High Int or Wisdom for ranger?

[captainducko]

I feel like these a useless stats for a ranger but they unlock druid spells? Does int or wis help in learning or casting these?

[Amaterasu]

Rangers don't get high enough level in spells to require 17(6th-Level) or 18(7th-Level) WIS. They only get up to third level Druidic spells. Druidic spells count as Divine magic though and thus they would use the WIS stat rather than INT.

[wendigo211]

No, only Clerics and Druids get bonus spells from Wisdom, so no bonuses from a high wisdom or int in regards to spell casting. The wands of Sleep and Magic Missile require an int of 9, so that's something to consider.

[Kamuizin]

Originally posted by captainducko:

I feel like these a useless stats for a ranger but they unlock druid spells? Does int or wis help in learning or casting these?

Metagaming you can dump both. Lorewise, they should have a bit of wisdom, kinda of a trademark of their profession (otherwise they will not stay alive much longer).

Sole exception, if you want to multiclass Ranger to Cleric (never do this if you're an archer), then you need 17 on wisdom and 15 in Str and/or Con (don't remember by memory atm).

[wendigo211]

I wouldn't say never... Archer bonuses do apply to slings, although they can only specialize instead of getting GM). In theory, if you did something like an Archer 13/Cleric you could get a +5 bonus to hit and +6 to damage with slings and slings get STR bonus to damage (so another possible +14 from a 25 strength). That said, the armor restrictions are bad.

[kaiyl_kariashi]

nope. Though Rangers have a minimum 14 wisdom so you can't really dump it much.

Int you can dump more but you'll probably want to keep it around 10-11 to future proof for BG2. Unless you're archer, then you could skip on Int since you'll never really be in range of mind-flayers.

[philos3]

The generic Protection Scrolls (like wands) also require a minimum of 9 intel to use them IIRC. Granted you can have other party members use them on you but it is more convenient.

[Elrion]

First, you need an INT of 9 in order to be able to read scrolls. Also, if you play through the entire trilogy, mindflayers in BG2 cause 5 damage to your INT when they hit you, and you die when you reach INT 0. Thus, for these specific fights, it's somewhat useful to have an INT of 11 or 16, which allows you to survive one or two additional hits from mindflayers.

As for WIS, Rangers do not get any additional spell slots from high WIS (unlike Druids and Clerics). However, having high WIS on your main character is somewhat useful in BG2 as well because it gives you additional (and sometimes highly useful) options in specific dialogues.

In sum, my advice would be to go for an INT of either 10 or 15 (so that you reach a permanent INT of 11 or 16 with the INT tome from BG1), and (assuming that all other important stats are maxed out already) to put any remaining points into WIS then. In any case, this decision will only have a pretty minor effect on your gameplay.

[ruppe27]

I never understood the point of rangers and paladins in these games.

[captainducko]

Originally posted by ruppe27:

I never understood the point of rangers and paladins in these games.

I guess they exist between a druid and a fighter?

[philos3]

Originally posted by ruppe27:

I never understood the point of rangers and paladins in these games.

It is a merely a role playing thing.

That's because these games are an adaptation of table top D&D games. D&D players liked to role play characters similar to those in fantasy books and stories they read. Paladins for example have a lot in common with King Arthur's knights of the Round Table. Making fighter sub classes like Paladin and Ranger available in table top D&D gave the players a chance to have some variety, as well as extra abilities (and restrictions).

[Kamuizin]

On BG/BG2, apart of the need of + xp for less levels, they’re at least good based on the kits, because on PnP, afaik, ranger only get +1/2 apr at lvls 8/14.

[wendigo211]

Originally posted by ruppe27:

I never understood the point of rangers and paladins in these games.

They don't really have a point, since Fighter/Cleric->Paladin and Fighter/Druid->Ranger. However, IIRC, the Paladin class predates the rules for multiclassing. I'm guessing the Ranger does too, which might explain why they exist. At the very least they were introduced at a time when race=class for metahumans.

[philos3]

Originally posted by wendigo211:

Originally posted by ruppe27:

I never understood the point of rangers and paladins in these games.

They don't really have a point, since Fighter/Cleric->Paladin and Fighter/Druid->Ranger. However, IIRC, the Paladin class predates the rules for multiclassing. I'm guessing the Ranger does too, which might explain why they exist. At the very least they were introduced at a time when race=class for metahumans.

That's partial correct. In original AD&D and 2nd edition humans could not "multi"-class. They could "dual" class but only the non-human races had the ability to multi class. Likewise only humans could be Paladins and I "think" only humans and half-elves could be Rangers.

As I mentioned above Paladins and Rangers were developed to allow players to role play characters that they may have come across in literature. I am pretty sure all of that was available in the original AD&D so I would say it's unlikely one predates the other.

I guess it depends on your point of view but I do think there is a point to these classes.

[wendigo211]

Paladins and Rangers predate AD&D. They are 1st edition classes, IIRC the Paladin was introduced in 1977 and the Ranger in 1978, they date from a time when Dwarf and Elf were classes instead of races.

[Many-Named]

Originally posted by Elrion:

First, you need an INT of 9 in order to be able to read scrolls. Also, if you play through the entire trilogy, mindflayers in BG2 cause 5 damage to your INT when they hit you, and you die when you reach INT 0. Thus, for these specific fights, it's somewhat useful to have an INT of 11 or 16, which allows you to survive one or two additional hits from mindflayers.

As for WIS, Rangers do not get any additional spell slots from high WIS (unlike Druids and Clerics). However, having high WIS on your main character is somewhat useful in BG2 as well because it gives you additional (and sometimes highly useful) options in specific dialogues.

In sum, my advice would be to go for an INT of either 10 or 15 (so that you reach a permanent INT of 11 or 16 with the INT tome from BG1), and (assuming that all other important stats are maxed out already) to put any remaining points into WIS then. In any case, this decision will only have a pretty minor effect on your gameplay.

futureproof the underdark? Never had a problem.