Eberron Prestige Class : Eldeen Ranger
When humans first came to the Eldeen Reaches, the orc natives shared their druidic traditions with the newcomers. Over the centuries, these teachings were twisted and reinterpreted, and today five major sects exist in the Eldeen Reaches. These groups dominate the great forest. Some seek to protect travelers and settlers from the dangers of the wild, while others see it as their duty to drive civilization back from the Reaches and ultimately from Khorvaire itself.
After a ranger has learned the basic ways of wood and wild, he can travel to the Eldeen Reaches and seek admission to one of the sects. A sect usually requires an applicant to pass one or more tests to prove his skill and devotion to the ideals of the sect. Once he has been accepted into the sect, an Eldeen ranger learns special techniques and abilities that help him to fulfill the goals of his sect.
While some levels in the ranger class are required to enter into this prestige class, the best Eldeen rangers also have one or more levels of druid in their background. This experience as a druid allows them to take advantage of the feats associated with their sects.
Requirements
To qualify to become an Eldeen Ranger, a character must fulfill all the following criteria:
- Alignment: Requirement varies by sect:
Ashbound: No restriction.
Children of Winter: Any non-good.
Gatekeepers: Any nonevil.
Greensingers: Any chaotic.
Wardens of the Wood: Any nonevil. - Skills: Knowledge (nature) 6 ranks, Survival 8 ranks.
- Feats: Track.
- Base Attack Bonus: +5.
- Special: Favored enemy class feature.
Also, before taking his first level in this class, a character must train in the Eldeen Reaches with other members of the sect that he wishes to join.
Class Skills
The Eldeen ranger's class skills are Climb, Craft, Handle Animal, Heal, Hide, Jump, Knowledge (dungeoneering), Knowledge (geography), Knowledge (nature), Listen, Move Silently, Profession, Ride, Search, Spot, Survival, Swim, and Use Rope.
Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Eldeen rangers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Sect Ability I: Each of the five major sects within the Eldeen Reaches embraces a different aspect of nature. At 1st level, an Eldeen ranger must select a sect. This choice provides him with a defensive ability unique to his sect.
Ashbound - Resist the Arcane (Ex): An Ashbound Eldeen ranger gains a +2 bonus on saving throws to resist arcane spells. (This bonus does not apply to saves against spell-like or supernatural abilities.)
Children of Winter - Resist Poison (Ex): A Child of Winter Eldeen ranger gains a + 2 bonus on saving throws against poison.
Gatekeepers - Resist Corruption (Ex): A Gatekeeper Eldeen ranger gains a +2 bonus on saving throws to resist the spell-like, supernatural, and psionic abilities of aberrations.
Greensingers - Resist Nature's Lure (Ex): A Greensinger Eldeen ranger gains a + 4 bonus on saving throws against the spell-like abilities of fey.
Wardens of the Wood - Nature Sense (Ex): A Warden of the Wood Eldeen ranger gains a +2 bonus on Knowledge (nature) and Survival checks.
Hated Foe (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, when he attacks a creature that is his favored enemy, an Eldeen ranger can spend 1 action point to make a mighty attack against that creature. (This expenditure allows the Eldeen ranger to make this special attack; do not add the action point die roll to the attack roll.) If the mighty attack hits, it deals double damage.
Sect Ability II: At 3rd level, an Eldeen ranger gains a new ability related to his sect.
Ashbound - Ferocity (Ex): An Ashbound Eldeen ranger continues to fight without penalty even while disabled or dying.
Children of Winter-Resist Corruption (Ex): A Child of Winter Eldeen ranger gains immunity to disease, and he also gains a +2 bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting spells and abilities (charms, compulsions, phantasms, patterns, and morale effects).
Gatekeepers - Darkvision (Ex): A Gatekeeper Eldeen ranger gains darkvision out to 60 feet. If he already has darkvision, the radius of its effect increases by 30 feet.
Greensingers - Unearthly Grace (Su): A Greensinger Eldeen ranger adds his Charisma bonus (if any) as a modifier to his saving throws.
Wardens of the Wood - Improved Critical (Ex): A Warden of the Wood Eldeen ranger gains the Improved Critical feat for a thrown or ranged weapon of his choice.
Favored Enemy (Ex): At 4th level, an Eldeen ranger gains a favored enemy. This ability works just like the ranger's favored enemy ability, and it allows the Eldeen ranger to increase the bonus against one of his favored enemies as if he had just gained another favored enemy from his ranger class.
Sect Ability III: At 5th level, an Eldeen ranger gains a final ability related to his sect.
Ashbound - Spell Resistance (Ex): An Ashbound Eldeen ranger gains spell resistance 20.
Children of Winter - Touch of Contagion (Su): A Child of Winter Eldeen ranger gains the ability to spread disease, as the contagion spell, three times per day.
Gatekeepers - Slippery Mind (Ex): A Gatekeeper Eldeen ranger gains the ability to wriggle free from magical effects that would otherwise compel him. If the character is affected by an enchantment spell or effect and fails his saving throw, he can attempt it again 1 round later at the same DC. He gets only this one extra chance to succeed on his saving throw.
Greensingers - Damage Reduction (Su): A Greensinger Eldeen ranger gains damage reduction 3/cold iron.
Wardens of the Wood - Smite Evil (Su): Once per day, a Warden of the Wood Eldeen ranger can attempt to smite evil with one normal melee attack.
He adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his attack roll and deals 1 extra point of damage per Eldeen ranger level. If the character accidentally smites a creature that is not evil, the smite has no effect but the ability is still used up for the day.
| Eldeen Ranger | Hit Die: d8 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CL | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Sect ability I |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Hated foe |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Sect ability II |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Favored enemy |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Sect ability III |
The Druid Sects
Each druid in Eberron belongs to one of the druid sects described below.
Ashbound: This fanatical sect takes the traditional beliefs of the druids to dangerous extremes. Its members seek to protect the wilds and preserve the natural order, using a very broad definition of "unnatural" to determine their actions. They consider arcane and divine magic to be unnatural, for example, and go out of their way to strike at farms and ranches that attempt to confine or cultivate nature. The Ashbound prefer to avoid killing; their goal is to encourage their targets to abandon their unnatural ways and embrace the harmony of nature.
Children of Winter: Death, being a part of the natural order, draws some to its dark source of power. The Children of Winter seek to cleanse the land through blight, disease, and cold, believing that the strong will survive to populate the great spring that lies beyond their darkwinter. The end of the current age is coming, as evidenced by the creation of the Mournland, and the Children of Winter see themselves as agents of nature-cleansing Khorvaire so that it can bloom anew.
Gatekeepers: The Gatekeepers protect nature from unnatural threats, specifically aberrations, fiends, and other ancient evils. See Chapter 8: Organizations for additional information about this druid sect.
Greensingers: This small druid sect maintains a strong bond with the fey of the Eldeen Reaches. As wild and chaotic as the forest spirits they revere, the Greensingers embrace revelry as they dance through the magical world of the forest and the fey.
Wardens of the Wood: The largest and most influential of the Eldeen sects, the Wardens of the Wood guard the plains and forests. They are most closely connected to the Great Druid Oalian.
Source: Eberron Campaign Setting