Welcome to our Ranger Trapper DPS Guide, updated for Mod 18: Infernal Descent and Mod 19 Avernus.
In this guide, we will give you tips and info on how to play the Ranger class, previously called the Hunter Ranger.
To learn more about the new mod, check out our mod 19 Avernus guide.
The Ranger is a melee & ranged DPS class, with a lot of crowd control abilities as well.
The purpose of our class guides is not just to show you a build that you can copy and use on your character, but to show you a base build and teach you the mechanics and stats of the game, so you can understand and play your class to its fullest capabilities.
Try different gear, feats, and powers and learn to tailor your own build for your playstyle. See our guide to making your own build for more info.
Guide Contents
Basic Ranger Trapper Info
Other Ranger Builds
Best Ranger Trapper Races
- Metallic Ancestry Dragonborn – 3% + Healing – +2 to Any two stats – 1500 Crit – 3% Increased Damage
- Dragonborn – 3% HP + Healing – +2 to Any two stats – 1500 Crit – 3% Increased Damage
- Wood Elf: 1% Critical Chance. +2 Dex and Wis. 10% Resistance to Slow
- Drow: Darkfire (Defense Reduction Proc). +2 Dex and +2 Wis or Cha. Trance (Heal quicker at camps)
- Half-Orc – 5% Crit Severity – +2 Dex and +2 Con or Str – 10% Movement Speed for 3 sec when entering combat
Ranger Trapper Ability Score Priority
Put all your available Ability Scores into Strength and Dexterity.
Ranger Trapper Stat / Rating Priority
Offensive Stats:
- Armor Penetration (Caps at 90K)
- Critical Strike (Caps at 90k)
- Accuracy (Caps at 90k)
- Combat Advantage (Caps at 140k)
- Power (No Cap)
Defensive Stats:
- Defense (Caps at 90K)
- Deflection (Caps at 90K)
- Critical Avoidance (Caps at 95K)
- Awareness (Caps at 100K)
- Health (No Cap)
Ranger Trapper Paragon Path, Powers & Rotation
Ranger Trapper Combat Powers
At-Will Powers:
- Aimed Shot / Aimed Strike
- Hunter’s Teamwork / Careful Attack
Encounter Powers:
- Commanding Shot / Stag Heart
- Contstricting Arrow / Steel Breeze
- Hindering Shot / Hindering Strike
Daily Powers:
- Disruptive Shot
- Snipe
Class Features:
- Seeker’s Vengeance
- Aspect of the Falcon
Ranger Trapper Feats:
- Rate of Change
- Thorned Roots
- Biting Snares
- Forestbound
- More than Disruptive
Ranger Trapper Rotation
- Start in melee and switch for Rate of Change buff
- Use artifact / mount powers
- Commanding Shot for Damage Buff
- Disruptive Shot for Damage Buff
- Aimed Shot
- Quickly change stance and back again for Rate of Change buff
- Contracting Arrow
- Hindering Shot
- Aimed Shot
- Change Stance
- Hindering Strike
- Steel Breeze
- Change Stace
- Aimed Shot
- Commanding Shot
Ranger Trapper Boons
You should always choose boons based on what stats you currently need. Therefore a selection of several viable boons is available to you for each tier.
At end-game, you should hit the stat caps without needing any of the boons.
Tier 1 Boons
- Recruit’s Training – 250 Power
- Critical Strike – 250 Crit
- Cultist Bulwark – 1000 HP
- Cultist Power – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. Cultists.
Tier 2 Boons
- Squire’s Training – 250 Power
- Armor Penetration – 250 Armor Penetration
- Demonic Bulwark – 1000 HP
- Demonic Mastery – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. demons.
Tier 3 Boons
- Knight’s Training – 250 Power
- Combat Advantage – 250 Combat Advantage
- Dino Bulwark – 1000 HP
- Simple Support – 2% Companion Influence
- Dino Power – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. dinos.
Tier 4 Boons
- Captain’s Training – 250 Power
- Accuracy – 250 Accuracy
- Necrotic Bulwark – 1000 HP
- Necrotic Mastery – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. undead.
Tier 5 Boons (Choose 2)
- Severe Criticism – 1% Crit Severity per rank
- Call of Power – 1% Action Point gain per rank
- Quick Turnaround – 1% Recovery Speed per rank.
Master Boons
- Blood Lust 3/3
Guild Boons
- Offense – Power
- Defense – Hit Points
Ranger Trapper Weapons & Gear
If you are new to Neverwinter and need to know how to get better gear and increase your item level, check out our Gearing Up Guide.
The best way to gear up in Neverwinter is by making a lot of Astral Diamonds, check out our Astral Diamond Guide to learn all the secrets of AD farming.
Head
- Lion Guard’s Raid Hood
- Fancy Duelists Mask of Cormyr
- Infernal Forged Hood
- Protégé’s / of the Spy’s Guild
Armor
- Ebony Stained Hide
Arms
- Vivified Primal Assault Gwanitis
- Spiked Defenders Vambrace
Feet
- Rusted Iron Leggings
Weapons
- Celestial Set
- Lionheart Set
- Legion Guard Set
- Alabaster / Burnished Set
Main Hand Modification:
- Enhanced Aimed Shot
Offhand Modifications:
- Critical Severity
Rings
- Ring of Fallen Power +5
- Ring of the Brutal Fiend +5
- Guiding Ring of the Sharp-Shooter
- Ring of the Shadowstalker +4/+5
Neck & Waist
- Apprentices’ Spoils (Music Box Set)
Shirt
- Ebony Stained Shirt
Pants
- Pants of the Sentinel
Ranger Trapper Artifacts
Primary Artifact
- Envenomed Storyteller’s Journal
- Staff of Flowers
- Decanter of Atropal Essence
Secondary Artifacts
Choose secondary artifacts based on the stats you are lacking.
- Frozen Storyteller’s Journal
- Flayed Storyteller’s Journal
- Darkened Storyteller’s Journal
- Arcturia’s Music Box
- Trobriands Ring
- Staff of Flowers
- Halaster’s Blast Scepter
Ranger Trapper Enchantments
When getting enchantments, always get the ones with the stats you are lacking in with your gear, boons, etc in mind. For example, if you’ve capped Crit with your gear and boons, don’t get azure enchantments for your offense slots. If you still need to refine your enchantments, see our Refinement Guide for tips on how to farm refinement.
Offense Enchantments
- One Tenebrous Enchantment
- Radiant Enchantments
Defense Enchantments
- Radiant Enchantment
Utility Enchantments
- Tactical Enchantment
- Dark Enchantment
- Fey’s Blessing / Dragon’s Hoard / Quartermaster’s Enchantment
Armor Enchantments
- Barkshield Enchantment
Weapon Enchantments
- Vorpal Enchantment
Overload Enchantments
- Demonic Empowerment / Bulwark Of Brimstone from Hell Pit
- Various Marks from Stronghold Vendor
- Corrupt Black Ice / Lethal / Piercing
- Black / Red Dragon Glyph
Armor Reinforcement Kits
- Power Kits
Jewelry Reinforcement Kits
- Combat Advantage Jewel
Ranger Trapper Consumables & Buffs
Consider getting VIP for the Power of VIP HP buff if you aren’t already. Also always stand in campfires to get the +1 ability campfire buff.
Get one from each of the rows below:
- Empowered Chain of Scales (Best in Slot) > Adorable Pocket Pet > Tymora’s Lucky Coin
- Wild Storm Elixir > Elixir of Fate
- Squash Soup > Watermelon Sorbet
Ranger Trapper Companions
Summoned Companion
The most important thing to consider for a summoned companion is to get an Augment Companion. There are a bunch to choose from, some have more useful powers than others.
- Bulette Pup
- Deepcrow Hatchling
- Owlbear Cub
- Ioun Stones
- Quasit
Enchantment Power
- Potent Precision
Companion Powers
Below is a selection of viable companion powers.
Offense Powers
- Tamed Velociraptor – 2000 Power per party member using it.
- Staldorf – 8000 Combat advantage
- Deepcrow Hatchling – 8000 Power
- Batiri – 4% Damage against bosses
Defense Powers
- Minstrel – 4000 Power and 2000 Awareness
- Broom – 4% Critical Severity
- Splinters – 4% Critical Severity and 2000 Critical Avoidance
- Green Slime – 8000 Defense
- Phase Spider – 2000 Critical strike and 4000 combat advantage
Utility Powers
- Alpha Compy – 5% Power
- Owlbear Cub – 10% chance to hit for 50% of you Power
Companion Equipment
Double offense slotted “Of the Companion” gear
Companion Runestones
- Empowered Runestone
Ranger Trapper Mounts
When choosing a Legendary Mount for the Mount Powers, look for a mount that has both a useful equip and combat power. The best choice for a first legendary mount as a Ranger is a Swarm.
What other mounts you use is not that important. What is important is to get the right insignia bonuses, and many different mounts can offer the various bonuses. To find out what mount has the bonus you want, check out our Insignia Bonus Guide.
Mount Insignia Bonuses
All classes and specs should consider using Wanderer’s Fortune before you have refined all your gear and enchantments, for extra refinement every day.
- Assassin’s Covenant
- Cavalry’s Warning
- Combatant’s Maneuver
- Artificer’s Persuasion
- Gladiator’s Guile
- Survivor’s Gift
- Survivor’s Blessing
- Barbarian’s Revelry
Insignia Type
Brutality / Dominance for Power, or alternatively any other with stats you need. You can also use Insignia’s to get your defensive stats to cap for survivability.
Ranger Trapper Mount Powers
Mount Equip Power:
5000 or 10000 Power
Mount Combat Power:
Bat Swarm (Swarm) (Best in Slot) > Tenser’s Transformation
If you have any questions or suggestions about our Neverwinter Ranger guide, please leave a comment below! More info about the Ranger class can be found at The Neverwinter Reddit.
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