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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Pickaxe" data-source="post: 748117" data-attributes="member: 10812">Just another comment about the ranger, which I'm sure has come up before in the many threads on this topic.I'm all for being able to design your ranger as an archer/hunter, or even to model him after Driz'zt. But why are these the only two models anyone ever talks about, especially when they have nothing to do with what is, for me, the archetype of the ranger, Strider/Aragorn?Aragorn is never protrayed as Mr. Bow, nor does he do the two-weapon thing. In fact, I would recommend either dropping the two-weapon thing or (what I do in my campaign) making it one of a selection of virtual feats. How about Alertness, Endurance, or Toughness? Strider and the Rangers of the North are expert trackers, super alert, have incredible stamina, and are adept at survival in the wilderness. There is almost nothing in the current ranger profile to promote this version, at least beyond what a lot of other classes can do. They get Spot as a class skill, which is significant. They get good Fort saves and d10 hit die, but so do fighters and paladins. They get Wilderness Lore, just as druids and (I believe) barbarians. Not that those other classes should not, but nothing distinguishes the ranger as a survivalist.In 1e, I recall that one of the ranger's prime abilities was Con; in fact, it may have been the highest requirement (14, I think). Con is largely an afterthought for rangers. Yes, it helps hit points, and I certainly wouldn't put a 9 in Con, but I wouldn't do that for any character. Con is not of any special value to rangers, above that of other characters.It's not that I want to see Con become the most important ability for rangers, but I would like to see rangers be able to follow a path that emphasizes survival, stamina, and perhaps Con. In my campaign, I give rangers access to certain special abilities at high levels, such as Resilient Body. Unfortunately, RB is probably the only one that has real impact on the normally combat-oriented life of a ranger character, but at least they are there for when a ranger has exhausted his options in other areas.Anyway, I'm also a little concerned about why elves would be rangers (or fighters for that matter). PHB makes it sound like elves love to be rangers, but an elven character essentially gives up the benefits of elven weapon proficiencies by becoming a ranger. But I'll leave that for another post.--Axe</blockquote>

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