Favored Enemy Rationale

[javcs]

A similar example might be a rogue's sneak attack ability. It still works even if the creature is disguised as a different creature that has different vital spots. The rogue could even be attacking a (disguised) undead without knowing it.

Or rather, something disguised as an undead. He'd still get his sneak attack dice.

 

[SeRiAlExPeRiMeNtS]

I realy don´t like the favored enemy thing.. Would be too good if I changed the favored enemy for sudden strike like the ninja ability (+1d6 at 1st level, +1d6 at 5th, etc, +5d6 at 20th level..)?

 

[Klaus]

Of course the problem I always have is that the ranger may get a +6 or +8 bonus in interactions and damage against some broad kind of creature, but without know-whatever, how does he even know he is fighting his enemy?

IMC Rangers can make a trained roll using the +2/+whatever bonus on the appropriate Know skill.

To me that is a more puzzling problem.

"Theory is when you know everything, and nothing works.
Practice is when you know nothing, and everything works."

 

[moritheil]

Obviously you are part of the player knowledge trumps knowledge ranks camp.

Actually, no. As I read it, when he says "won't cause your brain to fall out of your head" he is still referring to the ranger character.

 

[Hypersmurf]

say the ranger has favored enemy(elf) +4 and favored enemy(human) +2
against sfedi's "a disguised elf, as a human.", what bonus should the ranger get?

For a more extreme example, take a human druid wildshaped into a wolf.

The druid's type is still Humanoid (Human), since the new Wildshape based on Alternate Form does not change type.

The ranger would apply a bonus from Favored Enemy (Human), not from Favored Enemy (Animal), whether or not he knew the wolf was really a druid.

-Hyp.