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nd Player's Handbook 2 Edition Rules Supplement

The Complete Ranger's Handbook

by Rick Swan

Sample file

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc. Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc. Distributed to the book and hobby trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors. ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, WORLD OF GREYHAWK, DRAGONLANCE, FORGOTTEN REALMS, and MONSTROUS COMPENDIUM are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

DUNGEON MASTER, DM, and the TSR logo are trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.

Printed in the U.S.A.

©1993 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

TSR, Inc. TSR Ltd. POB 756 120 Church End, Lake Geneva, Cherry Hinton WI 53147 Cambridge CB1 3LB U.S.A. United Kingdom Table of Contents

Introduction 4 Giant Killer 56 Overview 4 Greenwood Ranger 59 How to Use This Handbook 6 Guardian 62 Before We Get Started 6 Justifier 63 Mountain Man 65 Pathfinder 67 Sea Ranger 69 Seeker 71 Chapter 1: Stalker 73 Character Creation 7 Warden 75 Ranger Requirements 7 Abandoning Kits 77 Level Advancement 8 Creating New Kits 78 Spell Use 9 Demi-Rangers 78 Armor and Weapons 9 Dual-Classed Rangers 79 Thief Abilities 10 Multi-Classed Rangers 79 Primary Terrain 12 Chapter 5: Proficiencies 80 Chapter 2: Compiled Proficiencies 80 Ranger Abilities 14 Clarifications and Modifications ...80 Tracking 14 New Proficiencies 82 Hide in Shadows 17 Move Silently 18 Species Enemy 18 Animal Empathy 21 Chapter 6: Nature Lore 24 Magic 87 Survival 25 New Spells 87 Strongholds Sample26 file New Magical Items 92

Chapter 3: Followers 27 Gaining Followers 27 Chapter 7: General Behavior of Followers 35 Equipment 94 Training Animal Followers 37 Clothing 94 Parting Company 42 Transport 95 Humans and Demihumans 43 Miscellaneous Equipment 95 Notes on Falconry 44 Weapons 98

Chapter 4: Ranger Kits 45 Chapter 8: Acquiring Kits 45 Role-Playing 101 DM Decisions 45 Demographics 101 Kit Subsections 45 Becoming a Ranger 102 List of Kits 47 Common Traits: the Beastmaster 47 Classic Ranger 103 Explorer 49 Daily Life 104 Falconer 51 The Ranger's Personality 108 Feralan 52 Experience Ill Forest Runner 55

2 • Table of Contents Table of Contents

Chapter 9: 30: Animal Attitudes 23 Rangers and Religion 113 31: Animal Empathy Modifier 23 Aspects of Faith 113 32: Nature Lore ' 25 Types of Faith 113 33: Arctic Followers 31 Expressions of Faith 114 34: Aquatic Followers 31 Rangers and Druids 115 35: Desert Followers 32 Rangers and Clerics 116 36: Forest Followers 32 37: Hill Followers 32 Chapter 10: 38: Jungle Followers 32 Forgatherings 118 39: Mountain Followers 33 Attending a Forgathering 118 40: Plains Followers 33 Types, Sites, and Dates 118 41: Swamp Followers 34 Physical Layout 120 42: Underdark Followers 34 Activities and Events 121 43: Human/Demihuman Followers 34 44: Follower Training Ratings 42 Appendix: AD&D 1st Edition Ranger 122 45: Feralan Spell Progression 55 Ranger Kit Record Sheet 124 46: Justifier Spell Progression 65 Ranger Character Record Sheets 125 47: Crude Weaponsmithing (Mountain Man) ...66 48: Mountain Man Spell Progression 67 49: Terrain Costs for Pathfinders 68 TABLES 50: Parliament of Fishes Results 71 51: Seeker Spell Progression 72 1: Class Qualifications 7 52: Sacred Animals 73 2: Pregenerated Ability Scores 7 53: Demi-Rangers 79 3: Experience Levels 8 54: Demi-Ranger Spell Progression 4: Level Improvements 9 and Dexterity Modifiers 79 5: Spell Progression 9 55: Nonweapon Proficiencies 81 6: The Ranger's Armor 1Sample0 56: Range filer Spells 91 7: Ranger Attacks Per Round 10 57: Clothing, Transport, and Misc. 8: Base Thief Abilities 10 Equipment 99 9: Racial Adjustments 11 58: Weapons 100 10: Dexterity Adjustments 11 59: Ranger Experience Ill 11: Armor Adjustments 11 60: Optional Individual Experience Awards....Ill 12: Kit Adjustments 11 61: Experience Levels (1st Edition) 122 13: Optional Armor Adjustments 11 62: Attacks Per Round (1st Edition) 122 14: Random Primary Terrain 13 63: Underground Tracking Chances 122 15: Terrain Tracking Modifiers 15 64: Outdoor Tracking Modifiers 123 16: Illumination Modifiers 15 65: Spell Progression (1st Edition) 123 17: Special Tracking Modifiers 15 66: Giant Class Creatures 123 18: Movement While Tracking 15 19: Identification Check Results 17 CREDITS 20: Arctic Species Enemy 20 Design: Rick Swan 21: Aquatic Species Enemy 20 Editing: Elizabeth Danforth 22: Desert Species Enemy 20 Black and White Art: Terry Dykstra 23: Forest Species Enemy 20 Color Art: Julie Bell, Clyde Caldwell, 24: Jungle Species Enemy 20 Fred Fields, Keith Parkinson 25: Hill Species Enemy 20 Icon Art: Tony Diterlizzi 26: Mountain Species Enemy 21 Typography: Nancy J- Kerkstra 27: Plains Species Enemy 21 28: Swamp Species Enemy 21 Special thanks to Bear Peters 29: Underdark Species Enemy 21

Table of Contents • 3 The ranger is one of the most popular character king's holdings, preserving his game from poach- classes in the AD&D® game. A woodsman and ers and his subjects from outlaws and brigands. tracker, as well as a dangerous fighter, he com- In other places, the local authorities have either bines good combat skills with a few extra abilities lost control or become tyrannical. Perhaps the that give him many options and decisions during local order has broken down and the land is over- play- He boasts the courage and strength of a war- run by bandits or robbers. Perhaps a bad ruler has rior and the stealth and self-reliance of a thief. He taken over and driven the peasantry beyond all combines the druid's affinity for the outdoors possible tolerance. At such time a hero may arise, with the devotion and magical aptitude of a priest. striding out of the wilderness, setting right the He's a hunter, a tracker, and a survivalist. By tem- wrongs, returning a just overlord to power, and perament and by choice, he's a loner, often prefer- then disappearing back into wild and unknown ring the company of animals to people. Without lands. Such is the stuff of legends. Such is the question, he's one with nature, sworn to protect legacy of the ranger. the inhabitants of the wilderness and preserve the integrity of the land. The ranger's origins can be traced to the time Overview when isolated human settlements were first The ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® founded in areas of unclaimed wilderness, or in 2nd Edition Player's Handbook and DUNGEON areas occupied only by savage humanoid tribes. MASTER™ Guide contain all the basic information Those who were at first hunters, trappers, and you need to create and play ranger characters. But guides were turned by the necessities of survival for players wanting to go a bit deeper, The Com- into canny wilderness warriors; and ultimately plete Ranger's Handbook provides a wealth of detail into the principle protectors of the scattered settle- that expands on that basic information, adding ments of humans and demihumans, which had to more options and rules to make your rangers fend off countless humanoid raids. come alive like never before. Few in number, but effective far beyond the For instance, we'll examine the ranger's talents power of local militias or the occasional military for tracking, animal empathy, and nature lore, patrol of a ruling lord, the rangers havSamplee kept a filesuggesting methods for using these abilities in protective watch on the forward frontier of human ways you might not have considered. If you've expansion. There are seldom more than one or wondered what a ranger does with his followers two to be found in any place, but somehow, as a or exactly how he acquires them, you'll find the group, they manage to cover huge areas of the answers here. If you're tired of playing ordinary frontier. Where the tide of expansion has been rangers, there's more than a dozen new character turned back, they are the last to fight a desperate kits for your perusal, including the Giant Killer, rear guard action against encroaching hordes of the Pathfinder, and the Stalker. There are also evil humanoids. plenty of new spells, proficiencies, and equipment In more civilized areas, it is common for kings to expand your ranger's horizons. Use what you and wealthy nobles to annex large tracts of forests like and ignore what you don't. for personal use. Some are maintained as private Though much of this material will be of interest game preserves, others are harvested for the valu- to the Dungeon Master, particularly the clarifica- able timber. As a king's wilderness holdings grow, tion of old concepts and the introduction of new so does the need to protect them. But suitable can- rules, The Complete Ranger's Handbook is a supple- didates are hard to come by. Often, from among ment to the Player's Handbook. Every word is local woodsmen and hunters, able-bodied and intended for the players. Note, however, that all of trustworthy retainers are recruited as forest jus- material is optional, and none may be incorpo- tices or wardens. Skilled in the management of rated into a campaign without the express permis- land, wilderness survival, and natural lore, the sion of the DM. These caveats aside, feel free to forest justices are charged with guarding the turn the page and enjoy.

Introduction *Nw

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F^i How to Use This Handbook Before We Get Started... If you're a casual player, or have only a passing ...here are a few more points to keep in mind: interest in the ranger character, begin by looking over the table of contents and noting any topics that catch your eye. Read the most appealing sec- First Edition Rules tions, skim over the rest, and consult with your The ranger has undergone several changes since DM about any new ideas you'd like to try. Later, the publication of the 1st Edition AD&D! rules. you can read the entire book at your leisure, or For that reason, those using the 1st Edition rules keep it on the shelf as a reference, along with the may find the ranger character described in these previous handbooks in this series (including The pages all but unrecognizable. Our suggestions: (1) Complete Fighter's Handbook, The Complete Priest's take the plunge into the 2nd Edition rules, and Handbook, The Complete Wizard's Handbook, The become familiar with the 2nd Edition DUNGEON Complete Thief's Handbook, The Complete Psiouics MASTER Guide and Player's Handbook before con- Handbook, and The Complete Bard's Handbook). sidering the ideas in this handbook, or (2) ignore Players who take their rangers seriously are the chapter references in this book, as they all refer advised to read the entire book. You'll discover a to the 2nd Edition rulebooks. Find the relevant host of new ideas and character options, expanded material by consulting the indexes or contents tables, and tips for fine-tuning your role-playing pages of the original books, then carefully adapt techniques. As mentioned, all of the rules in this the handbook rules of your choice to the style of book must be cleared with the DM before you can your campaign. For reference, a summary of the use them in a game. 1st Edition ranger rules can be found in the Players of all persuasions should take a look at Appendix of this book on page 122. the new ranger character sheets located in the back of the book. The sheets have been custom- designed to record virtually every detail about a Proficiencies ranger character, and also feature a number of The ideas in this book lean heavily on the con- helpful notes to minimize the amounSamplet of time filecepts of weapon and nonweapon proficiencies spent referring to the rulebooks. And speaking of introduced in Chapter 5 of the 2nd Edition Player's the rulebooks, we've also compiled all of the key Handbook. If you haven't been using proficiencies rules from the DUNGEON MASTER™ Guide and in your campaign, we suggest you review the Player's Handbook relevant to rangers; you'll find rules before proceeding with this book. (And if most of them in the first three chapters. We've also you're not using the proficiency rules, you ought made every effort to elaborate on the most inter- to reconsider—they're not that hard, and they esting concepts from the DMG and PH. make the game a lot more fun!).

A Note About Pronouns For convenience and clarity, masculine pro- nouns are used throughout this book. This in no way implies favoritism towards the male gender; in fact, males and females are equally represented in the ranger population. In all cases, read he as he or she, and his as his and her.

Introduction