Ranger

Often employed as way watchers and pathfinders, Rangers have a unique skill that sets them on the fringe of society, more at home in the wilds than among their own kind. They are versatile fighters who excel at setting ambushes, striking with lethal force and then melting away before they can present a target. While this style of combat lends itself well to ranged weapons, Rangers are also very proficient with close combat and will not shy away crossing blades with their foe. Some rangers even receive formal military training, acting as advanced scouts, raiders, or hit-and-run units. Others go on to forge their own path, retreating from the confining walls of towns and cities, but rising to the occasion when called upon for tasks that suit their skills.

Rangers are thought of as solitary figures and operate well in this capacity, however they make invaluable allies when embarking on any adventure or quest that requires traveling through the wild places of the world. Their survival skills are unparalleled and they are capable of fulfilling almost any role in a group. Rangers themselves acknowledge the value of sharing experiences and pooling their resources to take on larger contracts. To this end, Ranger Guilds can be found throughout the Realm of Strife, both in prominent roles such as the valiant Angenway Rangers, who tirelessly patrol the underground Dwarven Highways, or operating in secret like the silent wild elf forest-wardens known as the Guardians of Athelnon.

Class Overview

Typical Roles: Tank, Support/Utility, Stealth, Melee Damage, Ranged Damage
Damage Types: Physical
Class Mechanic: Vigor and Stealth

Default Stats: During Character Creation you may choose to use the default stat line shown below, before racial modifiers. This can be instead of rolling for stats, or if after rolling ten sets of stats you don’t like the results.

During Character Creation you may choose to use the Default Stat Line, before racial modifiers, instead of rolling for stats, or if after rolling ten sets of stats you don’t like the results

Proficiencies

Natural Proficiency: Cloth, leather
Trainable Proficiency: Mail
Natural Proficiency: Knives, Swords, Bludgeons, Axes, Bows
Trainable Proficiency: Swords(2-handed), Crossbows, Firearms

See Equipment section for details. When using a weapon that your class is not proficient with, see Combat Penalties. There is no level or title prerequisite to train in a new proficiency, however you must receive the appropriate Training.

Class Skills

Class Passive Skills: Hit and Run
Class Secondary Skill: Bushcraft, Traps, or Animal Trainer

Primary Skills

Vigor

While Rangers tend to be solitary, they do gather together for the purposes of training. In this regard there is an element of soldierly skill, as Rangers are adept with a variety of melee and ranged weapons. Though their tactics vary greatly from rank and file soldiers, they fight with a cumming that can confound and infuriate their enemies. Striking from the shadows or concealed in the natural world, Rangers excel at hit and run tactics and leverage their intense training to overcome any foe. However, as with any Vigor class, Rangers should avoid prolonged combat or at the least learnt to fall back on their stealth abilities when they begin to tire.

For Rangers, learning new Vigor Skills follows the standard methods of Vigor training. Those Rangers who choose to operate as part of a Guild most often receive Vigor training from their superiors. However, they could just as easily pick up new skills from an experienced warrior, soldier, marksman, or other vigor class. At times they may even just pay a Combat Trainer to learn a new skill. Once a skill is learned though, it can be improved simply though repeated use.

New vigor skills require training unless they are upgrades (i.e. Offensive Stance -> Improved Offensive Stance), see Learning New Vigor Skills for details.

Stealth

What separates a Ranger from the common soldier is  their expert use of Stealth tactics, striking at their opponents and then fading away unseen. Rangers follow the standard rules for Stealth classes and Learning New Stealth Skills.

Stealth Costs for Rangers are as follows:

• All offensive or aggressive Stealth actions reduce Stealth by 2 prior to taking a Stealth Test
• All offensive or aggressive Stealth instants reduce Stealth by 1 prior to taking a Stealth Test
• Increase the Stealth cost by 1 if the offensive or aggressive instant or action is NOT a Stealth skill (i.e. a regular attack action)
• All regular movement reduces Stealth by 1 per tabletop inch moved prior to taking a Stealth Test

Rangers have the following restrictions for Stealth Disciplines:

• Primary Discipline: Survival
• Available Disciplines: Sabotage, Dirty Fighting, Assassination, Suppression
• Forbidden Disciplines: Thievery, Subterfuge

Upon character creation, Rangers automatically gain the following Stealth skills (prior to applying level ups):

• Escape Artist (Rank I)
• Evade (Rank I)

To learn new stealth skills require training unless they are upgrades (i.e. Rank1 Stealth Shot -> Rank2 Stealth Shot). Stealth training is typically facilitated through a Rangers Guild.

Level Ups

Rangers use the following chart for levelling up:

HP Dice (Regular): Small Race (1d8), Medium Race (1d10), Large Race (1d12)