Don't forget that you have to take Wizard, Bard or Sorcerer levels before getting Arcane Archer. Assassin : In my opinion, one of the worst mistake of the 3rd Edition Rules is that Rangers can be evil. Originally, they were like Paladins, but they could choose neutral and chaotic good as well. An evil Ranger just doesn't make any sense to me. However, I've heard good stuff about Darkness + Ultravision + Death Attack. BlackGuard : Same thing as for Assassin. The sneak attack, while keeping the good hit points and attack bonus, sounds really nice. Champion of Torm : Not bad. Gives you some feats like fighter levels, but also pump your saving throws, which is always nice. Actually, I think this one is way better than Fighter, so you might pick this instead of fighter levels. Probably one of the best multiclass, but don't forget that some of their abilities are charisma-based. Dwarven Defender : For Dwarven Rangers, this one is quite nice. You have to be lawful though. More hitpoints and the defensive stance is quite nice, and you get some nice bonuses (cannot be flanked at level 6). A nice class. Harper Scout : Probably the class that people on the Internet hate the most. Add the fact that you can only take 5 levels, and you get a really bad class indeed. They get favoured enemies, but you already get them. Not a good class, in my opinion. For role-playing, however, harper "scout" goes well with Ranger. Pale Master : You would need to take wizard levels, you need to be evil, and you get a weird undead arm. Not really cool, in my opinion. I would leave this one. Red Dragon Disciple : Same thing as for Pale Masters, except that you get ungodly attribute bonuses. Looks quite nice to me. What bugs me is the spellcasting requirement, but I guess it's for balance reasons. Shifter : You would need to pick Druid levels. Not a good one, in my opinion, since you need to pump wisdom like crazy to get the better forms. ShadowDancer : The only good point here is tumble as a class skill and Hide in Plain Sight. Rangers get Hide in Plain Sight in 3.5 rules, but that will never happen in NWN anyway. Too bad. You could pick one level to get Hide in Plain Sight if you want to "play" a 3.5 Ranger though. Weapon Master : I heard that a dual wielding kukris Weapon Master / Ranger is really deadly. That's it. I never really liked them, so I never played this one. It's probably the most popular Ranger multiclass with a prestige class, however. Conclusion on multiclassing Ah! It's finally over! Here are the classes I recommend : Rogue - For a more sneaky Ranger who wants to multiclass Weapon Master - For damage happy Rangers ShadowDancer - For those who want to play a 3.5 Ranger. Of course the best class combo is Ranger 40, but that's just my opinion :). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION G : PLAYING TIPS | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope I'm going to receive many tips from readers for this section. I will cover the basics, and all the tips that comes to my mind right now. I'll probably extend the section later on, when I get more experience with Rangers. Anyway, your tips are welcome. Know how to use your skills : I'll say it again, you are the most skilled warrior class (Barbs usually have low-intelligence :P). So use your skills! Stealth is perfect when you need to do some scouting or to position yourself for a first strike attack. If you find a particular fight too difficult, look for stuff around you : could you lay some traps and then lure the enemies in them? Are there any animals you could get on your side? These are some of the questions you should ask yourself. When someone is wounded, and there's no cleric around, heal them! You have some good wisdom and probably some points in heal so help your allies! In multiplayer... : If there's no thief around, you're probably be the scout of the group. Actually, even if there's a thief, he might be glad to get a +10 bonus from your mass camouflage spell. Also, he might be glad someone with more hitpoints and more attacks come with him, just in case it gets dirty. If your party is full of heavy hitter fighters and dumb barbarians, it might be a good idea to stick with your bow and cause some havoc to enemy spellcasters and archers. If your dexterity is painfully low, use cat's grace. Make good choices : Be careful with the choices you make with your favoured enemies and animal companion. Basically, you should try to find out what kind of creatures are in the module you play. I know it's hard, but ask around (if you're in MP) to higher level players. You can even do it in character with no difficulty at all. The general rule is that people like to put a lot of Undead, so it might be a good choice for your first favoured enemy. Actually, Undead will cover many creatures, and is definitely a good choice. For the animal companions, it's usually a good idea to pick wither the bear or wolf first. If you see you can handle most enemies without its help, try to switch to the animal you want (the panther comes to mind). For combat : For most Rangers (i.e. except for those with low dexterity and heavy armour), the general strategy is the very simple : Shoot arrows, switch to sword when the enemy is near. Be smart, however. If you're facing many archers, it might be a good idea to kill some of them with your bow first, especially if they can backstab. On the other hand, you get a good bonus when in melee with an archer without point blank. Your call. If a fight is too much for your Ranger in melee (and all your other tricks have failed (i.e. your companion died, you have no traps and there are no nearby animals)), consider the very cheap yet effective hit and run tactic. Get that bow out from your backpack, shoot, run, shoot, run et cetera. These are the tips I thought of right now. I know it's not much, but I'll add some more in a future version. Tips from the readers are welcome. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION H : FAVORITE BUILD | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- **Note** Lately, I've been experiencing with those dexterity/finesse Rangers. I might post a new build here if I change my mind. Here's my favourite build, and the one I play the most. Note that this build is based on my opinions, but if you think I'm doing something really wrong, go ahead and point it out. I'll start by writing the choices I made, and I'll explain the build after. Race : Elf Attributes : STR : 16 DEX : 16 CON : 12 INT : 10 WIS : 14 CHA : 08 As you can see, it's one of the build I mentioned in the Strength Dual Wielding section. Bonus Points : The 2 first go into STR to give me more damage and attack bonus with melee weapon. Then I drop the next two in DEX to get the full DEX bonus from my armour without using cat's grace. Also helps my bow. All the others go into STR. If you want to use leather armour instead of studded leather (it gives more AC in total), you might want to drop 2 more points in DEX. You would end up with something like 22/20. Alternatively, you could go 20/22 if you want full advantage from the leather armour without using cat's grace (but that would hurt your ABs). Skills : Hide Move Silently Animal Empathy Set Traps Heal Discipline/Search/Listen (depending on module) Those skills give a lot of versatility to my Ranger. I can use stealth with no problems, I can heal myself and others, set traps and convert animals. Search and others are more for occasional uses, and sometimes I just drop them from the list. Feats : The general feats for Strength apply, except for Devastating Critical, which I think is clearly overpowered. Why do they give this one and keep Death to Enemies? *sight* It looks like BioWare doesn't want to help us Rangers... Anyway. Favoured Enemies : I always start with Undeads, since they are really common and resistant to critical strikes. Also, for some very odd reasons, module builders like to put lots and lots of crypts and undeads in their modules. I usually then go with the most common and then the most dangerous enemies. Animal Companion : Like I said before, I usually start with the Dire Wolf or Bear, since they are the most rounded companions. I usually stick with the bear, but if I need some sneaking I pick the panther. Spells : I stick with camouflage, One with the Land, Cat's Grace, Greater Magic Fangs and Blade Thirst. These are the only spells that are worth casting, in my opinion. The general equipment applies for this build. However, for the weapons, I do something different. This build is my favourite because it kinda takes all the best part of being a Ranger into one character. In the above info, everything is covered except for the weapons, so here's what I generally do : I carry 2 sets of weapons : -Long Sword / Short Sword -Long Bow The Long Sword / Short Sword combo give me the good AB of a light off-hand weapon, and the long sword is a source of slashing damage (blade thirst), which helps to break physical immunities. The Long Bow is for ranged support, of course. That's it for now. I might modify this if I get some more ideas, but I think it's a pretty good build. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- | SECTION I : CONCLUSION | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Well, I hope that you did find some good stuff about Rangers in this guide. And most importantly, I hope that I did convince you of playing a Ranger (pure, if it's possible). I did my best to show that Rangers are not an underpowered class, and I think I did succeed. In any way, just play one to see if you like the gameplay. Like the saying goes, give it a try! Well, I guess that's it for now. I'll probably update this when (if) I get a sufficient amount of stuff from readers, or if there are major mistakes. For those of you who wonder if I'll write another guide, well, I think this is it for NeverWinter Nights. I'll be working on some kind of Knights of the Old Republic character guide (and count on me to defend some underestimated character builds!). Hopefully I'll get some praise before Sith Lords is released... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 - Contact Info ------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- My E-Mail address is : dark_coffee@msn.com Please use NWN Ranger guide VX (the version you're reading) as the subject. I should reply/add your ideas in the next version of the guide as soon as I read the message. Please note that I will not reply to stupid stuff, including flames, insults, and other stuff (you know what I mean). Also, be sure to say if you want to be credited, and under which name. By default, I will credit you as the name from whom I receive the message, but I will not include the address unless you ask me to. Special Note : I will not include in this guide any info submitted about minor Ranger multiclass (i.e. multiclass with less Ranger levels than an other class). This is, after all, a Ranger guide and I want to encourage people to play pure Rangers. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 - Copyright Stuff --------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- This document is copyright (c) 2004 to DarthMuffin. This may be not be reproduced under any circumstances except for personal, private use. It may not be placed on any web site or otherwise distributed publicly without advance written permission. Use of this guide on any other web site or as a part of any public display is strictly prohibited, and a violation of copyright. All trademarks and copyrights contained in this document are owned by their respective trademark and copyright holders. The NeverWinter Nights : Hordes of the Underdark Ranger Guide by DarthMuffin is available for free on the following websites : GameFAQs (www.gamefaqs.com) Neoseeker (www.neoseeker.com) Sorcerers's Place (www.sorcerers.net) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 - Versions ---------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- V1.1 - Added a "What's new?" section and some stuff about a possible Ranger/Wizard build. Improved the feats section a bit, and various bits of info here and there. Also corrected minor mistakes and typos. V1.0 - First version. Includes everything. Will be updated if I receive enough stuff from readers, if I discover major mistakes, if there's a new patch that dramatically changes NWN or if I have enough time to write some more in some sections. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 - Thanks ------------------------------------------------------------------ ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -Thanks to me for writing this (!) -Thanks to BioWare for another great game, though not as good as BG or KotOR -Thanks to you for reading this -Thanks to the few people who defend Rangers on the forums! -And thanks to the people who think that pure Rangers are nice, if there are any