NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ruslanchik" data-source="post: 4257579" data-attributes="member: 45251">Ranger is a class that will always be more successful in an appropriate campaign.  Campaigns set mostly in wilderness environments or involving a high percentage of your favored enemies can make a Ranger the star of the group.  Making a successful Ranger is also dependent upon rolling good ability scores or playing in a high point-buy game.  This has been the case since 1e, where building a Ranger requires ridiculous luck in rolling ablity scores.  In 1e you are really rewarded for this as a Ranger is much stronger than a Fighter (2d8 HD at 1st level, anyone?).  With the attempt to balance the classes in 3e, Rangers lost out a little bit.I don't think Pathfinder changes any of this.  The addition of d10 HD certainly helps and the combining of skills benefits the Ranger more than many other classes, but you are still at the mercy of your DM to give you favored enemies or create plots in your favored terrains. The lack of the Search skill will always make a Ranger a secondary option as skill monkey.I do like the idea of offering options for the animal companion, though granting bonuses to allies doesn't really fit the flavor of Ranger in my mind.  Aren't Rangers supposed to work alone?  Trading animal companion for something that makes a Ranger more of a loner would have been better.  (Maybe something like a more powerful Dodge feat--Ranger gains Class level/3 bonus to AC vs. one enemy.  This would be useful for TWFers and reward successful use of sneaking.)In the end, Pathfinder could have really reinvented the class like they have with sorcerer, but they just added more of the same.  This leaves the Ranger with the same strengths and weaknesses as before.  I still like the class, but it could definitely be more appealing.</blockquote>

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