[3.5E, PEACH] ToB Ranger Without Homebrew Disciplines

[Warclam]

This is my first is a series of homebrews designed to replace half-casting on classes that have it with other systems. First stop: the ranger. I like the sublime way variant ranger here, but I'd prefer to design the class so it sticks to the books as much as possible. Therefore, this class variant is designed to use the original 9 disciplines of martial maneuvers and stances, without sacrificing the ability to use the ranger's combat styles.

Two important things to know about this variant: I give all rangers, including this variant, their animal companion at 1st level, and progression as a druid. Otherwise, the beast mastery combat style makes little sense. Also, I've changed Two-Weapon Fighting so that it is a single feat that automatically gives new iterative offhand attacks at the appropriate BAB. This can be easily adapted to the old version by giving the Improved and Greater versions at the appropriate levels, in the same manner as I have given the basic version here.

Anyway, enough of that. Here it is:

Sublime Ranger

Removed or Altered Class Features:

—Class Skills: Concentration is not a class skill for this variant ranger; add Martial Lore to their skill list.

—Combat Style: This class feature and its successors have been heavily modified (see below).

—Spells: This is removed from the ranger's list of class features.

New Class Features:

Maneuvers: You begin your career with knowledge of three martial maneuvers. The disciplines available to you are Shadow Hand and Tiger Claw, plus the discipline you select for your Ranger Tradition (see below).

You know and learn maneuvers in the same way as a warblade (page 21 in the Tome of Battle). Consult the above table for how many maneuvers you knows at any level. You can learn new maneuvers in place of old ones starting at 4th level just as a warblade can.

Maneuvers Readied: You choose and ready your maneuvers just as a warblade does (see pages 21 and 22 of the Tome of Battle).

You can recover all expended maneuvers with a single swift action, which must be immediately followed in the same round by at least 10 feet of mundane movement (ending in a different square than where you started) or by spending a move action to hide (normal limitations on the Hide skill apply). You cannot initiate a maneuver during a turn in which you recover your expended maneuvers.

Stances Known: You learn and activate stances just as a warblade does (see page 22 in the Tome of Battle), except only from the disciplines available to you. At 1st level you may learn any 1st level stance from any discipline available to you (see Ranger Tradition, below). Consult the above table for how many stances you know at any level.

Ranger Tradition: There are many paths by which the sublime way can be traveled in the wilderness. At 1st level, you choose one of the following ranger traditions and gain the benefits thereof. Once this choice has been made, it cannot be changed.

–Desert Survivor: You come from the killing wastelands of dust and heat, and bring with you their combat training. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the Desert Wind discipline. In addition, add Tumble to your ranger class skills, and Desert Wind Dodge and Scorching Sirocco to your list of sublime ranger bonus feats.

–Cave Walker: You have hunted in the depths of the world, and know how to survive where softer folk see only harsh and unforgiving rock. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the Stone Dragon discipline. In addition, add Balance to your ranger class skills, and Stone Power and Shards of Granite to your list of sublime ranger bonus feats.

–Nature's Pilgrim: In the name of a god of nature or nature itself, you strive to protect and venerate the wilderness with your combat prowess. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the Devoted Spirit discipline. In addition, add Intimidate to your ranger class skills, and Devoted Bulwark and Faith Unswerving to your list of sublime ranger bonus feats.

–Pack Leader: Whether a tribal chieftain or the lieutenant of an army's scout unit, you know how to guide others through the brush and undergrowth to victory. You may learn stances and maneuvers from the White Raven discipline. In addition, add Diplomacy to your ranger class skills, and White Raven Defense and Clarion Commander to your list of sublime ranger bonus feats.

Combat Style: At 2nd level, you must select one of three combat styles to pursue: archery, two-weapon combat, or beast mastery. Additionally, you select one of the 3 martial disciplines to which you have access as your favoured discipline. At 6th level and again at 11th level, you select another of your ranger disciplines as a favoured discipline. Only disciplines you have access to as a sublime ranger may be selected as favoured disciplines.

–Archery: You may make ranged attacks with a projectile weapon that fires arrows (such as a longbow or a shortbow) without provoking an attack of opportunity, as long as you are in a stance from a favoured discipline. In addition, while in a stance from a favoured discipline, strikes from favoured disciplines may be used with a projectile weapon that fires arrows instead of with a melee weapon.

–Two-Weapon Combat: You are treated as having the Two-Weapon Fighting feat, as long as you are in a stance from a favoured discipline. In addition, while in a stance from a favoured discipline, you may make a number of offhand attacks during a strike from a favoured discipline as though you were making a full attack. You still takes the normal attack penalty for fighting with two weapons. This cannot be used in conjunction with a strike that includes a full attack.

–Beast Mastery: Your animal companion shares the benefit of any stance you adopts from a favoured discipline. In addition, while in a stance from a favoured discipline, your animal companion may initiate maneuvers from a favoured discipline in your place. This requires you to make a handle animal check (count the maneuver as a trick known by your animal companion). If the maneuver requires a skill check, use your skill ranks but your animal companion's ability scores and skill bonuses. The maneuver is expended just as though you had initiated it. Your animal companion cannot initiate a maneuver during a turn in which you recover expended maneuvers.

The benefits of your chosen style and favoured disciplines apply only when you wear light or no armour. You lose all benefits of your combat style and favoured disciplines when wearing medium or heavy armour. If you chose the beast mastery combat style, your animal companion must likewise wear light or no barding in order to benefit from your combat style.

Other Rules

—One level in the sublime way ranger variant class qualifies a character for the Adaptive Style feat (Tome of Battle page 28) just as a level of crusader, swordsage, or warblade does.

—As a martial adept, the sublime way variant ranger's initiator level increases by 1 for every level in that class, rather than 1 for every 2 as is normal for non-initiator classes.

[Morph Bark]

I would suggest adding a Tradition that gives Setting Sun. Because some of those Rangers ought to be wrestling bears, yanno?

[Mongoose87]

IMO, unless you buff the Beast Mastery style's animal companion up, it's way too fragile and low-powered to be worth it.

[Warclam]

I would suggest adding a Tradition that gives Setting Sun. Because some of those Rangers ought to be wrestling bears, yanno?

I did consider Setting Sun. I had a few of problems with it though.
First, the flavour of the discipline doesn't match the Ranger. This is easily enough overwritten I suppose, but the idea of this variant is that it doesn't use alternative disciplines, or alternative interpretations.
Secondly, and more importantly, all those throws don't work with the combat styles. Stabbing someone with your offhand while throwing them seems a little odd, and throwing people by shooting them with arrows is absolutely ludicrous. Beast masters should be able to command their companions to toss around the opposition, but all they need for that is to select the right critter.

IMO, unless you buff the Beast Mastery style's animal companion up, it's way too fragile and low-powered to be worth it.

Good point. I've been considering that, actually. One of the most obvious problems is that the companion gains 2HD every 3 levels, so gets very squishy by the end. Changing it so that it gains bonus HD equal to its master's effective druid level (minus any adjustment for tougher critters) would help, I think. Also, bear in mind that I'm giving the ranger full progression for their companion, as a druid, rather than just half like normal.

If the frail animal problem is solved, though, does the rest look good?

[Mongoose87]

Oh, I missed that you gave them full level as effective druid level. It's pretty good, then.