Ranger

For those who relish the thrill of the hunt, there are only predators and prey. Be they scouts, trackers, or bounty hunters, rangers share much in common: unique mastery of specialized weapons, skill at stalking even the most elusive game, and the expertise to defeat a wide range of quarries. Knowledgeable, patient, and skilled hunters, these rangers hound man, beast, and monster alike, gaining insight into the way of the predator, skill in varied environments, and ever more lethal martial prowess. While some track man-eating creatures to protect the frontier, others pursue more cunning game—even fugitives among their own people.

<php>echo “<b>Hit Dice:</b>”;</php> d8
<php>echo “<b>Alignment:</b>”;</php> Any
<php>echo “<b>Armor Proficiencies:</b>”;</php> Light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields)
<php>echo “<b>Weapon Proficiencies:</b>”;</php> All simple and martial weapons
<php>echo “<b>Skill Points/Level:</b>”;</php> 6 + Int
<php>echo “<b>Class Skills:</b>”;</php> Athletics (Str), Dungeoneering (Int), Heal (Wis), Nature (Wis), Perception (Wis), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), Trade (Int), Warfare (Int)

<php>echo “<b>Quarry (Ex):</b>”;</php> Through careful study of his target, a ranger can exploit his foe’s weaknesses in combat. As a swift action, a ranger can designate one target within line of sight as his quarry. A ranger gains a +1 insight bonus on attack and damage rolls made against his quarry at 1st level, with the bonuses increasing by one for every four class levels after 1st. If the ranger makes an attack against a target other than his quarry, the quarry effect immediately ends on the previous target. A ranger may have no more than one quarry at a time, and can dismiss this effect as a free action.

<php>echo “<b>Track:</b>”;</php> Rangers are skilled at tracking and hunting down all manner of prey. A ranger gains the Track feat at 1st level, even if he does not meet the prerequisites.

<php>echo “<b>Wild Empathy (Ex):</b>”;</php> A ranger can improve the initial 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 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 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.

<php>echo “<b>Combat Style Feat (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 2nd level, a ranger must select one of two combat styles to pursue: archery or two-weapon combat. The ranger’s expertise manifests in the form of bonus feats at 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level. He can choose feats from his selected combat style, even if he does not meet the ability score prerequisites for the feat. If the ranger selects archery, he can choose any feat from the Point Blank Shot feat tree, as well as any other combat or maneuver feats pertaining to bows.If the ranger selects two-weapon combat, he can choose any feat from the Two-Weapon Fighting feat tree, as well as any other combat or maneuver feat pertaining to two-weapon combat. The benefits of the ranger’s chosen style feats apply only when he wears light, medium, or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style feats when wearing heavy armor. Once a ranger selects a combat style, it cannot be changed.

<php>echo “<b>Endurance:</b>”;</php> A ranger gets Endurance as a bonus feat at 2nd level.

<php>echo “<b>Animal Companion (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 3rd level, a ranger gains an animal companion. This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name, except that the ranger’s effective druid level is his ranger level minus two. 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 same list of animal companions just as a druid can, though again his effective druid level is his ranger level minus two.

<php>echo “<b>Favored Terrain (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 4th level, a ranger may select a type of terrain from the list below. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain, as well as additional benefits and a spelllike ability dependent upon the terrain selected. A ranger can use these spell-like abilities a total number of times per day equal to the amount of favored terrains the ranger possesses plus the ranger’s Wisdom modifier. Spell-like abilities gained in this way use a DC equal to 10 + the spell’s level + the ranger’s Wisdom modifier. A ranger can select an additional favored terrain at 12th and 20th level. The types of terrain and their additional benefits are as follows:

• <php>echo “<i>Aquatic:</i>”;</php> The ranger gains a swim speed of 30 ft., or gains a +10 ft. increase to his swim speed if he already possesses one. The ranger also gains the ability to cast water breathing with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Cold:</i>”;</php> The ranger ignores snow or ice related difficult terrain, and does not need to make Acrobatics checks to avoid slipping on ice. The ranger also gains the ability to cast resist energy (cold only) with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Desert:</i>”;</php> The ranger gains immunity to fatigue, and anything that would cause the ranger to become exhausted makes him fatigued instead. The ranger also gains the ability to cast resist energy (fire only) with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Forest:</i>”;</php> The ranger gains an additional 50% benefit from concealment (30% miss chance with partial concealment, and 75% miss chance with total concealment). The ranger also gains the ability to cast speak with plants with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Jungle:</i>”;</php> The ranger gains a +4 competence bonus on wild empathy checks, and no longer suffers the -4 penalty for attempting to influence magical beasts with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2. In addition, the ranger also gains the ability to cast entangle with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Mountains:</i>”;</php> The ranger gains a climb speed of 30 ft., or gains a +10 ft. increase to his climb speed if he already possesses one. The ranger also gains the ability to cast spike growth with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Plains:</i>”;</php> The ranger gains a +10 ft. increase to his land speed. The ranger also gains the ability to cast gust of wind with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Swamp:</i>”;</php> The ranger ignores difficult terrain due to mud and shallow water, and gains a +4 bonus on saving throws against poison and disease. The ranger also gains the ability to cast fog cloud with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Underground:</i>”;</php> The ranger gains darkvision at a distance of 60 ft., or adds an additional 60 ft. to his darkvision if he already possesses it. The ranger also gains the ability to cast meld into stone with a caster level equal to his ranger level.
• <php>echo “<i>Urban:</i>”;</php> The ranger can use a Survival check in place of a Streetwise check while in an urban environment. The ranger also gains the ability to cast knock with a caster level equal to his ranger level.

<php>echo “<b>Trapmaking (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 5th level, the ranger gains the ability to craft an assortment of basic traps. A ranger can make any of the traps listed below:

• <php>echo “<i>Pitfall:</i>”;</php> The ranger can create a camouflaged pitfall trap in a specific area, causing a creature that walks into the area to make a Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ the ranger’s level + the ranger’s Wis modifier) or fall prone in the trap, taking appropriate falling damage. If there is appropriate material nearby, such as wood or stone, the ranger can also add spikes to the pitfall, dealing an additional 1d6 damage to a creature that falls into the pit. A pitfall trap takes 10 minutes to set up for each 5 ft. cube the pit is in size, and there must be material available from the surrounding environment for the ranger to be able to camouflage it properly. A camouflaged pitfall requires a Perception check to spot, with the DC equaling 10 + the ranger’s Survival modifier.
• <php>echo “<i>Snare:</i>”;</php> The ranger can trap a 10 ft. square area with a snare, causing the triggering creature or creatures to become entangled. If there is a large enough tree nearby, the snare can be fastened to it, causing the triggering creatures to be lifted off the ground in addition to being entangled. A successful Reflex save (DC 10 + ½ the ranger’s level + the ranger’s Wis modifier) allows a creature to avoid the trap. Escaping from a snare requires an Acrobatics or Strength check with a DC equal to 10 + the ranger’s Survival modifier as a full-round action. It takes 30 minutes to set up a snare, and a rope, strip of leather, or similar item is required to make the trap. A Perception check is required to spot a snare, with the DC equaling 10 + the ranger’s Survival modifier. A snare has AC 7 and 5 hit points.

<php>echo “<b>Woodland Stride (Ex):</b>”;</php> 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. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect him.

<php>echo “<b>Lay of the Land (Sp):</b>”;</php> At 8th level, a ranger can communicate with the land, allowing him to gain knowledge about the surrounding area. Once per day as a standard action, a ranger can use this ability to learn the basic information and relative location of all major landmarks, such as rivers, lakes, and settlements (of at least hamlet size), up to 50 miles from his current location.

<php>echo “<b>Evasion (Ex):</b>”;</php> When he reaches 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, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the ranger is wearing light armor, medium armor, or no armor. A helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of evasion.

<php>echo “<b>Swift Tracker (Ex):</b>”;</php> Beginning at 11th level, a ranger can move at his normal speed while using Survival to follow 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.

<php>echo “<b>Camouflage (Ex):</b>”;</php> A ranger of 13th 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.

<php>echo “<b>Trackless Step (Ex):</b>”;</php> Starting at 15th level, a ranger leaves no trail in natural surroundings, making him unable to be tracked. He may choose to leave a trail if so desired.

<php>echo “<b>Freedom of Movement (Sp):</b>”;</php> 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 the ranger’s class level.

<php>echo “<b>Hide in Plain Sight (Ex):</b>”;</php> While in any of his favored terrains, a ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.

<php>echo “<b>Improved Evasion (Ex):</b>”;</php> At 19th level, a ranger’s evasion improves. This ability works like evasion, except that while the ranger still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, he henceforth takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.