Ranger and Fighting Styles

[DogBackward]

The ONLY reason Drizzt had dual wielding was because DROW were allowed to dual-wield without penalty! It had NOTHING to do with being a RANGER!

Then alla the sudden rangers HAD to be able to wield two weapons.

You FORGOT to capitalize a FEW of your WORDS.

 

[haakon1]

If there is a ranger class in 5E, how do you want to see the ranger's fighting style handled?

Since at least 2E, and further refined in 3E and 4E, the ranger became "the class" whose fighting niche was two-weapon fighting or archery.

I'd like to see the 5E Ranger have a more flexible style, but at the same time not step on the fighter's toes as "the best with a weapon". If possible, I'd like to see the ranger focus on one fighting track and be fairly good at it - whether sword & board, two weapon, two-handed weapon, hurled, archery or even crossbows. The ranger should be good at one - maybe two styles by later levels.

The converse would be the fighter is GREAT with any weapon; the ranger *might* be able to match the fighter in one style, but the fighter is visibly superior overall.

In my version of 3.5e, Ranger is the only character class we mess with regularly. My players dislike Favored Enemy and animal companions for Rangers. Some dislike the spell casting too.

What they are looking for is the "light fighter" or "fighter with skills, not just feats".

Starting from 3.5e, what we've done is:
-- Can trade Favored Enemies for a feat
-- Can trade animal companion for a feat
-- Can have an alternative "fighting style". One chose to be a spear expert, and chose lots of feats for fighting with spear and shield.

Fighter as best at their main weapon and good with all weapons, whereas Ranger as light armored, more skilled, and specialized in weapon path would make sense to me.

 

[Syunsuke]

I want fighter is good at all fighting style. Other warrior class(ranger, paladin) can be good at some fighting style.
Ranger choose fighting style if s/he want because s/he can't good at all fighting style.
(There might be ability that make fighter (and only fighter) even better at specific fighting style.)

So, fighter has all fighting style theme benefits as class ability. Thus, s/he can take other kind of theme.
And other class can take fighting style theme if s/he want.

Ranger has several favored enemy/terrain as class ability.
Other class can take favored enemy theme ("dragon slayer")/favored terrain theme ("mountain veteran").

But then, I think fighting style like "two weapon fighting" is too narrow to be theme.