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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Khorod" data-source="post: 563749" data-attributes="member: 1636">Version 2 Rewrite, to explore de-emphasizing favored terrain and new & interesting powers.GAME RULE INFORMATION   Attack: As Fighter.   Good Saves: Fort & Ref.   Alignment: Any.   Hit Die: d8.Class SkillsThe ranger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: Animal Empathy (Cha, exclusive skill), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 4: Skills of Core Rulebook I for skill descriptions.   Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.   Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.Class FeaturesAll of the following are class features of the ranger.  Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, and shields. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, hide, Jump, move Silently, Pick Pocket, and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.  Animal Companions (Ex): The ranger’s use of the Animal Empathy skill to 'befriend an animal' allows him to maintain a number of animal companions whose Hit Dice total no more than his ranger level (though the demands of adventuring generally restrict a character to half that number).  This ability presumes the SRD spell animal friendship is not valid, at least not in its current state.  Ranging Lore: As rangers wander the world, they accumulate all manner of information on survival, animals peaceful or marauding, and countless details about the landscape of distant corners of the world.  This ability is an Intelligence based skill that includes aspects of Knowledge[geography, local, nature, and monsters].  Rangers gain a standard 1 rank in this skill per level, and may pay skill points to max it out.  Additionally, the Favored Terrain ability (see below) grants terrain-specific bonuses to this skill.   Track: Ranger's gain track as a bonus feat at 1st level.   Favored Terrain (Ex): At first level and every 3rd level thereafter (4th, 7th, 10th, etc.) the ranger gains a Favored Terrain. Each time he must choose a particular terrain type from the following list: Artic, Cavern, Desert, Forest, Hills, Jungle, Mountains, Plains, or Swampland. At the GM’s option Aberrant (corrupted or cursed land), Aerial, Planar (choose one), Slums, Undersea, and Urban will also be available. Due to his extensive study of his chosen terrain the ranger gains a +2 bonus to Balance, Climb, Hide, Intuit Direction, Listen, Move Silently, Search, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks while in his chosen terrain.  (Rules for being in terrain as per first post).   Bonus Feat: At 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level the ranger gains a bonus feat chosen from the following list: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Combat Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Endurance, Expertise (Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack), Favored Enemy**, Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By Attack, Spirited Charge), Point Bank Shot (Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Power Attack (Cleave, Improved Bull Rush, Sunder, Great Cleave), Run, Toughness, Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved Two-Weapon Fighting).   Survival Instinct (Ex): At 3rd level, when the ranger is in wilderness terrain (any valid terrain type except urban/slum), he gains a +1 insight bonus to AC and a +2 insight bonus to Initiative.  This bonus is lost at any time the character would lose their Dexterity bonus to AC.  At 11th level this bonus increases to +2 AC/+4 Init, and at 18th to +3 AC/+6 Init.   Pathfinding (Ex): At 5th level the ranger can move through the wilderness at great speeds. When crossing through a Favored Terrain the ranger moves through trackless terrain as though it were a trail and moves through trails and roads as if they were highways. If mounted the ranger extends this ability to his mount. Of course the restriction that trails cannot be used by vehicles remains (see pg. 143 of Core Rulebook I).   Extra creatures can be guided as per first post.  However, if tracking checks are successfully made in excess of 10, following trackers can match the ranger's speed.   Wilderness Stride (Ex): At 6th level, the ranger is no longer hampered by rough or overgrown terrain in favored terrain. If moving through wilderness the ranger may move through natural (but not enchanted or magically manipulated) thorns, briars, overgrown areas, snow, mud, loose rocks, and similar terrain at his normal speed and without suffering damage or other impairment. He cannot extend this ability to a mount or other travelers.    Improved Track (Su): At 9th level the ranger’s skill at hunting and stalking begins to transcend physical limitations. He can now track a creature moving under the influence of pass without trace or a similar effect, albeit at a -10 circumstance penalty to his Wilderness lore checks.It would be nice if pass without trace was conducive to making this a +30 bonus to tracking checks.   Subtle Step (Ex): At 9th level, the ranger is skilled at moving through all terrains without leaving much of an impression.  He may add his level to the DC of all attempts to track him.  (He may also use forthcoming rules to hide his trail...)  This is a notion to replace Trackless Step.   On the Fast Track (Ex): At 12th level, the ranger moves at 3/4 speed while tracking.lifted from Morgenstern's ranger in <a href="http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=34765" target="_blank">Steveroo's thread</a>   Infallible Compass (Su): At 15th level, the ranger's sense of direction is nearly infallible. He no longer gets lost, and is immune to magic that would play havoc with this internal compass.I would consider an earlier ability providing a nice bonus to retaining sense of direction as well.   Master of All Terrains (Su): At 20th level, the ranger's superior abilities in understanding and living with nature allow him to apply Pathfinding and Wilderness Stride to any wilderness environment, instead of just favored terrain.  Additionally, the ranger gains the sum of all Favored Terrain bonuses to be applied in any wilderness environment- for a +14 bonus to all relevant skills.This is a solid 20th level goal, and a reasonable reason to pursue the class to 20th.**Favored Enemy[General]    Prerequisites: Att +1, Int 13+    Benefit: You understand the tactics and physical weaknesses of a particular creature/culture.  You gain a +1 to attack and damage rolls.    Special: This feat does not stack.  Each time it is taken, a new creature or culture must be selected.Edit: Survival Instinct- replaced reflex with initiative.</blockquote>

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