Ranger

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Description

Oh, man, the Ranger. How many wolf-loving Aragorn clones have you seen out of this class? Yeah, us too.

This version of the Ranger drops a few things, but it's still all the outdoorsy goodness you could ever want. It's a lot less mystical elfy junk and a lot more gritty 'Last of the Mohicans'. For example: Rangers don't cast spells any more. Nah, screw that, it sucked. Instead, Rangers can use herbs and tree bark and moose-poo and stuff to make stinky poultices. The poultices do the same things the spells used to do, but get this: The Ranger can GIVE THEM TO PEOPLE. And incredible as it may seem, the herb-lore poultice thing is only the second best party trick they have, wolf-pack tactics is just incredible!

Yeah, this version of the Ranger is a damage-dealing monster like always, but he's also one of the best party buffers in the game! I mean, have you SEEN what team feats do? He can give other people Lead Weapon poultices!

But hey, don't take our word on it, play one! They're incredible!

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Starting Wealth: Each character begins play with basic (non-armor) clothing worth 10 gp or less.

Class Skills: The ranger's class skills are Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Table: Ranger

Level	BAB	Fort	Refl	Will	Quarry Pool	Special
1st	+1	2	2	0	1d10	Quarry Pool, Track, Wild Empathy
2nd	+2	3	3	0	1d10	Combat Style Feat
3rd	+3	3	3	1	1d10	Endurance
4th	+4	4	4	1	2d10	Herb Lore
5th	+5	4	4	1	2d10	Wolf Pack Tactics
6th	+6/+1	5	5	2	2d10	Combat Style Feat
7th	+7/+2	5	5	2	3d10	Advanced Herb Lore, Woodland Stride
8th	+8/+3	6	6	2	3d10	Swift Tracker
9th	+9/+4	6	6	3	3d10	Evasion
10th	+10/+5	7	7	3	4d10	Expert Herb Lore, Combat Style Feat
11th	+11/+6/+1	7	7	3	4d10	Quarry, Monster Lore
12th	+12/+7/+2	8	8	4	4d10	Camouflage
13th	+13/+8/+3	8	8	4	5d10	Herb Lore Mastery
14th	+14/+9/+4	9	9	4	5d10	Combat Style Feat
15th	+15/+10/+5	9	9	5	5d10	Perfect Wolf Pack Tactics
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	10	10	5	6d10	Improved Evasion
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	10	10	5	6d10	Hide In Plain Sight
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	11	11	6	6d10	Combat Style Feat
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	11	11	6	7d10	Improved Quarry
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	12	12	6	7d10	Master Hunter

Class Abilities

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Track (Ex)

A ranger adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.

Quarry Pool (Ex)

A ranger gets a quarry pool of one or more dice which refreshes at the start of each of his turns. At any point after a successful hit, the ranger may assign one or more of these dice to the damage roll of the attack, using them up until the pool refreshes next round. At higher levels, dice from this pool may be used for temporary abilities instead of damage (see Quarry, Improved Quarry, Master Hunter abilities).

Combat Style Feat (Ex)

At 2nd level, a ranger must select one combat style to pursue. 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 have the normal prerequisites.

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.

Combat Style Options

Archer

If the ranger selects archery style, he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat:

• Deadly Aim, Far Shot, Focused Shot, Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, Prone Shooter, Rapid Reload, and Rapid Shot.
• At 6th level, he adds Crossbow Mastery, Improved Precise Shot, Parting Shot, and Point Blank Master to the list.
• At 10th level, he adds Impact Critical Shot, Pinpoint Targeting, Shot on the Run and Snap Shot to the list.

Two-Weapon Fighter

If the Ranger selects two-weapon fighting style, he gains his WIS modifier as a bonus to all melee damage rolls. He may choose to permanently reduce his Quarry Pool by 1 die in order to add his DEX modifier to all melee to-hit and damage rolls. In addition, he can choose from the following list whenever he gains a combat style feat:

• Double Slice, Improved Shield Bash, Quick Draw, Two-Weapon Fighting, Aspect of the Beast, Improved Natural Weapon, Rending Claws, and Weapon Focus.
• At 6th level, he adds Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Defense, Eldritch Claws and Vital Strike to the list.
• At 10th level, he adds Greater Two-Weapon Fighting, Two-Weapon Rend, Multiattack and Improved Vital Strike to the list.

Endurance

A ranger gains Endurance as a bonus feat at 3rd level.

Herb Lore (Su)

Beginning at 4th level, once per day, if the ranger has access to an uncivilized natural area, he can brew poultices that grant any of the effects a 1st level ranger spell provides. The ranger can make 1 + WIS modifier poultices a day. A Poultice degrades 24-hours after it is made, but it may be used by whomever the ranger wants to give it to. A poultice that is stolen or taken by force is still potent. The ranger may make different poultices every 24 hours, as long as he has access to raw materials (any non-civilized environment). The ranger is assumed to have enough time during a full night's rest to perform these activities.

Applying a poultice is a standard action, and the effect of the poultice determines where the poultice needs to be applied (on the target's body, their weapon, sprinkled over a patch of ground, etc.). Players are encouraged to work with the GM to come up with descriptions of how the poultice produces the desired effect in cases when it's not completely clear how a poultice could achieve the desired outcome (e.g. the returning weapon poultice might actually be a very springy rope attached to the weapon).

Poultices mimicking spell abilities which normally affect multiple targets may still affect multiple targets as a single dose. This may be because only a small quantity is needed by each recipient, or because the poultice causes an effect which pervades a small area affecting all inside. The player and GM must agree on the descriptive application of the poultice, as some environmental conditions or enemy tactics may interfere with a poultice in ways that spells cannot normally be disrupted. While this does reduce the power of the core ranger class's spell abilities, it is balanced by the fact that, unlike spells, poultices can be given to allies to use.

Poultices are not, in themselves, magical, though they might contain magical herbs in their concoction. As such, passing through an anti-magic field may destroy prepared poultices, depending on their descriptive effects. If the player's description of the poultice is convincingly non-magical, such poultices would be immune to anti-magic or dispel effects. Players are encouraged to be creative, and should re-use descriptions they're happy with, or revise them if they come up with new ideas. Rangers using Herb Lore are constantly improving their recipes and adapting to the herbs they have available, so changes to descriptions are perfectly acceptable. However, once the poultice has been used, the description cannot be changed until its effects wear off.

The Caster Level of any effects created by a poultice is always the Ranger level of the Ranger who brewed the poultice.

Advanced Herb Lore (Su)

Beginning at 7th level, the ranger may now make a poultice which grants any of the benefits described by any 1st or 2nd level ranger spell. Additionally, he may now make 2 + WIS modifier doses. These poultices still degrade after 24 hours.

Expert Herb Lore (Su)

Beginning at 10th level, the ranger may make a poultice which mimics the effects of any 1st, 2nd or 3rd level ranger spells. He may make up to 3 + WIS modifier different poultices which mimic different spell effects. Poultices degrade after 24 hours.

Herb Lore Mastery (Su)

Beginning at 13th level, the ranger may make up to 4 + WIS modifier poultices which mimic the effects of any 1st through 4th level ranger spell. Poultices degrade after 24 hours.

Wolf Pack Tactics (Ex)

At 5th level, the ranger may select a teamwork feat as a bonus feat. As a swift action, the ranger may select one ally within 30 feet and bestow the use of this feat (and any other teamwork feats the ranger picks up) as though both the ranger and the ally had it/them. The ally can make use of the feat(s) until the start of the ranger's next turn. The ranger may choose the same ally or a different one (within 30 feet) each time they use this ability. No more than one ally may be granted this ability in a given round.

Perfect Wolf Pack Tactics (Ex)

At 15th level, the ranger may grant all allies within 30 feet of her the benefit of any teamwork feats the ranger has, as a swift action, as though they had all taken the feats themselves. This benefit lasts until the start of the ranger's next turn.

Woodland Stride (Ex)

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.

Swift Tracker (Ex)

Beginning at 8th 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.

Evasion (Ex)

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.

Monster Lore (Ex)

At 11th level, rangers may make checks to determine information about any monster encountered, using the highest knowledge skill they posess, even if they are not trained in the correct knowledge skill. This ability can only be used to learn lore on a monster the ranger is currently perceiving. The ranger must still use the appropriate knowledge skill for general knowledge checks.

Quarry (Ex)

At 11th level, a ranger can, as a swift action, denote one target within his line of sight as his quarry. Whenever he is following the tracks of his quarry, a ranger can take 10 on his Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, he receives a +2 insight bonus to AC versus attacks made by the quarry. A ranger can have no more than one quarry at a time. This effect cannot be dismissed until the quarry is slain, or the ranger gets 8 hours of rest. If the quarry is slain, the ranger may select a new quarry at any time with a swift action.

A ranger may use Quarry Pool dice as a free action to gain the following benefits:

• Trade 1 or more quarry dice to do 3 points of damage per die to any enemy that strikes you with a melee attack before the start of your next turn. This damage cannot be reduced by DR, and the damage is dealt each time you are struck. (Stackable)

Stackable means you can use more than 1 quarry die to gain the effect more than once.

Camouflage (Ex)

A ranger of 12th level or higher can use the Stealth skill to hide, even if the terrain doesn't grant cover or concealment.

Improved Evasion (Ex)

At 16th 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.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex)

A ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Stealth skill even while being observed.

Improved Quarry (Ex)

At 19th level, the ranger's ability to hunt his quarry improves. He can now take 20 while using Survival to track his quarry, while moving at normal speed without penalty. Additionally, all critical threats against the quarry are automatically confirmed.

A ranger may use Quarry Pool dice as a free action to gain the following benefits:

• Trade 2 quarry dice to add WIS modifier to any attack rolls made against quarry until the start of the Ranger's next turn. (Not stackable)
• Trade 1 quarry die to add 2 to the ranger's crit range on his next attack roll made against quarry. (Not stackable, but usable more than once per round)

Master Hunter (Ex)

A ranger of 20th level becomes a master hunter. He can always move at full speed while using Survival to follow tracks without penalty. He may also maintain a number of quarries equal to his WIS modifier, but he must still use a swift action to mark each target as a quarry.

A ranger may use Quarry Pool dice as a free action to gain the following benefits:

• Trade 1 quarry die to take a free 5-foot step. (Stackable)