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Message: <blockquote data-quote="DamionW" data-source="post: 2661622" data-attributes="member: 18649">Hello again people.  In my series of elemental variant classes, I’ve drafted up a wind/air variant ranger build.  As with the paladin I made, <a href="http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=151601" target="_blank">http://www.enworld.org/showthread.php?t=151601</a>, I’m looking for some balance advice from the experts on here.  These classes are for a campaign world where the Elemental Planes have partially fused with the Material plane and dominated all of the cultures there.  Some of the rangers in that world fall under the Air category, and that’s how I designed them.  I wanted them to reflect speed and maneuverability as their primary attribute, and change their spell lists to match that. I’ll outline the “crunchy” changes I’ve made up top, but I included the full class description and flavor afterwards for anyone who wants to read it and/or use it in their campaign world.Basically, my mechanics changes boil down to:1) Alignment restricted to non-lawful2) Replaced Heal, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), and Swim with Balance, Escape Artist, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble as class skills.3) Favored enemies restricted to specific species of creatures instead of overall types.  This tightened focus translates into an offensive bonus as well as a defensive bonus as in Masters of the Wild (i.e., for each favored enemy, the ranger gets +2 to Bluff, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival skills, as well as +2 to damage and to AC) 4) Improved Initiative replaces Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level5) Animal companions chosen from plains, desert, and cold forest environments, the only terrains in the campaign world where air rangers are from.6) Spell list majorly revised to focus on air spells, including some direct damage wind/lightning type spells (Some I only know of from the 3.0 splat books I own, and I only have Complete Divine for 3.5. If anyone knows if they’ve been updated to a 3.5 “Complete” book, or if there’s a reason to exclude them from a 3.5 game, please note that for me).7) Evasion gained at 7th level instead of 9th8) Removed Woodland Stride ability9) Add Improved Evasion as the rogue special ability at 13th level.10) Moved Camouflage ability to 14th level11) Moved Hide in Plain Sight to 18th levelThat’s how the class stands right now.  Is combining the offensive and defensive bonuses too much as a tradeoff for having specific favored enemies?  Also, I’m kind of ambivalent to the camouflage and hide in plain sight abilities.  They could fit the stealthy aspect of the character, but I’m thinking of replacing them with air-based spell-like abilities, like Feather Fall X/day or Control Winds X/week.  That would increase the air aspects of the character, but make them less useful in the typical hunter role.  I’m still not sure.  The spell lists also have the same problem I had with the paladin spell list, including some offensive spells.  What are others’ thoughts on the class?Ok, here’s the full class description with flavor.  Thanks for reading and for any advice!AIR VARIANT RANGER    For as long as there have been wild lands, there have been rough men and women patrolling them, hunting down creatures and foes alike.  These warriors are known as rangers.  Since the coming of the Four Forces, two distinct types of rangers have emerged.  The elves and humans of The Wildwood Council continue to pass down the time-honored traditions of the forest stalkers of old.  These fit the traditional image of a ranger as in most fantasy games.  However, a new type of ranger has come out of the deserts of Sirocco and the clouds of Typhoon like a storm.  These swift and stealthy bandits are the scourge of the Earth Realms; killing their champions and stealing their riches in the name of the Air Lords and then scattering to the breezes.  They are bastions of all that is free and wild about the wind.  These are the windstalkers, or air rangers.    While the traditional Wildwood rangers call upon the forces of nature like the druids they work with, the windstalkers draw their strength from the Air Lords.  These warriors value speed over strength and surprise over numbers.  They are among the most skilled ranged combatants in the world, amplifying their aim with the guidance of the Wind Lords.  They strike fast, and then disappear like dust in the wind.  Anywhere the greedy Earth Realms spread their plans, the windstalkers are there to harass and confound their every move.    Adventures:  Windstalkers adventure for many reasons.  Often they set forth as an obligation to their tribe and to their religion to fight the Earth Lords wherever they can.  Some just feel the need to wander far from their homes and join adventuring parties.  Like Wildwood rangers, they are penultimate trackers and hunters, and their skills are in demand in many areas.    Characteristics:  Windstalkers are skilled combatants, training in many different forms of weapons.  They are exceptionally fast and stealthy, sneaking through the savannahs and steppes of the west.  They train to pick specific foes from their tribe’s enemies and study them intently to learn how to fight them.  Lastly, as the ranger progresses, they gain access to air elemental and nature spells that augment their skills with animals and in combat.    Alignment:  Like the Air clerics that they frequently associate with, windstalkers are a wild lot.  They value freedom from restrictions and believe the ends justify the means in most ways.  Windstalker may not be lawful because the forces the worship are too capricious to be tied down in an orderly fashion.    Religion:  Windstalkers do not draw their divine energy directly from the spirits of the land.  They study devoutly under the clerics of the Air Lord, and worship in their temples.  It is this strength of faith that grants them spells at higher levels.    Background:  Most windstalkers train under the elders in their tribes.  The clerics of the Air Realms monitor young children to see who has the skill and devotion to follow the path.  They then hand them off to the rangers of the tribe to take them into the wild and train them.  This training lasts months and years until the youth is prepared to take the tribe’s fights to the wilds and defend the ideals of the Air Lords.    Races:  Halflings and humans form the brunt of the windstalkers.  Aaracokra are also frequently called to the path.  These warriors form the majority of those races’ armies and hunting parties.  The gnolls of the savannah have also adapted their hunting styles to match the windstalkers and have heard the voices of the Air Lords on the blowing breezes.  However, these gnoll windstalkers aren’t focused on fighting the Earth Lords as much as they are preying on those foolish enough to trespass in their territory.GAME RULE INFORMATION:Air-variant rangers have the following game statistics.    Abilities:  Dexterity is crucial to a windstalker’s combat abilities.  It increases their AC beyond the light armor they wear and improves their ranged attacks.  Wisdom determines their spellcasting abilities and the difficulty class of their effects.  Wisdom is also important to a windstalker’s ability to track their opponents.  Constitution improves their hit points and their ability to press a hunt.    Alignment:  Any non-lawful.    Hit Die:  (Normal) d8Class Skills:The Air Variant Ranger’s class skills are as a normal ranger’s, except that Balance, Escape Artist, Sleight of Hand, and Tumble replace Heal, Knowledge(Dungeoneering), Knowledge (Geography), and Swim.    Skill points:  (Normal) 6+Int modifierClass Features:All of the following are class features of the Air Variant Ranger.    Weapon and Armor Proficiency:  (Normal)    Favored Enemy (Ex):  At 1st level, a air variant ranger may select a favored enemy from the following list of specific creatures:  Ankheg, Bulette, Dragon; Blue, Dragon; Copper, Dragonne, Dwarf; Hill, Dwarf; Mountain, Dwarf; Deep, Earth Elemental, Gargoyle, Genie; Efreet, Genie; Dao, Giant; Stone, Gnoll, Goblin, Human Earth Cleric, Human Monk, Lamia, Orc, Ogre, Salamander, Sauhagin, Troll, Troglodyte, Umber Hulk, Wyvern, Xorn, and Yrthak.    Due to their tightened study of specific foes rather than foe types allows them to gain the offensive bonuses of a normal ranger, plus the defensive bonuses listed in Masters of the Wild book (+2 to Move Silently, Hide, and a +2 dodge bonus to AC).  The windstalker’s choices of enemies and the bonuses increase as a normal ranger’s do, at every 5th level.    Track:  (Normal)    Wild Empathy (Ex):  (Normal)    Combat Style (Ex):  (Normal), but it is much more natural for windstalkers to choose archery over two-weapon fighting, and their spells and dexterity greatly improve this style.  However, there is no prohibition against choosing two-weapon fighting.    Improved Initiative:  At 3rd level the air-variant ranger gains the Improved Initiative feat instead of the Endurance feat of normal rangers.    Animal Companion (Ex):  (Normal), but their choices reflect the environment they roam in.  At 4th level, the air variant ranger can select a companion from the following list:  Baboon, camel, dog(coyote, jackal), dog; riding, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), hyena, owl, pony, or snake; small or medium viper    At 8th level, the list includes:  Bison, cheetah, leopard (cougar), Lizard; monitor (gila monster), Snake; constrictor, snake; large viper, wolverine    At 14th level, the list includes:  Bear; brown, dire wolverine, lion, rhinoceros, snake; huge viper    At 20th level, the list includes:  Dire lion    These lists reflect the windstalker’s territory of plains and deserts.  The forest creatures on the list reflect air rangers from the trapping town of Skyfall in the far north.    Spells:  (Normal), but the spell list that is granted from the Air Lords are different than the Wildwood ranger list (see below).    Improved Combat Style (Ex):  (Normal), but again archery dominates.    Evasion (Ex):  At 7th level, the air variant ranger gains the evasion ability that a normal ranger gets at 9th level.    Combat Style Mastery (Ex):  (Normal)    Improved Evasion (Ex):  At 13th level, the windstalker gains the improved evasion ability, as the rogue’s special ability.    Camoflage (Ex):  (Normal), but gained at 14th level.    Hide in Plain Sight (Ex):  (Normal), but gained at 18th level.Spell List:1st Level:AlarmAnimal MessengerAnimal Trick (3.0 Masters of the Wild, 3.5 version anywhere?)Bloodhound (3.0 MotW, 3.5?)Calm AnimalsCamouflage (Complete Divine)Charm AnimalDawn (3.0 MotW, 3.5?)Detect Animals & Plants *(Limited to animals only)Detect Snares and PitsEndure ElementsEntropic ShieldExpeditious RetreatFeather FallHawkeye (CD)Hide from animalsJumpKnow DirectionLongstriderMagic FangNaturewatch (CD)Pass Without TraceRead MagicSpeak with AnimalsSummon Nature’s Ally I *(Limited to eagles, hawks, snake; small viper)Traveller’s Mount (CD)2nd Level:AuguryBear’s EnduranceCat’s GraceCure Light WoundsFilter (3.0 Tome and Blood, 3.5 version anywhere?)Gust of WindHold AnimalLocate ObjectNature’s Favor (CD)Owl’s WisdomScent (CD)SnareSpeed of the Wind (3.0 MotW, 3.5?)Summon Nature’s Ally II *(Limited to Small Air Elementals, Dire Bats, Hippogriffs, snake; medium viper, or wolverines)Wind Wall3rd Level:Blessed Aim (3.0 Defenders of the Faith, 3.5 version anywhere?)Cure Moderate WoundsDarkvisionDetect Favored Enemy (CD)Embrace the Wild (3.0 MotW, 3.5?)FlyForestfold (CD)Gaseous FormHarrier (3.0 DoF, 3.5?)Magic Fang, GreaterMark of the Hunter (CD)Protection from ArrowsReduce AnimalRemove DiseaseRepel VerminSummon Nature’s Ally III *(Limited to lions, giant owls, giant eagles, snake; large viper, snake, constrictor)Whispering Wind4th Level:Air WalkAnimal GrowthBane Bow (CD)Camouflage, Mass (CD)Cure Serious WoundsFreedom of MovementImplacable Pursuer (CD)Lightning BoltNondetectionSummon Nature’s Ally IV *(Limited to brown bears, dire wolverines, juvenile arrowhawks, air mephits, dust mephits, and medium air elementals)Alright, fire the criticisms away!</blockquote>

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