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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Spatzimaus" data-source="post: 448689" data-attributes="member: 3051">Rangers are just too... I want to use the word "limited" but that sounds wrong.Animal companion is nice, but they've got many of the vulnerabilities Familars/Mounts have without the redeeming abilities.  Also, most towns would be a bit nervous about a bear walking down main street no matter who vouched for him.  Likewise, most bears wouldn't like traipsing through the Underdark or the Abyss, especially if they're not Awakened.Tracking?  I'm not sure you could do it in a city, or in an area where your Wilderness Lore training didn't apply (would you know how to read tracks in Mechanus if you're not familiar with local weather/geography/physics?)Feats?  Unless you go two-weapon, it's wasted Feats, and IMHO the only people who 2-weapon are those with Weapon Specialization or Sneak Attack.Favored Enemy?  If you're not evil you can't pick "Human", for example, and that really cuts down on the urban use.It's like others have said.  Too many of their abilties only work when the DM lets them work.  Even if it's not a conscious thing, too many times the Ranger has to go through his list and figure out which abilities work today and which don't.  The only consistent abilities are his BAB, HP, and skills.  If you're only using them as a skilled featless Fighter, why not just be a Rogue or Barbarian?Now, I think you can still improve them by giving them minor abilities that other classes can't mimic.  The "Humperdink" idea ARP mentioned is great.  How about this:when a Ranger makes a Track check or a Search check, they can add a synergy bonus for any skill appropriate to their location, the target creature type, etc.  General information skills (Knowledge:the planes, Knowledge:undead, Handle Animal, etc., ) give a +1 synergy bonus per 4 skill ranks.  More specific skills (Knowledge:elves, Knowledge:the Sword Coast, Profession:cook) give +1 per 2 skill ranks.  Favored Enemy points can add directly here.It'd be half Humperdink, half CSI... "hmm, there's a spot of blueberry juice in his footprint; with the type of soil in this area, the berry must have been stuck in his boot within the past three hours; there are only blueberry bushes on three farms in this area.  Of those three, only one, Farmer Maggot's farm, is near the caves where that obsidian rock you see near the victim is found naturally.  That must be where his hideout is!"This also works better if you up skill points to 6+INT and drop HP to a d8.  More points to burn on all those skills.</blockquote>

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