Gnoll ranger build help

[caldura firebourne]

Looking to make a gnoll ranger at some point in the future and I'm hoping the build junkies can make a bad class playable,

Rp wise it's going to be melee focused but I'm more worried about PVE viability over PVP viability,
Ideally it won't be using ranged weapons at all except to draw enemies, and will be constitution heavy with enough ranger levels to make blade thirst a worthwhile spell

[Rags]

If you're looking for something Ranger heavy, I suggest Ranger 21 Fighter 6 Rogue 3.

[One Two Three Five]

There's apparently ranger updates in the pipeline but I wouldn't bet on it. So, you're down to a few questions.

1. Do you want any defense?
2. PvE or PvP? (At least, until that dynamic favored enemy thing shows up)
3. Do gnolls count as orcs mechanically, like for weapons?

Assuming no, doesn't matter, and yes, in that order, boy howdy is there a way to make this thing function give or take.

so, a gnoll will be running an extra 2 con over a normal half-orc, that's great. Super.
Start with 17 or so strength, grab a str gift (can gnolls take stat gifts?) If you can.
19 at start, 26 from leveling, 38 geared and buffed. Not terrible! Strength-wise anyway.

Spread: 21 ranger/6 fighter/3 (bard or rogue), or 23/4/3 (for the double-animal thing, dunno how good UD animals get though)

Straight ranger to 21 for bane of enemies. Epic Weapon Spec from fighter. Other good feats: Epic disc focus, improved expertise, imp crit.

What you're hoping for is that gnolls can use the orc double weapons. They're +4, runic, (slap damage or strength on there?), and the unlimited blood frenzy makes sure you top out your strength score. Other weapons are fine-to-better, but the double weapon seems hilarious and thematic, which you'll want when running this class, at least until Peppermint's theoretical buff.

If you value defense, you can use handaxes or another small/light one-handed slashing weapon, paired with either a second of the same or a shield, which will let you get fairly acceptable AC with the ranger leathers and IE running.

AB should be something like, ah.. 25 base+14 strength+4 (orc double whatever)+2 bane of Enemies+2 large weapon bonus+ 1 aid (It lasts 21-23 minutes, might as well!)+3 foci+1 prowess if you can fit it.. For a 'dropping out of stealth' AB oooof..
53/48/43/38/53/48, vs favored enemies. So, choose them well. In a party you can afford to take the time to get War Cry cast, which'll give you a boost up to 55, again against favoreds.

Your AC will be, uh, lets call a spade a spade: Bad. This build basically functions off of dropping out of stealth and getting an IKD on first shot, and also on the whole 'bane of enemies' thing. You'll be pretty inefficient against non-favoreds.

Although, thinking about it, you could squeeze out more damage using a double weapon with Blade Thirst on it. Darn. I really like those orc weapons.

FAIR WARNING: This character wont get, uh, 'numbers listed' good till 21+ or so, and I have no idea how much of a slog leveling a ranger is these days. Tried it once back in the day and just, can't fathom doing it anymore.

edit: KEEN. you can KEEN THEM with RUNIC.
god damn how did i not realize when typing this

[caldura firebourne]

Defense not too worried about.
PVE mostly, pvp will be inevitable but the bad guys have to lose sometimes pretty sure gnolls count as half-orcs mechanically, favored enemy half-orc hurts them

They get 1 stat gift

Levelling might be hard, I certainly hope so. Alot of my characters lately have been gaining levels quickly which I thought was a good thing, but I quickly grow bored of them and roll them because they have almost no story behind them. Kinda trying to go back to my roots and refresh my outlook on the game

Also lovin the idea of situational HiPS

[Baron Saturday]

Grab a gift of crafting for your minor and do straight tailoring, should be able to make the ranger's Runic Studded Leather by late teens, assuming you can get enough mithril dust to accept a ~50% failure chance. This will at least HELP with your AC woes.

[Jagel]

Not sure they can use the half orc weapons.

[caldura firebourne]

Not sure they can use the half orc weapons.

can anyone confirm or deny this? I'm pretty gnolls should be able to use half-orc restricted weapons without a UMD check seeing as the drow weapons while requiring a specific race of Drow to craft, are elf/evil restricted

also I'm pretty sure I had a kobold wearing a halfling only artefact once but I can't remember if he had UMD before or after he got the artefact

[Rags]

Not sure they can use the half orc weapons.

can anyone confirm or deny this? I'm pretty gnolls should be able to use half-orc restricted weapons without a UMD check seeing as the drow weapons while requiring a specific race of Drow to craft, are elf/evil restricted

also I'm pretty sure I had a kobold wearing a halfling only artefact once but I can't remember if he had UMD before or after he got the artefact

I think mechanically they can use them, but cannot craft them.

[caldura firebourne]

It's totally fine if I can't craft them myself, give me a group of half orcs and orogs and I'll throw a rock, odds are whoever it hits is a smith

[Baron Saturday]

It's totally fine if I can't craft them myself, give me a group of half orcs and orogs and I'll throw a rock, odds are whoever it hits is a smith

If orogs can use them, I'm certain gnolls can.

[gilescorey]

I wouldn't be so sure. Orogs are more Orcish than half-Orcs are. The only relationship Gnolls have with the two is that their base race for mechanical purposes is half-Orc.

[Lorkas]

Gnoll PCs count as half-orcs for the purposes of item property "Only usable by:" restrictions and favored enemy.

[gilescorey]

Oh, oops. I think I read that totally wrong. My bad!

[Ork]

Bear in mind that as a ranger with 21 levels your blade thirst spell will give you +4 enchantment. It is pretty redundant to get the orcish racial item if you always have +4 available. This spell stacks after all.

[Baron Saturday]

Bear in mind that as a ranger with 21 levels your blade thirst spell will give you +4 enchantment. It is pretty redundant to get the orcish racial item if you always have +4 available. This spell stacks after all.

Wanted to make this point as well. You could get something roughly equivalent to a keened orc blade with, say, a keen/essence/1d4 damage weapon with blade thirst.

[gilescorey]

Also bear in mind that Blade Thirst only lasts for turns/level, and that's with Arelith's bonus. Usually it only lasts 2 rounds/level.

[Baron Saturday]

Also bear in mind that Blade Thirst only lasts for turns/level, and that's with Arelith's bonus. Usually it only lasts 2 rounds/level.

I mean, blade thirst outside of Arelith also only gives +3 flat and no vamp regen, but that's not terribly relevant. If you can pick up extend spell, you've got 45 minutes of blade thirst by level 15, and 3 solid hours by level 21 (assuming you dedicate all level 3 and 4 slots to blade thirst, which I admit you might not want to do).

Best of both worlds, of course, would be to keen an orc double sword and then blade thirst THAT.