UA Variant Ranger Question

[Tetsubo]

On page 58 in the Unearthed Arcana there is a variant Ranger. It loses all Combat styles but gains Wildshape (Small and Medium animals only) and the Barbarian movement bonus. I have a question concerning the Wildshape ability. At what level does it begin and how often can it be used? I read it as being usable at 1st level. Anyone have any thoughts? TIA

 

[dcollins]

From the Hypertext SRD ( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#otherClassVariants ):

Other Class Variants
These variants simply swap one or more of that class's features for one or more class features of another class. A class feature gained works just as it did for its original class, including the level at which it is gained and any other effects, except as noted below.

That is, the wildshape ability is gained at the same levels as for Druid.

 

[Tetsubo]

From the Hypertext SRD ( http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#otherClassVariants ):



That is, the wildshape ability is gained at the same levels as for Druid.

Then I fail to see why it is limited to Small and Medium animal forms...

 

[dcollins]

Because that's how they wrote the variant.

 

[Drowbane]

This Ranger variant goes *great* with the Master of Many Forms PrC.