Why the many Ranger variants?

[trancejeremy]

Well, there's a bunch of rangers in real life, too.

Texas Ranger (and other states) - basically police officer

Army Ranger - mobile, tough light infantry

Park Ranger - keeps bears away from picnic baskets

 

[Sitara]

Ok thats it!

I want the 4e rnager to be a Park Ranger!

 

[Dias Ex Machina]

We spent weeks working on our class of ranger. We decided that it should be a prestige class (not core), which probably has been done before several times. Our big thing is that the class going into the prestige class alters how the prestige class works. If one goes into it with druid levels, then they get to increase their spells (although slower). They also gain better combat abilities and a fighter combat progression. A fighter going into ranger prestige doesn't gain the spells, but can severely increase is bowmanship with new feats unique to the class.

Curious how? Don't care? Darn...

Here is the entry:

At 1st, 4th, 7th, and 10th level, the ranger may choose one of the following feats and must meet all the requirements of the feat: Improved Critical (Long bow or Short bow), Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Precise Shot, Improved Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Manyshot, Shot on the Run and Dead Aim.
When the ranger has six of any of these feats, he may opt to choose one of the following special abilities instead. The ranger loses all benefits of these abilities when wearing medium or heavy armor...

You see how that works? A fighter will have more of the feats going into the prestige class, so will be able to gain more of the special abilities. The druid will have fewer hit points and a lower attack bonus because of his druid levels but will get to gain spells every second level. He also won't have as many increased bow combat abilities.

 

[Turanil]

What does the C&C ranger get?
Does he get spells? (because thats the most annoying things; rangers are woodsmen, NOT spellcasters)

And yeah, the main reason for so many ranger variants is that most people prefer non-spellcasting rangers.

C&C ranger doesn't get spells.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

Just a nagging question I've had, mainly because I never thought many people liked Rangers that much.

This thread alone makes we want to create a new Ranger class!

The 3.5 Ranger works. I have seen both effective melee and ranged builds.
I think most of his skills and abilities make sense, but I dislike their spells, and I am not convinced the animal companion is appropriate for every Ranger.

I think both 3.0 and 3.5 Ranger suffer from the lack of flexibility, because the archetype is less strictly defined as that of a Barbarian or Paladin. These two classes basically offer no inherent choices, but it doesn't really matter, because their abilities mostly fit their archetype precisely.

 

[Klaus]

I think the basic ranger concept is pretty popular, but people have pretty disparate views of what they should look like. The ranger as written isn't as flexible in implementation as the rogue or fighter, so people keep coming up with variations.

Precisely.

Some want the Ranger to be a scout, others a hunter, others a druidic counterpart to the paladin, others an Aragorn clone, others a Drizzt clone, others an archer, etc, etc, ad infinitum.

 

[S'mon]

What does the C&C ranger get?
Does he get spells? (because thats the most annoying things; rangers are woodsmen, NOT spellcasters)

And yeah, the main reason for so many ranger variants is that most people prefer non-spellcasting rangers.

The C&C Ranger does not get spells. He does get +1 damage/level vs 'Giant Class'.

C&C Ranger:
_____________________

RANGER



Combat Marauder: Rangers possess an extraordinary ability to combat their most common foes, humanoids and giants, due to intense training and study of their enemy’s fighting techniques. When fighting humanoids (bugbears, gnolls, goblins, hobgoblins, kobolds, orcs, and the like) or giants (giants, ogres, and the like), a ranger inflicts extra damage. This damage bonus is +1 at first level, with an additional +1 gained at every level beyond first.



Conceal (Dexterity): Rangers can conceal themselves extremely well in wilderness areas. With a successful dexterity check, rangers can camouflage themselves so well as to be unnoticeable by most passers-by. Rangers cannot move and hide at the same time. Rangers cannot conceal themselves if being observed, before the conceal check is attempted. If the observer is momentarily distracted, the ranger can attempt to use this ability with a -10 penalty.



Delay/Neutralize Poison (Wisdom): On a successful delay poison roll, the ranger can temporarily delay the effect of poinsons. These effects are delayed for one hour per level of the ranger. THIS DOES NOT CURE any damage the poison may have already caused. It takes one round to perform this action. Only one attempt per individual is allowed. If the delay poison roll exceeds the total score needed for success by 6 or more, the ranger has successfully neutralized the poison in the victim. IT DOES NOT CURE any damage that have already occurred.



Move Silently (Dexterity): The ranger is able to move silently in wilderness areas with a successful dexterity check. Can move up to one-half of character’s normal speed at no penalty. More that one-half and up of character’s full speed, -5 penalty. -20 penalty to move silently while running or charging. Rangers cannot perform this ability indoors.



Scale (Dexterity): Moves at one-half character speed. Failed scale check means that the character makes no progress. A check that fails by 5 or more means that the character falls.



Traps (Wisdom): Able to detect and build simple traps in wilderness environment. When passing 25 feet of a wilderness trap, the ranger is entitled to an attribute check to spot it. When actively searching, +2 bonus is added to the check. A ranger can set simple traps in a wilderness environment (including snares, pit traps and similar traps).



Survival (Wisdom): In wilderness environments, rangers can provide shelter for themselves and others, and can provide decent food and water for several people.



Track (Wisdom): Can successful track any creature that leaves a discernable trace, and determine characteristics about the creature as well. With a successful Wisdom check, can find and follow a creature’s tracks or trail for 5 hours. Can also hide tracks at the same level of ability. When tracking or hiding tracks from humanoids or giants, receives a +2 bonus to attribute check. A track check can determine the general number and type of creatures being tracked by one of the following categories: Individuals (1-6), band (6-30), troop (20-100), or army (100+). As well as one of the following categories: Beast, fey, giant, humanoid, plant, vermin, or other (aberration, construct, dragon, elemental, magical beast, ooze, outsider, shapechanger or undead). Many creatures cannot be identified. A Ranger can identify specific animal tracks without any effort. At 3rd level, a ranger can ascertain distinguishing characteristics about the creatures tracked (wounded, exhausted, carrying heavy objects or wearing certain armor). At 5th level, a ranger can identify the specific type of creature(s) being tracked if belonging to one of the following categories and if the ranger has had some interaction with: Beast, fey, giant, humanoid, plant or vermin.

& IMC Rangers get +5 to Spot rolls in Wilderness environments.

Favored Enemy: At 6th level, a ranger chooses one specific tyep of creature as a favored enemy. Knowledge of the favored enemy confers numerous bonuses to the ranger’s ability checks. When combating a favored enemy, the ranger gains additional combat bonuses due to the an advanced fighting style developed through the experience of repeatedly fighting this type of creature. The ranger gains +2 bonus to hit against a favored enemy. The ranger also receives a +2 bonus to the tracking check and is able to neutralize poisons of the favored enemy, whether manufactured or natural.



Prime Attribure: Strength

Hit Dice: d10

Alignment: Any

Weapons: Any

Armor: Breastplate, chainmail, chain suit, hide, leather, padded, ring mail, scale mail, studded leather.

Abilities: Combat marauder, conceal, delay/neutralize poison, favored enemy, move silently, scale, traps, survival, track.



LVL HD BtH EPP

1 d10 0 0

2 d10 +1 2251

3 d10 +2 4501

4 d10 +3 9001

5 d10 +4 18001

6 d10 +5 40001

7 d10 +6 75001

8 d10 +7 150001

9 d10 +8 250001

10 d10 +9 500001

11 +4 +10 725001

12 +4 +11 950001

___________________________________

Comments: Compared to the C&C Fighter the Ranger is less powerful in straight up melee - one point less to-hit, no weapon specialisation, no multiple attack at 10th, etc - but with the marauder bonus I find it's a pretty powerful class.

 

[Sitara]

Hmm, its cool but two things:

The maurauder power is uselss if you run a game with no humanoid monsters or giants. (i.e. a more medieval type of game with castles and knights)

The cnc ranger doesn't get any special competency with the bow.

 

[Belbarid]

Because many people like Rangers that much. No, really.

Also, the core Ranger sucks. It has a weak-ass fluffy sidekick, as if a full-strength fluffy sidekick werent bad enough. It has to either be a reasonable archer, or a crappy TWF thing. It can't be a fighter, can't be a rogue, and certainly can't be anything else.

If anything, the 3.0 Ranger is probably closer (though not quite there) to what a lot of people seem to expect from a Ranger class.

Most of the archetypes from fiction don't match up well to it. Other way round, I suppose. But yeah. That's a fairly major reason too.

That's why I love the Midnight setting Wildlander class. Ranger-type, but abilities are very flexible. You get to pick out of a tree-list of Wildlander abilities- either focusing on a couple types of abilities (stealth, animal-handler, etc), or pick a wide range of less powerful but more general abilities.

 

[S'mon]

Hmm, its cool but two things:

The maurauder power is uselss if you run a game with no humanoid monsters or giants. (i.e. a more medieval type of game with castles and knights)

The cnc ranger doesn't get any special competency with the bow.

1. Agreed, but the Ranger doesn't belong in some settings anyway. The C&C Ranger is a frontiersman, so in eg a Conanesque setting you should give the Marauder bonus vs Picts, in an east-European Teutonic Knights setting you give it vs Lithuanians, in a Charlemagne setting you give it vs Saxons or Moors, etc.

2. No reason why the C&C Ranger should have special competency with bows IMO. There's an archer class in Simon Washbourne's netbook of C&C classes, but a Fighter with bow specialisation covers it fine to my mind.