Rangers are the peerless trackers of D&D, capable warriors specializing in wilderness combat. In Baldur’s Gate 3, Rangers gain extensive customization options that grant you skills, resistances, and proficiencies. Each Ranger can be unique in their own fighting style before you even consider subclasses.
As a hybrid class, your Ranger is capable of both casting spells and mastering weapons. Because of that, you have a wide range of equipment to choose from. Thanks to these items, and balance changes made by Larian Studios, Rangers are a force to be reckoned with.
10 Gontr Mael
Rangers have long held the reputation of being the magic archers of D&D. You don’t have to play one in this way, but a lot of their spells, like Lightning Arrow, require a bow. In Baldur’s Gate 3, there is no better bow than Gontr Mael.
This bow does extra damage through its radiant arrows, and gives each shot a chance to mark an enemy with Guiding Bolt. Its bound spells give you Haste for five turns, and can force one enemy to become afraid of you. Once you destroy the Steel Watch Titan, you can loot Gontr Mael from its wreckage.
9 Helmet Of Arcane Acuity
Between the hybrid classes, a Ranger is far more likely to use their spell slots on spells while a Paladin would smite them away. A lot of Ranger spells attach to your weapon attacks to deal extra damage or debilitate if your target fails a save. That can be difficult, since Rangers have their spell casting ability usually as their secondary stat, not their primary. The Helmet of Arcane Acuity can supplement your Ranger’s spell save DC by increasing it with every attack.
Your weapon attacks give you Arcane Acuity, a status that increases your spell attack and save DC per charge remaining. Considering a Ranger can attack twice a round, and the buff decays at one charge per turn, you can raise your spell save DC to ridiculous heights. It’s locked inside a gilded chest in the Reithwin Mason’s Guild Basement, behind some hostile shadows.
8 Cloak of Displacement
Using either of the armours listed below will give you a respectably high armor class, but sometimes that’s not enough. On tactician mode, enemies receive bonuses to their attacks, meaning you need a bonus of your own. The Cloak of Displacement will provide that bonus.
At the start of the wearer’s turn, they begin to shift in place, making all incoming attacks roll with disadvantage. Its effect is best used on a character with an already high AC, since the effect ends if you take damage, starting back up on your own turn. Purchase the cloak at Danthelon’s Dancing Axe at Wyrm’s Crossing.
7 Armor Of Persistence
If you take the ability Ranger Knight, your Ranger gets proficiency with heavy armor without spending a feat. With that proficiency, your Ranger can equip the extremely strong Armour of Persistence. You can purchase it from Dammon at the Forge of Nine in act three.
Being magical plate, it grants you a high AC while also reducing incoming damage by two. You also gain a permanent Bladeward while wearing it, making you resist the physical damage types. Your saving throws also receive a d4 boost as if you had the Resistance spells effect.
6 Armor Of Agility
For more dextrous Rangers, forgoing heavy armor in favor of something more maneuverable, the Armor of Agility has you covered. While it is a medium armor, it functions exactly as light armor. With a base AC of 17, you can still add your full Dexterity bonus to the value, instead of it being capped at two points.
At 20 Dexterity, your AC will be a respective 22, before counting shields or spells to push it beyond. It won’t give you disadvantage on stealth checks either. All of your saving throws will get a plus two bonus, no matter the cause or stat targeted. You can buy the armor from Gloomy Fentonson at the Stormshore Armory.
5 Legacy Of The Masters
A Ranger is only as good as their accuracy, and with how high some enemy defenses get in act three, there’s no harm in getting a boost. The Legacy of the Masters functions as a weapon enchantment that stacks with the power already imbued in your weapons. It grants an extra two points for to-hit, and damage rolls.
The gloves also grant a one point boost to your Strength saves, but the main boost is the weapon improvement. Using the gloves with a legendary weapon, like Gontr Mael, adds up to a full plus five bonus, which completely cancels out the penalty from the Sharpshooter feat. The gloves are sold by Dammon in act three.
4 Helldusk Boots
If you’re a ranged fighter, you’ll want to seek high ground due to its bonus on ranged attacks. That comes with its own risks of getting shoved or pushed by a spell, making you take falling damage, or die if you’re next to a chasm. The Helldusk boots eliminate that risk completely.
Whoever wears the Helldusk Boots can’t be forcibly moved, and you ignore any difficult terrain on the ground. You can also turn a failed saving throw into a success as a reaction. If you’re a melee Ranger, the boots work just as well; you make use of all the same benefits, and you gain a fiery teleport to get into the thick of the fight. The boots are in Gortash’s locked chest at the top of Wyrm’s Rock.
3 Khalid’s Gift
While this amulet is Jaheir’s unique item, it’s also very good for Rangers. The amulet gives a single point boost to your Wisdom score, possibly improving it to increase your bonus. With a Ranger’s wisdom competing with their dexterity and constitution, Khalid’s gift can help you place an ability point elsewhere, and supplement it with the amulet.
The wearer is also able to cast a third-level version of the Aid spell. At third level, Aid will increase your maximum hit points by 10. Since it lasts until you end the day, your Ranger will essentially gain a permanent boost to their health.
2 Strange Conduit Ring
One of a Ranger’s staple spells is Hunter’s Mark: a concentration spell granting an extra d6 of damage to every attack on their target. The Strange Conduit Ring improves it even further by adding a d4 of psychic damage. It works with all concentration spells too, not just Hunter’s Mark.
The ring’s effect kicks in so long as the wearer is concentrating. Psychic damage is rarely resisted, so it’s a useful bonus on most enemies you’ll be fighting. You can get the ring from the Githyanki inquisitor’s chamber at Creche Y’llek.
1 Ring of Mental Inhibition
This Ring stacks very well alongside the Helm of Arcane Acuity, and it debuffs enemies for the whole party to attack. Whenever an enemy fails a saving throw from the wearer, they gain Mental Fatigue. Mental Fatigue penalizes a character’s Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws by one for every turn remaining.
Once you’ve increases your save DC through Arcane Acuity, you can cast your own spells to make the enemy more vulnerable. Confusion, Hold Monster, Phantasmal Killer; a lot of powerful spells target the mental stats of an enemy, and this ring helps them succeed. You get the ring from a locked chest by Oliver in the Shadowlands.