MadScientist
First Post
I know that everyone and their brother (and sister and mother.....) has probably posted an alt Ranger but this didn't stop me from wanting to post one that I have been working on.
It hasn't been playtested at all (I just made the class) and I'm looking for comments and feedback. The basic idea is leave the spellcasting alone, spread out the Rangers feats a little bit, and replace favored enemy with a choice of "Rangery" special abilities. Some of these abilities I stole from the druid and wilderness prestige classes. I should also say that I'm in the camp that think the ranger isn't underpowered, just front loaded and under-interesting. I was hoping to make this one more flexible with out making the fighter useless by comparison.
Hmmm, not sure why my tables have more than between the columns.... Basically I made no changes to saves, BaB, or spell progression.
Edit: Deleted some info from the Ranger table to make it more readable.
Any way, here it is:
____________________
MadScientists alt-RANGER
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills: The ranger's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha, exclusive skill), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.
TABLE: The Ranger
Level Special
----- ------------
1 Track
2 Bonus Feat
3 Special Ability
4 Bonus Feat
5
6
7 Special Ability
8
9
10
11 Special Ability
12
13
14
15 Special Ability
16
17
18
19 Special Ability
20
TABLE: Ranger Spells Per Day
---Spells per Day--
Level 1 2 3 4
----- - - - -
1 — — — —
2 — — — —
3 — — — —
4 0 — — —
5 0 — — —
6 1 — — —
7 1 — — —
8 1 0 — —
9 1 0 — —
10 1 1 — —
11 1 1 0 —
12 1 1 1 —
13 1 1 1 —
14 2 1 1 0
15 2 1 1 1
16 2 2 1 1
17 2 2 2 1
18 3 2 2 1
19 3 3 3 2
20 3 3 3 3
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the ranger must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Ranger bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a Difficulty Class of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier. When the ranger gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 4th level, the ranger gets only bonus spells. A ranger without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. A ranger has access to any spell on the ranger spell list and can freely choose which to prepare. A ranger prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though the ranger cannot use spontaneous casting to lose a spell and cast a cure or inflict spell in its place).
Through 3rd level, a ranger has no caster level. Starting at 4th level, a ranger's caster level is one half his class level.
Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat.
Bonus Feats: The Ranger gains bonus feats at 2nd and 4th level. These feats must be drawn from the following list: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Point Blank Shot(Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Skill Focus(Wilderness Lore or Knowledge Nature), Two Weapon Fighting(Improved Two Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.
Special Abilities: At 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level a Ranger chooses a special ability from one of the following:
-Nature Sense: A Ranger can identify plants and animals (their species and special traits) with perfect accuracy. She can determine whether water is safe to drink or dangerous.
-Woodland Stride: A Ranger may move through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at his or her normal speed and without suffering damage or other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the ranger.
-Trackless Step: A Ranger leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.
-Fast Tracking: A Ranger no longer suffers the –5 penalty on Wilderness Lore checks for tracking while moving their normal speed.
-Traceless Track: A Ranger can track subjects normally even if they possess the Trackless Step special ability or are the target of a Pass Without Trace spell.
-Improved Animal Companion: A Ranger gains a +1 bonus every five Ranger levels (i.e +1 at levels 3-5, +2 at levels 6-10, +3 at levels 11-15 and +4 at levels 16-20) to the maximum Hit Dice of animal companions they can normally possess.
-Resist Natures Fury: A Ranger and her companions gain an additional +2 to their Fort saves when the Ranger makes a successful Wilderness Lore skill check against severe weather. This special ability makes the Fort save bonus +4 when moving up to half speed and +6 when stationary.
-Woodland Stealth: A Ranger gains a +1 competence bonus for every three Ranger levels (i.e. +1 at level 3, +2 at levels 4-6, +3 at levels 7-9, etc.) to Move Silently checks while in natural surroundings.
-Natures Veil: A Ranger gains a +1 competence bonus for every three Ranger levels (i.e. +1 at level 3, +2 at levels 4-6, +3 at levels 7-9, etc.) to Hide checks while in natural surroundings.
-Favored Enemy: A ranger may select a type of creature as a favored enemy. (A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil.) Due to his extensive study of his foes and training in the proper techniques for combating them, the ranger gains a +2 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks when using these skills against this type of creature. Likewise, he gets the same bonus to weapon damage rolls against creatures of this type. A ranger also gets the damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only against targets within 30 feet (the ranger cannot strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range). A ranger can take this ability multiple times, each time it applies to a new Favored Enemy.
Table: Ranger Favored Enemies
Type
· Aberrations
· Animals
· Beasts
· Constructs
· Dragons
· Elementals
· Fey
· Giants
· Humanoid type*
· Magical beasts
· Oozes
· Outsider type
· Plants
· Shapechangers
· Undead
· Vermin
* Rangers may not select "humanoid" or "outsider" as a favored enemy, but they may select a more narrowly defined type of humanoid or outsider. A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil.
_____________________
Any sort of feedback would be appreciated especially concerning the special abilities. Are they balanced? Good ideas for new ones? Even cooler names for the ones I have would be nice.
It hasn't been playtested at all (I just made the class) and I'm looking for comments and feedback. The basic idea is leave the spellcasting alone, spread out the Rangers feats a little bit, and replace favored enemy with a choice of "Rangery" special abilities. Some of these abilities I stole from the druid and wilderness prestige classes. I should also say that I'm in the camp that think the ranger isn't underpowered, just front loaded and under-interesting. I was hoping to make this one more flexible with out making the fighter useless by comparison.
Hmmm, not sure why my tables have more than between the columns.... Basically I made no changes to saves, BaB, or spell progression.
Edit: Deleted some info from the Ranger table to make it more readable.
Any way, here it is:
____________________
MadScientists alt-RANGER
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10.
Class Skills: The ranger's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Animal Empathy (Cha, exclusive skill), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Intuit Direction (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields.
TABLE: The Ranger
Level Special
----- ------------
1 Track
2 Bonus Feat
3 Special Ability
4 Bonus Feat
5
6
7 Special Ability
8
9
10
11 Special Ability
12
13
14
15 Special Ability
16
17
18
19 Special Ability
20
TABLE: Ranger Spells Per Day
---Spells per Day--
Level 1 2 3 4
----- - - - -
1 — — — —
2 — — — —
3 — — — —
4 0 — — —
5 0 — — —
6 1 — — —
7 1 — — —
8 1 0 — —
9 1 0 — —
10 1 1 — —
11 1 1 0 —
12 1 1 1 —
13 1 1 1 —
14 2 1 1 0
15 2 1 1 1
16 2 2 1 1
17 2 2 2 1
18 3 2 2 1
19 3 3 3 2
20 3 3 3 3
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the ranger must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Ranger bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a Difficulty Class of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier. When the ranger gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 4th level, the ranger gets only bonus spells. A ranger without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. A ranger has access to any spell on the ranger spell list and can freely choose which to prepare. A ranger prepares and casts spells just as a cleric does (though the ranger cannot use spontaneous casting to lose a spell and cast a cure or inflict spell in its place).
Through 3rd level, a ranger has no caster level. Starting at 4th level, a ranger's caster level is one half his class level.
Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat.
Bonus Feats: The Ranger gains bonus feats at 2nd and 4th level. These feats must be drawn from the following list: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Point Blank Shot(Far Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run), Skill Focus(Wilderness Lore or Knowledge Nature), Two Weapon Fighting(Improved Two Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus.
Special Abilities: At 3rd, 7th, 11th, 15th, and 19th level a Ranger chooses a special ability from one of the following:
-Nature Sense: A Ranger can identify plants and animals (their species and special traits) with perfect accuracy. She can determine whether water is safe to drink or dangerous.
-Woodland Stride: A Ranger may move through natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain at his or her normal speed and without suffering damage or other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect the ranger.
-Trackless Step: A Ranger leaves no trail in natural surroundings and cannot be tracked.
-Fast Tracking: A Ranger no longer suffers the –5 penalty on Wilderness Lore checks for tracking while moving their normal speed.
-Traceless Track: A Ranger can track subjects normally even if they possess the Trackless Step special ability or are the target of a Pass Without Trace spell.
-Improved Animal Companion: A Ranger gains a +1 bonus every five Ranger levels (i.e +1 at levels 3-5, +2 at levels 6-10, +3 at levels 11-15 and +4 at levels 16-20) to the maximum Hit Dice of animal companions they can normally possess.
-Resist Natures Fury: A Ranger and her companions gain an additional +2 to their Fort saves when the Ranger makes a successful Wilderness Lore skill check against severe weather. This special ability makes the Fort save bonus +4 when moving up to half speed and +6 when stationary.
-Woodland Stealth: A Ranger gains a +1 competence bonus for every three Ranger levels (i.e. +1 at level 3, +2 at levels 4-6, +3 at levels 7-9, etc.) to Move Silently checks while in natural surroundings.
-Natures Veil: A Ranger gains a +1 competence bonus for every three Ranger levels (i.e. +1 at level 3, +2 at levels 4-6, +3 at levels 7-9, etc.) to Hide checks while in natural surroundings.
-Favored Enemy: A ranger may select a type of creature as a favored enemy. (A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil.) Due to his extensive study of his foes and training in the proper techniques for combating them, the ranger gains a +2 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks when using these skills against this type of creature. Likewise, he gets the same bonus to weapon damage rolls against creatures of this type. A ranger also gets the damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only against targets within 30 feet (the ranger cannot strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range). A ranger can take this ability multiple times, each time it applies to a new Favored Enemy.
Table: Ranger Favored Enemies
Type
· Aberrations
· Animals
· Beasts
· Constructs
· Dragons
· Elementals
· Fey
· Giants
· Humanoid type*
· Magical beasts
· Oozes
· Outsider type
· Plants
· Shapechangers
· Undead
· Vermin
* Rangers may not select "humanoid" or "outsider" as a favored enemy, but they may select a more narrowly defined type of humanoid or outsider. A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil.
_____________________
Any sort of feedback would be appreciated especially concerning the special abilities. Are they balanced? Good ideas for new ones? Even cooler names for the ones I have would be nice.
Last edited:
