Ranger, Tome (3.5e Class)
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Ranger
| “ | Knowing the routines and movements of your prey tips the balance of a hunt. Fire at the wrong moment, and your chance will be forever lost. Patience... | ” |
No one should ever play a normal ranger when they can play a druid instead. A real ranger is a peerless hunter and a legitimate threat in multiple forms of combat, someone not always necessarily devoted to the protection of nature. It's easy to imagine an evil ranger that would use his connection with nature simply to further his own ends, or perhaps even lack any such connection at all beyond the fact that he fights better in a natural setting than elsewhere.
Making a Ranger
A ranger places more emphasis on mobility than a fighter or barbarian, since he lacks the sheer number of attack options of the former or the raw attack strength of the latter. That said, he is still very capable in most forms of combat, and can compensate for any weaknesses with a spell list focused on buffs for himself or his party members.
As the ranger gains levels, he becomes much better at killing creatures of certain types. And thanks to the psychological phenomena of generalization, he is able to utilize this knowledge to combat enemies with traits and abilities similar to his favored enemy.
Abilities: Even though it is a martial class, a ranger has relatively low Hit Dice; as such, Strength, Dexterity and Constitution all help to ensure his combat efficacy. Aside from those three, Wisdom is the ranger's most important stat, as it governs his spellcasting, the effectiveness of the favored enemy class feature, and his ability to track enemies.
Races: Rangers can come from any race.
Alignment: Any.
Starting Gold: 1d6×10 gp (25 gp).
Starting Age: Simple.
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Saving Throws | Special | Spells per Day | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Fort | Ref | Will | 0 | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Animal Companion, Combat Style, Tracker | 2 | — | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Favored Enemy (Minor), Nature Walk | 3 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Natural Predator, Thrill of the Hunt | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Beastmaster, Favored Enemy | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Camouflage, Swift Tracking | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Combat Style, Favored Enemy | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Relocate | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +2 | Favored Enemy (Advanced) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Fast Casting (0 and 1st), Ghillie in the Mist | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Favored Enemy | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 11th | +11/+6/+6 | +7 | +7 | +3 | Combat Style, Fast Casting (2nd) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 12th | +12/+7/+7 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Favored Enemy | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 13th | +13/+8/+8 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Big Game Hunter, Fast Casting (3rd) | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 14th | +14/+9/+9 | +9 | +9 | +4 | Favored Enemy (Major) | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 15th | +15/+10/+10 | +9 | +9 | +5 | Bloodhound, Fast Casting (4th) | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 16th | +16/+11/+11/+11 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Combat Style, Favored Enemy | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 17th | +17/+12/+12/+12 | +10 | +10 | +5 | Fast Casting (5th), Forest Specter | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 18th | +18/+13/+13/+13 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Favored Enemy | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 19th | +19/+14/+14/+14 | +11 | +11 | +6 | Fast Casting (6th), Survival of the Fittest | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 20th | +20/+15/+15/+15 | +12 | +12 | +6 | Favored Enemy | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ranger.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is automatically proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light and medium armor, and shields.
Spells: Like a druid, a ranger casts divine spells, which are drawn from the ranger spell list (see below). He also gains bonus spells per day based on his Wisdom score, and prepares his spells in the same manner as a cleric does. Most of his spells are to aid him in augmenting his already formidable combat abilities or cause detriment to opponents, not as a form of attack. That said, his spells are more limited in number and power than a druid’s.
0— cure minor wounds, detect magic, detect poison, flare, guidance, know direction, light, resistance, virtue
1st— calm animals, charm animal, cure light wounds, detect snares and pits, endure elements, entangle, faerie fire, longstrider, magic fang, obscuring mist, pass without trace, speak with animals
2nd— animal trance, barkskin, bear’s endurance, bull’s strength, cat’s grace, delay poison, fog cloud, owl’s wisdom, resist energy, lesser restoration, spider climb, tree shape
3rd— cure moderate wounds, daylight, greater magic fang, protection from energy, snare, speak with plants, spike growth, water breathing, wind wall
4th— air walk, cure serious wounds, dispel magic, freedom of movement, giant vermin, nondetection, rusting grasp, spike stones
5th— animal growth, commune with nature, control winds, cure critical wounds, greater bear's endurance, greater cat's grace, greater eagle's splendor, stoneskin, tree stride, wall of thorns
6th— mass bear’s endurance, mass bull’s strength, mass cat’s grace, mass cure light wounds, greater dispel magic, mass owl's wisdom, stone tell, transport via plants, wall of stone
Animal Companion (Ex): A ranger starts play with an animal companion, which may be any animal that normally has a Challenge Rating equal to his character level -2. Templates may be added on to the creature so long as its CR remains at the appropriate level and so long as they don't make the companion an invalid type. At first level, the ranger may have an animal companion with a CR equal to his own (such as a wolf), but such a companion cannot be advanced until 4th level.
Should the ranger ever lose a companion (either by death or voluntary release from service), another one automatically comes to his side after 24 hours if he so desires.
Once he reaches 4th level, the ranger may have a magical beast as his companion, but it also must meet the normal CR requirement.
Combat Style: A ranger selects creates his own combat style to pursue at 1st level, and keeps adding on to this style as he gains experience. At 1st, 6th, 11th, and 16th level, he gains a Combat feat of his choosing as a bonus feat.
Tracker (Ex): A ranger is possessed of an extraordinarily keen sense of smell, and is able to detect creatures by scent out to a distance of 10 feet per class level (this allows the distance of the ranger’s scent ability can exceed the norm of 30 feet, but otherwise follows all the normal rules). In addition, the ranger also gains Track as a bonus feat at first level.
Favored Enemy (Ex): A ranger trains himself vigorously in the destruction of certain types of foes, hereafter referred to as favored enemies. At every even-numbered level, he may choose a favored enemy from the list below, adding another type of creature to his list of favored enemies and granting benefits based on both his class level and the type of enemy selected. Despite the implications of the name, the benefits of choosing a favored enemy are not only applicable to that type of foe; instead, his experience fighting certain opponents aids the ranger in fighting other creatures with similar attributes. Favored enemy benefits are divided into three categories: minor (accessible starting at level 2), advanced (level 8), and major (level 14). Once a new tier of benefits are unlocked, they are applicable for every favored enemy the ranger has previously chosen and every one he selects afterwards.
A ranger gains certain benefits that apply regardless of what favored enemy he chooses. He automatically has the Edge against any favored enemy even if their base attack bonus exceeds his own. In addition, he gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and a +1d6 bonus to damage rolls on all attacks (not spells) against any creature that is designated as a favored enemy. This damage bonus increases by another d6 for every favored enemy the ranger possesses.
Finally, a ranger is well-versed in the tracks and habits of his favored enemies, gaining a bonus to Survival checks made to track such creatures equal to one half his class level.
Nature Walk (Ex): A 2nd level ranger no longer incurs penalties for moving over difficult terrain, and may track a target regardless of any means they may use to cover their tracks (including a pass without trace spell) as if they were moving normally.
Thrill of the Hunt (Ex): A great ranger will not rest until their quarry is caught. A ranger who is tracking does not need to eat or sleep as long as they continue making the Survival check necessary to keep the trail. They also do not suffer from the effects of fatigue or exhaustion no matter how long they move, even when running, so long as they are still tracking. If the trail is broken or if the ranger catches his prey, the ranger takes no immediate ill effects, but must wait a period of 1 hour before he may regain the effects of this ability. He may track in the meantime, but does not receive these benefits. This ability is also conferred upon the ranger’s animal companion, but not any party members or other comrades.
In order to gain the benefits of this ability, the ranger must be actively tracking a target via tracking and Survival checks. Simply declaring that you are hunting them does not suffice.
Natural Predator (Ex): A 3rd level ranger is extremely good at killing things, even those that aren’t counted among his normal favored enemies. As a swift action that is usable once per hour, he may gain the benefits of having a favored enemy of his choice (in addition to those normally selected via the favored enemy class feature) for one round per point of BAB he possesses. Gaining this new favored enemy does not grant the ranger another bonus damage die or the bonus to Survival checks, but grants any minor, advanced, and major benefits normally.
Camouflage (Ex): Starting at 5th level, a ranger can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain even if he does not have cover or concealment. So long as he is in natural terrain, he may Hide even when observed. In addition if he stays still for an entire round (not moving or performing any actions), the ranger becomes invisible (with all normal limitations of the spell) until the end his next turn.
Swift Tracking (Ex): A 5th level ranger no longer incurs penalties to Survival checks for tracking creatures at greater speeds.
Relocate (Ex): By 7th level, a ranger is superbly mobile and fleet of foot in combat, allowing him to move 5 feet as a free action immediately after making a successful attack roll. This does not count as his 5-foot step for his turn, but provokes attacks of opportunity normally. If he wishes to use this ability out of turn (such as after making an attack of opportunity), it counts as an immediate action.
Fast Casting: Starting at 9th level, the ranger can cast any ranger orison or 1st-level ranger spell as a swift action, as if he had applied the Quicken Spell metamagic feat to it. Should he add additional metamagic to the spell, its casting time is never increased beyond a swift action. Every two levels thereafter, the level of spells he can cast as a swift action increases by one (to 2nd level at 11th, 3rd level at 13th, and so on).
Ghillie in the Mist (Ex): A 9th level ranger is able to blend in almost perfectly with his surroundings. So long as he is in natural terrain, he gains 20% concealment. At level 17, this improves to 50% concealment. Because it is not magical in nature and stems purely from the ranger's ability to melt into the wilderness, this concealment cannot be penetrated by true seeing spell or a similar effect.
In addition, a 17th level ranger is seamlessly able to blend in to any surroundings. All abilities that depend on him being in natural terrain may now be used anywhere.
Big Game Hunter (Ex): Many years of poaching have taught the ranger patience, bequeathing upon him the ability to cut down even large prey with ease. If a 13th level ranger studies his prey undetected for 1 whole round, he may gain sneak attack damage as a rogue of his class level against it on his next turn. This damage stacks with any bonus damage he may receive from the favored enemy class feature and any normal sneak attack damage he possesses.
Bloodhound (Ex): A ranger of 15th level or higher who picks up a trail when tracking gains the effects of a find the path spell (with the tracked creature accessible as the target destination). He may also receive this effect if he possesses a sample from the target with which to trace their scent. This ability cannot be fooled by any means.
Survival of the Fittest (Ex): Once the ranger reaches 19th level, he is instinctually recognizable to all animals and intelligent plants as a friend of nature and an impossible foe (plants may make a Will save with a DC of 10 + 1/2 the ranger's class level + his Wisdom modifier to resist, but animals may not). As such, they automatically fight for him so long as he wishes for an encounter in which they are present (after the encounter is over, they scatter and do not follow him) even if summoned by someone else. If they are dominated or otherwise not in control of their own actions, they will simply refuse to act on any turn in which they are commanded to target the ranger and receive a saving throw against the original DC of the spell that has bewitched them to try and shake off its effects.
Epic Ranger
| Level | Special | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| 21st | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 22nd | Favored Enemy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 23rd | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 24th | Favored Enemy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 25th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 26th | Bonus Feat, Favored Enemy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 27th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 28th | Favored Enemy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 29th | Bonus Feat | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 30th | Favored Enemy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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6 + Int modifier skill points per level. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Favored Enemy: A ranger continues to gain additional favored enemies at epic levels, but honestly this is more of a formality than anything else. The ranger can already kill just about anything.
Bonus Feats: The epic ranger gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic ranger bonus feats) every three levels after 20th.
Epic Ranger Bonus Feat List: Bane of Enemies, Blinding Speed, Combat Archery, Distant Shot, Epic Endurance, Epic Prowess, Epic Speed, Epic Toughness, Epic Weapon Focus, Fast Healing, Improved Combat Casting, Improved Manyshot, Improved Spell Capacity, Legendary Climber, Legendary Rider, Legendary Tracker, Perfect Health, Permanent Emanation, Spontaneous Spell, Storm of Throws, Swarm of Arrows, Two-Weapon Rend, Uncanny Accuracy.
Favored Enemy Benefits
The ranger develops certain skills that greatly aid him in his battles. These skills vary based on the enemy he has devoted his time to studying and chosen as a favored enemy. Any favored enemy abilities that offer a saving throw have a DC equal to 10 + 1/2 the ranger's class level + his Wisdom modifier. For the purposes of these abilities, the category "humanoids" refers to both the humanoid and monstrous humanoid types.
Minor
- Aberration: Your mind cannot be probed by effects that would seek to access it (such as detect thoughts).
- Animal: Your veterancy as a poacher has made you an expert in assembling and locating traps. You gain Disable Device and Search as class skills as well as trapfinding. You also gain a bonus on Search checks equal to your class level when making checks to detect traps; this bonus does not stack with any items that would increase your Search checks.
- Construct: Your attacks on objects and constructs ignore hardness.
- Dragon: You gain evasion, immunity to fear effects, and the benefits of the Darkstalker feat.
- Elemental: You gain resistance to all forms of elemental damage equal to one half your class level.
- Fey: Size bonuses to Armor Class are halved against you (round down).
- Giant: You may negate size bonuses for special attacks and grapples for creatures up to one size larger than you per attack you gain from your BAB. For example, a level 7 ranger could negate up to two sizes worth of modifiers.
- Humanoids: Any critical hit you land is automatically confirmed.
- Magical Beast: You gain darkvision out to 120 feet or 10 feet per character level, whichever is greater.
- Ooze: Your weapons and equipment no longer have to make saves to avoid taking damage or being destroyed/disjoined by any means.
- Outsider: You gain spell resistance equal to 10 + your class level.
- Plant: You are immune to any effect that uses plants to magically impede movement as well as any and all poisons. (i.e. entangle, wall of thorns, etc.).
- Undead: You can see invisible and ethereal creatures normally. Plus, all your weapons are treated as having the ghost touch enhancement when fighting incorporeal creatures.
- Vermin: Your experience with vermin has allowed you to fight like they do. You gain tremorsense out to 5 feet per class level and never risk poisoning yourself when applying poison to a weapon.
Advanced
- Aberration: You are now immune to all mind-affecting effects.
- Animal: You may use snare as a spell-like ability at will, and your snare deals your favored enemy damage in addition to its normal damage when used on a favored enemy.
- Construct: With a standard action, you may automatically destroy unattended objects or walls with hardness less than your class level with a melee or ranged attack. You may only destroy an object or section of wall that is up to one size larger than you are. This doesn’t apply to construct creatures.
- Dragon: As a standard action, you may make an attack that forces the target to make a Fortitude save or be brought to ground as though affected by a wingbind spell.
- Elemental: When you are targeted by an attack or effect with an elemental subtype, you may assume that subtype as an immediate action until the end of the current round.
- Fey: You are immune to paralysis and magical sleep effects.
- Giant: Add 1 point of damage per favored enemy die you possess to all attacks against an opponent for every size they are larger than you.
- Humanoids: You have honed your focus on the nine vital points of a humanoid body, allowing you to strike with unerring efficiency. Whenever you strike a creature with the humanoid or monstrous humanoid types or a generally humanoid anatomy (i.e. two arms, two legs, and a head), all successful attacks are critical hits.
- Magical Beast: Your attacks disrupt an opponent's regeneration or fast healing (if applicable) for one round, and all of your attacks deal lethal damage to an opponent with regeneration.
- Ooze: If you lose on a bull rush check or other special attack in which you are run over, you may spend an attack of opportunity to move to the side and out of the way.
- Outsider: Each of your attacks carries the effect of a targeted greater dispel magic spell against the creature struck, with your attack roll counting as the caster level check. Your effective caster level for this effect is equal to your character level. This ability only applies to attacks gained from BAB; any extra attacks (such as from a speed weapon) do not count.
- Plant: Any weapon you use now has the benefits of the flaming burst enhancement.
- Undead: Creatures slain by you cannot be raised from the dead or animated as undead unless you wish it. If you are slain, your will can no longer be an influence over these corpses until you are raised.
- Vermin: You may disturb a swarm as a standard action with a melee attack. If you hit a creature with the swarm subtype with this attack, they must make a Reflex save or be forced to separate (becoming totally ineffectual in combat and not on the field of battle as if dead) for one round. Plus, your expertise with poison increases, allowing you to use either the poison's normal save DC or your default favored enemy DC, whichever is higher.
Major
- Aberration: Any mind-affecting effect that targets you is automatically rebounded back at its source as if you were the originator. It uses its base save or the default save for favored enemy, whichever is higher. If you wish, you may use an immediate action to change the target of the effect.
- Animal: You are an expert in delivering headshots that addle your opponents' brains. Each of your attacks forces the target to make a Fortitude save or take 1d4 points of Intelligence damage.
- Construct: This acts in the same fashion as the advanced benefit, except all applicable objects are automatically destroyed regardless of hardness.
- Dragon: You always succeed on a Reflex save to avoid or reduce damage when one is allowed.
- Elemental: When you assume a creature's subtype, you are now healed one point of damage for every three points of elemental damage you normally would have taken.
- Fey: Whilst in a forest, you are able to detect every creature (and automatically know its type) inside the forest within 100 feet per class level.
- Giant: You now ignore any and all size modifiers so long as it is advantageous to you, and whenever you are targeted by an effect that affects only creatures of a certain size, you are automatically treated as an invalid size if you wish.
- Humanoids: You may make a lethal attack as a standard action. If you deal any damage with this attack, the foe must make a Fortitude save or die. This is not a death effect and works normally against creatures immune to such effects.
- Magical Beast: You deliver profusely bleeding wounds to your foes, dealing 2 additional points of damage per attack you successfully hit with to your foe at the beginning of each of your next turns until they are healed back to full health.
- Ooze: Mindless creatures cannot even detect your presence unaided (you can simply walk by them without them reacting to you). You have concealment against creatures that rely on blindsight, tremorsense, or other alternative sensory forms.
- Outsider: You may take a standard action to make a single attack that carries the effect of a banishment spell as cast by a cleric of your class level. An creature banished in this fashion is also confined to their own plane (as if under a dimensional anchor spell) for 24 hours afterward.
- Plant: Whenever you are in natural sunlight, you regenerate any lost limbs within 1d6 rounds and gain fast healing equal to your class level.
- Undead: You may now make critical hits and apply precision-based damage normally to any creature that is normally immune to those effects.
- Vermin: You are now capable of tapping into vermin hive minds and other forms thereof, taking advantage of their vigilance. When you are within close range of a member of a hive mind, you gain the benefits of being a member of the hivemind when determining whether or not you can be flanked or flat-footed. You may also use this ability to determine the purpose of a necromantic intelligence. Finally, your poisons may now affect even creatures that are normally immune to poisons. A creature that has no score in the affected ability is still not affected.
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