Ranger (Dungeons & Dragons)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| D&D character class | |
|---|---|
| Ranger | |
| Alignment | Any |
| Image | Wizards.com image |
| Stats | OGL stats |
In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, ranger is one of the base character classes. They are protectors of nature, skilled woodsmen, and often live reclusive lives as hermits.
Wood Elves and Lupins (a race of canine humanoids from the Mystara Campaign setting, updated to 3.5 in Dragon magazine #325) have Ranger as their favored class, as do Shifters from the Eberron campaign setting.
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[edit] Creative origins
The ranger is primarily based on the character Aragorn, and the Rangers of the North of J.R.R. Tolkien's Middle-earth mythos, as warriors who use tracking and other wilderness skills to hunt down their enemies.[1]
The popular ranger character Drizzt Do'Urden, in R. A. Salvatore's Forgotten Realms D&D novels, may also have influenced the class's development and drastic change between 1st and 2nd edition AD&D, notably the rangers' required specialty of fighting with two melee weapons, which the character was skilled in originally because of his Drow background.
[edit] First Edition
The first edition rangers were similar to fighters, using any weapon and wearing any armor, but they gained extra attacks at a slower rate than fighters and paladins. Unlike other warriors, the ranger used D8 hit dice instead of D10s, but had a second hit die at 1st level. Rangers also had extensive tracking abilities, based on a percentage score, and were able to surprise opponents on a roll of 1-3 on a D6 (rather than a 1-2) while they themselves could only be surprised on a 1. Rangers also gained limited spell use at level 8, acquiring 1st-3rd level druid spells and 1st and 2nd level magic-user spells (2 per level). Rangers were most effective when fighting giants and humanoids (such as orcs), gaining a +1 to damage per level against these opponents.
Rangers were required to be of good alignment, and were limited to humans, elves, and half-elves.
[edit] Second Edition
Rangers went through several changes in second edition. Their hit dice were increased to d10 to match the other warrior classes. Rangers could still wear any armor, but several of their new abilities required the use of light armor, including the skill to use two weapons without penalty and the thieflike abilities of move silently and hide in shadows. The class still retained its tracking abilities, but in this edition the ability was based on a skill check instead of a percentage roll. Rangers also gained an animal empathy ability which allowed them to calm frightened or hostile animals. Instead of gaining a damage bonus against all giant and humanoid monsters, the ranger focused on a specific race as a particular enemy. The class's spell abilities were also limited to 1st-3rd level priest spells from the Plant and Animal Spheres. High level rangers also gained followers, which could include various woodland animals, mythical creatures (like the treant, pegasus, and pixie), or even classed characters like druids, clerics, or other rangers (presumably low-level rangers wishing to train under a more experienced one).
[edit] Kits
With the coming of AD&D second edition's class handbooks even more options were open to the ranger. Rangers could select from several of the kits in the Complete Fighter's Handbook, becoming exotic or specialized characters like an Amazon warrior, a Beast-rider, or a Samurai. Later, TSR released a handbook specifically for rangers. This book expanded on the various aspects of role-playing a ranger and introduced a new rule: Primary Terrain. Rangers were allowed to specialize in survival in one type of environment (such as forest, jungle, aquatic, and even urban). This choice would ban some kit choices for the character and would also indicate which creature a ranger could select as a species enemy and what type of followers the ranger would receive. For instance, a ranger who selects desert as his primary terrain would probably not select white dragons as his hated enemy, nor is it likely he would attract a treant as a follower. The Ranger's Handbook also introduced several new ranger-only kits, such as the Sea Ranger, Mountain Man, and Giant Killer. There were also rules for halfling, dwarf, and gnome rangers.
[edit] Third Edition
The Third Edition of Dungeons & Dragons saw more changes to the ranger. The species enemy is now called favored enemy, and the ranger is allowed to select additional enemies during advancement. The class retains its spell casting ability, but gains it much earlier, and has its own spell list. The nature of the ranger's companions also changed significantly. Instead of gaining multiple followers, the ranger gains a single animal companion, earlier than in previous editions. Finally, as of edition 3.5, the ranger uses the d8 for hit points like its First Edition ancestor (though they do not start with two hit dice) and rangers do not need to focus on two weapon fighting; they can choose to specialize in archery instead.
The race and alignment restrictions of the earlier editions were dropped, allowing evil rangers for the first time.
Like all 3rd edition divine spellcasters, a Ranger's access to magic is limited by his/her Wisdom score to spells of level matching their wis score - 10. (In addition, Wisdom complements many of the ranger's key class skills, such as Survival, Spot, and Listen.) Dexterity and Constitution are also useful to Rangers, as even those specialising in melee combat tend to be lightly armoured and make use of stealth.
[edit] Footnotes
- ^ DeVarque, Aardy. Literary Sources of D&D. Retrieved on 2007-02-23.
[edit] External Links
| Dungeons & Dragons character classes | ||
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Base classes from the Player's Handbook: Barbarian • Bard • Cleric • Druid • Fighter • Monk • Paladin • Ranger • Rogue • Sorcerer • Wizard |
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Additional/Alternative base classes: Archivist • Ardent • Artificer • Beguiler • Binder • Crusader • Divine Mind • Dragon Shaman • Dragonfire Adept • Dread Necromancer • Duskblade • Erudite • Factotum • Favored Soul • Healer • Hexblade • Knight • Lurk • Incarnate • Marshal • Mystic • Ninja • Noble • Psion • Psychic Warrior • Samurai • Scout • Shadowcaster • Shaman • Sha' ir • Shugenja • Sohei • Soulborn • Soulknife • Spellthief • Spirit Shaman • Swashbuckler • Swordsage • Totemist • Truenamer • Warblade • Warlock • Warmage • Wilder • Wu Jen |
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NPC Classes: Adept • Aristocrat • Commoner • Expert • Warrior |
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Unearthed Arcana generic classes: Expert • Spellcaster • Warrior |
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