Str Ranger - Blade Thirst - Blood Lust

[Zan]

So been playing a Str Ranger and trying out the new Feats since they launched, they've made a big impact to the feel of Str Ranger, and whilst the MAD of Ranger, and the lack of EDR as a Bonus Ranger Feat means that Dex and their High AC builds still feel stronger (imo) Str ranger does actually feel alot more viable now.

The one thing I would say is that with the new Feat of Blood Lust, and Dual Wield Mastery makes 2 weapons viable, you REALLY notice when Blade Thirst runs out, in a big way.

Rangers dont get alot of spell slots (unless you pump wisdom, and then hard wisdom makes you more MAD, and wis on gear takes away from other critical stats) and if you are dual wielding you will want 2x blade thirst to maximize you AB / Damage / Regen potential, which as a 3rd level spell you dont get many preps of (unless you are wanting to push rangers to the 2bladed style weapons, which I don't think is the intent of the rework)

To address, I wonder if adding to the Blood Lust feat that Blade Thirst now lasts Hours/Level?

[RedGiant]

A work around for the mean time: enchanting basins allows the addition of 3rd lvl slots. On characters that can handle the weight, which by definition a STR Ranger could, I have been known to make a PVP set of optimal gear and a PVE set, the latter of which you might slap said 3rd level slots all over.

Ive done this on some of my characters for high impact things like extend divine favor. Its fun to have as seemingly as many uses of that as a bard has songs (slight exaggeration...but you get my point).

[Archnon]

To address, I wonder if adding to the Blood Lust feat that Blade Thirst now lasts Hours/Level?

I like this idea a lot but I would want it to apply to high level rangers. Perhaps, add it to the Call of the Wild feat instead at level 23? Little more investment.

[Blossom]

What if greater transmutation focus extended it to hours/level?

Could also have one cast apply to both weapons if dual wielding.

[Waldo52]

I tried the new ranger feats on the PGCC and genuinely liked them. However I do think there should be some new content compatible with dex based rangers, if not necessarily designed for them specifically.

These feats were all added to the game to improve strength rangers which is totally understandable. They needed a boost. But shouldn't a more agile ranger also be able to sacrifice some of his power to get a better pet? Or learn a new trick or two in combat? It would be cool to see the class more broadly expanded upon, even if we're talking sidegrades instead of upgrades.

That said the regeneration and improved AC on pets is so fun, I think there's so much more incentive now for certain rangers to stay almost totally single classed, which is a really good thing.

[malcolm_mountainslayer]

I tried the new ranger feats on the PGCC and genuinely liked them. However I do think there should be some new content compatible with dex based rangers, if not necessarily designed for them specifically.

These feats were all added to the game to improve strength rangers which is totally understandable. They needed a boost. But shouldn't a more agile ranger also be able to sacrifice some of his power to get a better pet? Or learn a new trick or two in combat? It would be cool to see the class more broadly expanded upon, even if we're talking sidegrades instead of upgrades.

That said the regeneration and improved AC on pets is so fun, I think there's so much more incentive now for certain rangers to stay almost totally single classed, which is a really good thing.

they might have to nuke monk ranger combo first in some way while doing that

[Waldo52]

I tried the new ranger feats on the PGCC and genuinely liked them. However I do think there should be some new content compatible with dex based rangers, if not necessarily designed for them specifically.

These feats were all added to the game to improve strength rangers which is totally understandable. They needed a boost. But shouldn't a more agile ranger also be able to sacrifice some of his power to get a better pet? Or learn a new trick or two in combat? It would be cool to see the class more broadly expanded upon, even if we're talking sidegrades instead of upgrades.

That said the regeneration and improved AC on pets is so fun, I think there's so much more incentive now for certain rangers to stay almost totally single classed, which is a really good thing.

they might have to nuke monk ranger combo first in some way while doing that

Oh PLEASE do hurt the monk ranger combo.

It's certainly not Arelith's fault but it's kind of bizarre that the only real deep ranger build you see on the build wiki is ranger 27/monk 3. In the past when I was interested in making a dex ranger everyone told me to dip monk. I see it as an irritating quirk of the system that to be a really amazing ranger you have to use a wooden pole or a misshapen little hook on a stick and be lawful.

I personally am not a big fan of monks but even if I was it's a little bit arbitrary.

[AstralUniverse]

Eh... I think ranger/monk combo is in a good place atm.. I wouldnt want to see it dropping in further in power because then it would end up below the curve. Remember it also takes time to farm that build to a point it does meaningful damage against many creature types. If STRanger still needs buffs, then buff it. Maybe throw another +1 ac into the kit and call it a day for now.

[Zan]

The AC is still too low, i took a rogue dip rather than monk for access to open lock / traps, but the Tumble Dip is honestly kinda mandatory on non-dex, and still puts dex into a whole other league. EDR as a non-bonus feat means deep Ranger high con can't capitalise on the high con reqs for the new feats without suffering AB / AC hits; and being a heavy MAD class, your AB already takes a minor hit due to the extra attributes necessary for feat unlocks, spells, and skill points

[Fargreze]

I've been playing with these quite a lot lately and even looked at a scuffed two-handing Falchion version (though the +2 AB and spare FE on that one is nice, it's down 3AC and 2 APR, and has lower peak vamp regen numbers because of that - would not recommend it although the good damage, 12-20/x2 crits and high stable AB make it playable). Here's an example build:

TWO-BLADED SWORD (2BS) Ranger 27 / Specialist 3
Sneak gift (4 Hide/MS)
Str 16 (18-26) / Dex 10 / Con 14 (16) / Wis 14 / Int 14 / Cha 8

Preepic feats:
Expertise, Improved Expertise, WF: Two-handed, WP Exotic, SF Transmutation, Imp. Crit: Two-handed, Blind Fight, Knockdown
Pre-epic Favored Enemy feats:
FE: Elves, FE: Halflings, GSF Transmutation, Dual Wield Mastery, Blood Lust

Epic Feats:
Armor Skin , Great Strength, Skill Focus: Hide, Improved Knockdown or Epic Reflexes or Epic Skill Focus: Spot
Epic FE Feats:
Bane of Enemies, Epic Weapon Focus: Two-handed, Epic Prowess
Specialist bonus feat:
Epic Skill Focus: Hide

Skills: 33 Disc, 33 Hide, 33 Move Silently, 33 Lore, 1 Open Lock, 1 Disable Trap, 33 Spellcraft, 33 Spot, 30 Tumble, 21 Taunt (gets +6 versus favored enemies), and enough for 16 UMD (very optional arcane wand access, since you already get divine wands) and 30 Crafting Mastery.

This build can still get 10 Favored/Studied enemies total, which in my opinion is enough. Say...
Humans, Elves, Halflings, Dwarf, Gnome, Half-Orc, Orc, Goblinoid, Dragon and Half-Elf (with Kobolds, Fey and other less-common PvP races being missed, and lack of Giants/Aberrations/Undead for PvE).

GEARED STATS
50AC self-buffed and hasted (thank you +5 Barkskin, and 3 from Defensive Dual-Wield), 7APR (3/2/2).

51-53AB stable (51 vs FE with Blade Thirst (2 turns/level) Aid running (1 turn/level), 53 versus FE in a natural area). 8 vamp regen on hit. Pierces DR thanks to +5 from BT.

~48dmg average with permanent essence, temp essence and 1d4 enchanted on a bronze 2BS (put Keen, 1d4 dmg and uni on it), ~96 crit, 15-20/x2 range

SAVES
35 Fort/24 Reflex/25 Will with ~9 uni on gear, can get 10 with uni 5% on boots. room for an easy 9 spellcraft.
So maximally ~45 Fort, 34 Ref and 35 Will versus spells.
PfA can add +2 vs spells (+1 then it's hitting the 20 cap) and Good Hope adds +2 general saves (for 37/26/27 vs non-spell effects).

Discipline
14str + 33skill + 3 Sergeant's cloak + 2 chest (Ranger's Runic Studded Leather can take +2 Disc and +1 Uni without hurting your gearing of 6 Str and Con) + 4rings + 2 neck + 2 belt + 2 gloves = 62. Decent.

Against an opponent with no defensive essences, a knockdown leading to 7 hits should come out around 336 damage assuming no crits (let's say ~two (1.75) crits so maybe "408"). Current thoughts are that the high attacks per round count give you an advantage in a situation where you're fishing for 20's (on 60AC in improved expertise, not bad at all), but suffers versus EDR and defensive essences, since the damage output is spread across many blows instead of fewer, stronger hits.

Should probably open from stealth to apply KD, because it lacks other slow/disabling attacks, and it wants to make use of all those APR (two high-AB offhand attacks are at the end of the round, and the full-BAB Haste attack is #5, later into the round). The three attacks in flurry #1 are nice. A successful taunt for -6AC on an enemy could blow open their defenses and let many of the attacks through, haven't yet done this on live. I wanted to get Improved Knockdown to spam it at no cost, hoping for a 20 somewhere in all those attacks.

[Anomandaris]

So been playing a Str Ranger and trying out the new Feats since they launched, they've made a big impact to the feel of Str Ranger, and whilst the MAD of Ranger, and the lack of EDR as a Bonus Ranger Feat means that Dex and their High AC builds still feel stronger (imo) Str ranger does actually feel alot more viable now.

The one thing I would say is that with the new Feat of Blood Lust, and Dual Wield Mastery makes 2 weapons viable, you REALLY notice when Blade Thirst runs out, in a big way.

Rangers dont get alot of spell slots (unless you pump wisdom, and then hard wisdom makes you more MAD, and wis on gear takes away from other critical stats) and if you are dual wielding you will want 2x blade thirst to maximize you AB / Damage / Regen potential, which as a 3rd level spell you dont get many preps of (unless you are wanting to push rangers to the 2bladed style weapons, which I don't think is the intent of the rework)

To address, I wonder if adding to the Blood Lust feat that Blade Thirst now lasts Hours/Level?

You could also extend spell them.