Ranger [variant] aka: the alt.ranger.drowdude

A variant by Anthony S. Vornheder ( drowdude@yahoo.com )
Last Updated: 03-08-01

Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d10.
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 + local+geography) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive(Wis),  Spot (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).
 
Skill Points at 1st. level: (4 + Int. modifier)x4
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int. modifier.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor, and shields. 

TABLE: The Ranger 
        Base           Fort    Ref     Will
Level   Attack Bonus   Save    Save    Save    Special
-----   ------------   ----    ----    ----    -------
1       +1             +2      +0      +0      Track, 1st favored enemy   
                                               Wild. Lore Bonus: +1, virtual feats              
2       +2             +3      +0      +0      Favored Terrain      
3       +3             +3      +1      +1      WL: +2      
4       +4             +4      +1      +1             
5       +5             +4      +1      +1      2nd favored enemy      
6       +6/+1          +5      +2      +2      WL: +3      
7       +7/+2          +5      +2      +2             
8       +8/+3          +6      +2      +2             
9       +9/+4          +6      +3      +3      WL: +4      
10      +10/+5         +7      +3      +3      3rd favored enemy      
11      +11/+6/+1      +7      +3      +3             
12      +12/+7/+2      +8      +4      +4      WL: +5       
13      +13/+8/+3      +8      +4      +4             
14      +14/+9/+4      +9      +4      +4             
15      +15/+10/+5     +9      +5      +5      4th favored enemy WL: +6      
16      +16/+11/+6/+1  +10     +5      +5             
17      +17/+12/+7/+2  +10     +5      +5             
18      +18/+13/+8/+3  +11     +6      +6      WL: +7       
19      +19/+14/+9/+4  +11     +6      +6            
20      +20/+15/+10/+5 +12     +6      +6      5th favored enemy 
     
Virtual Feats: Rangers, when wearing light armor or no armor, may take benefit from certain virtual feats. The ranger must choose a particular set at first level, and when made, this choice is permanent. The choices are as follows….
•	2-Weapon Fighting: A ranger can fight with two weapons as if he or she had the feats Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting. The ranger loses this special bonus when fighting in medium or heavy armor. These feats DO apply to double weapons such as double-swords and quaterstaves. A ranger with a base attack bonus of at least +9 can choose to gain the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat even if he does not have the other prerequisites for the feat, although it will be treated as a virtual feat and will be subject to the same armor restriction. 
•	Archery: The ranger gains the benefit of the point-blank-shot and precise shot feats whenever wearing light or no armor. The ranger may also take the rapid shot feat even if he does not have the prerequisite dexterity, although it will be treated as a virtual feat and will be subject to the same armor restriction.
•	Wilderness Runner: The ranger gains the benefit of the endurance and run feats when in light or no armor. In addition the ranger benefits from an increased base speed of +10’ while wearing light or no armor (this bonus stacks with other speed bonuses, such as those gained from the barbarian or monk classes).
•	Fortitude: The ranger may also opt to forfeit his 2 virtual feats and take and 2 of the following feats he chooses…Endurance, Great Fortiude, Iron Will, or Toughness (can be selected twice if desired).

Track: A ranger gains Track as a bonus feat. Also, rangers gain a +1 bonus to their wilderness lore <Tracking> checks at the  following levels…1, 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, + 18.

Favored Terrain: at 2nd. level a Ranger a designate a particular type of terrain as his “favored terrain”. While in this terrain the ranger gains a +2 bonus to all wilderness lore (track), spot, listen, search, animal empathy (w/ native animals), handle animal (w/ native animals), hide, move silently, + intuit direction checks. Also, attempts to track a ranger through his favored terrain suffer a -2 penalty. The ranger also gains a +2 bonus to initiative while in his favored terrain (representing the fact that he is more “in tune” with his surroundings).
In addition a ranger’s “Movement Penalty” (if any) is halved while in his favored terrain if alone, reduced by ¼ if he is guiding a group of less skilled individuals.

Favored Enemy: At 1st level, a ranger may select a type of creature as a favored enemy. (A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil.) Due to his extensive study of his foes and training in the proper techniques for combating them, the favored enemy bonus applies to ALL relevent checks against the chosen creature type or chosen organization. 
The bonus also applies to attack and damage rolls versus the favored enemy. The damage bonus IS multiplied when a critical hit is scored.  A ranger also gets the attack and damage bonus with ranged weapons, but only against targets within 30 feet (the ranger cannot strike with deadly accuracy beyond that range). 
The damage bonus doesn't apply against creatures that are immune to critical hits. I 
At 5th level and at every five levels thereafter (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. 

Table: Ranger Favored Enemies :

•	Aberrations 
•	Animals 
•	Beasts 
•	Constructs 
•	Dragons 
•	Elementals 
•	Fey 
•	Giants 
•	Humanoid type 
•	Magical beasts 
•	Oozes 
•	Organization (example: The Cult of the Dragon)
•	Outsider type 
•	Plants 
•	Shapechangers 
•	Undead 
•	Vermin 

Rangers may not select "humanoid" or "outsider" as a favored enemy, but they may select a more narrowly defined type of humanoid or outsider. A ranger can only select his own race as a favored enemy if he is evil, or if his own race is encompassed by the chosen organization.  

Spells: Beginning at 4th level, a ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells. To cast a spell, the ranger must have a Wisdom score of at least 10 + the spell's level. Ranger                                 bonus spells are based on Wisdom, and saving throws against these spells have a Difficulty Class of 10 + spell level + Wisdom modifier. When the ranger gets 0 spells of a given level, such as 0 1st-level spells at 4th level, the ranger gets only bonus spells. A ranger without a bonus spell for that level cannot yet cast a spell of that level. A ranger has access to any spell on the ranger spell 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). Through 3rd level, a ranger has no caster level. Starting at 4th level, a ranger's caster level is one-half his class level. 
(Note: Paladin’s will also have 0-level spells added to there list.)

TABLE: Ranger Spells Per Day 
               ---Spells per Day--                                
Level      0      1       2       3       4
-----      -      -       -       -       -
1          -      —       —       —       —             
2          -      —       —       —       —             
3          -      —       —       —       —
4          1      0       —       —       —
5          2      0       —       —       —
6          3      1       —       —       —
7          3      1       —       —       —
8          3      1       0       —       —
9          3      1       0       —       —
10         3      1       1       —       —
11         3      1       1       0       —
12         3      1       1       1       —
13         3      1       1       1       —
14         3      2       1       1       0
15         3      2       1       1       1
16         3      2       2       1       1
17         3      2       2       2       1
18         3      3       2       2       1
19         3      3       3       3       2
20         3      3       3       3       3

                                 RANGER SPELL LIST
0TH LEVEL RANGER SPELLS	
Adhere to Wood *	Caster’s skin sticks to wood.	
Chill/Warmth *	Slowly raises or lowers temperature.	
Clean +	Cleans grime and dirt from one object or person	
Cure Minor Wounds	Cures 1 point of damage.	
Detect Poison	Detects poison in one creature or small object.	
Dowsing *	Locates a nearby source of potable water.	
Know Direction	You discern north.	
Light	Object shines like a torch.	
Read Magic	Read scrolls and spellbooks.	
Resistance	Subject gains a +1 bonus on saving throws.	
Spark *	Creates a tiny spark.	
Steal Sleep *	Transfers the need for sleep to target creature.	
		
1st  LEVEL RANGER SPELLS	
Alarm 	Wards an area for 2 hours/level.	
Allergy Field **	Those who enter the area suffer extreme allergic reactions.	
Animal Friendship	Gains permanent animal companions.	
Chameleon Skin *	Gives +1 bonus per level to hide (+10 max).	
Delay Poison	Stops poison from harming subject for 1 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.	
Faerie Fire	Outlines object with light, canceling blur, concealment, etc…	
Magic Fang	One natural weapon of subject creature gets +1 bonus to attack and damage.	
Minor Symbol of Divinity *	Creates minor magical protections within a small area.	
Pass without Trace	One subject/level leaves no tracks.	
Rabbit Feet *	Gives +2 bonus per level to move silently (+18 max).	
Read Magic	Read scrolls and spellbooks.	
Recover Trail **	Allows the caster to pick up on a lost trail and negates pass without trace.	
Resist Elements	Ignores first 12 damage from one energy type each round (duration as endure elements).	
Revitalize Animal **	Transfers life energy from the caster to a wounded animal.	
Sethris’s Potency *	Increases a natural poison’s DC.	
Shade’s Sight *	Creature touched may look from nearby shadows.	
Speak with Animals	You can communicate with natural animals.	
Summon Nature's Ally I	Calls animal to fight for you.	
		
 2nd-LEVEL RANGER SPELLS	
Animal Eyes **	Allows the caster to temporarily see through the eyes of an animal.	
Animal Messenger	Sends a Tiny animal to a specific place.	
Call Aquatic Animal I *	Calls an aquatic animal to fight serve the spellcaster.	
Circle of Sounds *	Allows those touched to speak via bird and animal calls.	
Cure Light Wounds	Cures 1d8 +1/level damage (max +5).	
Detect Chaos/Evil/Good/Law	Reveals creatures, spells, or objects.	
Divine Wisdom *	Subject gains 1d4+1 Wis. For 1 hour/level.	
Hold Animal	Holds one animal helpless; 1 round/level.	
Hunter’s Stalk *	Provides concealment in rusic surroundings.	
Liliandrel’s Flurry *	Transforms a single fired arrow into three.	
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.	
 Tanil’s Touch *	 Allows the choice of two outcomes when rolling dice.	
Wolf’s Cry *	Causes animal attackers to flee, imposes a –1 attack penalty on intelligent foes.	
		
3rd-LEVEL RANGER SPELLS	
Animal Infusion *	Gain the power of an animal.	
Animal Spy *	Send a tiny animal on a 3-step mission.	
Beast Soul *	Borrow abilities of a willing animal.	
Control Plants	Talk to and control plants & fungi.	
Diminish Plants	Reduces size or blights growth of normal plants.	
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.	
Sethel’s Stick Servant *	Create a servant out of sticks.	
Summon Nature's Ally III	Calls animal to fight for you.	
Tree Shape	You look exactly like a tree for 1 hour/level.	
Water Walk	Subject treads on water as if solid.	
 	 	
4th-LEVEL RANGER SPELLS	
Call Aquatic Animal III *	Calls an aquatic animal to fight for the spellcaster.	
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 Plant **	Transforms a single plant into another of the caster’s choice.	
Polymorph Self	You assume a new form.	
Summon Nature's Ally IV	Calls animal to fight for you.	
Tanil’s Purging *	Painfully forces shapechangers to resume their proper forms.	
Tattoo Item *	Changes one item into a tattoo on the subject’s body.	
Tree Stride	Step from one tree to another far away.	
Wind Wall	Deflects arrows, smaller creatures, and gases.	
Yaral’s Totemic Transformation *	Grants caster the powers of totem animal.	

*  indicates spells found in the “Relics and Rituals” rulebook from Sword and Sorcery Studios.
*  indicates a spell that is converted from the “Complete Ranger’s Handbook” .