Quote Originally Posted by nonsi View Post
Good call. It never felt right to me that those archetypes should warrant specialized classes.

This issue could be avoided by requiring Fighter levels, or at least certain weapon/armor proficiencies.

1. Templars were never attributed magical powers. Neither were forest rangers.
2. Nothing's to stop you from multiclassing though.
100% agreement. I'm still planning on revising my old genetic wizard class to absorb clerics, druids, etc too. Ranger "magic" should be limited to a Beastmaster-type thing regarding multiple low-power animal allies.

Quote Originally Posted by aimlessPolymath View Post
My take on a Favored Enemy feat:

Hunter:
Requirements: Knowledge (any) 4 ranks (1 in pathfinder), Ranger, BAB + 3
Benefits: By spending 8 hours in a library containing sufficiently detailed information (one which can answer DC 20 questions on the subject), you gain the Favored Enemy ability, with a +2 bonus, against a type or subtype you choose.
Special: You can only have one bonus at a time through this ability. Acquiring another replaces the oldest benefit you have.

Somewhat related, one of my old projects: A feat to start to subsume Inquisitors into Rangers.

Tactician
Requirements: Favored Enemy (any) +2
Benefits: As a swift action, you may lose your Favored Enemy bonus to damage against any number of favored enemies, and exchange them for the following types of benefits:
-A bonus to attack rolls against the given class of creature. The bonus is equal to 1 + one-half your Favored Enemy bonus.
-A bonus to AC against attacks by the given class of creature. The bonus is equal to 1 + one-half your Favored Enemy bonus.
-A bonus to saving throws against the given class of creature. The bonus is equal to 1 + one-half your Favored Enemy bonus.
As another swift action, you may reverse or alter any of these decisions, as well as.

On spellcasting... I'm reminded of those feats from Complete Arcane, the ones that give spell-like abilities.
I like all of this. My only bugbear is that favoured enemy doesn't make quite as much sense to me as favoured terrain - a ranger from the swamps shouldn't be able to fight subterranean llithids just because he knows how to beat spirit naga (both aberrations).

Instead I feel a ranger who trained/lived/hunted underground should know how to fight drow, duergar, illithids, etc. Exceptions might be made for creature types that generally are more "uniform" in their anatomy e.g. Dragons, Giants, etc.