The Ranger is an Advanced Vocation in Dragon's Dogma. It costs 1,000 Discipline Points (DP) to switch to this vocation.
Description
No class is deadlier from afar than the Ranger. Equipped with a massive longbow, Rangers deliver punishing arrows from a distance, taking out enemies before they’re able to come near. And thanks to their dual daggers, Rangers are capable of facing multiple opponents up close.
Primary Weapon: Daggers
Secondary Weapon: Longbow
Primary Offensive stat: Strength
Strengths and Role
Expert Marksman: Rangers are the only class able to equip longbows, which allows them to do massive amounts of damage from long distance. They can target and attack multiple enemies at once, deal heavy damage to a single opponent, or cover a wide area in an impressive volley of arrows -- all from a safe distance.
Massive Range: The skill Meteor/Comet Shot allows Ranger to act as a long-range sniper, killing enemies over great distances before they even know what hit them.
Selection of Arrows: Rangers can unlock several different skills that allow them to hinder, wound, or otherwise incapacitate enemies. Coupled with various types of equip-able arrows (Oil, Poison, Blast, Sleeper, Petrify), the Ranger has a wide variety of attacks to fit each battle.
Deadly Accuracy: The Ranger's arrows are the most accurate of all long-range options, especially over medium to long distances. Some of the Ranger's skills allow it to target a creature's weak spot and fire up to ten well placed arrows at once, or fire one massively powerful shot. Rangers can also fire a wide spread of arrows, ensuring at least some will strike the target.
Highest Stamina Growth: Rangers have the highest stamina growth of all vocations, allowing the ability to run longer, cling to foes longer and use more skills.
Weaknesses
Weak Melee Combatant: The Ranger does not unlock any further dagger skills past the base skills the Strider acquires. When confronted up close, it is often better to retreat to a safe distance and continue to fire arrows, which can be difficult to do in some close quarters dungeons.
Low Defense: The Ranger class has one of the lowest defense ratings in the game (on par with the Strider and Assassin), rendering them very easy to overpower. A Ranger caught unaware can be easily slain by bosses and ranged attackers.
Bow Mobility: In exchange for the power of the longbow, the Ranger has a very slow walking speed while aiming. Additionally, some skills completely restrict movement. This can leave the user open if enemies approach from a blind spot or attack too quickly for you to dodge roll. Moving with the bow drawn also decreases the accuracy of the ranger.
High Stamina Usage: Many of the longbow skills, while powerful, require a lot of stamina to use and sustain. Repeated or improper use can very quickly lead to a lack of stamina in heated battles.
No blocking ability: The Ranger must rely on the dodge roll to avoid incoming attacks.
Skills
Augments: 25,900 DP
Core: 6,000 DP
Longbow Skills: 48,700 DP
Dagger Skills: 10,800 DP
Total: 91,400 DP
Dagger Skills:
| Skill | Rank | DP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scarlet Kisses | Already Learned | - | Concentrates a flurry of slashes on a single point, easily shredding foes with meager endurance. Use assigned button, then continue to tap that button repeatedly. |
| Biting Wind | 1 | 200 | Dashes past the target with blades extended, delivering slashes that can be followed with further attacks on contact. Follow up attack with more presses of assigned button to continue attack. |
| Toss and Trigger | 3 | 700 | Steps in and strikes, sending the target aloft. An additional command then detonates a store of powder. Press assigned button again after the attack. |
| Cutting Wind | 4 | 900 | An advanced form of Biting wind that appends still more strikes to the onslaught. |
| Dazzle Hold | 4 | 900 | Casts a firework explosive into the fray that stuns nearby foes. |
| Reset | 4 | 900 | Returns the user to a neutral stance, eliminating openings caused by other actions. |
| Advanced Trigger | 5 | 1,200 | An advanced form of Toss and Trigger that both strengthens the upward slash and broadens the subsequent blast. |
| Dazzle Blast | 7 | 2,000 | An advanced form of Dazzle Hold crafted to impact a broader radius. |
| Hundred Kisses | 7 | 2,000 | An advanced form of Scarlet Kisses that quickens the flurry, allowing for more strikes. |
| Instant Reset | 7 | 2,000 | An advanced form of Reset employable even while under attack, allowing for an immediate response. |
Longbow Skills:
| Skill | Rank | DP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dire Arrow | Already Learned | - | Focuses the user's gathered strength into a single, devastating shot that grows in power as it is charged. |
| Heptad Shot | 1 | 300 | Looses seven arrows along a broad sweep. |
| Deathly Arrow | 3 | 800 | An advanced form of a Dire Arrow that increases the attack power with the amount of time spent preparing. |
| Foot Binder | 3 | 800 | Pins the target to the nearest wall for a time with a well-placed arrow. Quite effective in cramped quarters. |
| Sixfold Arrow | 3 | 800 | Fires six arrows in rapid succession. |
| Meteor Shot | 4 | 1,250 | Looses an exceptionally fast arrow, so that one may strike before foes notice. Requires considerable Stamina. |
| Endecad Shot | 4 | 1,250 | An advanced form of Heptad Shot that fires eleven arrows instead of seven. |
| Body Binder | 5 | 1,700 | An advanced form of Foot Binder that binds the target for a longer period of time. |
| Flying Din | 5 | 1,700 | Fires an arrow that produces a deafening blare on impact, stunning the target, through it deals nearly no damage. |
| Tenfold Flurry | 5 | 1,700 | An advanced form of Sixfold Arrow that fires ten arrows instead of six. |
| Whirling Arrow | 6 | 2,500 | Looses a spinning arrow that delivers a barrage of hits to an area. Especially effective with Poison or Oil Arrows. |
| Comet Shot | 7 | 3,300 | An advanced form of Meteor Shot that lets the user adjust the arrow's range, making it easier to strike faraway foes. |
| Fearful Din | 7 | 3,300 | An advanced form of Flying Din that produces an even louder noise. |
| Invasive Arrow | 7 | 3,300 | Looses an arrow that deals paltry damage, but delivers a toxin to weaken the Defenses of whatever body part it hits. |
| Spiral Arrow | 8 | 4,500 | An advanced form of Whirling Arrow that appends still more strikes to the barrage. |
| Crippling Arrow | 9 | 6,000 | An advanced form of Invasive Arrow that weakens the target area for a longer period of time. |
| Gamble Draw | 9 | 6,500 | Exhausts the entirety of the user's Stamina to fire a seeking shot which the user may steer for a time. |
| Great Gamble | 9 | 9,000 | An advanced form of Gamble Draw that boasts still greater power and can be steered for a greater length of time. |
Core Skills:
| Weapon | Skill | Rank | DP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daggers | Carve | Already Learned | - | Continuous attacks with a dagger. Press [Light Attack] repeatedly. |
| Daggers | Two Step | Already Learned | - | A two-level stabbing strike straight forward. [Heavy Attack]. |
| Daggers | Vault | Already Learned | - | Executes a jump to a higher location. Press [Jump]. |
| Daggers | Roundelay | 1 | 600 | An advanced form of Two-Step that appends a whirling slash to victims. |
| Daggers | Engrave | 1 | 800 | An advanced form of a Carve that includes kicks after a flurry of dagger blows to strike at a broader range. |
| Daggers | Double Vault | 5 | 1800 | An advanced form of Vault that kicks at the air to propel the user in a second leap. |
| Daggers | Forward Roll | 5 | 2200 | Curls forward into a tumble effective as an evasive maneuver. Hold [Right Bumper] and press [Jump]. |
| Longbow | Loose | Already Learned | - | Fires equipped bow. Can execute while moving. Hold [Left Bumper] and press [Right Trigger]. |
| Longbow | Quick-Loose | 2 | 600 | An advanced form of Loose that requires less time to nock the next arrow. |
Augments:
| Skill | Rank | DP | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Longevity | 2 | 700 | Increases your maximum HP by 100. |
| Radiance | 2 | 700 | Increases the illumination radius of your lantern by 20%. |
| Efficacy | 6 | 3500 | The effect of HP and ST restoration items on the user is increased by 20%. |
| Morbidity | 6 | 3500 | Increases cumulative damage to foes you debilitate with non-Archmagick attacks by 30%. |
| Trajectory | 6 | 3500 | Causes your arrows to fly 30% further. |
| Precision | 8 | 7000 | Keeps your arrows from flying off mark when you loose them whilst in motion. |
| Stability | 8 | 7000 | Prevents mighty winds from hampering your mobility. |
Stats
Stat Growth
| HP | Stamina | Attack | Defense | Magick Attack | Magick Defense | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl 10+ | 21 | 30 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 2 |
| Lvl 100+ | 5 | 15 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Tips
- Tenfold Flurry is very effective at taking out any enemy quickly and with little trouble. One well placed burst from Tenfold Flurry into a Cyclops's eye can kill it instantly.
- Meteor/Comet Shot is your sniping skill. The execution is quick and the arrow moves incredibly fast. Aim for the head for increased damage.
- Gamble Draw/Great Gamble is a perfect boss killer move and the slowed down time and arrow curving make for easier aiming and a good photo.
- Cutting Wind is not only very useful for quick evasion, but will cause the Ranger to strike at the unguarded rear of an enemy.
- Instant Reset followed by a dodge roll is useful when you need to get out of a situation much faster than you can sheath your bow then dodge roll. The small stamina cost is not that big of a price, compared to saving health points. Conversely, Instant Reset can be used to instantly recover to one's feet from a knockdown or dodge roll.
- Unlike the Strider's Mighty Bend, you can not move at all when you are charging the Dire Arrow/Deathly Arrow skill. Due to this it helps having another Ranger or a Strider, Warrior or Fighter class pawn as aids to keep monsters and enemies away from you in close quarter fights in caverns and dungeons.
- To get maximum damage output from the Longbow you should be some where in middle range; unlike the Strider class if you're too close the shot is weakened.
| Distance | Damage Output |
|---|---|
| 0-8 Meters | Moderate |
| 9-25 Meters | High |
| 26-33 Meters | Low |
| 34-90 Meters | Very Low |