WTH O.o? What can the 3.0 ranger do that the 3.5 can't?
EDIT: oh yeah, I forgot to mention the spellcasting. Yeah, the ranger still has spells
EDIT again: do de do... It took a half hour, but I got Dungeon Crafter II working, so we'll have maps. At least once I make them...
___________________________________________
EDIT agaaaain because I'm too polite to double post XP: I hope we get a few more characters ready in time. The more the merrier
Oh well, I suppose you guys'll have a little more time. I'll post the intro tomorrow. I may or may not have a map ready by then (gotta re-create it from scratch because I lost the original map).
Also, I feel like defending the barbarian class for some odd reason that I'm not aware of. btw, I don't have any 3.0 books here, so if I get a minor detail wrong... oh well
Barbarians the same base attack, proficiencies, and fortitude save as rangers. The only difference in the basic stats is that the ranger has a better reflex save and the barbarian has more hp (which we can say cancels out).
As far as special abilites goes, the barbarian is easily better. Fast movement is a great bonus from the start, who wants to be slow? Barbarian rage is also a very powerful tool in combat, It gives an advantage comparable to the ranger's combat style. In addition to that, barbarians get miscellaneous features like damage reduction and uncanny dodge. Do you have any idea how much improved uncanny dodge owns? All the ranger gets is the puny favored enemy bonus and a few minor spells. What's a ranger gonna do? shoot the barbarian a few times while he's charging? We can even give him the benefit of the doubt and let it be a half-orc barbarian and give him a favored enemy bonus. Whoop-do-do 3 arrows hit for 3d8+30 damage total. He has over 170 health
Gonna try to cast a spell? Oh, wait, the ranger had no offensive spells in 3.0 >.<. Now the raging barbarian power attacks you with his keen greataxe that deals 1d12+25 damage per hit (and that's very conservative. Potion of
true strike+power attack=priceless... or 50 gp. whichever XD). Let's hope he doesn't crit
In 3.5 a ranger stands a better chance due to better spell selection, better stealth skills, and overall more class features.
Yes, a ranger is better than a barbarian outside of combat, but only marginally. All they can do better than a barbarian really is track stuff and hunt favored enemies, and how often do you need to do something
other than track one of 4-5 creature types?
Don't bother to say that rangers are better at urban campaigns either. Last campaign I played, the ranger botched the roleplaying while we were ordering at a tavern, ended up with only wine and liquor to drink, got drunk, then attempted to chug hot tea that someone offered to him to help the drunkenness (in that order). (yes that part was pretty much gratuitous. Still shot down a possible argument though XD)
___________________________________________________
EDIT one last time: Now I feel like picking apart your
after you lvl them up so much you want a new char.lol
comment
What's that supposed to mean? You wanna stay low-level and do nothing more interesting than exterminate a goblinoid settlement or two and hunt young dragons or something? The real fun just
starts around level 10. That's when you start getting the really interesting class abilities and qualifying for just about any prestige class you try for.
You know that second campaign setting I mentioned? I made it with that idea in mind. It's a campaign setting where you can get to level 30 and still have a good 5% or so of the world's NPCs that are more powerful than you. (
High levels are just plain fun. Who wants to run around with wimpy abilities and equipment? I enjoy having enough resources and exp to say stuff like "I have my summoned shadow companion move to flank so all 5 of my hits will be sneak attacks." or "I escape the wizard's telekinesis spell by activating my cape of the montblanc and teleporting to safety on a rooftop out of sight."
I've played my halfling rogue from level 1 to level 14 (and a half XD). I still enjoy playing him a lot. I halfway don't expect to get there, but I've planned out his level and feat progression all the way to level 35 XD
As that character, captured dragon wyrmlings, drawn from a deck of many things (with no ill effect! ^_^), gone on a quest from Yondalla for the privilege of re-creating myself, stolen a gem larger than I am from a magical bank safe, double-crossed my employer because they weren't paying me enough then made over 10x my original pay, and gone treasure hunting on another plane. (just to name my favorites) And I'm nowhere near the end of my "to-do" list ;D.
I don't know how a you could level a character up "so much you want a new char." If that happens, you have problems other than picking a bad class (maybe something involving a life, or a lack thereof?)
And just because I'm still curious...
WTH O.o? What can the 3.0 ranger do that the 3.5 can't?
seriously, I wanna know