Spelljammer Trying to build a Thri-Kreen Swarmkeeper Ranger

[ElterAgo]

High Again?!? Making a new character for a new group playing through the Radiant Citadel.
As I understand it, The Radiant Citadel has 'spaceships' stopping by to take and/or drop off travelers and cargo from different realms/domains/planes at this hub of the Ethereal Plane. So the GM is ruling that anything is at least semi-reasonable.
Looking at all the possibilities and I always wanted to play a Thri-Kreen clear back in 3.0 Dark Sun game. Never got the chance. Now a Thri-Kreen surrounded by a swarm of angry biting insects is an option. Might just have to give this a try.

To make the most use of this, seems like I would have to go melee and the multi-arms would want the two weapon fighting style. So if I'm reading this right, I would have my normal attacks with the weapon in the primary arm, a secondary attack with the other big arm that adds the ability modifier to damage, then 2 other attacks with the small arms that won't get the ability modifier to damage. Is that correct?

Is that how you would approach this combination of race and class? Or would 4 arms let me take the archery style and use 2 bows at once? What is the correct interpretation of what you can do with 4 arms?

How would you build this? Would you multiclass with anything else?

 

[pukunui]

You don't get any extra actions / attacks for having extra arms.

 

[ElterAgo]

Aww... that's a bummer. I guess you could at least have a different type of weapon and your spell focus ready in hand.
Could you maybe use a shield in the extra arms.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

And your secondary arms can only use light weapons. They cannot hold a shield or spell focus.

What you can do, if I remember the wording correctly, is duel wield two light weapons in your secondary hands, whilst using a shield and a spell focus in your main hands.

 

[John R Davis]

Yup. Our SJ Thrikeen drakewarden ranger does this.

 

[ElterAgo]

Well it says you can pick up a tiny object. I would think a spell focus would qualify as that. Then you could wield a regular weapon, a light weapon, and a shield. Extremely minor improvement, but I guess it is something.
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Wait a minute. Do rangers even use spell focus items? I don't remember any of the rangers I've seen with a spell focus item. (This would be my first ranger.)

 

[ElterAgo]

Hey! Could the small arms draw a bow. Use 2 bows at once. Wait no crap that would be 2 actions wouldn't it. But it would let you use a bow and shield. Not many archers can say that.
Hmm... Does dual wielding let you dual throw? Could I be throwing daggers or something with both two hands?

I'm trying to think of more unique ways to make use of 4 arms and not coming up with as much as I would like. Not trying for super power. Just something wierd, unusual, and not seen before by most.

 

[pukunui]

Hey! Could the small arms draw a bow. Use 2 bows at once. Wait no crap that would be 2 actions wouldn't it. But it would let you use a bow and shield. Not many archers can say that.
Hmm... Does dual wielding let you dual throw? Could I be throwing daggers or something with both two hands?

I'm trying to think of more unique ways to make use of 4 arms and not coming up with as much as I would like. Not trying for super power. Just something wierd, unusual, and not seen before by most.

The designers have tried to avoid the action economy problems that extra arms have caused in past editions by only making it so you can hold more items. The extra pair of arms does not let you do more on your turn. All it really does is make it so you don't have to swap between items as much.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Well it says you can pick up a tiny object. I would think a spell focus would qualify as that. Then you could wield a regular weapon, a light weapon, and a shield. Extremely minor improvement, but I guess it is something.
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Wait a minute. Do rangers even use spell focus items? I don't remember any of the rangers I've seen with a spell focus item. (This would be my first ranger.)

Rangers typically use a spell component pouch (still requires a free hand), although the most common ranger spell - Hunters Mark - has no S or M components. The Druidic Warrior Fighting Style (Tasha's) allows rangers to use druidic foci.

You cannot use dual wield a regular weapon and light weapon unless you have the dual wielder feat. Dual wielding specifically requires both weapons be light. You could have, say, a two handed weapon and two light weapons equipped, but you would have to choose which you used to attack with, you gain no additional attacks, and cannot use dual wielding unless the weapon you attack with is light.

Actually, depending on you DM's ruling, if you have the extra attack feature, it's arguable that only one of those attacks needs be with a light weapon in order for dual wielding to kick in. So you might attack with a two handed weapon, a light weapon, and then another light weapon. Check with your DM.

When you take the Attack action and attack with a light melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different light melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Hey! Could the small arms draw a bow. Use 2 bows at once.

No, the secondary arms cannot wield weapons with the "two handed" property, which bows have. This is a deliberate design decision to prevent this, otherwise the race would be very overpowered. The description of dual wielding also limits this ability to light weapons, or one-handed weapons if you have the dual wielder feat.

Hmm... Does dual wielding let you dual throw? Could I be throwing daggers or something with both two hands?

Yes (so long as it's a melee weapon that has the light property). The thri-kreen still doesn't get any more attacks though. You can only draw one weapon per round as a free action though (unless you have certain feats or special abilities), so your tri-kreen knife* thrower can last longer without running out of ammo.

*also consider handaxe.