Ranger

The Pros and Cons of a Ranger

The ranger's wide range of abilities allows him to survive and even excel in almost any surroundings.

Ranger Assets

The ranger class provides an effective combination of fighting ability and an array of useful talents, including a few divine spells as the character advances in level. Below are several assets you have going for you when you play a ranger.

• • Favored Enemies: A ranger can choose a certain kind of creature whose nature and habits he knows inside and out as a favored enemy. Thereafter, he gains numerous bonuses when fighting or interacting with such creatures. As he attains higher levels, he can choose additional favored enemies and also get bigger bonuses against any some of those he already has.

• • Good Attack Bonus: A ranger's base attack bonus is +1 per level, which is the best in the game. Thus, rangers can usually expect to hit what they attack.

• • Good Fortitude and Reflex Saves: A ranger uses the best save progression in the game for Fortitude and Reflex saves (see Table 3-1 in the Player's Handbook). This natural resilience and grace helps him resist most effects that attack his body, such as poison, polymorphing, and energy drain. He can also avoid most effects that would entrap or deal damage to him, such as area spells, entanglement, and many traps.

• • Good Weapon Selection: Because a ranger can use any simple or martial weapon, he's a deadly opponent no matter what weapon he has in hand.

• • Good Skill Points: At six skill points per level, the ranger can gain ranks in a respectable number of skills -- in fact, only the rogue gets more skill points per level than the ranger. And if your ranger has a decent Intelligence score, he gains even more skill points.

• • Broad Skill Selection: The ranger has a substantial list of class skills. Most of these involve physical activities (for example, Climb, Jump, and Swim), but he also has access to stealth skills (such as Hide and Move Silently), perception skills (such as Listen and Spot), and practical skills (such as Craft, Use Rope, and Handle Animal).

• • Combat Style: At 2nd level, each ranger chooses a combat style that grants him bonus combat feats. The archery style grants the Rapid Shot feat and later the Manyshot feat. The two-weapon combat style grants the Two-Weapon Fighting feat and later the Improved Two-Weapon Fighting feat.

• • Other Bonus Feats: A ranger also gains Track (which allows him to track creatures) and Endurance (which improves his stamina) as bonus feats.

• • Animal Companion: At 4th level, a ranger gains an animal ally that trusts him implicitly and generally obeys his orders. As he advances in level, the animal becomes even more powerful.

• • Nature-Related Abilities: Even a beginning ranger can influence animals and get along in the wild. As he progresses in level, he gains additional abilities that improve his movement through natural terrain. Eventually, he can literally vanish from sight in natural surroundings.

Ranger Weaknesses

The ranger's many advantages come at a price. Here are a few of the disadvantages you should keep in mind if you're considering a ranger character.

• • Poor Will Saving Throws: Rangers have the worst progression for Will saves (see Table 3-1 in the Player's Handbook). Thus, they aren't so great at avoiding most kinds of magical attacks.

• • Mediocre Armor Class: The ranger is proficient with only light armor and shields (except tower shields). If he wears heavier armor, his combat-oriented bonus feats cease functioning. Despite these limitations, the typical ranger enjoys a decent personal defense, even though his Armor Class isn't the best. This shortcoming may leave him more vulnerable to damage in battle than other characters who do a great deal of fighting.

• • Mediocre Hit Points: The ranger's 8-sided Hit Dice give him a fairly impressive hit point total. Unlike the cleric and the druid, however, he seldom has hit points to spare -- especially given his lackluster Armor Class and combat orientation.