I've rolled up a new ranger. I loved the old voln fu style so I'm training him in brawling and ranged. I also want to work on artisan skills so with brawling and ranged I can make useful items for this character. I have a few questions and then I will post my stats and training.

Lvl 0 training always screws me up. I am 2x armor but at level 2 it's a doubled cost to get to 6 ranks. I still can train up to 8 ranks but above 4 ranks it's 10/0. If I am 2x at lvl 2 shouldn't it be 5/0 up to 6 ranks? That's 2x for levels 0,1 and 2. How does that work?

Is 1x stalking and hiding worth it? I love the idea of it with the ranger spells, skills and RP so I am reluctant to ranger without some S/H. I do not think I can afford ambush (is 1x ambush worth anything?) also because I want to build up the lores, mana control and other Mental TP intensive items although that is looking difficult too. ( most of my semis have favored the physical skills over the mental skills so I don't know much about what lores to get, what rate to train in them, and I don't even know what mana control does)

On the boards I see many players that do UAC also list TWC. Will that be a factor? I can understand MOC, does TWC give you two jab, two punches etc...?

I am going to 1x spells. Maybe even skip one spell to just keep spell rank = to level and free up some MTP's.

Name: Tolsten Race: Half-Elf Profession: Ranger
Level: 2 Gender: Male Age: (Select your age)

Experience:
Experience: 8044 Next level at: 10000 exp.
Exp. until next lvl: 1956
Fame: 847 Deeds: 0 Deaths this level: 0
Your mind is numbed.

Wealth:
Silvers: 0 coins

Skills:
Skill Name | Current Current
| Bonus Ranks
Armor Use..........................| 30 6
Ranged Weapons.....................| 30 6
Brawling...........................| 30 6
Physical Fitness...................| 15 3
Dodging............................| 15 3
Harness Power......................| 15 3
Survival...........................| 30 6
Stalking and Hiding................| 15 3
Perception.........................| 15 3
Climbing...........................| 10 2
Swimming...........................| 5 1
First Aid..........................| 15 3

Spell Lists
Ranger.............................| 3
Training Points: 0 Phy 45 Mnt
(Use SKILLS BASE to display unmodified ranks and goals)

163 days remain until the annual FIXSKILLS is to be granted, on 05/20/2013.

You started this migration period on Saturday, 12/8/2012 at 17:13:39 EST. You have 29 days, 23 hours, 58 minutes remaining in your current 30 day migration period.

You're currently migrating at a rate of .010 skill points per pulse, and have converted 2.00 training points this migration period.

Further information can be found in the FAQs.

Spell Ranks:
Ranger Base :3

Stats: Normal (Bonus) ... Enhanced (Bonus)
Strength (STR): 61 (5) ... 61 (5)
Constitution (CON): 73 (11) ... 73 (11)
Dexterity (DEX): 42 (1) ... 42 (1)
Agility (AGL): 70 (20) ... 70 (20)
Discipline (DIS): 77 (8) ... 77 (8)
Aura (AUR): 82 (16) ... 82 (16)
Logic (LOG): 82 (16) ... 82 (16)
Intuition (INT): 64 (7) ... 64 (7)
Wisdom (WIS): 64 (7) ... 64 (7)
Influence (INF): 50 (5) ... 50 (5)

Forget brawling.

The bells of Hell
go ting-a-ling-a-ling
for you but not for me

OK, any profession that can 2x brawling can use UAC as a combat style. Rangers are semis, not squares, and are probably best advised to train in only one combat style. I.E., go with archery, go with THW/polearms, go with OHand/shield, or even brawling, but don't try for 2. Too expensive in TPs; you want to get spells, lores, etc.

My own ranger is using OHE/shield, and ambushing from hiding. Training in S&H and various ranger spells make this build similar to an ambushing rogue. My close freind had a ranger that used archery from the open; just train 2x in perception. You can also use archery from hiding in which case you will want to train in S&H as well.

I have tried UAC with my combat rogue (from hiding) and my warrior (from the open), and it's much more effective from hiding. It is, however, really intended for monks; I never use it now.

The bells of Hell
go ting-a-ling-a-ling
for you but not for me

There really are sooo many ways you can build a ranger that as said you can do about anything but you sacrifice stealth, or lores or something to gain the other thing you want. It is possible to use ranged and UAC it just comes at a cost somewhere else. I have always had two fighting skills, and am very well trained defensively against most creatures, but what I experience is there are one or two critters that I eventually must hunt that can just beat me down while other rangers don't have issue with the same creature.

So I avoid those or get spells from others or get someone to go along with me. Sometimes it means I have to sit about till the right person comes along, but if you want to build a ranger with a wide diversity of skills that is a possible solution also.

I think most rangers do not 2x in armor unless they just swing and dont use much magic, and I know if you wish to brawl and use a bow its not necessary, your not going to want to go past brig with that build for a long time, finding better quality brig and enhansives would do you more good then the extra armor training using a bow.

>They were saying the penalty would be reduced for bows as there in the left hand, but I never saw it come to be. Is it still on the table or no longer something to happen?

Finros implemented the change. Bows have the same penalty with either hand. I've verified this with testing.

0 ranks: -30 MM
1x ranks: -22 MM
2x ranks: -15 MM

http://www.krakiipedia.org/wiki/MM#Weapon_Penalties

Mark

If you want more cash, train some trading. You can max out your skinning ability sooner by extra training in FA and survival, but in the long run 1x/1x is all a ranger needs to maximise skin value. Trading is also useful because it helps you appraise skin quality and see how far away from that maximum you are.

Here is a totally different viewpoint, just for the sake of diversity. I have had 14 characters generated since 1995 and have never trained even one in trading. IMO, these TPs can be better used elsewhere, to raise your character's combat efficiency, hunting ability, skinning ability, trap/locksmith skills, etc., all of which can be used to gain more cash. I have NEVER had a character hurting for money.

The bells of Hell
go ting-a-ling-a-ling
for you but not for me

To be 1x in trading is rather cheap, only 3 mtps per level as a ranger, and it does add up, depending on your race you'd have something like a 17-19% trading bonus at cap for that small investment. And most of it gotten with just the first 40 ranks. Do you need the extra coins and other little perks? Nope, but I think they are nice and you aren't the only one who doesn't train their characters in it Throgg, I believe the majority of people don't train it. For me, getting trading up to 202 ranks was my second postcap goal, my trading bonus is 27% which is a nice chunk of change when you add it all up over time.

Just train in one combat system; archery in this case. You can bless your own arrows. I have a rogue who is trained in brawling and OHE; have experimented with her using the UAC vs undead. Not nearly as good as the old Voln Fu, although it can be done. (She is keeping brawling mainly because she has some nice katars). Keep some cmans to train in disarm. Forget MFire. Another cman that may be of use is shadow mastery, if you want to snipe from ambush. On the other hand, open archery is quite effective, and you say you may migrate away S&H. You may in that case want to get one rank of cman surge instead, since archery RT is related to strength as well as type of bow. Surge is additive to Phoen's strength and wizard strength, btw.

The bells of Hell
go ting-a-ling-a-ling
for you but not for me

Rangers can't get surge?? What a rip off! I didn't even look it up, just automatically assumed they could. Hmm, maybe they figured that Phoen's strength would make up for it? Bah!

The bells of Hell
go ting-a-ling-a-ling
for you but not for me

<Our CM options are close to worthless (offensively speaking). However, our spells are often better versions of many of the mechanical functions of skills from the CML>

I agree now if WOT would just defend against some of the critter cmans, and getting your pockets picked, it would not be so bad. I head butted so many times its silly that WOT never stops that. Also the spell Assume Aspect offers most of what the cmans do, just no where near as effective because of the huge mana cost for 90 seconds of protection. Just changing that alone would make a large difference.

Assume lion, and Pheon's are likely why rangers cannot get surge, however in its current state I think id prefer surge over assume aspect.

Also in Wolffs build, if your going to be an open archer and not train in ambush I am not so sure theres that big a benefit to being 1x in stalking and hiding. I also would at least carry some mana control so that if needed your at least able to receive mana from others I have only 16 trains in it an share mana very well plus have a decent recovery rate.

As far as armor goes, watch merchants, you can get brig, 4x brig reasonably priced at least once a year at festivals or such, then work on improving it from there. Lot of merchants lighten things, sometimes even for free. Most rangers and archers lighter is better, my brig is at 12 lbs. I get better protection out of enhansives then I would further enchanting the armor. I don't think I will ever go past that unless I can get a better spell failure rate then 6%. Be patient and add some padding, use your ranger skills to add element resistance and you might like it alot.

Here is an idea, although I dont think its possible, but....

How bout creating some gems or potions or such that contain the equal of cmans, that only work based on a skill or stat, such as physical training and stamina,, or exsisting combat man trains and cmans.

Such as ---you must have mastery of at least one CMAN to use a (Some item) of cman at the first rank, and it requires the same mana/stamina cost as if you were trained in it. Total free Unspent Combat Man ranks allow you to gain higher ranks in the potion at the same rate as if you were training it and same mana/stamina/etc cost.

so anyone mastering 1 cman can use a potion/gem/imbedable with cman surge at rank 1, to use it at rank two you must have unused cman ranks equal to what would be required to reach rank 2.. etc.