Adventures: Rangers serve as protectors, guides, and hunters. Some have a special hatred for certain kinds of creatures and seek them out to destroy them, while others enjoy simply being in the wilderness and join parties whose goals coincide with theirs.
Characteristics: Rangers are known for their solitary ways, their skill with nature, and ability to focus their skills on one enemy in particular.
Alignment: Rangers can be any alignment. Good-aligned rangers serve as protectors of the woodlands, guides, and occasional rescuers; neutral rangers often join armies or mercenary companies as scouts; evil rangers often use their skills to hunt down prey, or aid evil rangers in their fight against the encroachment of civlization on the wilderness.
Religion: Rangers often pay homage to one of the earth or nature deities, as well as the god of the hunt and the goddess of the moon.
Background: Rangers often learn their craft from a lone master, though some are trained as part of a militia or special unit. Those who serve together consider each other comrades in arms, but loners find little in common with others of their ilk.
Races: Rangers come from all races (they are common among many monstrous humanoid tribes, like gnolls and kobolds) and get along well with most others, even monstrous humanoids.
Other Classes: Rangers are usually solitary types, but can work with others if the situation demands it, their goals coincide with the group's, or they just feel like it.
Role: Rangers are best as wilderness scouts and second-like fighters. They prefer to attack from range or cover, relying on their bows and their knowledge of the wilds to strike at their enemies. Their animal companions can be strong combatants themselves, but best serve as scouts and messengers.
Game Rule Information
Abilities: Dexterity and Strength are most important to rangers, followed closely by Wisdom (for their spells) and Constitution (for hit points). Intelligence and Charisma are least important, though still valuable.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills
The ranger’s class skills are Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering, geography, nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str).
Skill Points Per Level: 6 + Int modifier
Table 1: The Ranger
| Spells Per Day | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level | Base Attack Bonus |
Fort Save |
Ref Save |
Will Save |
Special | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| 1st | +1 | +2 | +2 | +0 | Favored terrain, 1st favored enemy, Track, wild empathy |
— | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | +3 | +3 | +0 | Hunter's lore | — | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +3 | +3 | +3 | +1 | Bow mastery I | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 4th | +4 | +4 | +4 | +1 | Animal companion | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 5th | +5 | +4 | +4 | +2 | Woodland stride, 2nd favored enemy | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +6/+1 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Favored terrain | 2 | 1 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +7/+2 | +5 | +5 | +2 | Swift tracker | 3 | 1 | 1 | — | — |
| 8th | +8/+3 | +6 | +6 | +3 | Bow mastery II | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 9th | +9/+4 | +6 | +6 | +3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — | |
| 10th | +10/+5 | +7 | +7 | +4 | 3rd favored enemy | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | — |
| 11th | +11/+6/+1 | +7 | +7 | +4 | Favored terrain | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | — |
| 12th | +12/+7/+2 | +8 | +8 | +4 | Camouflage | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 13th | +13/+8/+3 | +8 | +8 | +5 | Bow mastery III | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +14/+9/+4 | +9 | +9 | +5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | — | |
| 15th | +15/+10/+5 | +9 | +9 | +6 | 4th favored enemy | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 16th | +16/+11/+6/+1 | +10 | +10 | +6 | Favored terrain | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 17th | +17/+12/+7/+2 | +10 | +10 | +6 | Hide in plain sight | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18th | +18/+13/+8/+3 | +11 | +11 | +7 | Bow mastery IV | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 19th | +19/+14/+9/+4 | +11 | +11 | +7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 | |
| 20th | +20/+15/+10/+5 | +12 | +12 | +8 | 5th favored enemy | 4 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the ranger.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Rangers are proficient with all simple weapons, and the bow (all), handaxe, kukri, longsword, scimitar, short sword, and throwing axe. They are proficient with light and medium armor and shields (but not tower shields).
Favored Terrain: At 1st level, a ranger can select a terrain type from among the following: aquatic, desert, forest, hills, marsh, mountains, plains, and underground. He has spent so much time living in and attuning himself to the environment around her that he feels at home there.
Due to the ranger's experience in that environment, he gains a +2 bonus on Perception, Stealth, and Survival checks when using those skills in that environment, and on Knowledge (nature) checks made in association with that terrain type (or on Knowledge (dungeoneering) checks made in association with underground environments, if he has selected Underground as a favored terrain). Each terrain type grants additional bonuses based on that terrain (see below), which can generally be used anywhere.
At 6th, 11th, and 16th levels, the ranger can select an additional favored terrain; the bonuses given above apply to the new terrain. At each such interval, the bonuses in any one favored environment (including the one just selected, if so desired) increase by 2. For example, a 5th-level ranger has two favored environments. In one he has a +4 bonus on the appropriate skill checks, and in the other he has a +2 bonus. At 10th level, he has three favored environments, and he gains an additional +2 bonus, which he can allocate to any of her three favored environments. In order to gain a new terrain type, he must have spent at least a month (total, not necessarily all at once) in the terrain, getting acclimated to it and learning the ecology.
Aquatic: The ranger is at home in the water, either rivers, lakes, or the ocean. Most rangers who choose this terrain type are aquatic species – locathah, triton, etc. – but many landbound rangers who spend a lot of time on or near the water (on the shore or islands, e.g.) choose it also. A ranger with the aquatic favored terrain gains a +6 competence bonus to Swim checks; if he has a Swim speed, it is increased by 10 feet.
Desert: The ranger is at home in a desert environment. He is resistant to extremes of heat and is not fatigued by extremely high temperatures (up to 140 F).
Forest: The ranger has spent a good deal of time in the forest (or jungle). He has learned how to camouflage himself and is a competent hunter; he gains a +4 competence bonus to Stealth checks.
Hills/Mountains: The ranger is attuned to the high peaks and unforgiving weather of the mountains. He is resistant to extremes of cold (down to -20 F) and does not take nonlethal damage from cold; he need make Fort saves to avoid fatigue only once per hour. He also gains a +4 competence bonus on Climb checks, or a 10-foot bonus to climb speed if he has one.
Marsh: The ranger is at home among the dangerous plants and creatures of the swamps and bayous. He gains a +4 resistance bonus on saves vs. disease and poison, and a +4 competence bonus to Swim checks.
Plains: The ranger is at home among the rolling grasslands, prairie, or tundra, and is accustomed to running for long distances in the open. He gains the Run feat for free.
Underground: The ranger is accustomed to the close, dark spaces of caves and tunnels. He can make a DC 10 Survival check to determine how far underground he is, and which direction is true north (if he has 5 or more ranks in Survival, he doesn't need to make a check).
Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a ranger can select a type of creature from among those given on the table below. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Perception, Sense Motive, 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 can select an additional favored enemy from those given on the Table 2. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favored enemy (including the one just selected, if so desired) increases by 2. Additionally, he can swap an existing enemy for a new one, but the bonus for that enemy is reduced to +2.
Table 2: Ranger Favored Enemies
| Type | Type |
|---|---|
| Aberration | Magical beast |
| Animal | Monstrous humanoid |
| Construct | Ooze |
| Dragon | Outsider |
| Elemental | Plant |
| Fey | Undead |
| Giant | Vermin |
| Humanoid |
Instead of a monster type, the ranger can select a subtype, which covers all creatures with that subtype, regardless of their type. The table below shows valid subtypes. Others can be chosen at the DM's discretion. If a creature has more than one subtype, the bonuses apply only once.
Table 3: Ranger Favored Enemies
| Subtype | Subtype |
|---|---|
| Abomination | Evil |
| Air | Fiend |
| Aquatic | Fire |
| Celestial | Good |
| Chaotic | Lawful |
| Cold | Shapechanger |
| Earth | Water |
Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat.
Wild Empathy (Ex): A ranger can improve the attitude of an animal. 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 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, but he takes a -4 penalty on the check.
Hunter's Lore (Ex): A ranger can make a DC 15 Knowledge check about a creature he is fighting, or is about to fight. If the check is successful, he gains a +1 insight bonus to attack and damage rolls while fighting that creature (this bonus also extends to his companions, if any). For every 5 points by which he exceeds the DC, the bonus is increased by +1. The bonus lasts until the ranger and his companions are no longer fighting that creature. It can be applied to only one type of creature per encounter.
The different creature types are broken down as follows:
Dungeoneering: Aberrations, oozes.
Nature: Animals, dragons, elementals, fey, giants, humanoids, monstrous humanoids, plants, vermin.
Religion: Undead.
The planes: Elementals, outsiders.
If the creature is one of the ranger's favored enemies, the DC is 10 instead of 15. If he has no ranks in the relevant Knowledge skill, he can still make an Int check, as this reflects bits of lore he has learned or heard about fighting the creature in question.
Bow Mastery (Ex): A ranger is trained in the bow as a primary weapon; at 3rd level and every five levels thereafter, he gains a number of feats to reflect this training. The benefits of this feat and all others gained from further Bow Mastery abilities apply only when he wears light or no armor.
At 2nd level, the ranger is treated as having the Point Blank Shot feat.
At 6th level, the ranger is treated as having the Precise Shot feat.
At 10th level, the ranger is treated as having the Far Shot feat, even if he doesn't fulfill the prerequisites.
At 14th level, the ranger is treated as having the Shot on the Run feat, even if he doesn't fulfill the prerequisites.
At 18th level, the ranger is treated as having the Improved Precise Shot feat, even if he doesn't fulfill the prerequisites.
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 campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures may be added 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.
This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name, except that the ranger’s effective druid level is half his ranger level. A ranger can select from the alternate lists of animal companions just as a druid can, though again his effective druid level is half his ranger level. Like a druid, a ranger cannot select an animal companion if his effective level would be below 1st. 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 can cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the character must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + spell level. ranger's bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a DC of 10 + 1/2 the ranger's caster level + spell level. When the ranger gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 1st level, he gets only bonus spells.
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. He can 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 class level.
Woodland Stride (Ex): A ranger can 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. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him, however.
Swift Tracker (Ex): 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.
Camouflage (Ex): A ranger of 12th level or higher can use the Stealth skill to hide 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 Stealth skill to hide even while being observed.
