Ranger
Some rangers believe civilization wears down the soul, but still needs to be protected from wild creatures. Others say Nature needs to be protected from the greedy, who wish to tame its beauty and plunder its treasures. You could champion either goal, or both. You might be a scout, tracker, or hunter of fugitives or beasts, haunting the edge of civilization or exploring the wilds. You know how to live off the land and are skilled at spotting and taking down both opportune prey and hated enemies.
Key Ability: Strength or Dexterity
At 1st level, your class gives you an ability bonus to Strength or Dexterity
Hit Points: plus your Constitution modifier
You increase your maximum number of HP by this number at 1st level and every level thereafter.
Roleplaying the Ranger
DURING COMBAT ENCOUNTERS...
You can single out particular foes to hunt, making you better at defeating them. You target and brutalize your chosen foe with either a bow or melee weapons, while supporting your allies with your skills.
DURING SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS...
When you speak, it's with the voice of practical experience, especially involving wilderness exploration.
WHILE EXPLORING...
You guide your allies through the wilderness or follow tracks. You keep an eye out for trouble, constantly alert for danger even when it's not overt.
IN DOWNTIME...
You craft weapons and snares in preparation for your next venture. If you prefer to get outside, you might go on hunts or scout nearby areas to better understand your environment.
YOU MIGHT...
- Respect the raw power of nature and understand how to make the best of its bounty.
- Enjoy the thrill of the hunt.
- Scout out ahead of the party, reconnoitering dangers before combat begins.
OTHERS PROBABLY...
- Call upon you to protect them from the wilds or the encroachment of civilization.
- Expect you to be a quiet or taciturn loner.
- Think there is something dangerous and wild about you.
INITIAL PROFICIENCIES
At 1st level, you gain the listed proficiency ranks in the following statistics. You are untrained in anything not listed unless you gain a better proficiency rank in some other way.
PERCEPTION
Expert in PerceptionSAVING THROWS
- Expert in Fortitude
- Expert in Reflex
- Trained in Will
SKILLS
- Trained in Nature
- Trained in Survival
- Trained in a number of additional skills equal to 4 plus your Intelligence modifier
ATTACKS
- Trained in simple weapons
- Trained in martial weapons
- Trained in unarmed attacks
DEFENSES
- Trained in light armor
- Trained in medium armor
- Trained in unarmored defense
Class DC
- Trained in ranger class DC
CLASS FEATURES
You gain these features as an . Abilities gained at higher levels list the levels at which you gain them next to the features' names.
Ancestry and Backgrounds
In addition to the abilities provided by your class at 1st level, you have the benefits of your selected ancestry and background, as described here.
Initial Proficiencies
At 1st level, you gain a number of proficiencies that represent your basic training. These proficiencies are noted at the start of this class.
Your relationship with the world around you extends from the physical to the magical. Certain feats grant you warden spells, which are a type of focus spells. It costs 1 Focus Point (FP) to cast a focus spell. When you gain your first warden spell, you also gain a focus pool of 1 FP. You refill your focus pool during your daily preparations, and you regain 1 FP by spending 10 minutes using the Refocus activity to commune with nature.
Your warden spells are primal spells. When you first gain a warden spell, you become trained in primal spell attacks and spell DCs. Your spellcasting ability is Wisdom.
Focus spells are automatically heightened to half your level rounded up. Taking feats can give you more focus spells and increase the size of your focus pool, though your focus pool can never hold more than 3 FP. The full rules for focus spells appear here.
You'll see the following key terms in many ranger class features.
Flourish: Actions with this trait are special techniques that require too much exertion for you to perform frequently. You can use only 1 action with the flourish trait per turn.
Open: These maneuvers work only as the first salvo in the attacks you make on your turn. You can use an action with the open trait only if you haven't used an action with the attack or open trait yet this turn.
Press: Actions with this trait allow you to follow up earlier attacks. An action with the press trait can be used only if you are currently affected by a multiple attack penalty.
Some actions with the press trait also grant an effect on a failure. The effects that are added on a failure don't apply on a critical failure. If your press action succeeds, you can choose to apply the failure effect instead. (For example, you may wish to do this when an attack deals no damage due to resistance.) Because a press action requires a multiple attack penalty, you can't use one when it's not your turn, even if you use the Ready activity.
Ranger Feats
At 1st level and every even-numbered level, you gain a ranger class feat.
Hunter’s Edge
You have trained for countless hours to become a more skilled hunter and tracker, gaining an additional benefit when you Hunt Prey depending on the focus of your training. Choose a hunter’s edge.
Hunter's edges can be found here.
Hunt Prey
When you focus your attention on a single foe, you become unstoppable in your pursuit. You gain the Hunt Prey action.
Hunt Prey
Concentrate Ranger
You designate a single creature as your prey and focus your attacks against that creature. You must be able to see or hear the prey, or you must be tracking the prey during exploration.
You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Perception checks when you Seek your prey and a +2 circumstance bonus to Survival checks when you Track your prey. You also ignore the penalty for making ranged attacks within your second range increment against the prey you're hunting.
You can have only one creature designated as your prey at a time. If you use Hunt Prey against a creature when you already have a creature designated, the prior creature loses the designation and the new prey gains the designation. Your designation lasts until your next daily preparations.
Source Core Rulebook pg. 168
Skill FeatsLevel 2
At 2nd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill feat. You must be trained or better in the corresponding skill to select a skill feat.
General FeatsLevel 3
At 3rd level and every 4 levels thereafter, you gain a general feat.
Skill IncreasesLevel 3
At 3rd level and every 2 levels thereafter, you gain a skill increase. You can use this increase to either become trained in one skill, or become an expert in one skill in which you’re already trained.
At 7th level, you can use skill increases to become a master in a skill in which you’re already an expert, and at 15th level, you can use them to become legendary in a skill in which you’re already a master.
Iron WillLevel 3
Your training has hardened your resolve. Your proficiency rank for Will saves increases to expert.
Ability BoostsLevel 5
At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you boost four different ability scores. You can use these ability boosts to increase your ability scores above 18. Boosting an ability score increases it by 1 if it's already 18 or above, or by 2 if it starts out below 18.
Ancestry FeatsLevel 5
At 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter, you boost four different ability scores. You can use these ability boosts to increase your ability scores above 18. Boosting an ability score increases it by 1 if it's already 18 or above, or by 2 if it starts out below 18.
Ranger Weapon ExpertiseLevel 5
You’ve dedicated yourself to learning the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple and martial weapons and unarmed attacks increases to expert. You gain access to the critical specialization effects of all simple and martial weapons and unarmed attacks when attacking your hunted prey.
Trackless StepLevel 5
When you move through natural terrains, you are difficult to track. You always gain the benefits of the Cover Tracks action in such terrains, without moving at half your Speed.
EvasionLevel 7
You’ve learned to move quickly to avoid explosions, dragons’ breath, and worse. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Reflex save, you get a critical success instead.
Vigilant SensesLevel 7
Through your adventuring, you’ve developed keen awareness and attention to detail. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to master.
Weapon SpecializationLevel 7
You’ve learned how to inflict greater injuries with the weapons you know best. You deal 2 additional damage with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you are an expert. This damage increases to 3 if you’re a master, and to 4 if you’re legendary.
Nature’s EdgeLevel 9
You always find the weak points in your foes’ defenses when they’re on unfavorable terrain. Enemies are flat-footed to you if they’re in natural difficult terrain or in difficult terrain resulting from a snare.
Ranger ExpertiseLevel 9
You’ve practiced your techniques to make them harder to resist. Your proficiency rank for your ranger class DC increases to expert.
JuggernautLevel 11
Your body is accustomed to physical hardship and resistant to ailments. Your proficiency rank for Fortitude saves increases to master. When you roll a success on a Fortitude save, you get a critical success instead.
Medium Armor ExpertiseLevel 11
You’ve learned to defend yourself better against attacks. Your proficiency ranks for light armor, medium armor, and unarmored defense increase to expert.
Wild StrideLevel 11
You move quickly through obstacles, whether they’re tumbled stone, tangled undergrowth, or sucking mud. You can ignore the effects of non-magical difficult terrain. As normal for ignoring difficult terrain, this also lets you treat the hindrances of greater difficult terrain as those of difficult terrain.
Weapon MasteryLevel 13
You fully understand the intricacies of your weapons. Your proficiency ranks for simple and martial weapons and unarmed attacks increase to master.
Greater Weapon SpecializationLevel 15
Your damage from weapon specialization increases to 4 with weapons and unarmed attacks in which you’re an expert, 6 if you’re a master, and 8 if you’re legendary.
Improved EvasionLevel 15
Your ability to elude danger is matchless. Your proficiency rank for Reflex saves increases to legendary. When you roll a critical failure on a Reflex save, you get a failure instead. When you roll a failure on a Reflex save against a damaging effect, you take half damage.
Incredible SensesLevel 15
You notice things almost impossible for an ordinary person to detect. Your proficiency rank for Perception increases to legendary.
Masterful HunterLevel 17
You have honed your abilities as a hunter to incredible levels. Your proficiency rank for your ranger class DC increases to master. When using a ranged weapon that you have master proficiency in, you can ignore the penalty if attacking your hunted prey within the weapon’s second and third range increments.
If you have master proficiency in Perception, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Perception checks when you Seek your prey, and if you have master proficiency in Survival, you gain a +4 circumstance bonus to Survival checks when you Track your prey. You also gain an additional benefit depending on your hunter’s edge.
See specific hunter's edges for more information.
Second SkinLevel 19
Your armor has become akin to a second skin for you. Your proficiency ranks for light armor, medium armor, and unarmored defense increase to master. When wearing light or medium armor, you can rest normally, rather than receiving poor rest that leaves you fatigued.
Swift PreyLevel 19
You size up your prey with only a glance. You can use Hunt Prey as a free action if it’s your first action of your turn.
HUNTER’S EDGE
You have trained for countless hours to become a more skilled hunter and tracker, gaining an additional benefit when you Hunt Prey depending on the focus of your training. Choose a hunter’s edge.
Flurry
You have trained to unleash a devastating flurry of attacks upon your prey. Your multiple attack penalty for attacks against your hunted prey is -3 (-2 with an agile weapon) on your second attack of the turn instead of -5, and -6 (-4 with an agile weapon) on your third or subsequent attack of the turn, instead of -10.
Masterful Hunter Upgrade
You can blend your weapon mastery with skillful targeting to make a series of precise attacks. If you have master proficiency with your weapon, your multiple attack penalty for attacks against your hunted prey is -2 (-1 with an agile weapon) on your second attack of the turn, and -4 (-2 with an agile weapon) on your third and subsequent attacks of the turn.
Source: Core Rulebook pg. 168 1.1
Outwit
You are talented at outwitting and evading your prey. You gain a +2 circumstance bonus to Deception checks, Intimidation checks, Stealth checks, and any checks to Recall Knowledge about the prey, and a +1 circumstance bonus to AC against your prey's attacks.
Masterful Hunter Upgrade
Your mastery of skills allows you to overwhelm your prey. If you have master proficiency in Deception, Intimidation, Stealth, or the skill you use to Recall Knowledge about your prey, increase the circumstance bonus against the prey with that skill from +2 to +4. If you have master proficiency with your armor, increase the circumstance bonus to AC against the prey from +1 to +2.
Source: Core Rulebook pg. 168 1.1
Precision
You have trained to aim for your prey's weak points. The first time you hit your hunted prey in a round, you also deal 1d8 additional precision damage. (Precision damage increases the damage you already deal, using the same type, but is ineffective against creatures that lack vital organs or weak points.) At 11th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8 precision damage, and at 19th level, the extra damage increases to 3d8 precision damage.
Masterful Hunter Upgrade
Your weapon mastery allows you to hit your prey's vital areas multiple times. The second time in a round you hit your hunted prey, you also deal 1d8 precision damage. At 19th level, your second hit in a round against your hunted prey deals 2d8 precision damage, and your third hit in a round against your hunted prey deals 1d8 precision damage.
Source: Core Rulebook pg. 168 1.1
Every level at which you gain a feat, select one of the following feats. You must satisfy any prerequisites before taking the feat.
| Name | Level | Benefit | ||
| Gravity Weapon | 1 | — | ||
| Heal Companion | 1 | — | ||
| Magic Hide | 1 | — | ||
| Snare Hopping | 1 | — | ||
| Animal Feature | 2 | — | ||
| Hunter's Luck | 2 | — | ||
| Soothing Mist | 2 | — | ||
| Ephemeral Tracking | 3 | — | ||
| Ranger's Bramble | 3 | — | ||
| Enlarge Companion | 4 | — | ||
| Hunter's Vision | 5 | — | ||
| Terrain Transposition | 5 | — |