Introduction[]
The ranger is one of the most popular character classes in the AD&D® game. A woodsman and tracker, as well as a dangerous fighter, he combines good combat skills with a few extra abilities that give him many options and decisions during play. He boasts the courage and strength of a warrior and the stealth and self-reliance of a thief. He combines the druid's affinity for the outdoors with the devotion and magical aptitude of a priest. He's a hunter, a tracker, and a survivalist. By temperament and by choice, he's a loner, often preferring the company of animals to people. Without question, he's one with nature, sworn to protect the inhabitants of the wilderness and preserve the integrity of the land.
The ranger's origins can be traced to the time when isolated human settlements were first founded in areas of unclaimed wilderness, or in areas occupied only by savage humanoid tribes. Those who were at first hunters, trappers, and guides were turned by the necessities of survival into canny wilderness warriors; and ultimately into the principle protectors of the scattered settlements of humans and demihumans, which had to fend off countless humanoid raids.
Few in number, but effective far beyond the power of local militias or the occasional military patrol of a ruling lord, the rangers have kept a protective watch on the forward frontier of human expansion. There are seldom more than one or two to be found in any place, but somehow, as a group, they manage to cover huge areas of the frontier. Where the tide of expansion has been turned back, they are the last to fight a desperate rear guard action against encroaching hordes of evil humanoids.
In more civilized areas, it is common for kings and wealthy nobles to annex large tracts of forests for personal use. Some are maintained as private game preserves, others are harvested for the valuable timber. As a king's wilderness holdings grow, so does the need to protect them. But suitable candidates are hard to come by. Often, from among local woodsmen and hunters, able-bodied and trustworthy retainers are recruited as forest justices or wardens. Skilled in the management of land, wilderness survival, and natural lore, the forest justices are charged with guarding the king's holdings, preserving his game from poachers and his subjects from outlaws and brigands.
In other places, the local authorities have either lost control or become tyrannical. Perhaps the local order has broken down and the land is overrun by bandits or robbers. Perhaps a bad ruler has taken over and driven the peasantry beyond all possible tolerance. At such time a hero may arise, striding out of the wilderness, setting right the wrongs, returning a just overlord to power, and then disappearing back into wild and unknown lands. Such is the stuff of legends. Such is the legacy of the ranger.
Overview[]
The ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS® 2nd Edition Player's Handbook and DUNGEON MASTER® Guide contain all the basic information you need to create and play ranger characters. But for players wanting to go a bit deeper, The Complete Ranger's Handbook provides a wealth of detail that expands on that basic information, adding more options and rules to make your rangers come alive like never before.
For instance, we'll examine the ranger's talents for tracking, animal empathy, and nature lore, suggesting methods for using these abilities in ways you might not have considered. If you've wondered what a ranger does with his followers or exactly how he acquires them, you'll find the answers here. If you're tired of playing ordinary rangers, there's more than a dozen new character kits for your perusal, including the Giant Killer, the Pathfinder, and the Stalker. There are also plenty of new spells, proficiencies, and equipment to expand your ranger's horizons. Use what you like and ignore what you don't.
Though much of this material will be of interest to the Dungeon Master, particularly the clarification of old concepts and the introduction of new rules, The Complete Ranger's Handbook is a supplement to the Player's Handbook. Every word is intended for the players. Note, however, that all of material is optional, and none may be incorporated into a campaign without the express permission of the DM. These caveats aside, feel free to turn the page and enjoy.
How to Use This Handbook[]
If you're a casual player, or have only a passing 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 sections, skim over the rest, and consult with your DM about any new ideas you'd like to try. Later, you can read the entire book at your leisure, or keep it on the shelf as a reference, along with the previous handbooks in this series (including The Complete Fighter's Handbook, The Complete Priest's Handbook, The Complete Wizard's Handbook, The Complete Thief's Handbook, The Complete Psionics Handbook, and The Complete Bard's Handbook).
Players who take their rangers seriously are advised to read the entire book. You'll discover a host of new ideas and character options, expanded tables, and tips for fine-tuning your role-playing techniques. As mentioned, all of the rules in this book must be cleared with the DM before you can use them in a game.
Players of all persuasions should take a look at 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 ranger character, and also feature a number of helpful notes to minimize the amount of time spent referring to the rulebooks. And speaking of the rulebooks, we've also compiled all of the key rules from the DUNGEON MASTER Guide and Player's Handbook relevant to rangers; you'll find most of them in the first three chapters. We've also made every effort to elaborate on the most interesting concepts from the DMG and PH.
Before We Get Started...[]
... here are a few more points to keep in mind:
First Edition Rules[]
The ranger has undergone several changes since the publication of the 1st Edition AD&D® rules. For that reason, those using the 1st Edition rules may find the ranger character described in these pages all but unrecognizable. Our suggestions: (1) take the plunge into the 2nd Edition rules, and become familiar with the 2nd Edition DUNGEON MASTER Guide and Player's Handbook before considering the ideas in this handbook, or (2) ignore the chapter references in this book, as they all refer to the 2nd Edition rulebooks. Find the relevant material by consulting the indexes or contents pages of the original books, then carefully adapt the handbook rules of your choice to the style of your campaign. For reference, a summary of the 1st Edition ranger rules can be found in the Appendix of this book on page 122.
Proficiencies[]
The ideas in this book lean heavily on the concepts of weapon and nonweapon proficiencies introduced in Chapter 5 of the 2nd Edition Player's Handbook. If you haven't been using proficiencies in your campaign, we suggest you review the rules before proceeding with this book. (And if you're not using the proficiency rules, you ought to reconsider—they're not that hard, and they make the game a lot more fun!).
A Note About Pronouns[]
For convenience and clarity, masculine pronouns 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.