Please critique my ranger!

[JRRNeiklot]

I ran this through shortly before the change to the new boards. As I'm still looking for feedback, I thought I'd post it here.

I will probably drop haste and true strike from the spell lists, as I believe (and others have said) that it makes him a bit too powerful. Also, I'm not sure if I've got the spells per day and spells known tables right. Since a ranger is the consumate boy scout, he doesn't prepare spells because he is ALWAYS PREPARED. He casts spontaneously, so I gave him more spells per day and less spells known as per the sorceror, but I'm not sure if I over/under did the correct amount for each.

Thoughts?




Ranger

Alignment: Any good.
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills: The ranger's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha, exclusive skill), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature + local+geography+geology) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive(Wis), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Skill Points at 1st. level: (4 + Int. modifier)x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int. modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and light armor.

TABLE: The Ranger
Base Fort Ref Will
Level Attack Bonus Save Save Save Special
----- ------------ ---- ---- ---- -------
1 +1 +2 +0 +0 Track, favored enemy +1/+1d6
Skill Focus (Wilderness lore)
2 +2 +3 +0 +0 Endurance
3 +3 +3 +1 +1
4 +4 +4 +1 +1
5 +5 +4 +1 +1 favored enemy +2/+2d6
6 +6/+1 +5 +2 +2
7 +7/+2 +5 +2 +2
8 +8/+3 +6 +2 +2
9 +9/+4 +6 +3 +3
10 +10/+5 +7 +3 +3 Greater skill focus
favored enemy +3/+3d6
11 +11/+6/+1 +7 +3 +3
12 +12/+7/+2 +8 +4 +4
13 +13/+8/+3 +8 +4 +4
14 +14/+9/+4 +9 +4 +4
15 +15/+10/+5 +9 +5 +5 favored enemy +4/+4d6
16 +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +5 +5
17 +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +5 +5
18 +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +6 +6
19 +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +6 +6
20 +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +6 +6 favored enemy +5/+5d6

The the ranger benefits from an increased base speed of +10 ft. while wearing light or no armor (this bonus stacks with other speed bonuses, such as those gained from the barbarian or monk classes). This bonus only applies when in natural settings (forests, mountains, etc.)

Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat.


Favored Enemy: At 1st level, a ranger may select a type of creature as a favored enemy. Due to his extensive study of his foes and training in the proper techniques for combating them, the favored enemy bonus applies to ALL relevent checks against the chosen creature type.
The bonus also applies to attack rolls versus the favored enemy. The bonus to damage is handled differently however. The first favored enemy bonus looks like this¡K +1/+1d6, at 5th level this bonus becomes +2/+2d6. A ranger also gets the attack and damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only against targets within 30 feet (the ranger cannot strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range).
The bonus doesn't apply to damage against creatures that are immune to critical hits.
Table: Ranger Favored Enemies :

Aberrations
Animals
Beasts
Constructs
Dragons
Elementals
Fey
Giants
Humanoid type
Magical beasts
Oozes
Organization (example: The Cult of the Dragon)
Outsider type
Plants
Shapechangers
Undead
Vermin

Rangers may not select "humanoid" or "outsider" as a favored enemy, but they may select a more narrowly defined type of humanoid or outsider.

Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the ranger must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Ranger bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a Difficulty Class of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier. A ranger chooses and casts spells just as a sorceror does. Through 3rd level, a ranger has no caster level. Starting at 4th level, a ranger's caster level is one-half his class level.



TABLE: Ranger Spells Known
---Spells known--
Level 1 2 3 4
----- - - - -
1 ¡X ¡X ¡X ¡X
2 ¡X ¡X ¡X ¡X
3 ¡X ¡X ¡X ¡X
4 2 ¡X ¡X ¡X
5 2 ¡X ¡X ¡X
6 2 ¡X ¡X ¡X
7 2 ¡X ¡X ¡X
8 3 1 ¡X ¡X
9 3 2 ¡X ¡X
10 3 3 ¡X ¡X
11 3 3 1 ¡X
12 3 3 2 ¡X
13 4 3 3 ¡X
14 4 3 3 1
15 4 3 3 2
16 4 4 3 2
17 4 4 4 3
18 5 4 4 3
19 5 4 4 4
20 5 5 4 4





TABLE: Ranger Spells Per Day
---Spells per Day--
Level 1 2 3 4
----- - - - -
1 ¡X ¡X ¡X ¡X
2 ¡X ¡X ¡X ¡X
3 ¡X ¡X ¡X ¡X
4 2 ¡X ¡X ¡X
5 2 ¡X ¡X ¡X
6 3 ¡X ¡X ¡X
7 3 ¡X ¡X ¡X
8 3 2 ¡X ¡X
9 3 2 ¡X ¡X
10 3 3 ¡X ¡X
11 3 3 2 ¡X
12 3 3 3 ¡X
13 3 3 3 ¡X
14 4 3 3 2
15 4 3 3 3
16 4 4 3 3
17 4 4 4 3
18 5 4 4 3
19 5 5 5 4
20 5 5 5 5




Ranger Spell List:
As Player's Handbook and Relics and Rituals with the following additions:

1st Animate Rope, Endure Elements, Expeditious Retreat, Obscuring Mist
Sleep, True Strike
2nd Barkskin, Endurance, Fog Cloud
3rd Haste, Keen Edge, Water Breathing
4th Locate Creature

 

[graydoom]

"Any Good"... Sigh....

Oh well, disregarding that, it looks pretty good. But you seem to imply that your rangers can be evil... "A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil".

Which is it?

 

[Enforcer]

First, what's Greater Skill Focus give you? I'm assuming another +x to Wilderness Lore.

I use the Woodsman class from Wheel of Time, as a non-spellcasting ranger. I suppose if I started another D&D campaign, as opposed to just playing Wheel of Time, I might use your class or something like it as an elven Ranger class. I just don't like Rangers who cast spells. I do like the lack of TWF. I'm a huge Drizzt fan, but I hate that ability for the Ranger. If anything they should get some sort of archery feat.

That's my 2 cp anyways.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

"Any Good"... Sigh....

Oh well, disregarding that, it looks pretty good. But you seem to imply that your rangers can be evil... "A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil".

Which is it?

{Sigh.} Another cut and paste error. Rangers must be good. This is a throwback to previous editions and rightfully so. (IMO) I'll edit it.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

First, what's Greater Skill Focus give you? I'm assuming another +x to Wilderness Lore.

I use the Woodsman class from Wheel of Time, as a non-spellcasting ranger. I suppose if I started another D&D campaign, as opposed to just playing Wheel of Time, I might use your class or something like it as an elven Ranger class. I just don't like Rangers who cast spells. I do like the lack of TWF. I'm a huge Drizzt fan, but I hate that ability for the Ranger. If anything they should get some sort of archery feat.

That's my 2 cp anyways.

I've seen lots of ranger variants with archery feats in place of the two-weapon fighting feats, but IMO, that solves nothing. It still shoehorns rangers into a particular archetype, just a different one. We get Robin Hood instead of Drizzt.

Greater Skill Focus grants +4 to a skill. It replaces skill focus instead of stacking.

 

[Jack Daniel]

Rangers need to keep TWF to compensate for their lack of heavy armor (barbarians should get it too, but that's my opinion). A single proficiency is not an archetype.

As for being any good, I'm a fan of that and rangers in my campaign have to stick to that alignment.

The problem people can't seem to get around is exaclty what Monte Cook pointed out and then proceeded to fail miserably at solving: Favored Enemy, while the defining characteristic of the ranger archetype (they're slayers first, woodsmen second), it's still too restrictive. My solution? <Ripping Off Star Wars.>

 

[JRRNeiklot]

I'm one of those who doesn't like the two weapon fighting. A ranger can always choose those feats with his regular feats if he wants to fight that way. Anyway, thanks for looking at it.

Anyone else?

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Yes, a few things.

Skills: At best give the ranger a choice of 1 more knowledge skill among those listed, but not all. I would drop Sense Motive, too. The ranger's skill list is second only to the rogue list, so leave this one to them and the bards.

Alignment: I like the "Any" of the PHB, but to each his own.

Weapons and Armor: Without the two weapon fighting or a similar combat substitute, you should allow the ranger to know how to use all armor types and shields. If you give him a substitute combat ability, he still should have at least shields, if not medium armor as well. In lieu of the TWF, perhaps give him a bonus combat feat?

Sneak Attack: I would scrap this idea and just give the ranger the listed bonus to attack and damage. I don't like any other core class to have the rogue's best combat ability.

Fast Movement: Leave this to the barbarians and monks. Let him take the Fleet of Foot feat or the Run feat. Better yet, let rangers who want to be fast learn the Expeditious Retreat spell.

Spells: If your rangers are going to be spontaneous casters, then they should depend upon Charisma like sorcerers and bards, not wisdom. Like you say, eliminate True Strike and Haste. I would rather have access to all my spells and prepare them in advance, personally. The numbers look alright, though.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

Yes, a few things.

Skills: At best give the ranger a choice of 1 more knowledge skill among those listed, but not all. I would drop Sense Motive, too. The ranger's skill list is second only to the rogue list, so leave this one to them and the bards.

Alignment: I like the "Any" of the PHB, but to each his own.

Weapons and Armor: Without the two weapon fighting or a similar combat substitute, you should allow the ranger to know how to use all armor types and shields. If you give him a substitute combat ability, he still should have at least shields, if not medium armor as well. In lieu of the TWF, perhaps give him a bonus combat feat?



Sneak Attack: I would scrap this idea and just give the ranger the listed bonus to attack and damage. I don't like any other core class to have the rogue's best combat ability.



Fast Movement: Leave this to the barbarians and monks. Let him take the Fleet of Foot feat or the Run feat. Better yet, let rangers who want to be fast learn the Expeditious Retreat spell.


Spells: If your rangers are going to be spontaneous casters, then they should depend upon Charisma like sorcerers and bards, not wisdom. Like you say, eliminate True Strike and Haste. I would rather have access to all my spells and prepare them in advance, personally. The numbers look alright, though.

!

Thanks for the input!

As you say, he needs something to offset the loss of twf, thus the extra skills. Plus those skills symbolize his effectiveness within his microcosm.

It's not a sneak attack. It's a bonus against ONLY his favored enemy. It works just like the phb version, but a lot better.

The reason for the fast movement, is to simulate a ranger, well, ranging. How about if I change it to overland speed, say, where it won't affect movement in combat?

I thought about using charisma as his spell casting attribute, but then they need yet another high attribute. They already need strength, dexterity, constitution, and wisdom - and intelligence if they want to have any skills.

 

[JRRNeiklot]

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