Ranger
The forests and hills are home to fierce and cunning creatures, such as bloodthirsty owlbears and malicious displacer beasts. But more cunning and powerful than these monsters is the ranger, a skilled hunter and stalker. He knows the woods as if they were his home (as indeed they are), and he knows his prey in deadly detail.
Adventures: Rangers often accept the role of protector, aiding those who live in or travel through the woods. In addition, they often carry grudges against certain types of creatures and look for opportunities to find and destroy them. Additionally rangers may adventure for all the reasons that fighters do.
Characteristics: A ranger can use a variety of weapons and is quite capable in combat. His skills allow him to survive in the wilderness, to find his prey, and to avoid detection. He also has special knowledge about certain types of creatures, which makes it easier for him to find and defeat such foes. Finally, an experienced ranger has such a tie to nature that he can actually draw upon natural power to cast divine spells, much as a druid does.
Alignment: Rangers can be of any alignment. Most are good and such rangers usually function as protectors of the wild areas. In this role, a ranger seeks out and destroys or drives off evil creatures that threaten the wilderness. Good rangers also protect those who travel through the wilderness, serving sometimes as guides and sometimes as unseen guardians. Most rangers are also chaotic, preferring to follow the ebb and flow of nature or of their own heart instead of rigid rules. Evil rangers, though rare, are much to be feared. They revel in nature: thoughtless cruelty and seek to emulate her most fearsome predators. They gain divine spells just as good rangers do, for nature herself is indifferent to good and evil.
Religion: Though a ranger gains his divine spells from the power of nature, lie like anyone else may worship a chosen deity. Ehlonna (goddess of the wood lands) and Obad-Hai (god of nature) are the most common deities revered by rangers, though some prefer more martial deities.
Background: Some rangers gained their training as part of special military teams, but most learned their skills from solitary masters who accepted them as students and assistants. The rangers of a particular master may count themselves as cohorts, or they may be rivals for the status of best student and thus rightful heir to their master's fame.
Races: Elves often choose the ranger's path. They are at home in the woods, and they have the grace to move stealthily. Half-elves who feel their elf parent's connection to the woods are also likely to adopt this class
Humans are often rangers as well, being adaptable enough to learn their way around the woods even if it doesn't come naturally to them. Half-orcs may find the ranger's life more comfortable than life among cruel and taunting humans (or orcs). Gnome rangers are more common than gnome fighters, but still they tend to remain in their own lands rather than adventure among "the big people." Dwarf rangers are rare, but they can be quite effective. Instead of living in the surface wilderness, they are at home in the endless caverns beneath the earth. Here they hunt down and destroy the enemies of dwarven-kind with the relentless precision for which dwarves are known. Dwarf rangers are often known as cavers. Halfling rangers are highly respected for their ability to help communities of halflings prosper as they pursue their nomadic lifestyle.
Among the savage humanoids, only gnolls are commonly rangers, using their skills to slyly stalk their prey.
Classes: Rangers get along well with druids and to some extent with barbarians. They are known to bicker with paladins, mostly because they often share goals but differ in style, tactics, approach, philosophy, and aesthetics. Since rangers don't often look to other people for support or friendship, they find it easy to tolerate people who are quite different from themselves, such as bookish wizards and preachy clerics. They just don't care enough to get upset about others' differences.
Role: The ranger's best role is that of a scout and secondary combatant. Without the heavy armor of the fighter or the staying power of the barbarian, the ranger should focus on opportunistic and ranged attacks. Most rangers use their animal companions as sentries, scouts, or to assist them in melee combat.
Game Rule Information
Rangers have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Dexterity is important for a ranger because rangers tend to wear light armor and because several ranger skills are based on Dexterity. Strength is important for them because rangers frequently get involved in combat. Several ranger skills are based on Wisdom, and a Wisdom score of 14 or higher is required to get access to the most powerful ranger spells. A Wisdom score of 11 or higher is required to cast any ranger spells at all.
Alignment: Any
Class Skills
The ranger's class skills are Climb, Concentration, 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 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at each additional level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ranger.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).
Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a ranger may select a type of creature from among those given on the Ranger Favored Enemies table. Due to his extensive study of his chosen type of foe and training in the proper techniques for combating such creatures, the ranger gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2. For example, a 5th-level ranger has two favored enemies; against one he gains a +4 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks and weapon damage rolls, and against the other he has a +2 bonus. At 10th level, he has three favored enemies, and he gains an additional +2 bonus which he can allocate to the bonus against any one of his three favored enemies. Thus, his bonuses could be either +4, +4, +2 or +6, +2, +2.
If the ranger chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table below. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy (for instance, devils are both evil outsiders and lawful outsiders), the ranger's bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher. See the Monster Types for more information on types of creatures.
| Ranger Favored Enemies | |
|---|---|
| Type | Examples |
| Aberration | beholder |
| Animal | bear |
| Construct | golem |
| Dragon | black dragon |
| Elemental | invisible stalker |
| Fey | dryad |
| Giant | ogre |
| Humanoid (aquatic) | merfolk |
| Humanoid (dwarf) | dwarf |
| Humanoid (elf) | elf |
| Humanoid (goblinoid) | hobgoblin |
| Humanoid (gnoll) | gnoll |
| Humanoid (gnome) | gnome |
| Humanoid (halfling) | halfling |
| Humanoid (human) | human |
| Humanoid (orc) | orc |
| Humanoid (reptilian) | kobold |
| Magical beast | Displacer beasts |
| Monstrous Humanoid | minotaur |
| Ooze | gelatinous cube |
| Outsider (air) | arrowhawk |
| Outsider (chaotic) | demon |
| Outsider (earth) | xorn |
| Outsider (evil) | devil |
| Outsider (fire) | salamander |
| Outsider (good) | angel |
| Outsider (lawful) | formian |
| Outsider (native) | tiefling |
| Outsider (water) | tojanida |
| Plant | shambling mound |
| Undead | zombie |
| Vermin | monstrous spider |
Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat.
Wild Empathy (Ex): A ranger can use body language, vocalizations, and demeanor to improve the attitude of an animal (such as a bear or a monitor lizard). This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (such as a basilisk or a girallon), but he takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Combat Style (Ex): At 2nd level, a ranger must select one of two combat styles to pursue: archery or two-weapon combat. This choice affects the character's class features but does not restrict his selection of feats or special abilities in any way.
If the ranger selects archery, he is treated as having the Rapid Shot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat. If the ranger selects two-weapon combat, he is treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.
The benefits of the ranger's chosen style apply only when he wears light or no armor, He loses all benefits of his combat style when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Endurance: A ranger gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level.
Animal Companion (Ex): At 4th level, a ranger gains an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the DM's campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the DM may add the following creatures to the ranger's list of options: crocodile, porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the ranger on his adventures as appropriate for its kind. (For instance, an aquatic creature can't adventure with a ranger on land and shouldn't be selected by a non-aquatic character without extenuating circumstances). In most cases, the animal companion functions as a mount, sentry, scout, or hunting animal, rather than as a protector.
This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name (see Druid), except that the ranger's effective druid level is one-half his ranger level. For example, the animal companion of a 4th-level ranger would be the equivalent of a 2nd-level druid's animal companion. A ranger may select from the alternative lists of animal companions just as a druid can, though again his effective druid level is half his ranger level. Thus, he must be at least an 8th-level ranger to select from the druid's list of 4th-level animal companions, and if he chooses one of those animals, his effective druid level would be reduced by 3, to 1st level. Like a druid, a ranger cannot select an alternative animal if the choice would reduce his effective druid level below 1st.
Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells (the same type of spells available to the cleric, druid, and paladin), which are drawn from the ranger's spell list. A ranger must choose and prepare his spells in advance (see below).
To prepare or cast a spell, a ranger must have a Wisdom score equal to at least 10 + the spell level (Wis 11 for 1st-level spells, Wis 12 for 2nd-level spells, and so forth). The Difficulty Class for a saving throw against a ranger's spell is 10 + the spell level the ranger's Wisdom modifier.
Like other spellcasters, a ranger can cast only a certain number of spells of each spell level per day. His base daily spell allotment is given on the table below. in addition, he receives bonus spells per day if he has a high Wisdom score (see Ability Modifiers and Spells). When the table indicates that the ranger gets 0 spells per day of a given spell level (for instance, 1st-level spells for a 4th-level ranger), he gains only the bonus spells he would be entitled to based on his Wisdom score for that spell level. The ranger does not have access to any domain spells or granted powers, as a cleric does.
A ranger prepares and casts spells the way a cleric does, though he cannot lose a prepared spell to cast a cure spell in its place. A ranger may prepare and cast any spell on the ranger spell list, provided that he can cast spells of that level, but he must choose which spells to prepare during his daily meditation.
Through 3rd level, a ranger has no caster level. At 4th level and higher, his caster level is one-half his ranger level.
Improved Combat Style (Ex): At 6th level, a ranger's aptitude in his chosen combat style (archery or two-weapon combat) improves. If he selected archery at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Manyshot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.
If the ranger selected two-weapon combat at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.
As before, the benefits of the ranger's chosen style apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.
Swift Tracker (Ex): Beginning at 8th level, a ranger can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty (instead of the normal -20) when moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a ranger can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility, if he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save (such as a red dragon's fiery breath or a fireball), he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the ranger is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless ranger (such as one who is unconscious or paralyzed) does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Combat Style Mastery (Ex): At 11th level, a ranger's aptitude in his chosen combat style (archery or two-weapon combat) improves again. If he selected archery at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Improved Precise Shot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.
If the ranger selected two-weapon combat at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.
As before, the benefits of the ranger's chosen style apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style when wearing medium or heavy armor.
Camouflage (Ex): A ranger of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any sort of natural terrain, a ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.
| Ranger | Hit Die: d8 | Spells per day | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | 1st favored enemy, Track, wild empathy | - | - | - | - |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Combat style | - | - | - | - |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Endurance | - | - | - | - |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Animal companion | 0 | - | - | - |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | 2nd favored enemy | 0 | - | - | - |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Improved combat style | 1 | - | - | - |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Woodland stride | 1 | - | - | - |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Swift tracker | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Evasion | 1 | 0 | - | - |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +3 | 3rd favored enemy | 1 | 1 | - | - |
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Combat style mastery | 1 | 1 | 0 | - |
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +4 | - | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Camouflage | 1 | 1 | 1 | - |
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +9 | +4 | - | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +5 | 4th favored enemy | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +10 | +5 | - | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Hide in plain sight | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +6 | - | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +6 | - | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +6 | 5th favored enemy | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
Ranger Spells
- Ranger Spells - Orisons
- Ranger Spells - Level 1
- Ranger Spells - Level 2
- Ranger Spells - Level 3
- Ranger Spells - Level 4
In the Realms
Vast areas of Faerûn are covered with ancient forests and populated by fantastic creatures. The rangers of Faerûn, along with the druids, occasional barbarians, and clerics of deities such as Silvanus and Mielikki, are the masters of the "empty" spaces.
Unlike clerics, druids, and paladins, Faerûnian rangers do not have to choose a patron deity until they reach 4th level and acquire divine spellcasting ability (without a patron deity, a ranger cannot cast spells). Many rangers choose a patron deity before then, but others start by devotion to the ranger's way of life instead of to one of the gods. Rangers and druids have similar preferences for deities, although some rangers with odd interests (such as hunting undead) choose different patrons.
Good rangers of the North often find themselves acting in concert with groups such as the Harpers, and some eventually join that organization. However, not all rangers of Faerûn are good, and places such as the forest of Cormanthor and the High Forest are a battleground - good rangers who seek to defend the forest and its inhabitants against evil rangers who follow deities that find it natural to inflict pain on others.
Rangers may select an organization instead of a creature type as a favored enemy. For example, a good ranger might choose to oppose the Cult of the Dragon, and dark Zhentarim rangers often hunt the Harpers. These rangers receive their favored enemy bonus against agents from that organization, regardless of creature type. The bonus applies even if the creature is of the same race as the ranger and the ranger is not evil. The bonus works just like the normal favored enemy bonus, except that it is considered a morale bonus and does not stack with other morale effects.
Preferred Character Regions: Rangers are found on the fringes of civilization in places such as Aglarond, the Chondalwood, Chult, the Dalelands, Damara, Evermeet, the Great Dale, Luiren, the High Forest, the Hordelands, Lake of Steam, Narfell, the North, Rashemen, the Shaar, Silverymoon, Tashalar, Vaasa, Vilhon Reach, and the Western Heartlands. Moon elves, wild elves, wood elves, deep gnomes, lightfoot halflings, strongheart halflings, and half-orcs are often rangers, too.
Epic Ranger
Whether cunning protector of the wild or cold-blooded hunters of the weak, the epic ranger is one with the wilderness, moving with deadly grace and keen mind through the natural world.
Hit Die: d10.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Spells: The ranger's caster level is equal to one-half his class level, as normal. The ranger's number of spells per day does not increase after 20th level.
Favored Enemy (Ex): The epic ranger gains one additional favored enemy, and his bonuses against one category of favored enemies go up by +2, every five levels higher than 20th (6th enemy at 25th, 7th enemy at 30th, and so on).
Bonus Feats: The epic ranger gains a bonus feat every three levels higher than 20th (23rd, 26th, and so on).
Variant Ranger for a Martial Campaign
The variant ranger gains all the normal class features of the ranger, with the following changes and additions.
Spells: The ranger does not gain the ability to cast divine spells.
Fast Movement (Ex): At 6th level, the ranger's base land speed increases by 10 feet. This benefit applies only when he is wearing no armor, light armor, or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load.
Nature's Blessing (Su): At 11th level and higher, the ranger can use a standard action to add a +4 bonus to his Constitution, Dexterity, or Wisdom score. This ability may be used once per day, and its effect lasts for 1 minute per class level.
Healing Touch (Sp): Once per day, a ranger of 13th level or higher can use either neutralize poison or remove disease, as a caster whose level is equal to one-half the ranger's class level.
Freedom of Movement (Sp): A ranger of 16th level or higher can use freedom of movement on himself once per day, as a caster whose level is equal to one-half the ranger's class level.
Planar Substitution Levels
Rangers from the Material Plane stalk and protect forests and hills, and the same is true for rangers who live on other planes. Of course, they may be crystal forests and hills of flame, but the deep personal connection and dedication remain exactly the same.
Whatever the nature of a planar ranger's chosen home, he is as comfortable there as a noble is upon his throne. He can sense trouble on the wind, glean details of recent events from a single footprint, and know the habits of the local flora and fauna the way a mother bear knows her cubs.
Requirements
To take a ranger planar substitution level, a character must be about to take her 4th, 8th, or 13th level of ranger.
Class Skills
Ranger planar substitution levels have the class skills of the standard ranger class plus Knowledge (the planes) (Int). Skill Points at Each Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are features of the ranger's planar substitution levels.
Planar Animal Companion (Ex): At 4th level, a planar ranger can select a celestial or fiendish animal as his animal companion. Doing this reduces the ranger's effective druid level by one.
For example, a 4th-level planar ranger (with an effective druid level of 1st) can select an animal from the normal list of potential companions. When he reaches 8th level, that companion would gain the bonus Hit Dice and other special abilities granted to the animal companion of a 3rd-level druid. He can't select a celestial leopard or fiendish wolverine until he reaches 10th level (effective druid level 4th).
Unlike a typical animal companion, the planar animal companion is a magical beast. However, the ranger (and only the ranger) can still affect it with his spells as if it were an animal.
To gain a celestial companion, a ranger must have a non-evil alignment. To gain a fiendish companion, a ranger must have a non-good alignment. If the ranger's alignment changes to one that is ineligible for the companion, the companion either turns on the ranger or leaves at its earliest convenience, depending on its natural tendencies.
Portal Intuition (Ex): At 8th level, a planar ranger becomes an expert at tracking quarry across planes and through various portals and breaches. When examining a portal, the ranger may attempt to determine to which plane the portal leads. To do this, he must succeed on both a DC 20 Survival check and a DC 20 Knowledge (the planes) check.
The ranger can also use this ability to determine whether or not a planar breach occurred within 20 feet of a particular spot within the last 24 hours. To do this, he must succeed on a DC 20 Search check. If the ranger determines that a breach did occur in the area, he may then use this ability to ascertain where it led.
This benefit replaces the swift tracker class feature gained by a standard ranger at 8th level.
Planar Tracking (Sp): Once per day, a ranger who chooses this substitution benefit can use plane shift as a spell-like ability (with a caster level equal to his class level) in order to follow his quarry. He must be tracking a favored enemy, and he must be at the spot where the creature traveled from one plane to another.
Unlike with the plane shift spell, the ranger has no chance of deviation from the intended destination. He and any one he brings with him arrives in the exact spot that his quarry did. Spells that prevent planar travel (such as dimensional lock) affect this ability as they would any casting of plane shift.
The ranger does not automatically pick up his quarry's trail when he arrives on the new plane. He must use his Track feat to find the creature's tracks and pick up the hunt. But he has the advantage of knowing that his target definitely passed that way.
This benefit replaces the camouflage class feature gained by a standard ranger at 13th level.
| Ranger Planar Substitution Levels | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lvl | BAB | Fort | Ref | Will | Special |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Planar animal companion |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Portal intuition |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Planar tracking |
Aquatic Variation
Rangers of the rivers and seas are often master sailors, expert in the use of watercraft both large and small. They paddle canoes through wild canyons, sail outriggers amid coral reefs, or pilot skiffs along rocky coasts. Among aquatic folk, rangers are hunters and trackers who have become specialized in following their prey through the challenging medium of water. Sahuagin in particular make dangerous aquatic rangers.
Track in Water: A ranger can follow a trail even across streams or underwater. Such terrain cannot hold tracks, but the ranger uses faint scent traces and lingering disturbances in the water to follow the recent passage of his quarry. Since water (especially if moving) quickly washes away the trail, the Survival DC modifier for tracking in water is +10. For each minute that passes since the trail was made, the DC also increases by 1 (or by 5 in flowing water). Tracking through rushing or stormy water is impossible, except to a character under the effect of a wake trailing spell.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A ranger who has a racial swim speed can choose to apply this ability to difficult aquatic terrain (shallow coral, kelp beds, ice-choked waters, sargasso, and similar obstacles), rather than woodland terrain. This choice is made when the class feature is gained.
Alternative Class Feature: Trap Expert (Dungeonscape)
Many rangers journey across the wild lands of the surface, but you are trained to descend deep into the earth.
Level: 1st.
Replaces: If you select this alternative class feature, you do not gain the Track feat at 1st level or the swift tracker ability at 8th level.
Benefit: You gain the trapfinding ability of the rogue. In addition, you gain Disable Device as a class skill. You can use the Search skill to locate traps with a DC higher than 20, and you can use Disable Device to bypass a trap or disarm magic traps. See the rogue class feature.
Source: Player's Handbook