Ranger

The forests are home to fierce and cunning creatures, such as owlbears and malicious displacer beasts.  But more cunning and powerful than the monsters is the one who hunts the monsters, the ranger.  A skilled hunter and stalker, he knows the woods as if they were his home (as indeed they are) and he knows his prey in deadly detail.

     Adventures: Rangers often begin adventuring for the same reason fighters do; they see it as their job.  They are accepting of the role of protector, aiding those who travel, or live, in the wild. 

     Characteristics: Rangers are proficient in combat (though not nearly as much as the barbarian, cavalier, fighter, or paladin).  They are not the best combatant to have standing o the front line for they tend to wear lighter armor and have fewer hit points than most of the other fighting classes.  However, at range the ranger is an excellent combatant, being able to rain down a storm of arrows upon their opponents.

     Rangers are also survivalists, even more so than the barbarian, and are able to keep an adventuring party alive when they are deep into the wild by providing them with food and shelter, no matter how rudimentary it may be.

     Alignment: Rangers can be of any alignment, though most do lean towards good.  A ranger living in the wild has little use for the laws of man, but also knows enough to not take more from nature than what she can provide; meaning a ranger will typically not over-hunt an area, will not cause deforestation, nor will they harm a natural ecosystem.  They respect nature and understand its delicate balance.  In some ways, good rangers care for the wild as a druid might.  Evil rangers, though rare, are much to be feared.  They revel in nature's cruelty and emulate nature's most fearsome predators.

     Religion: Rangers are free to worship whatever god they wish though most revere the Shalm, Obad-Hai as their patron deity.  There are some that worship Ehlonna, but they are few. Even fewer are the rangers that worship the warrior gods though those that hail from the plains tribes do worship the god Kord.

     Background: Some rangers gained their training from special military teams, but most learned their skills from solitary masters who accepted them as students and assistants. The rangers of a particular master may count themselves as cohorts, or they may be rivals for the status of “best student” and thus the rightful heir to their master’s fame.  There are the rangers who have learned their skills out of the necessity to survive, learning to live off the land and honing their archery skills for the hunt.

     Races: Humans, elves, gnomes, and lowland dwarves are all commonly rangers.  Hobbits are typically not rugged enough, nor do they have much interest in the hunt, preferring to grown and farm their food rather than chase after it.  Minotaurs see the importance of the ranger both as provider and scout, but most of this hardy species tend towards the more melee combat fighting classes such as the fighter and barbarian.  Half-elves and half-orcs are very common to the ranger class as both of these half-breed races tend to be loners and shunned from both societies that parented them.

     Other Classes: Rangers get along well with barbarians and druids.  They are known to bicker with cavaliers and paladin for though they often share the same goals, the means to get there are often quite different.  Since rangers don't often look to others for support, they find it easy to get along with people who are quite different from themselves.  This includes bookish wizards and preachy clerics.  They tend to just not care enough about other's differences to get upset.

Game Rule Information

Rangers have the following game statistics.

     Abilities: Dexterity is the most important ability for the ranger, adding to both defense and ranged attack.  Also a good number of a ranger's skills have Dexterity as their key ability.  Wisdom is equally important to a ranger as he needs a higher than average Wisdom to cast spells and many skills, including Heal and Wilderness Lore, have Wisdom as their key ability.  Like all fighting classes, the ranger can benefit from a high Constitution score, adding to his hit points and boosting his Fortitude saves.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

The ranger's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Acrobatics (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (Int, geography), Knowledge (Int, nature), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Signaling (Wis), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st-Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4

Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the fighter.

     Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons.  They are proficient with light and medium armor and shields (except tower shields).  Some ranger abilities cannot be used while wearing only light, medium, or no armor at all.  Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble.  Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.

     Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat at 1st-level.  A ranger -- and only a ranger -- can follow tracks whose DC is higher than 20 to track.  Additionally, a ranger receives a bonus to his Wilderness Lore checks when tracking that is equal to half his ranger level (minimum of +1).

     Favored Terrain (Ex): A 1st-level ranger has already trained extensively in a specific type of climate and terrain, so much so that he has an extensive familiarity with that type of environment.  When in his favored terrain he receives a +2 bonus to all Heal, Knowledge (geography), Perception, Stealth, and Wilderness Lore checks, as well as Initiative checks.

     A ranger must select a climate and terrain (see sidebar) such as Temperate Forest or Cold Hills or Warm Plain for example.

     At 7th and every six levels there after the ranger may select another Favored Terrain.  The bonus increases by +2 each time, including the Favored Terrain the ranger just acquired.

     Animal Empathy (Ex): A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal.  This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see the Diplomacy skill).  The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his Handle Animal skill modifier to the result.  The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

     To use animal empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions.  Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

     The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.

     Archery Feat: As skilled hunters, the ranges become deadly with the bow and arrow.  At 2nd-level the ranger may choose a bonus archery feat from the following list: Deep Woods Sniper, Improved Critical (bow), Point Blank Shot (Dead Eye, Dead Shot, Disabling Shot, Far Shot, Multishot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Weapon Focus (bow).

     The ranger may choose another bonus archery feat at 4th-level and every four levels after that.

     Favored Enemy (Ex): At 2nd-level a ranger may select a type of creature from among those given on the "Ranger Favored Enemies" list (see sidebar).  Due to his extensive study on his chosen type of foe and training in the proper techniques for combating such creatures, the ranger gains a +2 class bonus on Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, and Wilderness Lore checks when using these skills against creatures of this type.  Likewise the ranger gains a +2 bonus on attack rolls and  weapon damage rolls against such creatures (damage bonus is not doubled on critical hits).

     At 5th-level and every five levels thereafter the ranger may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the Ranger Favored Enemy sidebar.  Every time the ranger gains another Favored Enemy his bonus increases by +2 on all Favored Enemies, including the Favored Enemy the ranger just acquired.

     If the ranger chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype as indicated on the sidebar.  If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy (such as devils that are both evil and lawful outsiders), the ranger's bonuses do not stack, he simply uses whichever is higher.  See the Monster Manual for more information on types of creatures.

     A ranger's damage bonus does not apply to ranged weapons initially.  Once the ranger has achieved the Sniper ability, the damage bonus can be extended (see the Sniper ability below).

     A favored enemy damage bonus does not apply to creatures that are immune to critical hits.

     Favored Enemy and Favored Terrain bonuses do not stack.  If they should overlap, use the higher bonus.

     Trailblazer (Ex): At 2nd-level, the ranger becomes particularly skilled at finding the best route through his favored terrain.  When traveling through his favored terrain he may make a Wilderness Lore check to reduce travel time.

     With a check result of 15 or better, the ranger reduces the party's travel time by 25%.  With a 25 or better, the time is reduced by 50%.

     The ranger can guide a group of 3 individuals at no penalty.  However, for each additional three in the group being guided, apply a -2 penalty to the trailblazing check.

     The ranger can take a 10 on this check, but not a 20.

     The ranger can only use this ability while wearing light, medium, or no armor.

     Sniper (Ex): A ranger is exceedingly proficient with the bow and arrow (but not crossbows) and at 3rd-level when using a bow the ranger can ignore the range penalties for the first three range increments of his weapon.  At the fourth range increment the ranger suffers a -8 to his attack roll as if this was his first range increment, and an additional -2 for every range increment thereafter.

     At 9th-level the ranger's sniper ability extends to the first six range increments.  At the seventh range increment the ranger suffers normal -16 at the eighth range increment and -2 for every range increment thereafter.

     A range can only use this Sniper ability when wearing light or no armor.  A ranger needs to be loose and unencumbered, as well as not having his vision obscured by a heavy helmet.

     Field Surgeon (Ex): At 3rd-level, the ranger gains the ability to heal wounds while in his favored terrain.  This ability allows the ranger to heal the wounds of himself and his allies with the use of his Heal skill.  The number of Hit Points healed is determined by the ranger's Heal check.  This ability can only be used in one of a ranger's favored terrains and can be performed on a single creature once per day.  This is also in addition to any normal uses of the Heal skill such as Long Term Care.  The time for a field surgery check is dependent on how many hit points are recovered.

     At 6th-level, the ranger may take a 10 on his Heal check for field surgeon.

Heal Skill Check   Hit Points Recovered / Time Required

10 - 15                      1d4 / 1 round

16 - 20                      1d6 / 1d4 rounds

21 - 25                      1d8 / 1d6 rounds

25+                           1d10 / 1d8 rounds

     Heart (Ex): At 4th-level, the ranger possess a great deal of self-confidence and courage.  Because of this, once per day, the ranger can focus his will and gain a circumstance bonus based on his innate belief in himself and his abilities.  The bonus ranges from +1 at 4th-level and +4 at 18th-level.  The bonus can be applied to any skill check, ability check, or attack roll.  You can decide to use this class ability after making a die roll but before the DM reveals the result of the check or attack roll.

     Strider (Ex): At 4th-level, the ranger can increase his base speed as well as his overland speed.  He gains a +10 to his base movement rate (a human would increase his speed to 40 up from 30 for example).  This increase in speed is constant and will also increase his overland movement rate (see the Player's Handbook, page 143).

     A ranger can only use the Strider ability when wearing light, medium, or no armor.

     Spells: Beginning at 6th-level, the ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells, which are drawn from the ranger spell list.  A ranger must choose and prepare his spells in advance as a cleric must (a ranger cannot spontaneously cast spells as a cleric does).

     To prepare or cast a spell, a ranger must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level.  The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a ranger's spell is 10 + the spell level + the ranger's Wisdom modifier.      Like other spellcasters, a ranger can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day.  His base daily spell allotment is given on the ranger table below.  In addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see page 8 of the Player's Handbook). When it is indicated that a ranger gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level, he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level.     A ranger must spend 1 hour per day in quiet meditation to regain his daily allotment of spells. A ranger may prepare and cast any spell on the ranger spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.

     A ranger's caster level is equal to his ranger level - 5.

     Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 7th-level a ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed (before Strider bonus) without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.  However thorns, briars, and overgrowth areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.

     This ability can only be used when the ranger is wearing light or no armor at all.

     Swift Tracker (Ex): Beginning at 8th-level a ranger can move at his normal speed (before Strider bonus) while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty.  He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of -20) when moving at up to twice his normal speed while tracking.

     This ability can only be used when the ranger is wearing light, medium, or no armor at all.

     Master Hunter (Ex): At 20th-level, the ranger becomes a master hunter.  He can always move at full speed while using his Wilderness Lore skill to follow tracks without penalty.  He can, as a standard action, make a single attack against a favored enemy at his full attack bonus.  If the attack hits, the target must make a Fortitude save or die.  The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 the ranger's class level + the ranger's Wisdom modifier.  A ranger can choose, instead, to deal an amount of non-lethal damage equal to the creature's current hit points.  A successful save negates this damage.  A ranger can use this ability once per day against each favored enemy type he possesses, but not against the same creature twice in a 24-hour period.

     Rangers can use Hero Points to guarantee a critical hit on their Favored Enemies.  Before the attack roll is made, the ranger must declare his intention to use a Hero Point in this manner.  If the attack roll is a hit then damage dealt is automatically a critical hit.  If the attack roll fails then the Hero Point is still used up and wasted.  Remember, only one Hero Point can be used per round, so the ranger could not spend a second Hero Point to affect his attack roll, nor can he use multiple Hero Points to affect multiple attacks in a round.