In my ongoing quest to make Castles & Crusades classes feel more right to me, here is my take on the Ranger. Inspired by the Ranger class found here, I feel that this is more interesting than the standard and makes player characters a little more unique.
Prime Attribute: Strength
Hit Points: d8 for human sized, d6 for smaller, d10 for larger.
Bonus to hit:
Saves: C&C standard; based on Prime attributes.
Roll twice on the following table for special abilities. Many things listed are stackable, but if you roll something that isn’t stackable more than once, just roll again for something different.
- Ability bonus: +1 Strength up to racial maximum. If that is maxed out, add it to Dexterity. If Dexterity is maxed, add it to Constitution. If Constitution is maxed out, roll again.
- Animal Companion: Completely loyal, slightly more intelligent than average animal of its type, and must be an animal type available in the area you are in when you get this ability. Stackable for additional animals. If an animal companion dies, it is not replaced, unless this is rolled again.
- You can duel wield like a morlock-y elf. Extra attack with off hand, split your to-hit bonus between each.
- Create medicine from plants and animal parts. You can create doses equal to 1+Intelligence Modifier per day with adequate ingredients. To get adequate ingredients, you must hunt for 1 day. Each dose will heal d6 hit points. This is NOT considered deific or clerical healing. Not stackable. These organic bandages do not last very long; good only for d2 days, twice that long in cold environments.
- Create poison from plants and animal parts. Essentially the same as #4 above, but deals d6 damage. Not stackable
- Bonus to notice: +1 to notice/search in ouotdoor wilderness areas. Stackable
- Add one to critical range: 19, 20. Stackable
- Bonus to saving throws: +1 to all saving throws
- Calm beasts: Can calm a hostile animal ala Crocodile Dundee, with gentle movements and noises. The animal must not have attacked in the last round, and must not have been attacked in the last round. A calmed animal will run away, rather than fight.
- Supreme hunter: Can hunt twice as fast and uses 1/2 the ammo
- Bonus against disease and paralysis: +1, stackable
- Bonus against poison/venom: +1, stackable
- Automatically succeed a single lore-type check per day, as long as it relates to wilderness type stuff. Like, if someone in the party is about to eat a berry, you’ll know if it is edible and delicious, or poisonous and yucky.
- Ranged weapon specialization: +1 to hit on a called shot (including disarm), stackable.
- Bonus to Climb (STR), Track (INT), or Move Silently (DEX), your choice: +1, stackable.
- Camouflage: In the wilderness, you know how to affix plant matter and use paint and mud and other stuff to conceal yourself. If you aren’t moving, you are effectively invisible, even in daylight. Anyone looking has a -5 penalty to Notice, unless you move faster than 1/2 your normal speed (daytime) or normal speed (night).
- Bonus to hit: +1, pick either ranged or melee, stackable.
- You can devour the organs of animals you’ve killed and gain their power! Basically, eat an organ, get an ability mod. Brain = INT or WIS, Kidneys or Liver = CON, Heart = STR, Tongue = CHA. Other organs can be devoured for other effects, if reasonable and cleared with the GM (Which is me, in this case). Bonus is equal to half the animal’s hit die, rounding down. Bonus is dependent on animal’s Prime saves (Physical or Mental). Effects last 8 hours.
- Pretty good at whittling: In a single day, you can make one of the following; a sling, atlatl, short spear, short bow, or 2d8 arrows. In two days, you can make a long bow, long spear, or 4d8 arrows.
- Pick an animal, monster, or humanoid you’ve faced in the past. You get a +1 to hit and damage against that species. This is stackable, OR you can pick an additional species to have a bonus against.
