a Ranger/Scout merged variant

[GlassJaw]

I'm working on a 3.75 ruleset myself and one thing I wanted to tweak was the ranger. I'm getting rid of the animal companion and opening up the options for the class in general.

And while I like the Scout class, I also feel it takes too much away from the Rogue. However, I definitely feel the Scout has some things that the Ranger should have. Here's my merger of the two classes:

Keeps 3.5 Ranger HD, skills, saves, and spell progression.

1st	Favored enemy or skirmish, Track, wild empathy
2nd	Bonus feat
3rd	Trackless step
4th	Fast movement +10 ft.
5th	Favored enemy or skirmish
6th	Bonus feat
7th	Woodland stride
8th	Swift tracker
9th	Evasion
10th	Favored enemy or skirmish, bonus feat
11th	Fast movement +20 ft.
12th	Camouflage
13th	
14th	Bonus feat
15th	Favored enemy or skirmish
16th	 
17th	Hide in plain sight
18th	Bonus feat
19th	
20th	Favored enemy or skirmish

At levels 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20, the ranger can choose either the favored enemy or skirmish (+1d6, +1 AC) ability. He may choose a different one each time and the effects stack as normal.

Bonus Feats - must meet all prerequisites for any bonus feat chosen
Blind-Fight
Dodge
Endurance
Far Shot
Gr TWF
Great Fortitude
Imp Precise Shot
Imp TWF
Iron Will
Lightning Reflexes
Manyshot
Mobility
Point Blank Shot
Precise Shot
Quick Draw
Rapid Reload
Rapid Shot
Run
Shot on the Run
Skill Focus
Spring Attack
Track
Two-Weapon Fighting

 

[Slapzilla]

I'd switch Woodland Stride and Trackless Step. It seems a more logical progression to me. I'd also drop one of the fast movements in favor of a +2 to a pair of skills. Otherwise, looks strong. But only strong in the wilds.

What would this class do in a dungeon or cave besides emulate a fighter? Track, sure. The bonus feats are (IMHO) too loaded on combat and toughness (plus Run and Skill Focus). I suppose that has always been a challenge to the Ranger, though.

Rangers are hard and I doubt I could come up with better. I'd play this Ranger. Nice job.

 

[GlassJaw]

I'd switch Woodland Stride and Trackless Step. It seems a more logical progression to me.

Well that's the same order the Scout gets them, hence I left it the same.

What would this class do in a dungeon or cave besides emulate a fighter? Track, sure. The bonus feats are (IMHO) too loaded on combat and toughness (plus Run and Skill Focus). I suppose that has always been a challenge to the Ranger, though.

But that's really no different than the current Ranger and Scout. I actually think this feat list (which is basically the Scout list plus the ranger combat style feats) allows the ranger to be much more diverse. The current ranger combat styles are all combat and very pigeon-holed.

Also, I house rule Skill Focus to allow the player to add +3 to one skill or +2 to two related skills.

Rangers are hard and I doubt I could come up with better. I'd play this Ranger. Nice job.

Thanks for the comments!

 

[Slapzilla]

No sweat.

 

[Nifft]

Hmm, I always thought of Skirmish as more of a Combat Style choice -- Ambush (sneak attack), Archery, Skirmish, or TWF. Possibly also a Mounted or Finesse combat style too.

Instead of Favored Enemy, maybe rob the Horizon Walker, and give a Favored Terrain? That still gives a combat bonus against a large number of critters. Add a City terrain type for bonus against humans. Allow Planar Terrain types at 10th, 15th and 20th levels.

Fast Movement is cool, but perhaps it should be an option? It's not going to be much use for the mounted combat guy if it doesn't apply to his mount, nor is it particularly in character for the machine-gun archer. Eh, minor quibble.

All that said, I don't see any obvious problems with your Ranger variant. I think it'd work fine. Nice work.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Aus_Snow]

I like don't hate Skirmish for melee, but for ranged. . . well, to my way of thinking it just doesn't make much sense. But hey.

So I would have put something like Sneak Attack (i.e., Ambush) in as well / instead. For my variant, that's basically for sniping.

I would also second the favoured environment idea. Those extra options of Nifft's are cool, too.

At first glance, I thought it was spell-less and therefore a bit weak. Not so much now.

 

[GlassJaw]

I would also second the favoured environment idea. Those extra options of Nifft's are cool, too.

Hmm, forgot about the favored environment variant. I like those too.

Think I might switch favored enemy for terrain and then put skirmish and favored enemy as bonus feat choices.

 

[MongooseFamiliar]

As long as the Swift Hunter feat is available, I would never play this class. Being able to do precision or critical damage to certain creatures is just too good to pass up. You've also completely neutered skirmish as it is with this class, since at level 20 it would do +3d6, +2AC if it follows the regular skirmish progression.

What role do you see this class playing? I play a Swift Hunter as a skill monkey and mobile damage specialist. For that, I need the good skills and the trapfinding and disable device ability. Your ranger does not have that. It seems like it is trying to be a sneaky woodland warrior, with a lot of combat stuff, but its kind of schizophrenic.

 

[GlassJaw]

As long as the Swift Hunter feat is available, I would never play this class. Being able to do precision or critical damage to certain creatures is just too good to pass up.

I don't allow the Scout class so the Swift Hunter feat is essentially irrelevant. And even if I did, I doubt I'd allow the Swift Hunter feat anyway. Like you said, it's too good to pass up. That equals too powerful in my book.

You've also completely neutered skirmish as it is with this class, since at level 20 it would do +3d6, +2AC if it follows the regular skirmish progression.

You get +1d6 and +1 AC each time you take it. So you would end up with +5d6, +5 AC if you took it each time.

Neutered? Really? If anything, this class gets MORE stuff than the core Ranger. I got rid of the animal companion and added a larger feat choice, favored terrain, fast movement, and trackless step. How is that neutered?

What role do you see this class playing? I play a Swift Hunter as a skill monkey and mobile damage specialist. For that, I need the good skills and the trapfinding and disable device ability. Your ranger does not have that. It seems like it is trying to be a sneaky woodland warrior, with a lot of combat stuff, but its kind of schizophrenic.

It's a wilderness warrior, and actually not dedicated to the woodlands. Again, I'm confused by your comments because I felt the PHB ranger didn't really know what it was, and wasn't very good outside of the forest.

As far as trapfinding and disable device go, that's one of the reasons I don't like the Scout - it makes the rogue less attractive by taking away its core abilities (on top of getting a bunch of other abilities).

I wanted the ranger to be like the scout without the rogue abilities. You know, a class that has skills that deal with the outdoors.

 

[Slapzilla]

For a wilderness warrior not actually dedicated to the woodlands would you consider removing the spells then? The Ranger gets power from the woods and reflects the mystical connection between him/her self and the wilds. Would your warrior then get something else instead? Not so much a suggestion as a wanting to know what you're honing in on, you know?