[3.5] Salvaging a Ranger Build

[linklord231]

In general, you don't want to dip too much in a Swift Hunter build. Maybe a level of Cloistered Cleric, but Soulbow is probably not worth it.

[Bard]

Cloistered Cleric is almost a must for travel devotion, you might get out in a decent way using Greater Manyshot, but I think the Travel Devotion path is better.
Soulbow and Kensai aren't worth it at all. Splitting and Lucky enchants work perfectly well on real weapons, no need to waste class levels on stuff you can buy.
As far as Scout go, 3 levels is all you need, 4 if you need a feat. The 5th one is really only useful if you want to trade away Ranger's Evasion for something else, but I'd advise only getting 4 levels so you don't lose a point of BAB

[Moogle]

Ugh, I'm serious considering dropping out of this campaign. I've tried to hold my ground but it's getting kind of ridiculous now.
Firstly, I can't take a level of Cloistered Cleric because "we already have a Cleric in the group." It's a really poor reason after I already explained I only needed the one level for Travel Devotion. Second off he never intended to let me fix my character until I made an impromptu deal to pick him up a taco as I went back to my dormitory to retrieve my forgotten dice. Then when I got back someone asked why I needed to remake my character in the first place and  the DM simply laughed and said, "Oh, it's because he took a level or Order of the Bow Initiate. I know what that is--it's terrible." He then stated at the table as he took my entire dice bag and dumped it out onto the table (he left his in his car) that he actually reveled in screwing with me.
Now he just texted me trying to say my character can't use Raptor Arrows. He started off by saying the Bane property only worked on one type of enemy I selected. Then when I explained to him Raptor Arrows dynamically gain the enhancement on any targeted enemy he tried saying I couldn't do that unless I sacrificed a 4th level divine spell. I subsequently had to explain the True Believer feat bypassed this requirement. He countered by saying because my character is a Goblin with animosity for Elves that I wouldn't be a follower of Ehlonna and thus I can't use the Relic Power. I'm currently trying to explain that my character would actually be likely to worship her because she's a Ranger. Also Ehlonna despite being closely associated with Elves isn't an Elf herself. She is a deity who isn't bound to things such as race. She isn't the Goddess of the Elves or anything she is more closely the Goddess of the Forest. 
If he doesn't agree with my reasoning I'm leaving the campaign. I wouldn't normally do this but he's already told me I can't even sell the now useless Raptor Arrow for money. It's just useless and I have to deal with it. I probably won't even be able to take a different feat in place of True Believer; I'm likely to be stuck with it too. This is all quickly becoming too much for me. I like the people in the group and the campaign but the DM's rulings are becoming far too absurd and seem to a deliberate attempt to personally screw me over.

[Sunspear]

I think people are too quick to jump on the "fuck the DM/leave the game" train, but seriously - fuck the DM/leave the game.

[Leviathan]

He then stated at the table ... that he actually reveled in screwing with me.

If your DM hadn't already crossed the line from "terrible DM" to "terrible person", he has now. Tell him, and the rest of your table, that you don't revel in being screwed with. If at all possible you should drop out of this campaign and never again play with this DM.

What do your fellow players think of all this? If they agree with you, or can be persuaded to agree with you, then the group as a whole should just stop inviting the DM.

[Raineh Daze]

Uh, yeah; leave. Any GM that's going to lie for their own gain and then negate any attempt to make the best of a bad choice isn't worth dealing with. Ever.

[Jackinthegreen]

Any DM who admits to reveling in screwing with a player should never be played with again.  They don't deserve players, but probably do deserve a good kick in the groin and a broken nose.  Your best choice truly would be to get the fuck outta there.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

4th-ing


... or go homey don't play dat.
Pull out all the cheap stuff on
the Bunkos and Macgyver threads.
And start back-hacking your build
with Endarire's Hood stuff.

[Moogle]

Another player, who I'll call Blue, is close friends with the DM and decided to talk to him about this for me. Apparently, my character is too strong now. While I tend to disagree Blue pointed out most of the party can barely hit half of what I can. I suppose it's a conflict of interest. Everyone is mostly making simple low-damage characters except me. I've always tried to make my characters as good as reasonably possible. I never intend to break the game, but I'm not one to do something blatantly suboptimal.
Had the DM been clear as to what power level we were going for this would have never been an issue. But even after going over numerous class ideas with him and blatantly asking him if it was a low-power campaign or not I never got a clear answer and always presumed I had free will to do whatever I pleased as long as it wasn't explicitly banned or unreasonable.
The DM really hasn't handled this well at all. He just keeps trying to punish me for mistakes and taking things away without explaining what the actual reason is. Had he simply came out and said, "Hey, your character is too strong. Do you mind changing it a bit to fit better with the rest of the party?" I wouldn't have a problem with this. But he just hasn't.
I'm taking a break from the campaign to think this all over because I'm incredibly frustrated at the moment. Maybe in a week or so I'll change my mind and come back but I highly doubt it.

[CaptRory]

Run your own game and show 'em how to do it. 

[X-Codes]

For you to be out-performing a Cleric of your level, he'd basically have to be preparing *all* cure spells at *all* levels.  Yes, Swift Hunter builds do damage.  That is *all* Swift Hunter builds really do.  Most of them pick up a little utility from a Cleric dip and/or the Sword of the Arcane Order feat, but from level 7 onward the Cleric, Druid, and Wizard just plain win encounters while the Swift Hunter is maybe casting Fist of Stone from a wand or some such nonsense.

[phaedrusxy]

Many people have no FKN idea how to really play effectively, and think Fireball is a great spell. I suspect these people fall into that category, one and all (except the OP, obviously).

[Moogle]

For you to be out-performing a Cleric of your level, he'd basically have to be preparing *all* cure spells at *all* levels.  Yes, Swift Hunter builds do damage.  That is *all* Swift Hunter builds really do.  Most of them pick up a little utility from a Cleric dip and/or the Sword of the Arcane Order feat, but from level 7 onward the Cleric, Druid, and Wizard just plain win encounters while the Swift Hunter is maybe casting Fist of Stone from a wand or some such nonsense.

Blue is the Cleric, and he is deliberating handicapping himself; the Druid, a close friend of mine, is simply too inexperienced; and the Wizard--well I haven't paid too much attention to how well he is playing. What I'm saying is the group is still getting outplayed by me somehow.

[awaken_D_M_golem]

fluff:

Suddenly the Ranger can't find a higher level Ranger to train him anymore.  He's got to become a Cleric or Druid (hint hint) or Wizard m'cuz that's all the higher level doods around to train him (oh that sucked not being able to be trained, I don't want that to happen again, I'm'n'a be a Druid from here out).  Hey, think we oughta use the 1st edition multiclassing restriction, where I can't use any of the previous class stuff until my Druid level equals it?  I mean the Cleric can always heal me up if there's a problem, right ?!


(because going Commoner might be taken spin-the-random-bad wheel worse)