3.5e melee and ranged in one build

[Aetolus]

Anyone ever try to make a mixed style build?
I put together this little build stub, feel free to add your input on it as well.
Lion Totem, Whirling Frenzy Barbarian 1/Mystic Ranger 5
Feats: 1(F) Power Attack; 1(F)Cleave; 1(H) Improved Bullrush; 1Weapon focus (Morning Star); 2(B) Track; 3 Three Mountains 4 (B) Rapid Shot; 6 Sword of the Arcane Order.
Using an aptitude bow and an eager morning star, I can force a lot of lost standard actions even at range. SotAO grants arcane spellcasting, so Arrowmind and other really awesome first level spells are available. At level 6, between BAB, Rapid Shot and Whirling Frenzy, I get 4 attacks at a substantial damage bonus, and forcing a save or nauseated.
I 'd build this STR>DEX>INT=WIS=CON>CHA.
What do you think?! Do you have a build as well?

[Aegis013]

I seem to recall that, by RAW (although it's quite silly), you could enchant a Necklace of Natural Attacks (from Savage Species) with Throwing and Returning allowing you to fling your unarmed strikes at your opponents from a distance.

Melee your foes from ranged!

Put it on a Warforged? Rocket fists!

I don't think that's exactly what you had in mind though.

[lytokk]

I would think any Cleric with Zen archery could do it well, but if we want to do things without spellcasting I'll need more time to think. Druid with Zen archery could pretty easily pull off the same thing, maybe moreso.

[Ferronach]

Strength based goons with Brutal throw can be effective ranged characters when required (esp. so with returning weapon/s) while stil bringing alot of melee pain to things

[sideswipe]

ok you pump up wisdom and you take intuitive attack and zen archery,

if you want to use better weapons you can use a melee weapon with aptitude to allow hitting with wisdom.

if you do this you need to have some method of dealing damage not str based. so sneak attack or something.

edit - you do need to be good though. intuitive attack is an exalted feat.

[Zombulian]

For a Barbarian build that is one of the better ways to go about it, especially since Whirling Frenzy never specifies what type of attack you're making. You may want to go into (wait for it) Rage Mage for this build, otherwise while raging you won't be able to cast spells. Since Mystic Ranger casting is kinda stunted after level 10 anyway, the half-casting progression but full Caster Level progression from Rage Mage would actually be good.

[Eldariel]

Warblade Archer with high Str and Dex does a decent job at both. You can pump Archery To Hit with Knowledge Devotion (and Ranged Weapon Mastery if desired) and things of that nature, so you can afford to max Strength. Then you just pick Archery feats, Power Attack, 1 level of Barbarian (Pounce) and combine maneuvers that work with archery and melee and get a pretty reasonable overall setup.

[Aetolus]

I actually had rage mage in here but I deleted it because it's such a lateral move. It's just one rage per day anyway. XD

[Kantolin]

A bloodstorm blade from the Tome of Battle would be a good alternate option. This would essentially enable you to use melee feats on your ranged attacks, thus making things flow a bit more smoothly.

I'm personally fond of stepping into Stalker of Kharash for mixed builds, presuming you are going to be fighting evil opponents (which is usually a safe presumption), pretty much just for favored enemy(evil). The bonus damage is helpful for archery (Archers love bonus damage), while you can take favored power attack for an extra multiplier on your power attack melee.

[Zombulian]

I actually had rage mage in here but I deleted it because it's such a lateral move. It's just one rage per day anyway. XD

It increases later on, and I'm sure Extra Rage would give you more.

[Aetolus]

It increases later on, and I'm sure Extra Rage would give you more.

Extra rage and Combat Casting would take me until level 12 with feats all just to qualify for Rage Mage which would cut my casting in half without really returning much. I just don't see it paying off. It's not terrible, and it is probably the best way to enter Rage Mage.

[Zombulian]

Extra rage and Combat Casting would take me until level 12 with feats all just to qualify for Rage Mage which would cut my casting in half without really returning much. I just don't see it paying off. It's not terrible, and it is probably the best way to enter Rage Mage.

Oh yeah no my idea was to generally ignore lots of the feats you took, like 3 Mountains. My build works better as a stand alone and not really an addition to the one you have planned.

[Regissoma]

When you can afford it Hank's Energy Bow for Power Ranged Atks, if you can combine it with bloodstorm blade thats Power Ranged and Power Atk together. For when I did a pure power attacking build it was Warblade 6/Fighter 2/Bloodstorm Blade 4/Peerless Archer 3. Power Throw, Power Attack, Power Shot all in one attack. I used a Thri Kreen quad wielding a +1 Aptitude Greatsword for fun during that one shot campaign where the wizard casted Wraithstrike on me so my greatsword were counted as touch attacks.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Warblade Archer with high Str and Dex does a decent job at both. You can pump Archery To Hit with Knowledge Devotion (and Ranged Weapon Mastery if desired) and things of that nature, so you can afford to max Strength. Then you just pick Archery feats, Power Attack, 1 level of Barbarian (Pounce) and combine maneuvers that work with archery and melee and get a pretty reasonable overall setup.

+1 to this, though I think Warblade 10/Eternal Blade 10 is just as strong if not a little stronger.

[Zombulian]

+1 to this, though I think Warblade 10/Eternal Blade 10 is just as strong if not a little stronger.

And with Eternal Blade and a focus on both Melee and Ranged you're basically Link.

[Eldariel]

+1 to this, though I think Warblade 10/Eternal Blade 10 is just as strong if not a little stronger.

Yeah, it's my preferred build but it's more specific. Well, I personally like Ranger 2/Barbarian 1/Fighter 1/Warblade 6/Eternal Blade 10 but it's the same difference, really (I just like skills). Barbarian dip is IMHO almost a must though, just for Pounce; it makes Bounding Assault (Diamond Mind maneuver) + Leading the Charge (your first stance) + Valorous Weapon give you a very, very low opportunity cost Charge setup that allows basically free movement. Whirling Frenzy is a nice bonus that works great with both, bows and melee.

[Kennisiou]

Duskblade 13/Abjurant Champion 5/Arcane Archer 2

Basically the idea here is you can arcane archer out tons of ranged damage via spells or via just dealing damage with splitting bows combined with greater magic weapon. In melee you fight with a rapier and full attack channel duskblade spells. Use gloves of storage to swap from ranged and melee as a free action.

The post in this thread lists the important gear as well as giving good spell suggestions, but I'd advise against all 10 levels of arcane archer like the build there suggests. You really don't gain as much from those AA levels as you would from duskblade. The gear is probably the most important part of this build -- that bow makes almost anyone a great archer as long as they have greater magic weapon cast on them. If you can find room, you may want to take the knowledge devotion feat for even more damage.