Ranger Design Goals

ZombieRoboNinja · Jun 8, 2012

So... since skills are handled primarily by backgrounds, and combat specializations by themes... as others are asking, what's the difference between a ranger and a fighter with Background: Tracker and Theme: Sharpshooter?

4E gave us an easy answer: the fighter is a defender and the ranger is a striker. So even if they're both dual-wielding swords, the fighter will be tougher to hit, "stickier," and better at protecting his allies, while the ranger will be more mobile and probably do more damage.

Thing is, the playtest fighter doesn't have any real CLASS abilities that confirm his role as a defender. I'm guessing that as they refine the classes, the fighter will end up with some 4e mark-style mechanic to help him tank, and the ranger will have more mechanics for precise, targeted damage.

Minigiant · Jun 8, 2012

am181d said:
Using the Ranger class you should be able to build...

...Drizzt (did I spell that wrong?)
...Aragorn
...Robin Hood
...Jack the Giant-Killer
...the Huntsman from Snow White (who I recently learned looks a lot like Thor)

You missed one
The OTHER Hunstman

*blows the Horn of Urgency*

I hope there is a "shiny teeth" theme.

mach1.9pants · Jun 8, 2012

Ranger Design Goals blog

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The real problem with Rangers being too much is that "rangers focus on a particular combat style, traditionally two-weapon fighting". Two wep fighting, IIRC, is a drow thing NOT a ranger thing and since good old Drizzt it has been wierding out a neat class ever since.

Campbell · Jun 8, 2012

mach1.9pants said:
Whoops! Browser Settings Incompatible

The real problem with Rangers being too much is that "rangers focus on a particular combat style, traditionally two-weapon fighting". Two wep fighting, IIRC, is a drow thing NOT a ranger thing and since good old Drizzt it has been wierding out a neat class ever since.

It actually looks like they are divorcing two weapon fighting and archery from the Ranger class.

Bruce Cordell said:
Many rangers focus on a particular combat style, traditionally two-weapon fighting or archery, and they do so by using an appropriate theme.

Bolded for emphasis.

Stalker0 · Jun 8, 2012

Sir Brennen said:
It also says "Many Rangers focus on a particular combat style." So I assume some don't.

Its important to remember that the article is meant to get to the fundamental core of each class. Its says "Regardless of the choices you make around the class, the class is going to do this".

In that regards, the combat style seems very extraneous, and certainly not a core feature of being a ranger.

mach1.9pants · Jun 8, 2012

Yeah I should have pointed out I agreed with the way they look like they are going.

Campbell · Jun 8, 2012

It is kind of funny that the best way to convert a 4e Ranger to 5e might be to make a Fighter with a hunter background and a two weapon fighting or archery theme.

Plane Sailing · Jun 8, 2012

FitzTheRuke said:
I'm surprised at how many people see "Many rangers focus on a particular combat style - by picking a theme" and read it as "All rangers must pick a theme to chose their combat style"

Based on everything we know about D&D Next. They just told us that Rangers DO NOT pick a fighting style UNLESS THEY WANT TO (by picking a fighting-style theme)

The opposite of what most people seem to be reading into it.

I think you are misreading it.

There wouldn't be any need to mention picking a theme for a fighting style if it was just something that EVERYONE had as an option, because that would be just part of every classes options.

The fact that they specifically call it out here in the class description makes it sound like the ranger class is due to have, say, a 'bonus fighting style theme'.

Personally I wouldn't like to see that. I'd prefer something which is a new ( or traditional) distinctive of the class, and then leave the theme open for a player to choose - does he want to be an acrobat ranger? A magic using ranger? An archer specialist ranger? A pub crawler ranger? It is just one of the character options.

Cheers

Plane Sailing · Jun 8, 2012

Something I'd like to see in a ranger class (in an abstract sense) is that it is one of the bst classes for solo adventuring. More than other classes the ability to be out ranging/patrolling alone seems to me to be a desirable part of the shtick.

jadrax · Jun 8, 2012

Plane Sailing said:
There wouldn't be any need to mention picking a theme for a fighting style if it was just something that EVERYONE had as an option, because that would be just part of every classes options.

The fact that they specifically call it out here in the class description makes it sound like the ranger class is due to have, say, a 'bonus fighting style theme'.

I think you might be over-thinking it. I think it was more 'This is what you expect to be able to do from past editions, and this is how you use the new theme mechanic to do it'.