HP: 1d10 (minimum 6) until level 12, +3 HP/level after 12
Attack Bonus: +1/level
Attack Rate: Level 1 1/1 turn
Level 9 3/2 turns
Level 17 2/1 turn
Weapon Proficiencies: 1 at level 1 + 1 every 3.5 levels (5, 9, 14, 18)
Non-Proficient Weapon Penalty: -3
Ranger Proficiency: Rangers are wandering woodsman and trained warriors. They start the game with proficiency in a bladed weapon of their choice and a bow of their choice.
Weapon Proficiencies: Rangers may choose from any Weapons.
Talent Proficiencies: 3 at level 1 + 1 every 3 levels (4, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20)
Non-Proficient Talent Penalty: -3
Ranger Talents: Rangers are men of the wilderness. They start the game with proficiency in the Nature Talent.
Fortitude Save: +2 at level 1 + 1 every 2 levels (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19)
Reflex Save: +2 at level 1 + 1 every 2 levels (3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, 15, 17, 19)
Will Save: +1 at level 1 + 1 every 2.5 levels (4, 6, 9, 11, 14, 16, 19)
1st Level: Quarry [Use: Swift|Additional Effect on Damage Rolls] - A Ranger is trained in combating beasts and races of the wild. A Ranger may make a Nature check as a Swift action when encountering any animal, magical beast or (savage) humanoid to make them (and all creatures of their type) his Quarry. If successful, the Ranger steps up his weapons damage die by 1 against them until the next time the Ranger wakes from rest. If a Ranger uses Nature to track an animal, magical beast or (savage) humanoid for at least an hour, the Ranger may roll to make them his Quarry as if he had encountered them. If the Ranger fails the roll, he must wait 24 hours before rolling to make the same type of creature his Quarry. A Ranger may only have one Quarry within a 24-hour period.
2nd Level: Aim [Use: Additional Effect on Power Attack] - At 2nd level and higher, a Ranger can exploit knowledge of his target to attack decisively. When a Ranger attacks his Quarry with a Power Attack, the Ranger may choose to use Power Attack as a Full Round action. If they do, the Ranger uses the higher of the two d20 instead of the lower to determine his attack roll. A Ranger cannot use this ability if wearing heavier than Medium armor.
3rd Level: Insight: [Use: Free] - At 3rd level and higher, a Ranger develops a startling insight into the ways of nature. After having been in a natural environment for 12 hours or more, a Ranger can attempt to gain insight into his surroundings. The Ranger can ask a Yes or No question of the DM in a manner like the Commune spell. These questions are limited to the environments resources, flora, fauna, or other like topics. The Ranger makes an Ability roll vs. Wisdom and, if successful, they receive an answer. If the roll fails, the Ranger knows he cannot determine that information at this time. A Ranger must wait until the next day and must remain in the environment for another 12 hours to attempt to discern an answer to a question they already failed.
4th Level: Guide [Use: Additional Effect on Movement] - At 4th level and higher, a Ranger leaves no trace. When traveling at a standard pace, the penalty to track a Ranger is automatically set to the maximum for the terrain traveled through. Additionally, a Ranger may obscure the trail of up to 2 other individuals per level by making a Nature check as if to obscure his own movement. Those affected by this ability use the Ranger's result as their own. A Ranger cannot use this ability if wearing heavier than Medium armor.
6th Level: Barrage [Use: Additional Effect on Initiative] - At 6th level and higher, a Ranger can ready rapid shots. When rolling Initiative while using a bow, a Ranger may spend their Move action for the round. If they do, they add +5 to their Initiative roll. A Ranger cannot use this ability if wearing heavier than Medium armor.
8th Level: Terrain Expertise [Use: Additional Effect on Nature rolls] - At 8th level and higher, a Ranger grows increasingly comfortable with terrains. When rolling a Nature check, the Ranger gains a +1 to their Wisdom score for every 24 continuous hours spent in that terrain, to a maximum of +5. If a Ranger leaves a terrain for more than 24 hours, they lose any accumulated terrain bonus for the previous terrain but immediately gain the +1 Terrain Mastery bonus for the new terrain they occupy. A Ranger cannot use this ability if wearing heavier than Medium armor.
12th Level: Fusillade [Use: Additional Effect on Barrage] - At 12th level and higher, a Ranger can fire a hail of arrows. When using Barrage, a Ranger adds +10 to their Initiative roll instead of +5. A Ranger cannot use this ability if wearing heavier than Medium armor.
16th Level: Terrain Mastery [Use: Additional Effect on Terrain Expertise] - At 16th level and higher, a Ranger has mastered the wilds. A Ranger needs only spend 12 hours in a terrain to gain the +1 bonus to their Wisdom from Terrain Expertise. Additionally, once per day, a Ranger may re-roll a single Nature check while in a terrain where they have at least a +1 bonus from Terrain Expertise. A Ranger cannot use this ability if wearing heavier than Medium armor.
20th Level: Strider [Use: Additional Effect on Initiative | Additional Effect on Terrain Expertise] - At 20th level, a Ranger has mastered himself and his surroundings. A Ranger adds their Terrain Expertise bonus to their Initiative roll. Additionally, a Ranger need only spend 6 hours in a terrain to gain the +1 bonus to their Wisdom from Terrain Expertise.
| Ranger Level | Ability | Attack Bonus | CMB | Base Armor Class | Fort | Ref | Will | ||||||
| 1 | WPs, TPs, Ranger Talent, Quarry | +1 | +1 | 10 | +2 | +2 | +1 | ||||||
| 2 | Aim | +2 | +2 | 11 | +2 | +2 | +1 | ||||||
| 3 | Insight | +3 | +3 | 12 | +3 | +3 | +1 | ||||||
| 4 | TP, Guide | +4 | +4 | 13 | +3 | +3 | +2 | ||||||
| 5 | WP | +5 | +5 | 13 | +4 | +4 | +2 | ||||||
| 6 | Barrage | +6 | +6 | 14 | +4 | +4 | +3 | ||||||
| 7 | +7 | +7 | 15 | +5 | +5 | +3 | |||||||
| 8 | Terrain Expertise | +8 | +8 | 16 | +5 | +5 | +3 | ||||||
| 9 | WP | +9 | +9 | 16 | +6 | +6 | +4 | ||||||
| 10 | TP | +10 | +10 | 17 | +6 | +6 | +4 | ||||||
| 11 | +11 | +11 | 18 | +7 | +7 | +5 | |||||||
| 12 | Fusilade | +12 | +12 | 19 | +7 | +7 | +5 | ||||||
| 13 | TP | +13 | +13 | 19 | +8 | +8 | +5 | ||||||
| 14 | WP | +14 | +14 | 20 | +8 | +8 | +6 | ||||||
| 15 | +15 | +15 | 21 | +9 | +9 | +6 | |||||||
| 16 | Terrain Mastery | +16 | +16 | 22 | +9 | +9 | +7 | ||||||
| 17 | TP | +17 | +17 | 22 | +10 | +10 | +7 | ||||||
| 18 | WP | +18 | +18 | 23 | +10 | +10 | +7 | ||||||
| 19 | +19 | +19 | 24 | +11 | +11 | +8 | |||||||
| 20 | TP, Strider | +20 | +20 | 25 | +11 | +11 | +8 | ||||||
***
Busy day today. Here's the Ranger! So who's a Ranger?
Kind of a duh, huh?
Truth be told, this build is something of a mixture of Legolas and Aragorn. The Ranger has discarded a bunch of terrible mechanics from previous editions while maintaining the spirit of them. He is much better for it.
A solid combatant, the Ranger relies on lighter armor and so has weaker defenses than other Warrior classes. He makes up for it by being better with Talents, having good saves and receiving a good number of attacks. In many ways, a Ranger has one foot in Warrior and one in Rogue. Rangers are also fairly powerful offensively, able to lay down some very solid damage when they know what it is they're going up against. This, combined with their knack for ranged combat, helps mitigate their lesser defensive capability.
Powers like Quarry and Terrain Expertise maintain the spirit of abilities like Favored Enemy and Favored Terrain...abilities that pretty much sucked before.
Feedback is appreciated.
I'm totally stealing the Insight series of abilities in Ranger, Thief, and Assassin. Elegant way to handle intuitive knowledge.
ReplyDeleteSteal away! I was inspired by posts by Alexis over at the Tao of D&D.
ReplyDeleteIntuitive knowledge for classes, I think, is an under-utilized resource that really helps lend flavor to the classes.