Anla'shok (Ranger)

Overview:

The Rangers, also known as the Anla’Shok, are an ancient Minbari order of spies, warriors and agents created by the Prophet Valen

himself a 800 years ago. The duty of the Rangers is to go into the dark places and bring word of the movements of old and terrible

dangers to the leaders of the light. They were seen as hopeless anachronisms until recently, when the growing darkness called for a

rebirth of the Anla’Shok. For the first time in their long history, they have begun to recruit non-Minbari to the cause. Most of these new

Rangers are Human but a small number are from other races.

The Rangers have always lived among the stars. For most of their history, the Rangers were a shadowy presence in space, taking

passage on tramp traders or scoutships to bring them into the dark places where they must walk. The Anla’Shok had a few ships of unexceptional design, mostly covert scouts and spies.

The Rangers are essentially fanatics. They live and die for the ideal of the One, the perfected moral being first exemplified by Valen.

They are fanatics, but not foolish ones. The Ranger is willing to die in the line of duty, laying down his life in a moment without fear or

regret, but he is taught to live for the one as well, living as a hero and paragon. They are taught to speak and to keep silent, to laugh

and to cry, to fight and to heal.

All Rangers are trained in Tuzanor on Minbar, in the famed City of Sorrows. The training cycle normally takes years, but an accelerated program is in place to train new recruits when they are desperately needed. All Rangers are trained in the techniques of Tunalla

(investigation), Tuvor (invisibility) and Veshii (intervention) – the three primary skills of the Anla’Shok – in addition to

Minbari language and philosophy, combat (including the use of the feared denn’bok fighting pike) and other studies.

Most Rangers are Minbari, with Humans making up an increasingly important minority within the order. Of the other races, only a handful

have even a single Ranger among their number. It is rare for a Ranger to abandon his training and follow another path. Conversely, it is

common for those trained as pilots, officers, agents or even workers to give up their former lives and swear the oath of the Anla’Shok.

Requirements to Enter Anla'Shok Advanced class:

Base Attack Bonus: +2

Skills: Diplomacy (Cha) 8 ranks, Intimidate (Cha) 8 Ranks, Survival 8 ranks, Disguise 8 ranks & 8 Ranks in one knowledge skill listed in the Anla'shok Class skill list.

Feat: Iron Will

(Earthlings and Minbari have Rangers as part of their cultural identity and can waive the BAB requirement,

and the skill ranks required reduced to 4 allowing them to take Anla'Shok at first level)

Attributes: Wound Point Bonus: +2 Chakra Point Die: 1d8

The Ranger’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill)

are Acrobatics (Str/Dex), Computer Use (Int), Chakra Control (Wis), Diplomacy (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history, law, philosophy, specific culture, specific local or tactics) (Int), Linguistics (Int), Treat Injury (Wis), Perception (Wis), Pilot (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Stealth (Dex) and Sleight of hand (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Intelligence Modifier) x4 Skill Points At Each Additional Level: 6 + Intelligence Modifier

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:

Weapon Proficiency: A Ranger is proficient with all close combat, grenade and pistol weapons.

A Ranger also gains the Exotic Weapon Proficiency (denn’bok) and Martial Arts feats for free.

Starting Abilities: Adrenato, Discipline of the Ranger, Fearless, Garb of Honour

Adrenato:

All Rangers are trained in the Minbari religious caste language of Adrenato – they receive Fluency[100%] (Minbari: Adrenato) for free.

Non-Minbari Rangers are also considered to be familiar with Minbari technology.

Discipline of the Ranger:

Rangers require incredible dedication and mental and physical discipline. A Ranger must spend a training block and roleplay 1 hour each day meditating and practising his skills. If the character misses a practice session, he will lose access to the following Ranger class features until such time as they resume their regimen: The Application of Terror, Die For The One, Live For The One and Standing On The Bridge.

Note that combat, sneaking and other dangerous activities count as practising, but this requirement can make it difficult for a Ranger to hold down a mundane job or go undercover without preparation or postponing his advancement. Furthermore, Rangers are expected to hold to the code of the Rangers. If a character retreats from a fight without good reason, shows cowardice or disloyalty, acts in an immoral fashion or otherwise breaches the Ranger code, he is ejected from the Rangers and barred from future advancement in the Ranger class until necessary atonement is made (if possible)

Fearless:

Rangers are broken of their fear by their hard training. They cannot be affected by fear-based effects. They are also incredibly resistant to mental coercion, torture, pain

and deprivation. Rangers receive a +2 competence bonus to Concentration checks and Will saving throws.

Garb of Honour:

As part of the ceremony that marks the completion of their training, all Rangers receive three items.

> The black robes of the Ranger.

These custom-fitted robes are made of Minbari crystalweave. They give the Ranger Damage Reduction 2 and a +1 bonus to Stealth checks.

> A denn’bok, the Minbari fighting pike

> A Ranger pin, a symbol of the Ranger’s oath.

Losing any of these items shames the Ranger greatly. They will not loan or give them to another except under the most grave of circumstances.

If one of these items is lost, the Ranger will do everything within his power to regain the item and punish those responsible.

Initial Influence & Additional Influence:

Tier 1 Anla'shok Influence when class is taken.

A Ranger’s Anla'shok Influence increases by +1 each level. He may also increase any two other Influences by +1.

Places Unseen:

As they gain basic experience in their new life, Rangers swiftly become exemplary spies.

2nd level Rangers gain a +2 competence bonus to Stealth and Sleight of hand checks

Between the Darkness and the Light:

The Ranger is trained in every technique imaginable in order to combat the darkness and preserve the light.

At 3rd, 6th and 9th level, the Ranger may choose one of the following feats (he must meet the prerequisites for this feat as normal):

Alertness, Blind-Fight, Brawler, Combat Expertise, Contact, Data Access, Dodge, Die Hard, Endurance, Great Fortitude, Harm’s Way, Improved Critical (denn’bok), Improved Feint, Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes, Nerves of Steel, Point Blank Shot, Resist Scan, Run, Skill Focus (any), Spacecraft Proficiency, Surface Vehicle Proficiency, Toughness, Two- Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus (denn’bok), Weapon Specialization (denn’bok).

The Application of Terror:

This technique allows the Ranger to turn an enemy’s fear against him. It takes considerable preparation – one minute per character level of the target – and requires that the Ranger have control over the place where he will encounter this enemy. The Application of Terror is therefore used only for ambushes, duels, council meetings and other planned encounters. If the preparations are correctly made, then the victim suffers a penalty to all attack rolls, skill checks and saving throws equal to the Ranger’s Wisdom bonus (minimum of –1 penalty). The Ranger also gains an equivalent circumstance bonus to all Intimidation checks he makes against the victim,

The Application of Terror may only be applied to personal confrontations, not vehicular or space combats

Denn'bok Training:

The Ranger’s extensive training with the pike increases the weapon’s damage to 1d8/1d8 at 4th level and 1d10/1d10 at 8th level.

Die For the One:

Rangers are ready to die for their cause. On reaching 0 or lower hit points, a 4th level Ranger can choose to Die For The One.

When this decisions is made, it cannot be revoked. While dying for the One, the Ranger need not make Fortitude saves to resist falling unconscious – he automatically remains conscious. The Ranger is not disabled and so may move and act normally. However, the Ranger will not stabilize naturally. He will continue to stand

and fight until he dies.

Standing on the Bridge:

A Ranger is are trained to endure terrible hardship and pass through it without fear or weakness.

Once per day, a 5th level Ranger may automatically pass one saving throw. At 10th level, the Ranger may use this class feature twice per day.

Live For the One:

The Ranger learns to live as well as die for the One, to preserve his own life so that it can be spent in service to the Anla’Shok.

A 7th level Ranger can stabilize normally while using Die For The One.

Heart of Izil'zha:

At 10th level, the Ranger’s reputation is such that the Anla’Shok will refuse him little. He rolls 3d6 (rather than 2d6) in Influence checks when using his Ranger Influence.

He may also use his Ranger Influence to directly pressure all Minbari factions (not just Minbari Social).