1st Edition Rangers in 3.x E?

[Starman]

While it doesn't model the 1E style Ranger, the Wildlander from Midnight is one of my favorite takes on the wilderness warrior archetype.

 

[haakon1]

Wilderness Rogue

Wilderness Rogue is pretty close. I think it fits a little better than Scout. I think the best thing to fill this "gap" between classes and the archetype would just be a Fighter variant that's not as crippled on Skills . . . a soldier who can track and survive in woods, rather than a rogue with super-sneaky woodcraft. I get it that Rogue is the Skill class, and Fighter is the Feat class, but is there no compromise out there?

Anyhow, I think I meant the "feel" of Rangers in AD&D, rather than the actual mechanics. The giant fighting stuff didn't come up to often, and magic users spells only came in at levels that most characters didn't live to see. The wilderness scout feel is the idea I'm looking for -- the archetype of it.

Two-weapon fighting makes the ranger 2nd Edition (Drizzt), and lots of emphasis on Favored Enemies (though adapted from AD&D) is what makes it 3e.

 

[haakon1]

This is my take on the ranger, adapted and revised from several OGC sources. It's a higher-powered variant, so you'll have to knock Hit Dice down to d8 to even begin to balance it against core classes. Also, I give 1 feat every level (except ability increase levels), and broke favored enemy up into two feats.

Cheers
Nell.

Thanks Nell. That's pretty much exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, though I'd drop the Wild Shape (taking the supernatural element out of it) and probably the Animal Companion too.

To put it another way, if you wanted to simulate a US Army Ranger / Marine Recon in D&D 3e terms, what would it look like? I think somewhere close to this, or to a Wilderness Rogue / this Ranger multiclassed character.

 

[Mark Hope]

Another option would be to check out the Borderer from the ogl Conan rules. It's similar to the Ranger, but drops many of the qualities that you mentioned as not liking in favour of more wilderness-oriented abilities (favoured terrain, improved tracking abilities, bonus feats etc).

 

[Plane Sailing]

Anyhow, I think I meant the "feel" of Rangers in AD&D, rather than the actual mechanics. The giant fighting stuff didn't come up to often, and magic users spells only came in at levels that most characters didn't live to see. The wilderness scout feel is the idea I'm looking for -- the archetype of it.

So my first suggestion doesn't get any love from you. I'm cool with that

Considering what you've said next, I think you perhaps want a Barbarian, but with rage removed and replaced by a different class feature. This gives you

a) a front line fighter BAB
b) really tough guy (d12 hit die)
c) really really tough (DR as improves in level)
d) fast (40ft move)
e) almost impossible to catch flat-footed (uncanny dodge)
f) has twice as many skill points as the fighter and includes woodsy skills

What's not to like?

The rage could perhaps be swapped for the 'whirling dervish' ability from Unearthed Arcana, or a full strength animal companion, or favoured enemy (giants) or perhaps some from the list of non-combatitive class abilities (endurance/fast tracking/etc)

Cheers

 

[Staffan]

Are there rules out there for 1st Edition style Rangers in 3.x e?

What I mean is, rangers that are wilderness fighters, without the 2e and 3e mods. Rangers who are Robin Hood, not Drizzt.

In particular, the rules I don't like/don't think fit the archetype are:
- Favored Enemy

Favored Enemy, has been mentioned as being comparable to the 1e bonus vs. "giant-class" creatures. I never played 1e (well, once at a con, and in computer games, but that hardly counts), but as I recall the giant-class bonus was equal to half your level. FE gives you a bonus of +2 plus +2 per five levels, which is even better.

- Combat Style: two-weapon combat. I think this isn't a terrible rule, but I wish a lot more combat styles were available.

Well, ranged style makes a pretty good fit for your "Robin Hood" rangers.

- Animal Companion

PHB2 has an optional rule where you can exchange your animal companion for the ability to make a hit count an opponent as flanked for one attack (or for one round, whichever happens first).

 

[ephemeron]

Anyhow, I think I meant the "feel" of Rangers in AD&D, rather than the actual mechanics. The giant fighting stuff didn't come up to often, and magic users spells only came in at levels that most characters didn't live to see.

My experience was that the damage bonus was the defining feature of the 1E ranger. "Giant-class" included most humanoids, from kobolds and goblins on up, so the bonus came into play often, and since it always equalled the ranger's level, it kept increasing.

 

[Nellisir]

Thanks Nell. That's pretty much exactly the sort of thing I was looking for, though I'd drop the Wild Shape (taking the supernatural element out of it) and probably the Animal Companion too.

To put it another way, if you wanted to simulate a US Army Ranger / Marine Recon in D&D 3e terms, what would it look like? I think somewhere close to this, or to a Wilderness Rogue / this Ranger multiclassed character.

You're welcome. I wanted to split the wilderness combat monster and wilderness sneaky dude archtypes apart. I forgot I had Wild Shape in there - that's something that can absolutely be dropped (I like the supernatural element),and I may downgrade it myself at some point. My classes are all probably a little overpowered at the moment, but I'm still tweaking.

 

[haakon1]

Another option would be to check out the Borderer from the ogl Conan rules. It's similar to the Ranger, but drops many of the qualities that you mentioned as not liking in favour of more wilderness-oriented abilities (favoured terrain, improved tracking abilities, bonus feats etc).

Cool, I will check that out.

It's good to have a reason to buy a new book.

 

[haakon1]

So my first suggestion doesn't get any love from you. I'm cool with that

You answered what I ASKED, not what I meant to ask and didn't quite manage to express properly.

Considering what you've said next, I think you perhaps want a Barbarian, but with rage removed and replaced by a different class feature. This gives you

a) a front line fighter BAB
b) really tough guy (d12 hit die)
c) really really tough (DR as improves in level)
d) fast (40ft move)
e) almost impossible to catch flat-footed (uncanny dodge)
f) has twice as many skill points as the fighter and includes woodsy skills

What's not to like?

The rage could perhaps be swapped for the 'whirling dervish' ability from Unearthed Arcana, or a full strength animal companion, or favoured enemy (giants) or perhaps some from the list of non-combatitive class abilities (endurance/fast tracking/etc)

A de-raged barbarian would be about right. The whirling ability doesn't do much for me. I think Unearthed Arcana had a de-raged barbarian replacing rage with Favored Enemy. Do that, and replace Favored Enemy with Favored Terrain (whether that's UA or PHBII, I can't recall) and you've pretty much got what I'm asking for . . . except the d12 HD's is a little excessive, but I can live with it.