Ranger Custom Character Type

character-class

#1

Yesterday, I shared my custom Ranger Class on YouTube and my Blog, but I also wanted to make sure I got this up on the forums as well :smiley:

PDF LINK

I’m making some custom Character Types for my family players as we look to playing in person again. I’d like to think that this Ranger will be a fun mix between the Archer and the Scout from CORE, along with being a unique addition to the already amazing character types in Master Edition. I’d love to hear feedback and thoughts on what you’d do for a Ranger and if this hits the table, let me know how it goes!

Thanks go to @JDH for helping me refine this into a usable class :smiley:


Repository: Character Types
#2

Oh, super fun! Really great work on this one.


#3

Great stuff. Would love to see other classes


#4

I’m a little surprised there’s nothing calling back to dual wielding, or favored enemy, which I always think of as the mainstays of the Ranger as a class, but still looks like a perfectly fun little archer type.


#5

Yeah, there is definitely some classic Ranger stuff I left out, but that’s on purpose. I built it for my player’s version of a “Ranger” and what she likes to do at the table :smiley: She definitely leans more towards the Archer and Scout from CORE than what’s typical.


#6

Those specific class features and tropes you mentioned were much later additions to the ranger character class and concept added in later editions of D&D. The dovetail with the action economy and bonus structure of 5e and seem to function only to attempt to differentiate the ranger concept mechanically to some degree within the morass of class and subclass bloat that exists within that system. IIRC the 5e ranger gets crap like a “fighting style,” favored enemies, and favored terrain with experience—none of which I would personally consider a “classic” class trope from early RPGs or literature. Conversely, the original AD&D 1e ranger had a tracking percentage skill, an “in-6” surprise ability, and a fairly hefty damage modifier against giant-sized humanoid. (The differences in action economy between 5e and ICRPG can complicate the inclusion of dual wielding in combat for any class if the GM’s intent is to provide extra actions per turn, but that is a discussion issue for another thread…)

I think Kane did a marvelous job here of exploring and capturing different aspects of the class’s “ranger sense” ability, which I think is a more intrinsic and iconic trope for this character concept, as touched on in RPGs, fiction, and cinema. I keep picturing Aragorn tracking uruk-hai… :+1:


#7

I seem to recall using two weapons at once and favored enemies as being part of the class since AD&D, which would make 1e the outlier, not the standard. Even if not, 3 out of 5 editions establishes these as definitive features to the vast majority of D&D players. I’ve played only a teeny bit of 5e, so that’s not really where I’m coming from. That said, I’m not persuaded by the idea that if it wasn’t in 1e, it’s not really core to the tropes of the class. That puts disproportionate weight of the shared culture of the game upon the minority of people who’ve played it.


#8

Bespoke types - bueno!


#9

Outlier?! Original.

ETA: A quote—very apropos—from The Complete Ranger’s Handbook 2e supplement…

“The ranger has undergone several changes since the publication of the 1st Edition AD&D rules. For that reason, those using the 1st Edition rules may find the ranger character described in these pages all but unrecognizable. Our suggestions: (1) take the plunge into the 2nd Edition rules, and become familiar with the 2nd Edition DUNGEON MASTER Guide and Player’s Handbook before considering the ideas in this handbook, or (2) ignore the chapter references in this book, as they all refer to the 2nd Edition rulebooks. Find the relevant material by consulting the indexes or contents pages of the original books, then carefully adapt the handbook rules of your choice to the style of your campaign…”


#10

Been watching your YouTube channel. Subscribed and like most of the content. You addressed in this post something I think ICRPG needs, direct conversions of classic dnd character classes. … I hope others do this, more attempts creates variation… to steal from.