Does any one have a problem with the HD size of a ranger?

[Desdichado]

I don't have a problem with the HD of the ranger, no. The only problem I have with the ranger is that it has always kinda railroaded a concept into the idea, leaving the more generic woodsman/huntsman/tracker archetype that shows up repeatedly in fantasy fiction unaddressed. Even then, that's not a problem with the class per se, just that I want a different one. And not necessarily in place of the ranger, because the ranger as constituted is fine as a concept, it's just extremely narrow.

Personally, I'm in favor of more core classes, even if there is some overlap. I'd prefer to minimize multiclassing and prestige classes in favor of more specific (or more customizable) core classes.

 

[MerakSpielman]

Yup. I've resigned myself to the fact that different people have different visions for what the ranger archetype is, though.

I think that's the problem right there. Everybody seems to have a different concept of what a "RANGER" should be. The new class trys to satisfy everybody while making the class balanced, but ends up satisfying nobody 100%.

The "basic four" classes - the Wizard, Fighter, Rogue, and Cleric are all very customizable. You can use them to represent lots of different archetypes. I've seen Rogue used for both a Prostitute-turned-Assassin and a James Bond style agent. I've seen Fighter used to build a foppy rapier-wielding artist and a hulking axe-wielding brute. Wizards have school specialization and an infinite number of possible spell lists to act as customize-candy for a creative player. Clerics are as different as the gods they worship, and Domain abilities are icing on the cake.

Rangers are stuffed in a mold, and it's never been customizable enough to satisfy all the ranger fans out there. The other "niche" classes seem to fill roles that are universally accepted archetypes, but debate about what a ranger really IS rages on.

 

[RangerWickett]

Great. I'm gonna have to change my name to Druid/FighterWickett. All I wanted was Track as a bonus feat! Is that so bad?!

 

[LizardWizard]

I think d8 suits the 3.5 ranger quite well. A skirmisher relying on stealth and hit-and-run tactics shouldn't be able to take the same amount of punishment as front-line "shock troops".

 

[takyris]

You can certainly move the ranger's HD back to d10. Just don't forget to drop the skill points back to 4+int and get rid of that Reflex Good save while you're there.

 

[billd91]

To me it makes no sence, Look at it like this. A ranger is a warrior of nature, and a druid is a priest of nature. By that logic a cleric is a priest of a deity and a paladin is a warrior of a deity. So why would the druid and ranger have the same HD size?To me it make no sence.

I don't necessarily see druids and rangers being so closely related. Druids are priests of nature (or nature gods) while rangers are warriors well suited to be scouts who fight out in the wild. Rangers aren't necessarily defenders of nature in the same way druids are (or the way that paladins defend and fight for their faiths), rather it's a medium for their operations. That may lead them to protect it to some extent, but I don't think that's their primary job.
As such, their powers and abilities neither need to be distinct from nor similar to a druid's. They can have some overlap.

 

[frankthedm]

To me it makes no sence, Look at it like this. A ranger is a warrior of nature, and a druid is a priest of nature. By that logic a cleric is a priest of a deity and a paladin is a warrior of a deity. So why would the druid and ranger have the same HD size?To me it make no sence.

Then what special ranger abilities would you give up for a d10 HD?

 

[Sejs]

More than a rogue, less than a fighter.

d8 seems just fine.

 

[Nifft]

In 3.0e, we house-ruled all sorts of stuff to make the Ranger less stinky, including using most of Monte Cook's alt.Ranger class.

When 3.5e came out, we scrapped nearly all that, and now just have a few minor variants based on your deity / spirit totem choice.

I like the 3.5e Ranger just fine.

-- N

 

[Psion]

40 GB seems big enough HD for me.





















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