3rd Edition - Monte Cooks Alternative Ranger, Rpg, D&D 3ed

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THE RANGER REVISITED
By Monte Cook
I
was always worried about the ranger. The fact
that his abilities kick in when the DM wants them
to (when the adventure contains his favored ene-
mies) rather than when the player wants them to,
like the barbarian, always seemed to me to be a
drawback. So, I took a second stab at the ranger.
While I did not change the way favored ene-
mies work in this version, I did add more skill
points, bonus feats, better saves, and a slightly
more generous spell progression and spell list.
There are even some new ranger-specific feats and
spells.
By this point, I decided I’d gone a little too far.
To scale him back a bit, he uses d8s for hit dice
rather than d10s—a bit of a throwback to the old
ranger of 1st Edition.
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), Use Rope (Dex),
Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), and Wilder-
ness Lore (Wis). See Chapter 6 in the
Player’s Hand-
book
for skill descriptions.
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 pro-
ficient with all simple and martial weapons, light
armor, medium armor, and shields. Note that wearing
armor heavier than leather imposes a penalty to the
ranger skills Climb, Hide, Jump, and Move Silently.
Swim checks also suffer a –1 penalty for every 5 lbs.
INFORMATION
Rangers have the following game statistics.
Alignment:
Any.
Hit Die:
d8.
GAME RULE
The Ranger
Fort.
Ref.
Will
—Spells per Day—
Level Attack Bonus
Save
Save
Save
Special
1
2
3
4
1
+1
+2
+2
+0
Bonus feat, Track,
—
—
—
—
1st favored enemy
2
+2
+3
+3
+0
— ———
3
+3
+3
+3
+1
— ———
4
+4
+4
+4
+1
Bonus Feat
0
—
—
—
5
+5
+4
+4
+1
2nd favored enemy
0
—
—
—
6
+6/+1
+5
+5
+2
1
—
—
—
7
+7/+2
+5
+5
+2
Bonus feat
1
0
—
—
8
+8/+3
+6
+6
+2
1
0
—
—
9
+9/+4
+6
+6
+3
1
1
—
—
10
+10/+5
+7
+7
+3
Bonus feat, 3rd favored enemy
1
1
0
—
11
+11/+6/+1
+7
+7
+3
2
1
0
—
12
+12/+7/+2
+8
+8
+4
2
1
1
—
13
+13/+8/+3
+8
+8
+4
Bonus feat
2
1
1
0
14
+14/+9/+4
+9
+9
+4
2
2
1
0
15
+15/+10/+5
+9
+9
+5
4th favored enemy
2
2
1
1
16
+16/+11/+6/+1
+10
+10
+5
Bonus feat
3
2
2
1
17
+17/+12/+7/+2
+10
+10
+5
3
3
2
1
18
+18/+13/+8/+3
+11
+11
+6
3
3
2
2
1
19
+19/+14/+9/+4
+11
+11
+6
Bonus feat
3
3
3
2
20
+20/+15/+10/+5
+12
+12
+6
5th favored enemy
4
3
3
3
of armor or equipment carried.
Spells:
Beginning at 4th level, a ranger gains the
ability to cast a small number of divine, nature or
wilderness-related spells. To cast a spell, the ranger
must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 plus the
spell’s level, so a ranger with a Wisdom of 10 or lower
cannot cast these spells. Ranger bonus spells are based
on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells
have a DC of 10 plus spell level plus Wisdom modi-
fier
select feats marked with an asterisk (*) more than
once, but it must be for a different weapon each
time. Characters must still meet all prerequisites for a
feat, including ability score and base attack
minimums (see Chapter 5 in the
Player’s Handbook
for descriptions of feats and their prerequisites).
Important:
These feats are
in addition
to the feat
that a character of any class gets every three levels
(per
Player’s Handbook
Table 4–2: Experience and
Level-Dependent Benefits). The ranger is not lim-
ited to the list given here when choosing those feats.
Favored Enemy:
At 1st level, a ranger may select a
type of creature (dragons, giants, goblinoids, undead,
etc.) as a favored enemy. (Only evil rangers can select
their own race as a favored enemy.) Due to their
extensive study of their foes and training in the
proper techniques for combating them, rangers gain a
+1 bonus to Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and
Wilderness checks when using these skills against this
type of creature.
Likewise, rangers get the same bonus to weapon
damage rolls against creatures of this type. A ranger
also gets this damage bonus with ranged weapons, but
only against targets within 30 feet (the ranger cannot
strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range). The
bonus doesn’t apply to damage against creatures that
are immune to critical hits.
Every five levels (at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th
level), the ranger may select a new favored enemy,
and the bonus associated with every previously
selected favored enemy goes up by +1. For example, a
15th-level ranger will have four favored enemies,
with bonuses of +4, +3, +2, and +1.
The Ranger Favored Enemies table that follows
lists possible categories for a ranger’s favored enemy.
When the ranger gets zero spells of a given
level, such as zero 1st-level spells at 4th level, the
ranger gets only bonus spells. A ranger without a
bonus spell for that level (see the
Player’s Handbook
Table 2–1: Ability Modifiers and Spells) cannot
cast a spell of that level yet. The ranger’s spell list
appears in a list provided below. A ranger has
access to any spell on the 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).
For all spell effects dependent on the caster’s level
(such how many Hit Dice worth of animals he or she
can befriend with
animal friendship
), treat the ranger
as one-half the character’s actual level, rounded down.
Tr a c k :
A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat (see
the Track feat description).
Bonus Feats:
At 1st level, the ranger gets a bonus
feat in addition to the feat that any 1st-level charac-
ter gets or the bonus feat granted to humans. The
ranger gains an additional bonus feat at 4th level and
every three levels thereafter (7th 10th, 13th, 16th,
and 19th).
These bonus feats must be drawn from the fol-
lowing list: Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat
Reflexes, Dodge (Mobility, Spring Attack), Exotic
Weapon Proficiency, Expertise (Improved Disarm,
Improved Trip, Whirlwind Attack), Favored Enemy
Critical Strike, Favored Enemy Strike, Mounted
Combat (Mounted Archery, Trample, Ride-By
Attack, Spirited Charge), Point Blank Shot (Far
Shot, Precise Shot, Rapid Shot, Shot on the Run),
Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting (Improved
Two-Weapon Fighting), Weapon Finesse*, and
Weapon Focus*.
Feats dependent on other feats are listed paren-
thetically under the prerequisite feat. A character can
2
Ranger Favored
Enemies List
Type Example
Aberrations Beholders
Animals Bears
Beasts Owlbears
Constructs Golems
Dragons Black dragons
Elementals Xorns
Fey Dryads
Giants Ogres
Humanoid type *
Magical beasts Displacer beasts
Oozes Gelatinous cubes
Outsider type *
Plants Shambling mounds
Shapechangers Werewolves
Undead Zombies
Vermin Giant spiders
*
Rangers may not select “humanoid” or “outsider” as a
favored enemy, but they may select a more narrowly
defined type of humanoid (such as goblinoids,
humans, or reptilian humanoids) or outsider (such as
devils, efreet, or slaadi). See the
Monster Manual
for
more information on types of creatures. A ranger can
only select his own race as a favored enemy if the
character is evil.
1st-Level Ranger Spells
Alarm.
Wards an area for two hours/level.
Animal Friendship.
Gains permanent animal
companions.
Delay Poison.
Stops poison from harming subject for
one hour/level.
Detect Animals or Plants.
Detects species of animals
or plants.
Detect Snares and Pits.
Reveals natural or primitive traps.
Entangle.
Plants entangle everyone in 40-ft.-radius
circle.
Magic Fang.
One natural weapon of subject creature
gets +1 bonus to attack and damage.
Pass without Trace.
One subject/level leaves no tracks.
Read Magic.
Read scrolls and spellbooks.
Resist Elements.
Ignores first 12 damage from one
energy type each round.
Speak with Animals.
You can communicate with nat-
ural animals.
Summon Nature’s Ally I.
Calls animal to fight for you.
NEW FEATS
The feats in this section will prove particularly help-
ful to this new ranger class.
Favored Enemy Strike
[General]
You can inflict greater damage against your favored
enemies.
Prerequisite:
Favored enemy
Benefit:
When striking a foe designated as your
favored enemy, you inflict an additional 1d6 points of
damage every time you hit. This damage is not mul-
tiplied if a critical hit is scored against the enemy
(like a rogue’s sneak attack bonus damage).
2nd-Level Ranger Spells
Animal Messenger.
Sends a Tiny animal to a specific
place.
*Barkskin.
Grants +3 natural armor bonus (or
higher).
*Blight Enemies.
Harms favored enemies, 1d6/level
damage
Cure Light Wounds.
Cures 1d8 +1/level damage (max
+5).
Detect Chaos/Evil/Good/Law.
Reveals creatures,
spells, or objects.
Hold Animal.
Holds one animal helpless; 1 round/level.
Protection from Elements.
Absorb 12 damage/level
from one kind of energy.
Sleep.
Put 2d4 HD of creatures into comatose slumber.
Snare.
Creates a magical booby trap.
Speak with Plants.
You can talk to normal plants and
plant creatures.
Summon Nature’s Ally II.
Calls animal to fight for you.
Favored Enemy Critical Strike
[General]
You can inflict telling blows with even greater accu-
racy upon your favored enemies.
Prerequisite:
Favored enemy
Benefit:
When inflicting a critical hit upon a foe
designated as your favored enemy, you inflict an
additional 1d10 points of damage, in addition to the
damage you would normally inflict.
Note:
This feat does not allow you to make critical
hits on creatures that are immune to critical hits.
RANGER SPELLS
Spells marked with an asterisk (*) in the lists at
right are new additions to the ranger’s spell list.
Three of these are all-new spells, described on the
next page.
3rd-Level Ranger Spells
Control Plants.
Talk to and control plants & fungi.
Cure Moderate Wounds.
Cures 2d8 +1/level damage
(max +10).
Diminish Plants.
Reduces size or blights growth of
normal plants.
3
Greater Magic Fang.
One natural weapon of subject
creature gets +1 bonus to attack and damage per
three caster levels (max +5).
Neutralize Poison.
Detoxifies venom in or on subject.
Plant Growth.
Grows vegetation, improves crops.
Remove Disease.
Cures all diseases affecting subject.
Summon Nature’s Ally III.
Calls animal to fight for you.
Tree Shape.
You look exactly like a tree for one
hour/level.
Water Walk.
Subject treads on water as if solid.
*Wild Stealth.
You gain a +10 bonus to Hide and
Move Silently outdoors.
Unite Allies
Enchantment (Compulsion)
[Mind-Affecting]
Level:
Rgr4
Components:
V, S
Casting Time:
1 action
Range:
50 ft.
Area:
All allies within 50 ft.
Duration:
1 minute/level
Saving Throw:
None
Spell Resistance:
Yes (harmless)
Your allies have a +1 favored enemy bonus (as the 1st-
level ranger ability) against a favored enemy you choose.
This doesn’t stack with existing favored enemy bonuses.
4th-Level Ranger Spells
*Commune with Nature.
Learn about terrain for 1
mile/level.
Cure Serious Wounds.
Cures 3d8 +1/level damage
(max +15).
Freedom of Movement.
Subject moves normally
despite impediments.
Nondetection.
Hides subject from divination, scrying.
Polymorph Self.
You assume a new form.
Summon Nature’s Ally IV.
Calls animal to fight for you.
Tree Stride.
Step from one tree to another far away.
*Wall of Thorns.
Thorns damage anyone who tries to
pass.
Wind Wall.
Deflects arrows, smaller creatures, and gases.
*Unite Allies.
Gives allies favored enemy bonus
Wild Stealth
Transmutation
Level:
Rgr3
Components:
S
Casting Time:
1 action
Range:
Personal
Area:
Yo u
Duration:
10 minutes/level
Saving Throw:
None
You gain a +10 enhancement bonus to Move Silently
and Hide checks when out of doors, above ground, in
a non-urban environment.
NEW SPELLS
Here are a few additional spells that will come in
handy in ranger-specific situations.
Credits
Game Design: Monte Cook
Editing and Production: Sue Weinlein Cook
Graphic Design:
The Unseelie Court
(unseelie@mail.com)
Blight Enemy
Evocation
Level:
Rgr2
Components:
V, S
Casting Time:
1 action
Range:
Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target:
One favored enemy
Duration:
Instantaneous
Saving Throw:
Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance:
Ye s
You draw upon the raw power of nature to create a
discordant surge within any one creature of a type
that you have designated a favored enemy. The spell
inflicts 1d6 points of damage per caster level, to a
maximum of 5d6.
Special Thanks:
To Jonathan and Skip,
of course
Requires use of the
Dungeons & Dragons
®
Player's Hand-
book
, Third Edition, published by Wizards of the Coast
®
4
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