Ranger (Graatel) (3.5e Class)

Ranger, Graatel

A Graatel ranger is far more powerful than a standard ranger, and allows greater latitude than a fighter when it comes to combat options. While the Graatel ranger can not hope to match a straight fighter in one-on-one or even group combat he instead has a variety of special subsets that make him extremely powerful and useful. A stalwart choice and often a good one for individuals who desire to be more at home within a forest.

Making a Graatel Ranger

Graatel rangers are renowned for their stealth and scouting abilities, allowing them to move freely in areas often denied to others. They easily move from different terrains and can often see things with keen eyesight far before others due to their profession. Moving rapidly they are nearly impossible to track and often can cause extensive damage to an opponent from hiding places if given a short amount of time.

Abilities: For a ranger the most important abilities will be Strength and Dexterity due to their light armor requirement.

Races: Any.

Alignment: Any.

Starting Gold: 3d6×10 gp (average starting gold 100 gp.)

Starting Age: As fighter

Table: The Ranger, Graatel

Hit Die: d10

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Saving Throws			Special
		Fort	Ref	Will
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	1st Favored Enemy, 1st Favored Terrain, Track, Wild Empathy
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Combat Style
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Great Fortitude
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Animal Companion, Natural Poisoner
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	2nd Favored Enemy, 2nd Favored Terrain, Precision 1d6
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Improved Combat Style
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Woodland Stride
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Light Armor Specialization, Trap making
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Evasion, Precision 2d6
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	3rd Favored Enemy, 3rd Favored Terrain
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Combat Style Mastery
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Camouflage, Precision 3d6
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Improved Evasion
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	4th Favored Enemy, 4th Favored Terrain
16th	+16/+11/+6/+6	+10	+10	+5
17th	+17/+12/+7/+7	+10	+10	+5	Hide in Plain Sight, Precision 4d6
18th	+18/+13/+8/+8	+11	+11	+6	Pass Without Trace
19th	+19/+14/+9/+9	+11	+11	+6
20th	+20/+15/+10/+10	+12	+12	+6	5th Favored Enemy, 5th Favored Terrain, Spirit Guardian
Class Skills (6 + Int modifier per level, ×4 at 1st level) Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), Use Rope (Dex).

Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Graatel ranger.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A Graatel ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with light armor and shields (except tower shields).

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a ranger may select two types of creatures from among those given on Table: Ranger Favored Enemies. The ranger gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Intimidate, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Survival checks when using these skills against creatures of this type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.

At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against each favored enemy previously selected increases by 2.

If the ranger chooses humanoids or outsiders as a favored enemy, he must also choose an associated subtype, as indicated on the table. If a specific creature falls into more than one category of favored enemy, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

Table: Ranger Favored Enemies

Type (Subtype)	Type (Subtype)
Aberration	Humanoid (reptilian)
Animal	Magical beast
Construct	Monstrous humanoid
Dragon	Ooze
Elemental	Outsider (air)
Fey	Outsider (chaotic)
Giant	Outsider (earth)
Humanoid (aquatic)	Outsider (evil)
Humanoid (dwarf)	Outsider (fire)
Humanoid (elf)	Outsider (good)
Humanoid (goblinoid)	Outsider (lawful)
Humanoid (gnoll)	Outsider (native)
Humanoid (gnome)	Outsider (water)
Humanoid (halfling)	Plant
Humanoid (human)	Undead
Humanoid (orc)	Vermin

Favored Terrain (Ex): At 1st level, a Graatel ranger may select a favored terrain from among those given on Table: Ranger Favored Terrain. The ranger gains a +1 bonus on Climb, Hide, Listen, Move Silently, Spot and Survival skill checks when using these skills in any area that is considered part of his favored terrain. Also when the ranger is in one of his favored terrains he gains a +10 movement speed bonus (this bonus does not increase, it is a flat bonus to movement.)

At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the ranger may select an additional favored terrain from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus increases by 1 for all previously selected Favored Terrains (i.e. 1st level choice is +2 at 5th, +3 at 10th etc.)

If a terrain falls into more than one category, the ranger’s bonuses do not stack; he simply uses whichever bonus is higher.

Table: Ranger Favored Terrain

Type (Subtype)
Aquatic
Desert Terrain
Underground
Forrests
Hills
Marshes and Swamps
Mountains
Plains
Cities

Track: A ranger gains the variant feat Tracking as a bonus feat.

Wild Empathy (Ex): A ranger can improve the attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person. The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.

To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.

The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Combat Style (Ex): At 2nd level, a ranger pursues two combat styles and gets the appropriate bonus feats. The two focuses for rangers are Two Weapon Combat and Advanced Archery.

These benefits only apply when the ranger is wearing light or no armor. He loses these benefits when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Great Fortitude: A ranger gains Great Fortitude as a bonus feat at 3rd level.

Animal Companion (Ex): At 4th level, a ranger gains an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: crocodile, porpoise, medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the ranger on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.

This ability functions like the druid ability of the same name, except that the ranger’s effective druid level is one-half his ranger level. A ranger may select from the alternative lists of animal companions just as a druid can, though again his effective druid level is one-half of his ranger level. Like a druid, a ranger cannot select an alternative animal if the choice would reduce his effective druid level below 1st.

Natural Poisoner (Ex): At 4th level the ranger is capable to harvest poisons from any creature that has a poison attack. When he harvests poison the ranger receives a number of poison uses equal to his intelligence modifier, and will know how to store poisons for future use. The ranger is also able to apply all poisons without fear of poisoning themselves but only has specialty with production and storage of natural poisons.

Precision (Ex): At 5th level the ranger gains incredible precision with his weapons of choice. Whenever the ranger make an attack with a weapon that he possesses the feat weapon mastery for he adds an additional number of d6 damage (1d6 at level 5 and increasing by a further d6 every 4 levels) to his damage rolls. This ability is in addition to any numeric bonuses he receives from the favored enemies feat. To use this feat the ranger must be within 30 feet of his opponent. This distance increases to 60 feet at level 15.

Improved Combat Style (Ex): At 6th level, the rangers combat abilities increase and he can select from the following list of feats to apply to his weapon choices. Choose one of the following abilities at 6th level: Weapon Specialization (melee weapon of choice), Weapon Mastery (melee weapon of choice), Weapon Specialization (ranged weapon of choice) or Weapon Mastery (ranged weapon of choice). The ranger may select a mastery feat as long as he already has the specialization for the chosen weapon.

Woodland Stride (Ex): Starting at 7th level, a ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at his normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment.

However, thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion still affect him.

Light Armor Specialization: The ranger gains the bonus feat Armor Specialization (Light) as a bonus feat.

Trapmaking (Ex): At 8th level, the Ranger learns to build simple mechanical traps in out of common materials. As long as has access to ropes, flexible material like green wood, and weapon-grade materials like sharpened wooden sticks or steel weapons, he can build an improvised trap in 10 minutes. He can build any non-magical trap on the “CR 1” trap list that doesn’t involve a pit. These traps have a Search DC equal to 20 + the Ranger’s level, have a BAB equal to his own, and are always single-use traps. He may add poison to these traps, if he has access to it, but it will dry out in an hour.

Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a ranger can avoid even magical and unusual attacks with great agility. If he makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the ranger is wearing light armor or no armor. A helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of evasion.

Combat Style Mastery (Ex): At 11th level, the ranger's combat ability relating to the two weapons that he has selected for his specialization are truly deadly within the rangers hands. From this point on the ranger can add one-quarter his character level to each attack as a bonus to damage.

As before, the benefits of the ranger’s chosen style apply only when he wears light or no armor. He loses all benefits of his combat style when wearing medium or heavy armor.

Camouflage (Ex): A ranger of 13th level or higher can use the Hide skill in any sort of natural terrain, even if the terrain doesn’t grant cover or concealment.

Improved Evasion (Ex): At 14th level, a ranger’s evasion ability improves. He still takes no damage on a successful Reflex saving throw against attacks, but henceforth she takes only half damage on a failed save. A helpless ranger does not gain the benefit of improved evasion.

Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): While in any sort of natural terrain, a ranger of 17th level or higher can use the Hide skill even while being observed.

Pass Without Trace (Su): The subject or subjects can move through any type of terrain and leave neither footprints nor scent. Tracking the subjects is impossible by nonmagical means.

Spirit Guardian (Su): The ranger has a spirit guardian that helps him fight when he summons it or when the ranger is seriously injured. If the ranger wants to summon the guardian spirit it is a standard action, if the ranger reaches 25% hit points the guardian spirit manifests to defend him. The spirit stays for 1 round per class level. Once per day the ranger may summon a spirit guardian that works under the following guideline: the spirit guardian is an animal spirit that is a paragon of its species.

Spirits: All spirits share some common traits. Hit dice are equal to the class level of the ranger (use maximum hit points), base attack bonus is equal to the class level of the ranger, AC is 12 plus class level of the ranger (touch and flatfooted are 9 plus class level) and the saving throws are equal to the ranger. For any other creature information reference the dire animal selection for reach, attributes and size considerations. The dire animal section will also determine the special abilities that the guardian spirits possess.

The Druid's Animal Companion

A druid’s animal companion is different from a normal animal of its kind in many ways. A druid’s animal companion is superior to a normal animal of its kind and has special powers, as described below.

Class Level	Bonus HD	Natural Armor Adj.	Str/Dex Adj.	Bonus Tricks	Special
1st–2nd	+0	+0	+0	1	Link, Share Spells
3rd–5th	+2	+2	+1	2	Evasion
6th–8th	+4	+4	+2	3	Devotion
9th–11th	+6	+6	+3	4	Multiattack
12th–14th	+8	+8	+4	5
15th–17th	+10	+10	+5	6	Improved Evasion
18th–20th	+12	+12	+6	7

Animal Companion Basics: Use the base statistics for a creature of the companion’s kind, but make the following changes.

Class Level: The character’s druid level. The druid’s class levels stack with levels of any other classes that are entitled to an animal companion for the purpose of determining the companion’s abilities and the alternative lists available to the character.

Bonus HD: Extra eight-sided (d8) Hit Dice, each of which gains a Constitution modifier, as normal. Remember that extra Hit Dice improve the animal companion’s base attack and base save bonuses. An animal companion’s base attack bonus is the same as that of a druid of a level equal to the animal’s HD. An animal companion has good Fortitude and Reflex saves (treat it as a character whose level equals the animal’s HD). An animal companion gains additional skill points and feats for bonus HD as normal for advancing a monster’s Hit Dice.

Natural Armor Adj.: The number noted here is an improvement to the animal companion’s existing natural armor bonus.

Str/Dex Adj.: Add this value to the animal companion’s Strength and Dexterity scores.

Bonus Tricks: The value given in this column is the total number of “bonus” tricks that the animal knows in addition to any that the druid might choose to teach it (see the Handle Animal skill). These bonus tricks don’t require any training time or Handle Animal checks, and they don’t count against the normal limit of tricks known by the animal. The druid selects these bonus tricks, and once selected, they can’t be changed.

Link (Ex): A druid can handle her animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn’t have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The druid gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.

Share Spells (Ex): At the druid’s option, she may have any spell (but not any spell-like ability) she casts upon herself also affect her animal companion. The animal companion must be within 5 feet of her at the time of casting to receive the benefit. If the spell or effect has a duration other than instantaneous, it stops affecting the animal companion if the companion moves farther than 5 feet away and will not affect the animal again, even if it returns to the druid before the duration expires.

Additionally, the druid may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a touch range spell) instead of on herself. A druid and her animal companion can share spells even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion’s type (animal).

Evasion (Ex): If an animal companion is subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, it takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw.

Devotion (Ex): An animal companion gains a +4 morale bonus on Will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

Multiattack: An animal companion gains Multiattack as a bonus feat if it has three or more natural attacks and does not already have that feat. If it does not have the requisite three or more natural attacks, the animal companion instead gains a second attack with its primary natural weapon, albeit at a –5 penalty.

Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, an animal companion takes no damage if it makes a successful saving throw and only half damage if the saving throw fails.

Alternative Animal Companions: A druid of sufficiently high level can select her animal companion from one of the following lists, applying the indicated adjustment to the druid’s level (in parentheses) for purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities.

4th Level or Higher (Level –3) Ape (animal) Bear, black (animal) Bison (animal) Boar (animal) Cheetah (animal) Crocodile (animal)^1 Dire badger Dire bat Dire weasel Leopard (animal) Lizard, monitor (animal) Shark, Large^1 (animal) Snake, constrictor (animal) Snake, Large viper (animal) Wolverine (animal)	7th Level or Higher (Level –6) Bear, brown (animal) Dire wolverine Crocodile, giant (animal) Deinonychus (dinosaur) Dire ape Dire boar Dire wolf Elasmosaurus (dinosaur)^1 Lion (animal) Rhinoceros (animal) Snake, Huge viper (animal) Tiger (animal)	10th Level or Higher (Level –9) Bear, polar (animal) Dire lion Megaraptor (dinosaur) Shark, Huge (animal)^1 Snake, giant constrictor (animal) Whale, orca (animal)^1 13th Level or Higher (Level –12) Dire bear Elephant (animal) Octopus, giant (animal)^1 16th Level or Higher (Level –15) Dire shark^1 Dire tiger Squid, giant (animal)^1 Triceratops (dinosaur) Tyrannosaurus (dinosaur)
Available only in an aquatic environment.

Graatel Epic Ranger

Table: The Epic Graatel Ranger

Hit Die: d8

Level	Special
21st	Precision 5d6
22nd
23rd	Bonus Feat
24th
25th	6th Favored Enemy, 6th Favored Terrain, Precision 6d6
26th	Bonus Feat
27th
28th
29th	Bonus Feat, Precision 7d6
30th	7th Favored Enemy, 7th Favored Terrain
6 + Int modifier skill points per level.

Favored Enemy (Ex): The epic ranger gains one additional favored enemy, and his or her bonuses against one category of favored enemies goes up by +2, every five levels higher than 20th.

Favored Terrain (Ex): The epic ranger gains one additional favored terrain, and his or her bonuses against one category of favored terrains goes up by +1, every five levels higher than 20th.

Combat Style Mastery (Ex): The combat style mastery bonus continues after level 20. For every four levels the ranger adds an additional +1 to damage after level 20 with his specialized weapons.

Animal Companion: The epic ranger’s animal companion continues to increase in power as normal. The ranger’s effective druid level is one-half his or her ranger level (rounded down.) For rangers above 40th level, consult the epic druid for details on how an animal companion’s power level increases.

Precision: The precision bonus improves to 5d6 at levels 21 and continues to improve by an additional 1d6 every 4 levels.

Spirit Guardian: The spirit guardian duration continues to function at one round per level.

Bonus Feats: The epic ranger gains a bonus feat (selected from the list of epic ranger bonus feats) every 3 levels after 20th.

Epic Graatel Bonus Feat List: Any Combat or Skill

Human Ranger, Races of War Variant Starting Package

Weapons: Longsword (1d8 Crit 19-20(x2) 4lbs), Longsword (1d8 Crit 19-20(x2) 4lbs), Longbow (1d8 Crit 19-20(x2) 3lbs)

Armor: Chain Shirt (+4 AC +4 Max Dex -2 armor check penalty 25lbs)

Skill Selection: Pick a number of skills equal to 6 + Int modifier.

Skill	Ranks	Ability	Armor Check Penalty
Climb	4	Str	-2
Handle Animal	4	Cha	-
Hide	4	Dex	-2
Jump	4	Str	-2
Listen	4	Wis	-2
Move Silently	4	Dex	-2
Ride	4	Dex	-2
Search	4	Int	-
Spot	4	Wis	-
Survival	4	Wis	-
Use Rope	4	Dex	-

Feat: Sniper

Bonus Feats: Weapon Finesse

Gear: Two long swords, chain shirt, backpack, rations, torches, 2 waterskins.

Gold: 40 gold.

Playing a Graatel Ranger

A Graatel ranger can be as complex or simplistic as a player decides. The ranger can either simply be a mountain man type who just prefers natures honesty over the machinations of man or could be a warrior spiritualist with a deep connection to a nature based god or goddess as just two examples. The possibilities are almost endless with the right imagination.

Religion: Graatel rangers are not exactly like fighters when it comes to religion. Generally they are either atheistic in nature or they go sprinting into a religion with a flying drop kick. If a ranger is not the religious type he will always rationalize things as being ordain just simply extra-ordinary and will attribute things to chaotic forces such as luck or chance. On the opposite end of the spectrum the ranger will generally be very devout in his worship and mentality, following many precepts for his deity (proper rights for fallen animals, invocations for good hunting, using all of an animal) instead of being a casual lay observer. These individuals usually are considered a little odd but overall they are well tolerated since the rules for nature deity worship generally say you must not harm creatures (including other intelligent life) unless you need it for survival (food, shelter, clothing etc).

Other Classes: The Graatel ranger gets along well with other rangers and druids. While having many things in common with fighter types he is unlikely to form deep bonds as his own interests look more into woodcraft and hunting than pursuit of martial arms. He will exhibit on average even less rapport with clerics and wizards due to the highly ordered lives they lead and the organizations that they often commit themselves to. Occasionally they will forge bonds with sorcerers depending on world view, but this is an exception rather than a normal practice.

Combat: Mobility, precision and stealth are the hall marks of the Graatel ranger. Lacking the staying power of heavier combat classes the ranger is more suited to disciplines that provide him the ability to get in, inflict damage and then fade away to prevent others from assaulting him. His abilities make him hard, and sometimes impossible, to track and engage in his favored areas; his enemies rarely know they are being hunted before the first person falls.

Advancement: Is based on which advanced path the Graatel ranger decides to ultimately focus upon. If he is a two-weapon master many of the fighter prestige classes will provide him with exceptional benefits, while the archery advancement will make him into a terror with a ranged weapon.

Graatel Rangers in the World

“	This is my home and they invaded it.	”
—Graam, Human, Graatel Ranger

People don't always grow up wanting a lot of interaction with other sentient life. Indeed sometimes people find that the wilderness is harsh, unforgiving, solitairy and exactly what they prefer to be around. Rangers by nature are usually not individuals who would join a group but occasionally rare individuals will do so for as long as it helps them achieve a desired endstate.

Daily Life: Day to day life for a Graatel ranger is vastly different from most individuals that live in cities or even rural areas. He forages for food, readies a shelter and investigates any strange occurances that happen in the wild. Occasionally when the need is great a ranger may stake out a spot to engage wandering travelers and caravans in exchange for goods and services (normally through barter of pelts and other valuables).

Notables: Koloas, Human ranger that patrols the Arefel forest.

Druug, Half Orc ranger that covers the Badlands.

Organizations: Rangers don't typically have organizations. If a group of rangers all exist within the same area they may or may not engage one another for mutual defense and work division. More often than not the ranger prefers his solitude and will not join an organization unless there is a large enough threat that survival may hinge upon it.

NPC Reactions: Rangers aren't seen a lot, and the ones that are typically employ themselves as bandits and highwaymen. While individuals will generally not attack them on sight most are at least apprehensive when meeting a ranger for the first time.

Graatel Ranger Lore

Characters with ranks in Survival or Knowledge: Wilderness can research Graatel rangers to learn more about them. When a character makes a skill check, read or paraphrase the following, including information from lower DCs.

Survival or Knowledge: Wilderness

DC	Result
5	Rangers are solitary woodsmen.
10	Graatel rangers specialize in melee and ranged combat.
15	A ranger is often able to move unseen in areas he favors.
20	When in trouble the most powerful rangers can summon a spirit to aid them.

Graatel Rangers in the Game

Rangers found throughout Graatel are generally loaners that have a deep respect for the areas they live in. Able to survive in near impossible conditions, the ranger is an individual that truly can live off the land amidst powerful creatures such as ogres, giants and the like. The only place the ranger is unlikely to be encountered in large cities.

Adaptation: <-Possible variant conceptions of this class.->.

Sample Encounter: <-DM placement for NPCs of this class.->.

EL : <-Encounter scenario and character info on sample NPC including stat block. The CR of the NPC is typically the same as the EL for the encounter.->.

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