Swiss Army Knife: Ranger Tactics in DDO

By James ‘Aelasyl' Abels

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The ultimate sixth man, a ranger's versatility makes him an invaluable asset to any party. He is one part fighter, one part rogue, and one part cleric, and yet he is certainly unique. A smattering of skills, a couple heal spells, a variety of buff spells all tacked on to combat style feats make the Ranger ready to fill any role needed in a group.

Basic Ranger Roles
A Ranger's role is not easily defined without knowing the makeup of her party. A well-prepared Ranger is the right tool for any situation.

Melee combatant – Solid Strength and Dexterity scores along with Two-Weapon Fighting and Improved Two-Weapon Fighting as bonus feats allow her to take up a sword or two and help the primary melee combatant wade through enemies more efficiently. She can even don full-plate armor and serve as the primary tank herself.

• Ranged combatant – High Dexterity, the unique ability to add his Strength modifier to his bow damage, and the Rapid Shot and Manyshot granted feats let a Ranger shine while picking off enemies from afar. Staying at range and avoiding damage and spells saves the healer of the group many spellpoints.
• Skills scout – A base of six skill points per level to invest into reconnaissance, stealth, and utility class skills allow the Ranger to function as a scout or “squishy guardian.” She can travel with a Rogue as she disables traps ahead of the party, locate enemy groups, or rescue fallen comrades.
• Backup caster – With a variety of buffing spells and healing spells, a Ranger can use his limited spellpoints to take some of the burden off of a Cleric or Sorcerer. Keeping himself buffed up and topped off with hit points while the other caster can focus on the more one-dimensional classes.

The Quick Sub Fighter

The Ranger is a combatant by all definitions in DDO. The best base attack bonus (BAB), a good Fortitude save progression, and all the basic weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies means she is designed to fight. The only thing lacking is her hit points which are a bit on the low side in comparison, but she makes up for this with a good Reflex save progression. The Ranger can go wherever the party needs her. Frontline, rearguard, or ranged, she defines her place in combat based on the others in her group. Just like everyone else, the primary goal of the Ranger is to hit and not get hit back. Without medium and heavy armor proficiencies however, the Ranger should remain very mobile in combat. But she should also take care to set her feet before she swings, otherwise she will incur a -4 penalty to attacks.

Feats: Picking the Right Tools

Feats can do two things for a Ranger. They can help him become a utility class or more of a generalist. With only four feats from levels one through ten, it is important for him to plan ahead on how he wants to define himself.

A combat focused Ranger has plenty to choose from as far as feats are concerned. Weapon Focus can increase his accuracy. Improved Critical can increase his damage. Heavier armor proficiencies, shield mastery feats, dodge and mobility can improve his defense. Spring Attack can reduce penalties for being mobile. Shot on the Run can let him reload while moving about the combat area.

A skills focused Ranger may look into one of the seven dual-skill boost feats such as Acrobatic, Alertness, Athletic or Stealthy. She should also strongly consider picking up the Skill Focus feat in her skill of choice to add a +3 bonus to a single skill.

Rangers that want to increase their effectiveness as buffers and healers might consider a few of the metamagic feats to get the most out of their limited spell points. Extend Spell can double the duration of the spell while only increasing the cost of the spell by 50%. Empower Healing Spell can help the Ranger squeeze use of the last few odd spellpoints in his pool.

Skills: Packing in a Few Extras

Rangers have the second highest base amount of skill points per level, on par with Bards and only trailing Rogues. Their skill selection can be divided into three groupings.

• Stealth Skills – Hide and Move Silently help the Ranger remain undetectable even at point blank range. Both skills are dependent on Dexterity and are subject to Armor Check Penalties (ACP).
• Reconnaissance Skills – Listen, Search, and Spot allow the Ranger to detect hidden enemies and ambushes along with traps and secret doors. Wisdom and Intelligence are the primary abilities for these skills.
• Utility Skills – Concentration, Heal, Jump and Swim. Concentration helps a Ranger cast in combat. It is not a very important skill, most Ranger stick to the fringe of combat and most available spells are buffs that most players cast beforehand. Heal controls how much players regenerate at rest shrines so the Ranger is contributing while sleeping on the job. Jump and Swim help the Ranger avoid dangerous situations and reach locations other classes find difficult. Neither is extremely important, but they can be fun.

Spells: Buffs and Heals

The Ranger's spell selection is limited and at level 4 he can only prepare a single spell. His spell point pool is very small, with only six points as a base at level 4. First level spells include energy resistances and a few miscellaneous buffs. Second level spells open up ability score buffs, a natural armor spell and cure light wounds. Higher level Ranger spells are not yet in game but are expected with level cap increases.

Parting Thoughts

Ranger is a very enjoyable class for many, but not for everyone. Most groups consider a Ranger as a sixth man who does not fit into one of the four MMO archetypes. It may take some time to learn but Rangers can find a spot in every group. A Ranger is a Swiss Army Knife, a bunch of tools in a compact but solid package, useful in any and every situation.

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