Favored Enemy

[Oryan77]

If a Ranger wants his favored enemy to be Drow or Duergar and he picks Elf & Dwarf, does that mean he gains the bonuses vs all other elves and dwarves? Or do you pick which version of Elf/Dwarf?

According to the PHB, I'd say it counts vs all Elves/Dwarves. But it would seem strange if you were an elf that loves all elves but hated Drow. Or same with a Dwarf. The other elves wouldn't seem to be a favored "Enemy".

I only ask because I want to avoid players arguing that they do/don't get their bonus.

 

[Plane Sailing]

The favoured enemy doesn't mean that you hate or even dislike them, it just means that you have studied them.

A bounty hunter might take favoured enemy (human) so he can stop thieves better, but that doesn't mean that he dislikes all humans - just that he is good at sussing them out (and hurting them) if he wants to.

 

[Nonlethal Force]

The favoured enemy doesn't mean that you hate or even dislike them, it just means that you have studied them.

A bounty hunter might take favoured enemy (human) so he can stop thieves better, but that doesn't mean that he dislikes all humans - just that he is good at sussing them out (and hurting them) if he wants to.

This is correct. I have a ranger I play online here that does precisely this. She is headed for the Bloodhound PrC and does very much aspire to be a bountyhunter. Her first time out is favored enemy (human). Since she is a human, she doesn't hate herself!

Thus, I would say that for a character who knows they love all elves but drow that Favored Enemy (elves) is probably a great choice. I say this because in order to have such strong opinions, one must know what they are talking about. They might love aspects of some elves and hate how the drow contort them. But that kind of thought demonstrates the kind of study and thought that a ranger has with the Favored Enemy class ability.

 

[Thanee]

I actually find it rather appropriate to choose your own race, since that's what you are most familiar with. That's what I see Favored Enemy as, a race that you are very familiar with (usually because it is a common enemy).

What you do with the knowledge is up to you, and that defines whether you are good or evil*.

As for your first question... you do not have to choose drow specifically. Elf applies to all elven races. And so on.

Bye
Thanee

* In 3E you couldn't select your own race unless you were evil.