Ranger Modification.

[Eolin]

This is yet another proposed change to the Ranger. I'll only include the changes, the rest is as-is in 3.5.

The questions are, of course:
1. would you play this class?
2. Would you allow this class in your game?
3. What do you think?
4. Does this make the fighter less worthwhile?

First change: No More spellcasting nor Animal companion.
In exchange, they get: Favored Terrain at 4th, 12th, and 20th and HD goes to d10.

Favored Terrain gives a +2 bonus to the following skills: survival, hide, move silently, spot, while in the faoved terrain. This increases as does favored enemy, but less freuqnelty.

As well, here's a change to how the Combat Style works: Instead of choosing between TWF and ranged attacks, a ranger can also choose single-weapon fighting, so long as he wields the weapon in one hand. At 2nd, 6th, and 11th levels, when only using the chosen type of weapon, a ranger gets another attack. These secondary attacks, if single weapon fighting is used, apply only half strength damage.

This follows the standard rules for TWF, such that if a 6th level ranger is using a single weapon, he can make 4 attacks, but while a fighter would make two attacks at +6/+1, a ranger would make these attacks at +4/-1.

This adds flexibility, and I think not much in the way of power. (As it works the same way as TWF, right? Right?)

Additionally, to round things out, I would give the ranger the tracking-centric abilities from the dead levels article.

Thoughts? Comments? Criticisms? Answers?

 

[Arkhandus]

Looks too strong to me. I don't much see the point of the one-weapon style, either, if it's basically two-weapon fighting with an empty hand instead of a second weapon. Also, it would seem to render the TWF style obsolete.

Ranger A wields a longsword in one hand and uses the one-weapon combat style. He is 6th-level with a Strength score of 18 and Weapon Focus. Ranger A makes a total of 4 attacks in the round, at +9/+7/+9/+7. The first two attacks deal 1d8+4 damage, and the next two attacks deal 1d8+2 damage.

Ranger B wields a longsword in his primary hand, and a short sword in his off-hand, in order to avoid the greater attack penalty for wielding two one-handed weapons. He has taken the two-weapon combat style, and is also 6th-level with a Strength score of 18, and has Weapon Focus in both blades (costing him 2 feats instead of 1, compared to Ranger A). Ranger B makes a total of 4 attacks in the round, at +9/+7/+9/+7. He deals 1d8+4 damage with the first two attacks, and 1d6+2 damage with the next two attacks. Less damage on the off-hand attacks and an extra feat spent.


Advantage: clearly Ranger A. Even moreso once he later gets Improved Critical, and when he's using a magic weapon, since all of his attacks will get the benefits of that magic weapon (without the double cost of an equally-powerful, magical, double weapon or a pair of equally-powerful magic weapons).

The only advantage that Ranger B could possibly get is through spending a feat on Two-Weapon Defense at some point, which is only +1 or +2 AC anyway, and not that great. Especially since Ranger A could wear a buckler on his other arm without penalty, and get that buckler enchanted at some point (Ranger B can't do so, since a buckler is useless if you attack with that arm, and it incurs a penalty on attacks with that arm IIRC).


Now, what he's sacrificing is some minor spells and a minor animal companion. However, the ranger also gets better hit dice, better tracking abilities, and several handy skill bonuses.

Furthermore, the ranger no longer really needs good Wisdom to be fully effective; he's still very aware and good at tracking in his favored terrains, he has no spellcasting usage for Wisdom, and is tougher anyway even if he does get ambushed.

Replacing the spellcasting with Favored Terrains and maybe the extra tracking stuff could be fine by itself. Replacing the animal companion with d10 hit dice is probably too much. Might just exclude the Favored Terrains, going for d10 hit dice and minor tracking benefits as the tradeoff for no spells and no animal companion. I dunno.

 

[Eolin]

Aright, so keep it at a d8 .... I think I prefer rangers to have a d8 anyway.

As for two-weapon fighting versus one-weapon fighting, perhaps every attack, if doing one-weapon fighting, only gets half the strength bonus?

How does this compare to a fighter? Barb?

 

[Brazeku]

I disagree with the above poster. Losing your spellcasting and companion for bonuses to a few skills under specific circumstances is a net loss, not a gain. The only skill in that list which will retain its usefulness is spot; hide and move silently are rendered obsolete quickly by various spells, and boned by the increasingly potent sensory modes that many of the stronger creatures get at higher level- unless the ranger gains some additional benefit with the skills. Survival is questionable to begin with.

Not only this, but attempting to balance a new weapon style with the obviously inferior TWF ranger build is not a good idea. Balance it against the ranged specialist instead, so that it is actually a viable option. What you have does basically look like a superior TWF, and if you ask me, that's just fine.

 

[EP]

I disagree with the above poster. Losing your spellcasting and companion for bonuses to a few skills under specific circumstances is a net loss, not a gain.

Agreed. The animal companion can have a wide number of possibilities to combat (particularly with flanking, scouting, grappling, etc.) and replacing it with a little skill bonus to Survival and the like just doesn't seem to add up. If you can replace the animal companion with some NEW abilities where the ranger uses his terrain to his advantage in combat, then it might be worth something. For example, at 2nd level, the ranger can make a Survival check (DC 10 + 1 per every 2 levels of the target NPC) to use the surrounding environment (trees, long grass, bushes) as a flank against his target. This means in battle, the ranger is able to press the target towards or against one of these objects and use it to gain flank bonuses to attack during that round. Using this ability is a quick action, blah, blah, blah.

I do like the idea of increased attack frequency for the single weapon fighting, but perhaps each additional attack should have an incremental attack penalty to it. For example, at 2nd level, the ranger can make an additional rushed attack with his primary weapon with a -2 penalty. At 6th level, the ranger can make a third rushed attack with a -6 penalty. These "rushed" attacks can only be made as a full-attack option and the ranger only gains 1/2 bonus to Strength for damage, including with the first hit.

I've always thought the ranger should have an additional ability to two-weapon fighting that is completely unavailable to any other class. Simply gaining feats that any other character can take (with a little adjustment) just seems... cheap. Maybe coming up with something for that too can add more style to the ranger that still seems lacking nowadays.

 

[Eolin]

Alright, so a couple bonuses isn't sufficient. How about:

Favored terrain:
4) First Favored Terrain: Can flank in favored terrain, with a Survival check DC 10 + HD/2 of enemy to be flanked.
12) Second: Can move +10 foot in favored terrain.
20) Third: Automatic 20 on Survival checks in favored terrain.

So at 20th level, there is one terrain in which you cannot be stopped, one in which you are quite formidable, and one in which you are pretty awesome.

Thoughts on the HD?

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Additionally, to round things out, I would give the ranger the tracking-centric abilities from the dead levels article.

Where can I find this article?

 

[Eolin]

Where can I find this article?

<a href=http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a> Here </a>

Edit: html apparently doesn't work, or I'm a dork and don't remember.

Its here: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/cwc/20061013a

Or, just google for "dead levels", it is the first hit.

 

[Angel Tarragon]

Thanks Eo!