URFAD: The Ranger

I’m not necessarily planning to use any bonus classes in my next game, but it’s fun to mess around with what they would look like. Implementing the traditional ranger healing ability as a neutralize poison skill and having rangers gain XP only for spending gold were added after seeing Scott Anderson’s take.
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Ranger Level Progression
Level	Title	XP	HD	Atk
1	Frontiersman	0	1+1	–
2	Courser	2,000	2+1	+1
3	Tracker	4,000	3+1	+2
4	Strider	8,000	4+2	+3
5	Pathfinder	16,000	5+2	+3
6	Trailblazer	32,000	6+2	+4
7	Guardian	64,000	7+3	+5
8	Ranger	120,000	8+3	+6
9	Ranger-Knight	240,000	9+3	+6
10	Ranger-Lord	360,000	10+4	+7

Rangers have the level progression and hit dice of fighters, but their attack bonus does not progress as quickly. They may be human, half-elf (max level 8), or hobbit (max level 4). Their prime requisites are Strength and Wisdom. A score of 13 or greater in both receives a 5% earned experience bonus. A score of 16 or greater in Strength and 13 or greater in Wisdom receives a 10% bonus. Rangers must have a minimum score of 9 in Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution.

Rangers wear only leather armor and do not use shields, but they use all weapons without penalty. Rangers with 13 Strength and 13 Dexterity may dual wield as per fighters. They rarely work with other rangers and will not hire retainers unless they command a fort or castle (they will employ hirelings when needed). Rangers do not gain experience points by merely acquiring gold: they must spend it or donate it.

Rangers begin with a favored enemy against whom they have an advantage in combat. In melee, this allows them to roll 2d20 when they attack, keeping the higher of the two rolls. In melee and missile, their damage die will be one higher than usual (i.e., a sword that normally does 1–8 damage will deal 1–10 damage). At level 4, they may add a second favored enemy, at level 7 a third, and finally at level 10 a fourth.

Rangers may Climb Mountain, Hide in the Wild, Find Trap in the Wild, Hunt, Track (and Cover Tracks), Find Path, and have Animal Empathy (calms frightened or hostile animals—one normal-sized, adding one at every odd level thereafter) with a 4-in-6 chance of success. With every third level completed, rangers improve the chance of success by 1. Treat a 6-in-6 chance as 11-in-12 and a 7-in-6 chance as 19-in-20.

Rangers hear noises in the wild at +1 (so a 2-in-6 chance for a human ranger) and improve this ability by +1 at levels 5 and 9. When outdoors, rangers, or parties that include a ranger, have a +1 chance of surprise and have only a 1-in-6 chance of being surprised.

Rangers have a level-in-10 chance of having the antidote to neutralize a poison, assuming they are in possession of their normal gear and the poison is not highly unusual.

Rangers have a level-in-10 chance of attracting a follower. Roll d20:

1              Dog

2              Owl

3              Hawk

4              Wolf

5              Horse

6              Dire Wolf

7–11        Fighter   

12–14      Dwarf Fighter

15             Hobbit Thief

16             Hobbit Fighter     

17             Cleric

18             Half-elf Thief

19             Elf (Mu/Fighter)

20             Extraordinary

Extraordinary Follower

1–2   First table, level 2–4 (must be at least two levels lower than ranger’s level)

3       Pixie

4       Wearbear

5       Unicorn/Pegasus

6       Blink Dog