Ranger: What needs fixing?

[Welverin]

I like the idea here, but one seems too generous and one seems too stingy. The first system gives a 20th level Ranger +20 in Favoured Enemy bonuses, while the second system gives him +10 (the second system does give a more generous type of bonus, though). I like the simplicity, though. Add +1 to any enemy when you get the bonus (or take a new one at +1).

What about keeping the progression in the PHB, but instead of giving a +1 to each Favored Enemy the character gets a number of bonus 'points' equal to his toral number of FE's that can be distributed as he wishes. With the restrictions that the total bonus for any FE cannot not be more than the total number of FE's.

This would avoid the problem you mention in your first post, but also keep the total number of bonus given in the PHB version (fifteen).

 

[mmadsen]

It's really very simple. Rangers fight with two weapons because it's on their proficiency list...

I hope you're being facetious.

...just like all fighters know how to use all martial weapons, and all monks know how to use kamas. It's called a class-based system.

Why would a woodsman class have two-weapon fighting as one of its core attributes?

I'd sooner ask for an explaination for why 2e clerics in a setting based on polytheistic myth carried on the pseudo-Christian crusader tradition of blunt weapons.

Christian crusaders didn't use blunt weapons; they used lances and swords. Anyway, D&D Clerics don't make much sense either.

Rogues are the skill boys, remember?

Which is why a variant Rogue makes a better woodsman than the core Ranger.

 

[Henry]

Regarding the Ranger's "Front-loading": There is a difference between the ranger and most other classes - After 1st level, the Ranger gets ABSOLUTELY no special abilities until he gets to fourth level.

The Rogue gets evasion, Uncanny Dodge, AND a sneak attack bonus, the Barbarian gets uncanny dodge, the Fighters get an extra feat, Monks get deflect arrows and still mind, the Paladins get an additional power each level from 1st to 5th, the spellcasters get 2nd level spells, and even the bard gets additional song ability. The only things a Ranger gets are additional BAB, additional saves, and additional hit dice, which ALL classes get.

I think a ranger should at least have something delayed until or something given at 2nd and 3rd level, to make more of a desire for increased steadfastness in the class. As it is, a ranger has no additional abilities to look forward to for three levels - something no other class has.

 

[Jaligard]

Hey, thanks again for all the replies.

I'll be going out of town for a few days, so I won't be able to read any comments until I get back.

I agree that the Ranger is front-loaded, but so are many other classes. The problem is that the Ranger is front-loaded in a very bad way. They give you two combat feats for nothing. No real draw-back at all: d10 hit points, +1 BAB, no code of ethics or anything. And then the Ranger doesn't get anything else until 4th level, when they can cast spells.

There are so many ways to abuse this. Ranger 1/Druid x. Ranger 1/Rogue x. Ranger 1/Fighter x. And many of these actually fulfill the Ranger concept better than the Ranger class does. When the best Ranger you can make is a Ranger 1/Rogue x/Barbarian x/Druid x (or something like that), we've got a problem with the Ranger class.

 

[Dr. Zoom]

Henry said:

I think a ranger should at least have something delayed until or something given at 2nd and 3rd level, to make more of a desire for increased steadfastness in the class. As it is, a ranger has no additional abilities to look forward to for three levels - something no other class has.

I currently do three things for the ranger class.

Regarding spells, I have expanded the spell list a little with things like Expeditious Retreat, Monte's spells, etc. I also changed the access to higher level spells to 7th, 10th, and 13th level instead of 8th, 11th, and 14th. Finally, I have changed the progression for each spell level to the following: 0-1-2-2-3-3-3-4. This amounts to 4 spells per level for 20th level rangers rather than 3.

I give a bonus feat to rangers at 2nd level. This is the only bonus feat they get and provides an incentive to continue with the ranger past first level.

At 3rd level rangers get a special ability usable once per day called Smite Favored Enemy. This is a melee attack which adds +4 to the attack roll and the ranger's level to the damage roll.

Anything more than this will be too much, IMO. I am hoping that MotW will provide more food for thought for the ranger class.