Ranger

Description:

The ranger is a hunter and a woodsman who lives in the wilderness. Robin Hood, Orion, and Jack the Giant Killer all are examples of rangers. As the alignment rules are not used, I've modiefied the usual restrictions:

Must abide by the tenets of what is usually accepted as " good". If he intentionally commits an "evil" act, he loses all his ranger abilities and becomes a fighter of the same level. His ranger status never can be regained. If a ranger commits evil under duress or because he has no choice, he cannot gain experience points until he has cleansed himself. This may entail correcting the wrongs done by his evil act, avenging himself on those who forced him to the act, etc. The DM will determine the appropriate actions.

Can retain only what treasure he and his mount can carry. All other treasure must be donated to a worthy cause.

Ranger characters receive 60 character points to purchase class abilities. Each of the abilities below costs 5 to 10 character points. Any unspent points can be used to acquire nonweapon proficiencies or saved for use during the game.

Bow bonus (5):

A ranger with this ability gains a +1 attack bonus when using any type of bow.

Climbing (10):

A ranger can climb trees, cliffs, and other natural formations. The ranger’s climbing score is equal to his Dexterity/Balance score plus the hide in shadows percentage for a character of his level. Note that a ranger does not have to have the hide in shadows ability to have a climbing ability, the two skill simply use similar numbers.

Detect noise (10):

As the thief ability. Use the ranger’s Intuition score plus his move silently percentage to determine his chance for success.

Empathy with animals (10):

When dealing with a domestic or non-hostile animal, the ranger can approach and befriend it automatically. The ranger also can discern the health and nature of such animals. When approaching wild animals or those trained to attack, the animal must make a saving throw vs. rods to resist the ranger’s friendly overtures. There is a –1 penalty to the roll for every three experience levels of the ranger. For example, if the approaching ranger is 7th level, the animal’s saving throw penalty is –2. If the animal fails the save, the ranger can adjust the animal’s reaction by one category. Many characters regard animals as non-thinking beasts that react purely on instinct, incapable of responding to reason. The ranger, on the other hand, sees animals as emotionally complex creatures whose fears and desires may be less sophisticated than those of humans, but are no less real. This innate understanding of animal behavior gives the ranger a limited ability to influence their emotions and manipulate their behavior.

The ranger knows the meaning of a twitching tail, a cocked head, a low growl. He knows that a snarling wolf positioned in a crouch may be more frightened than hostile. If approached correctly, a hissing snake may slither away rather than strike. By calling on his animal empathy, a ranger can use soothing words and gestures to turn hostility to indifference, and indifference to friendship.

Conditions

A ranger can't influence an animal's reactions at will. The following limitations apply:

 The animal must be native to the real world; natural animals. Rangers can't modify the reactions of supernatural creatures (skeletons and ghouls), magical creatures (basilisks and golems), or creatures of extra-planar origin (aerial servants and elementals). The ranger can affect giant animals.

 The animal must be intelligent, but not exceptionally so. To respond to a ranger's words and gestures, the animal must be able to comprehend them. In practice, this means that a ranger can't use this ability to influence the behavior of non-intelligent animals (those with Intelligence scores of zero) such as centipedes or barracudas. Conversely, creatures of higher intelligence, such as leprechauns, ogres, and a paladin's warhorse, resist the ranger's animal empathy. As a rule of thumb, rangers can only use this ability on natural animals whose intelligence ranges from Animal to Low (Intelligence score of 1 to 7).

The animal can't be the ranger's species enemy. A ranger who confronts the species enemy is too overwhelmed by intense emotions to establish the proper empathy. Therefore, a ranger can never modify the reaction of his species enemy using this ability.

The ranger must remain calm. The ranger must move towards the animal quietly, slowly, and confidently, all the while speaking soothing words and making calming gestures. Fear cannot be shown, nor a weapon wielded, nor any action taken that might frighten or enrage the animal.

The ranger must be distanced from the rest of the party. If the ranger approaches with companions, the animal will react to the presence of all the characters, not just the ranger. The ranger's efforts to soothe the animal will go unnoticed. Ideally, the rest of the party will be out of the animal's sight when the ranger approaches. If this is impractical, the ranger's companions should be at least 10 feet behind him, remaining quiet and taking no actions that the animal might interpret as hostile.

The animal must be able to hear and see the ranger. The ranger must be in plain sight for the animal to size up; the ranger may not be concealed in the brush, hidden in shadows, or have erected any type of physical barrier between himself and the animal. The animal must also be able to hear the ranger, meaning that the area must be relatively quiet, free of distracting or disturbing sounds. In most cases, the ranger must be within a few feet of the animal, or close enough for the animal to see the ranger's eyes. The DM may make exceptions in special circumstances. For instance, if the ranger approaches an animal in total darkness, the DM may rule that soothing words are sufficient to calm the animal. In situations where silence is imperative, gestures alone may suffice. However, in all cases, the ranger must still be relatively close to the animal to modify its reaction.

The ranger must soothe the animal for an uninterrupted period. A ranger can't attempt to soothe an animal that's charging or attacking; the animal must be stationary or moving only slightly (a pacing wolf, a weaving serpent). Once the ranger moves close to the animal, the creature must be soothed for 5-10 (1d6+4) uninterrupted rounds; the DM may increase this time if the animal is unusually anxious or exceptionally hostile. (This time can be lapsed by the DM if nothing else is going on.)

A ranger who meets these conditions can use animal empathy in an attempt to modify the animal's reactions. Though the game result is the same, technique differs depending whether the animal is wild or domestic.

Wild Animals

This group includes animals not normally domesticated, such as lions, snakes, and rats. It also includes domesticated animals that have been trained to attack, such as dogs.

Before the ranger attempts to soothe a wild animal, the DM must determine the animal's current attitude, taking into account its natural temperament (Is it naturally aggressive, or inclined to flee rather than fight?), immediate conditions (Did it just wake up? Is it sick or wounded? Hungry?) and pre-existing circumstances (Has it recently been harassed or befriended by characters similar in appearance to the ranger? Is it guarding its nest or lair?) The DM should then select the animal's current attitude from Table 30. The attitude should not be announced ("The wolf is Cautious."). Instead, clearly describe the animal's appearance and behavior and let the ranger come to his own conclusions ("The wolf paces back and forth, eyes darting. It begins to snarl as you approach.").

Animal Attitudes

To determine if the ranger is able to modify the reaction of a wild animal, the animal must make a saving throw vs. rods (even though the ranger's animal empathy ability isn't magical). As shown on Table 31, the ranger's experience level imposes a penalty to the creature's roll.

Animal Empathy Modifier

If the animal fails its saving throw, the ranger has successfully modified its behavior. The attitude of the animal shifts one category, up or down, on Table 30 as decided by the ranger. If the animal was Indifferent, it now becomes either Cautious or Friendly, and behaves accordingly. This new reaction applies only to the ranger. An animal that the ranger changed from Threatening to Cautious may still behave in a Threatening manner to other members of the party, particularly if another character decides to interfere with the ranger's efforts or otherwise draws attention to himself. However, as long as the ranger stays near the animal and continues to soothe it, the animal's attention will remain focused on the ranger, and it will remain Cautious. After the ranger leaves the area, the animal's attitude remains altered for a short time (from a few minutes to an hour, as decided by the DM) before it reverts to its original disposition.

If the animal succeeds in its saving throw, it resists the ranger's efforts and its attitude remains unchanged. The ranger notices no significant difference in the animal's behavior. An Indifferent animal continues to ignore the ranger, a Hostile animal may suddenly charge him. The ranger can't make a second attempt to modify its behavior.

Domestic Animals

This group includes animals that have non-hostile dispositions and are routinely domesticated, such as horses and dogs. It also includes formerly wild animals, such as bears and monkeys, that have been tamed and now are comfortable around people.

Such animals are presumed to be Frightened, Friendly, Indifferent, or Cautious. Regardless of their initial disposition, when a ranger approaches and soothes them, they become Friendly. No saving throws are necessary; this change is automatic. It's also permanent, so long as the ranger stays in sight of the animal. If the ranger leaves the area, the animal reverts to its original disposition a short time later (within a few minutes to an hour).

The attitude change applies to the ranger only; an Indifferent dog feels Friendly to the ranger but remains oblivious to the ranger's companions. A Cautious horse is Friendly to the ranger and will carry him on its back, but bucks furiously if anyone else attempts to mount it.

Additionally, the ranger can ascertain the general qualities of any domestic animal he befriends. By observation alone, he could determine:

Which puppy in a litter will become the best hunter and most loyal companion.

Which horse at a sale is the healthiest, strongest, and fastest mount. Which sheep in a flock will produce the highest quality wool.

Which sow in a sty will give birth to the largest broods.

The DM should provide any information of this type that the ranger wants to know, though he should refrain from answering specific questions. For instance, the ranger can determine which horse in a corral is the fastest, but he can't tell the horse's exact speed just by observing it.

A special case occurs if an animal has been attack-trained. This is most usual in the case of dogs, horses, and hunting birds such as falcons, but might apply to other animals, such as bears or leopards. These are treated as wild animals, and receive the saving throw vs. rods to resist the ranger's empathy as described above.

Find and remove wilderness traps (10):

These traps include pits, snares, etc. A ranger’s chance for success is equal to his move silently percentage.

Followers (10):

At 10th level, the ranger attracts 2d6 followers. Use Table 19 in the Player’s Handbook to determine what kind of creatures the ranger attracts. The ranger does not need to build a stronghold or fort.

Hide in Shadows (5):

A ranger can hide in shadows, as the thief ability, in natural surroundings if he is wearing studded leather or lighter armor. See the table below for the ranger’s chance of success. The ranger also can attempt to use this ability in other settings, but his chance of success is halved. By flattening his body or crouching in such as way as to blend into dark areas, and remaining perfectly still while doing so, the ranger can render himself nearly invisible in natural surroundings. This ability to hide in shadows works equally well in fields of tall grass, clumps of bushes, rocky hills, or any other wilderness area with dark or shaded terrain. When hiding, the ranger can conceal himself from attackers and eavesdrop on his enemies. He can hide near a well-traveled road and secretly observe passersby, or conceal himself near an enemy campsite, waiting for an opportune moment to steal their treasure or supplies. The following restrictions also apply:
· If attempting to hide in shadows on city streets, inside a building, or in any other non-wilderness setting, the ranger's chance is halved. Apply this reduction after all the other modifiers have been taken into account.
· The ranger must be unobserved while attempting to conceal himself. If an NPC or creature is watching him, the ranger can't hide successfully. If the NPC or creature becomes distracted, even momentarily, the ranger can slip into the area of concealment and attempt to hide.
· While hiding, the ranger must remain immobile, except for slow and careful movements, such as readying a weapon or sipping from a flask.
· If the area is completely dark--for instance, if there's an overcast sky in the dead of night--the ranger gains no special advantages from hiding in shadows, and can't use this ability.

If all these conditions are met, the DM rolls percentile dice as soon as the ranger has concealed himself. The DM doesn't tell the ranger the result of the roll; rather, the ranger learns if the attempt is successful from the reactions of those in the area. If the check is less than or equal to the ranger's adjusted hide in shadows score, the ranger has successfully concealed himself. He's essentially invisible to all others in the area, including his companions. He has hidden successfully until he changes locations; an attempt to hide in shadows in a different area requires a new die roll. Characters using spells or magical items that reveal hidden or invisible objects can detect him. Likewise, creatures who use their sense of smell to locate prey or other exceptionally keen senses have their normal chance of sniffing out a ranger hiding in shadows. If the check is greater than the ranger's hide in shadows score, he's failed to conceal himself and is as exposed as any normal character would be in the same area. This doesn't necessarily mean that others will notice him, especially if the area of concealment provides a lot of natural cover, such as a cluster of bushes or the long shadow from a tall tree. However, the ranger may not know if he's succeeded or failed until it's too late--for instance, if an NPC suddenly turns and charges.

Move silently (5):

A ranger can move silently, as the thief ability, in natural surroundings if he is wearing studded leather or lighter armor. See Table 22 for the ranger’s chance of success. The ranger also can attempt to use this ability in other settings, but his chance of success is halved.

Moving silently enables the ranger to move with a minimum of sound, almost as if he's walking on air. Even creatures with the sharpest ears are no more likely to detect his presence than they are to hear a feather drop. The ability works equally well in icy mountains, heavily wooded forests, or any other type of wilderness terrain. Getting from place to place without being heard is only the most obvious application of this ability. Other uses include:

· Sneaking up on one or more opponents in order to surprise them.

· Examining the contents of a cart or a cabinet by removing the objects one by one, then replacing them in silence. (However, silent movement applies to the character's actions only; therefore, this ability would not negate the sound of a squeaking cabinet door or rusty hinge of a trunk.)

· Change armor or clothes.

· Other actions the DM allows, such as restringing a bow, or cutting a slit in the back of a tent.

If the ranger attempts to move silently inside a building or in any other non-wilderness area, his modified score is halved.

Other restrictions:

· He can move no faster than 1/3 his normal movement rate when moving silently. · He can't be observed when attempting to use this ability (moving silently isn't of much use to a ranger who's being watched). · If he draws attention to himself either intentionally (speaking) or inadvertently (sneezing), the effects of moving silently are immediately negated.

The DM rolls percentile dice as soon as the ranger makes an attempt to move silently. If the roll exceeds the ranger's move silently score, he is as likely to be heard as any other character moving in the same terrain; snapping a twig or kicking a pebble may draw the attention of NPCs or creatures. If the roll is less than or equal to the ranger's move silently score, he is able to move without sound. He continues to move silently until the terrain changes (for instance, if he enters an area of pebbles, shallow water, or dried leaves), or he attempts a new action that affects his ease of movement (such as carrying an unconscious companion or a large jug of sloshing water). Any such change requires a new roll.

Pass Without Trace (10):

By selecting this ability at character creation, a ranger gains the Priest of Gea ability to pass without trace once a day.

Priest spells (10):

Starting at level eight, a ranger can learn priest spells of the plant and animal spheres. He follows the normal rules for priest spells, though he does not gain extra spells for a high Wisdom/Intuition score. A ranger cannot use clerical scrolls.

Sneak attack (10):

If a ranger successfully moves silently and hides in shadows, he can sneak-attack in natural settings, as the thief’s backstab ability. The ranger strikes and does backstab damage as a thief of the same level.

Speak with animals (5):

Once a day a ranger can speak with animals, as the spell.

Special enemy (10):

Rangers focus their efforts on one exceedingly bothersome type of creature. A ranger must choose his special enemy before reaching 2nd level. Sample enemies include orcs, trolls, bugbears, and lizard men. The DM must approve the player’s choice. From that point on, the ranger gains a +4 bonus to his attack rolls when encountering that type of creature. The ranger can attempt to hide the enmity he feels for these creatures, but he suffers a –4 penalty on reaction rolls vs. that type of creature. Further, the ranger should seek out such creatures over other foes in combat, unless there is some greater danger.

Tracking proficiency (5):

The ranger gains the tracking proficiency, and the character’s tracking skill automatically improves by +1 for every three levels. For example, a 10th level ranger improves his tracking score by +3. Thanks to his keen senses and thorough understanding of animal behavior, the ranger is an expert tracker. He reads an impression in the mud or a bend in a twig like words on a printed page. He can determine the identity of his quarry and how fast it was traveling by the depth of a footprint. He can tell the size of a slug from the trail of slime it left behind. He can track an orc in the darkest forest, a rabbit though the thickest jungle, an escaped convict across the most desolate mountain range.

  A ranger's tracking skills apply to characters as well as creatures, and to underground and interior settings as well as all types of outdoor environments. His tracking skills are inherent; that is, he receives the Tracking nonweapon proficiency automatically at the outset of his career, expending no proficiency slots providing he spends the 5 CP's at character generation.

Pre-Conditions

   A ranger can't just track anything, any time he likes. In order to track a particular quarry, the following conditions must be met:

   1. The quarry must be capable of leaving a physical trail. Elements of a trail may include footprints, bent twigs, waste matter, or any other physical signs that a ranger can follow. Certain categories of creatures--including swimming and flying creatures, small insects, and ghosts and other non-corporeal creatures--seldom leave physical evidence of their passage. In most cases, such creatures can't be tracked. However, since tracking involves all the senses, not just sight, it's possible that the aroma of burning metal might linger after the passage of a particular spectre, or a ghost might reveal itself by its eerie voice, heard faintly in the distance. Still, only the most skilled rangers are capable of following trails devoid of physical evidence, and the DM should allow such tracking in only the rarest of circumstances.

   2. The ranger must be able to find the trail. If the trail is outdoors, the ranger must actually see the creature (he spots a fox darting into the brush), notice obvious signs of his quarry (such as footprints or droppings), or hear reliable reports of the quarry's whereabouts ("Looking for that old silver dragon? She likes to drink from the pond by the twin palm trees."). If the trail is indoors, the ranger himself must have seen the quarry within the last 30 minutes, and begin tracking from the location where the quarry was last seen. As always, the DM is the final arbiter as to whether the ranger has enough evidence to enable him to track the quarry.

Tracking Check

If the above conditions are met, the ranger can attempt to trail the quarry by making a Tracking check, using his Tracking score. The base Tracking score is equivalent to the ranger's Wisdom. Consult Tables 15-17 for other relevant modifiers; these tables may be used in place of Table 39 in Chapter 5 of the Player's Handbook. In non-natural surroundings, the Tracking chances are halved.

Terrain Tracking Modifiers

* Total bonus for assistance is limited to ranger level bonus; i.e. +1 per 3 levels.

** See Chapter 3. The animal follower does not count as an additional tracker for purposes of the previous bonus.

If the modified Tracking score is zero or less, the ranger is unable to track the quarry in question.

  If the modified Tracking score is greater than zero, the ranger makes a Tracking check by rolling 1d20. If the roll exceeds the ranger's tracking score, or if the roll is 20, the check fails and no trail has been found, If the roll less than or equal to the ranger's Tracking score, the ranger has found the quarry's trail and may begin to follow it.

Interrupted Tracking

   Once a ranger has found the trail, he may track the quarry indefinitely until any of the following situations occur:

   The ranger moves too fast. The ranger must move slower than his normal movement rate in order to stay alert for signs of the trail. His movement rate limit depends on his modified Tracking score, as shown in Table 18.

Movement While Tracking

   Should the ranger exceed the movement rate in Table 18--for instance, if a monster abruptly ambushes him and he's forced to run--he loses the trail.

   The modifiers change. If the trail leads to a new terrain type, night falls, or any other change occurs that requires a new Tracking modifier (as described in Tables 15-17), the ranger loses the trail. The new conditions may dictate the use of modifiers reflecting a trail that is easier to follow, not more difficult, and DMs should consider applying a bonus in such conditions. Nevertheless, the new roll must still be made.

   A second track crosses the first. Crossed trails mingle the physical signs of each, making tracking difficult. The DM determines if such a situation exists. If so, the ranger's efforts fail. (If the ranger wishes to continue tracking, as described below, he must decide which of the crossed trails to follow.)

   The ranger becomes distracted. An attack from a monster may interrupt the ranger's progress. Further, the ranger may intentionally choose to stop if he needs to rest, eat, or hold a discussion with his companions. Any of these interruptions qualifies as a distraction.

   When any of these conditions occur, the ranger loses the trail. To continue tracking the quarry, he must spend at least an hour exploring the immediate area for new signs of the trail. After an hour of searching, he makes a new Tracking check, based on a Tracking score calculated from the new conditions (if the illumination has changed from daylight to twilight, he must now modify his Tracking score by -3). If other trackers assist the ranger, modify the tracking check by +1 per assistant; add the bonus to the Tracking score of the most adept tracker. This bonus is limited to +1 per 3 levels of the ranger (round up). If the check succeeds, the ranger may continue following the trail as before. If he fails the check, he has lost the trail for good.

Identification Check

By noticing details that other characters might overlook--the depth of a footprint, the thickness of a snapped branch, a hair caught in barbed bush--the ranger can deduce a sizeable amount of information about his quarry. The more skilled the ranger, the more information he deduces.

   Whenever a ranger makes a successful Tracking check, he may then attempt an Identification check. The Identification check uses the same score and modifiers as the Tracking check; essentially, the Identification check is a second Tracking check.

   If the Identification check is successful, the DM provides the ranger with some information about the quarry based on the guidelines in Table 19. The ranger's experience level determines the type of information he receives. The information is cumulative; that is, a 6th-level ranger who makes a successful Identification check receives all types of information available to rangers of level 6 and below.

   The DM provides only general information, not exact details. At his discretion, the DM may give more precise or less specific information than suggested in Table 19. The information may be ambiguous ("The tracks resemble those of a large bird, though they could have been made by some sort of reptilian creature.") but the DM shouldn't intentionally mislead the ranger (for instance, by telling him the tracks were definitely made by a bird when in fact they were made by a reptile). The parenthetical comments in Table 19 indicate how a DM might respond to a ranger studying tracks that were made by a pair of juvenile red dragons, each with a human rider.

Identification Check Results

Covering Movement

Not only is the ranger able to track the movement of others, he's also adept at concealing his own trail. If a ranger moves at half his normal movement rate, he may cover his footprints, avoid snapping twigs, and execute similar actions necessary to conceal his trail. When other characters, rangers included, attempt to track a ranger who has concealed his trail, they do so at a -5 penalty to their Tracking scores. (If a terrain-specialized ranger concealed his trail while moving through his primary terrain, others suffer a -7 penalty to their Tracking.

Two-weapon style (5):

A ranger can fight with two weapons and suffer no penalties to his attacks rolls. No shield can be used when a ranger fights in this manner. If the ranger wears armor heavier than studded leather, the standard penalties fro two-weapon fighting apply.

Weapon specialization (10):

This ranger can specialize in a particular weapon. The character point cost must be met in addition.

Optional Restrictions

A ranger can gain bonus character points to spend on the above abilities by accepting voluntary restrictions on his warrior abilities. The restrictions are the same as those for Fighters.

Limited armor (5/10/15):

A ranger with this restriction is limited in his selection of armor. If the character is restricted to chain mail or lighter armor, this restriction gives him 5 CPs; if he is limited to studded leather or lighter armor, he gains 10 CPs; and if he cannot wear any armor at all, this restriction is worth 15 CPs. (The character can always use a shield.)

Limited weapon selection (5):

A ranger with this restriction is limited in his choice of weapons. He can choose to gain proficiency only in melee weapons (no missile weapons allowed); he can choose to learn only cleric weapons (bludgeoning weapons); or he can choose to learn only thief weapons (club, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife, lasso, short bow, sling, broadsword, long sword, short sword, and staff)..

Limited magical item use (5+):

A ranger with this restriction distrusts magic and refuses to use certain categories of magical items. For each category that is barred to him, he gains 5 CPs . The categories are: potions, oils, and scrolls; rings, rods, staves, and wands, and miscellaneous magical items; weapons; and armor.

Rangers’ Spell-Casting Abilities

* Maximum spell ability

Ranger Abilities By Level

* Maximum percentile score

** Also used to determine the character’s climbing score.

Experience Levels