Rangers - leave them be!

[Wolfspirit]

Front loaded is the fact that you get a LOT of stuff at first level, the equivalent of three feats, good hit points, favored enemy etc. Then you have to wait 4 levels for any change (spells, if you have a high enough wisdom). So when all your friends are getting new abilities, cool new spells to try out, or even just an increased Lay On Hands... you're getting a few more hit points and a +1 bonus to your attack. Yay. So there's a definate min/max advantage to taking one level of ranger just for all the goodies you get, then going onto something else.

I personally think that if anything should be changed about the ranger, it should be a removal of the "two weapon" feats. Sure, they help allow you to start out using two weapons if you'd like, but I'd prefer it if you had a list of feats and were told to choose two from them. Idealy it would be a mix of melee, ranged, heck I could see a ranger making use of riding feats from the start. It would make the class a lot more versatile, and allow for people that want to play a ranger but never use anything but their bow to get a benefeit from their class.

 

[caudor]

Thanks for the explanation about front-loading. Makes sense now.

It sounds to me that if you choose a front-loaded class, alot of the customization choices are made for you at 1st level....rather than you getting to select from a pool of possibilites as you progress.

Perhaps this is the idea behind the alternate Ranger classes out there. Do you think the Ranger will be changed in the revised rules in July?

 

[Crothian]

Personally, the ranger is fine. I never cared about the front loaded part. It's a great concept class.

 

[Leopold]

i like AEG's mercs ranger as it gives you different ranger 'mods' you can pickup to do up your ranger.

LIke to track? get that mod. Lilke to use 2 weapons, get that mod. Like to cast spells? get that mod. Gives you different ways to custom build your PC and make your version of the ranger your 'own'. I like that much better than the Drizzt clone version.


IMHO rangers should have only light armor and medium armor profs', no 2 weapon fighting, no ambidexterity, track as a feat for free, wilderness lore bonus', and druidic spells.

Oh and elves fav class becomes ranger...

 

[Zaruthustran]

Am I the only person who likes the ranger class?

Yeah sure.. you can't wear heavy armor and get use of most of your 'free feats' but still...

A human ranger starts with 1 feat + human bonus feat + track + ambidexterity + two weapon fighting

That is a lot to play with! Also the Ranger is a great for multi-classing.

The Ranger is not a ranger. Currently, the class is merely a Fighter with its first couple feats pre-picked and a better skill selection.

The Ranger needs more outdoors skills. The class should be more like Aragorn/real world guides. The class should have more than one unique ability (favored enemy), and those abilities should be focused on outdoor survival, not combat.

Examples of good ranger abilities:
1. Gear optimization. Reduce the effective carried weight of a ranger's equipment by 10%.

2. Fast overland travel. The Ranger can travel 1.5 times as far per day as any other character. At higher levels, he can lend this ability to his party.

3. Endurance feat for free. Okay, this is merely a feat choice. But it perfectly fits the image of the tough outdoorsman. And lets a Ranger stay up all night watching over his band.

4. Camouflage and forestwalk. The Ranger should be able to gain bonuses to Hide and Move Silently when outdoors.

I've got more ideas on the first page of the "3.5 wishlist" thread.

But you can see my point: the above ideas give flavor and depth to the Ranger class, tieing the class to the wilderness. As is, the Ranger class is merely a Fighter with three pre-chosen feats and a tiny bit of extra combat ability.

-z, who knows many a real-world Ranger.

 

[Tiberius]

I also like rangers as-written. However, in the new campaign I am starting up, I plan to alter the ranger such that the virtual feats are aquired at level 2, rather than getting everything for 1 level of ranger. With any luck, that will mitigate the "Ranger 1/Anything X" class choice.

-Tiberius

 

[Psion]

Anyone seen Monte's new ranger yet?

His new ranger or his new new ranger.

the new ranger is overpowered and still frontloaded.

The new new ranger (Book of Hallowed Might) is okay, but still suffers a rift until 4th level.

 

[caudor]

i like AEG's mercs ranger as it gives you different ranger 'mods' you can pickup to do up your ranger.

Ah, thanks Leopold for the tip. Speaking of AEG's Mercs...I won that book a few days ago on eBay. I'll be sure to check out the alt. Ranger when the book gets here.

 

[Crothian]

Ah, thanks Leopold for the tip. Speaking of AEG's Mercs...I won that book a few days ago on eBay. I'll be sure to check out the alt. Ranger when the book gets here.

There is actually more then one in that book. They have some really good core classes in there.

 

[Steverooo]

Why was my mega-post not posted?