D&D 5E It's official, WOTC hates Rangers (Tasha's version of Favored Foe is GARBAGE)

[Dr Magister]

I don't remember where I saw it, but I recall seeing some rationale that since rangers were mostly forest pathfinders and scouts, they wouldn't favor two-handled weapons (hard to swing in a polearm or greatsword in a forest) or shields (again, clumsy in a narrow woodland) so they felt that a ranger would opt for a small off-hand weapon (knife, handaxe, etc) as an alternative. They also moved rangers to light armor (studded leather) to further that archetype as a scout, skirmisher, and archer rather than the heavier armor and weapons of a fighter.

It's just occurred to me, but the heir-to-the-kingdom ranger (who definitely WAS NOT Aragorn) from Sword of Shannara (which is NOT a plot-point by plot-point rip-off of Lord of the Rings) always fought with a sword and dagger (or sword and shortsword; it's a long time since I read it). Could that be an influence?

 

[Minigiant]

Fighters have had access to all skills since 3rd edition.

Yes and no.
Fighters had access to all of them but their aptitude with them was bad or DM dependent.

Or couldn't - I wouldn't know where to start in creating a "detailed exploration system" for D&D, and I don't know an RPG that has such a thing

It's actually easy.
Just a lot of writing.

No, it was created for and Aragorn fan. And something created to suit a specific player who couldn't get their head around the difference between class names and class abilities (Aragorn is a paladin with a wilderness guy background) is not a good reason for including something in the game

The point is that a half caster warrior fits exactly how a D&D ranger would end up naturally.

It's just funny that Aragorn in DnD is a half caster warrior.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

It's just funny that Aragorn in DnD is a half after warrior.

I’ve never understood this sentiment. I’d expect the Aragorn in any high magic setting to have magic.

 

[Minigiant]

I’ve never understood this sentiment. I’d expect the Aragorn in any high magic setting to have magic.

People don't want to admit most fantasy books and stories are low magic and don't match d&d style

 

[Remathilis]

People don't want to admit most fantasy books and stories are low magic and don't match d&d style

People don't want to admit D&D is it's own type of fantasy and not a good emulator of all types of fantasy.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Yes and no.
Fighters had access to all of them but their aptitude with them was bad or DM dependent.

Those barriers where there to role-protect the ranger. Without the ranger class there would have been no reason to erect artificial barriers to fighters.

It's actually easy.

Easy to say, hard to prove. I don't believe you.

Just a lot of writing.

No good rules system involves a lot of writing.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

People don't want to admit D&D is it's own type of fantasy and not a good emulator of all types of fantasy.

Eh, D&D is Much more flexible than a lot of folks give it credit for. Adventures In Middle Earth is a great example.

 

[Remathilis]

Eh, D&D is Much more flexible than a lot of folks give it credit for. Adventures In Middle Earth is a great example.

D20 is much more flexible, D&D isn't unless you plan to rewrite much of the rules into a different game. To put it differently, Unreal Engine is flexible, but it's much harder to play Doom using Skyrim.

 

[Minigiant]

Those barriers where there to role-protect the ranger. Without the ranger class there would have been no reason to erect artificial barriers to fighters.

The fighter came first.
The fighter lacks skills because it was designed to wear heaviest armor they could find/afford and to role protect rogues.
As for tracking and wilderness lore, fighters has access just like the ranger. They just didn't get it for free and had no reason to take high mental stats.

Easy to say, hard to prove. I don't believe you.

The problem was never difficulty. It was always page space.

Every edition eventually gets wilderness stuff. It is just never in the first PHB, MM, and DMG. It's pieced together and sold in little batches over several books, guides, and adventures.

No good rules system involves a lot of writing

It does if you are writing rules for the world.

Most games don't. That's the point.

Weather both natural and fantastic, natural obstacles, extreme conditions, plant and fungal information, animal behavior, tribe composition, fanatic phenomenons, fey organization and fairie logic, elemental or magical modifications, etc

That's dozens of pages.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

D20 is much more flexible, D&D isn't unless you plan to rewrite much of the rules into a different game. To put it differently, Unreal Engine is flexible, but it's much harder to play Doom using Skyrim.

Eh, there’s no actual difference.

You take 5e, make new classes, new monsters, maybe items, and go.

Less work than a new game, and IME much easier and more satisfying than getting a group to learn a new system every time you want to change the Theme of the game.