Magic-free Ranger-class

[Plane Sailing]

You might like to have a look at the "Ranger" class which I use in my campaign for a spell-less ranger. Rather than a rogue/ranger cross it is much more of a barbarian/ranger cross. You can check out the details near the bottom of this page:

http://www.starguild.freeserve.co.uk/frp/kyri_classes.htm

Hardy individuals, used to scouting alone in the wilderness. They use all the rules for the barbarian class except as follows:

No Rage: The Ranger does not get the ability to rage (unless purchased as a feat if you have a barbarian background).

No Spells: The Ranger has no spell ability.

Favoured Enemy: At 1st level a ranger gets one point in Favoured Enemy. You must spend this initial point of Favoured Enemy on a creature type from Table 3-14 (p. 45 Player's Hand Book). At every odd level he gains another point in Favoured Enemy. Each time a ranger gains points of Favoured Enemy he may then allot his points of Favoured Enemy among the creatures on his list of Enemies from Table 3-14 as he sees fit, either increasing an existing score or starting a new one at +1. There is a maximum bonus of +5 for any one favoured prey. If he reaches 20th level, all of his favoured enemies gain an additional +1. Favoured enemy is used both to hit and to damage.

Skills: The Ranger list of skills is used.

Other Abilities: The Ranger gets d12 HD, fast movement, uncanny dodge and damage resistance along the same schedule as the PHB barbarian class.

Rangers are primarily found in the Borderlands and in the various barbarian nations.

The closest way of looking at it is a Barbarian that swaps his rage for favoured enemy and ranger skill list.

Basically, I don't have the Barbarian class per se in my campaign, but there are barbarian nations (with fighters, rogues, rangers and shaman(druids)), and regional Rage feats available. If you have barbarians as a class already, this might not suit you; it really fills my vision for fast moving, self reliant loners of the wilderness though.

- one other thing... I houseruled tracking such that all tracking just uses the Search skill (not wilderness lore at all), and all PCs can use Search to find tracks with a DC of 20 or less, but only rangers can Search for tracks with a higher DC (following exactly the same model as Rogues searching for traps vs other classes searching for traps).

Cheers.

 

[leaghe]

Ken Hood had a non-magical Ranger variant called the Bushfighter posted at the Sleeping Imperium site.
Here's a link:

http://www.sleepingimperium.rpghost.com/downloads/bushfighter.pdf

Leaghe

 

[Ancalagon]

the WOT ranger is good, try to find it if you can.

It has 6 skill points a level.

Ancalagon

 

[kenjib]

Hey cool, I forgot about that one. That one's better than mine. Mine goes bye-bye.

*BOOM*

Ken Hood had a non-magical Ranger variant called the Bushfighter posted at the Sleeping Imperium site.
Here's a link:

http://www.sleepingimperium.rpghost.com/downloads/bushfighter.pdf

Leaghe

 

[Frostmarrow]

The ranger's spells are worth roughly 2 skill points. The same goes for the paladin. Trash the spells and everything that goes with it (i e concentration class-skill) and add 2 extra skill points. Voila.

 

[Desdichado]

2 skill points? How do you figure that?

 

[Frostmarrow]

Not just 2 skill points. 2 more skill points. That is the ranger gets 6 skill points instead of 4. (The paladin gets 4 instead of 2).

How do I figure? Well, as you know these things are more an art than a science so I can't provide any unrefutable evidence that such is the case.

These are part of the reason I think it's reasonable.

1) It's a minute change that doesn't require you to rewrite the entire class(es).

2) The change has very little impact on the actual game. I.e. the spells that are lost from the game won't be very much missed. Moreover the extra skill points does not challenge any other class to a greater extent.

3) The ClassCalc-program okays the change.

4) If given the choice between 2 skill points or the spells not all players would opt for the skill points. (If given the choice between Monte´s ranger and the PHB-one I guess ALL would pick Monte's.)

5) It caught your eye.

 

[Darklone]

Careful

Don't forget that most WoT classes have 2 skills points more per level.