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Rangers are skilled at living in and protecting
natural environments, typically woodlands.
They leaven their combat ability with skill
at existing in harmony with and using their
environment to best advantage. |
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Rangers excel in the forest and other natural
localities, using the terrain features of
an area to their best advantage. |
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While other classes develop special abilities
and practice arcane arts, Rangers concentrate
on improving their understanding of their
chosen environments, the ways of animals
residing therein, and basic survival skills. |
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Fictional and mythical characters that can
fit the Ranger archetype range from Robin
Hood to Martin Longbow, Aragorn son of Arathorn
to Edgtho the Silent, Legolas to Drzzt,
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The following guidelines provide advice
on how to take D&D Rangers and convert
them into the HERO System. |
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Ranger Class Ability Considerations |
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ATTACKS PER ROUND |
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Some Characters and Monsters get more Attacks
per Round than others in D&D 3e, and
this bears special consideration when converting
into the HERO System.
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For starters, all Characters are going to
get more "attacks per round" (or
per six seconds to be more accurate) in
the HERO System because the basic design
of the combat system revolves around twelve
second Turns in which all Characters make
at least one action, and often many more
than one.
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However there are several mechanisms available
to ensure that those that have a lot of
Attacks in D&D 3e maintain their edge in
melee nonetheless.
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SPEED Figured Characteristic |
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The most direct method of increasing one's
actions in the HERO System is to simply
buy more SPEED. However since Fantasy HERO
is a Heroic level game with Normal Characteristic
Maxima in place this can get expensive once
the Maxima has been hit. Due to the "force
multiplying" effect of SPEED, many
GM's will actively resist Character concepts
pertaining to increasing it too far. |
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But, if your GM is amenable, even
a single point of SPEED over the Characteristic
Maxima can give a definite edge in combat
and should be considered. |
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Killing Machine: +1 SPD (Over Characteristic
Maxima) |
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Real Cost:
20 points
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Sweep |
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Sweep is an Optional Combat Maneuver which
is accessible to all Characters for free
if it is allowed at all.
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Sweep allows a Character to attack multiple
opponents in HtH as long as they are within
melee range, but at a stiff to hit penalty.
To ensure superiority at it a Character
could buy several +2 OCV Combat Skill Levels
with Sweep.
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Willow parted Four Times: +6 OCV
with SWEEP {allows four strikes without
penalty} |
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Real Cost:
12 points
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NPA Autofire |
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Alternately, with your GM's permission,
you can buy an Autofire Naked Power Advantage
(NPA) usable with any weapon of up to a
certain amount of Active Points.
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This is a personal ability inherent to the
Character, and it is usable with any weapon
of the appropriate type. This will enable
your Fighter to strike multiple times with
each attack as described under Autofire.
However few GM's would permit NPA's
taken to be applied to free Equipment; due
to their overpowering efficiency. |
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If their use is common place then it likely
balances out but if only a few characters
have access to such abilties (such as the
PC's for instance), it can be very unbalancing.
Check with your GM prior to taking any NPA
based ability to determine whether or not
the GM allows them in their campaign. |
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Flurry of Strikes: Naked Modifier,
Autofire (3 shots; +1/4) for up to 4d6 HKA
(15 Active Points); OIF (Sword of Opportunity,
-1/2) Costs 1 END |
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Real Cost:
10 points
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Signature Power |
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With your GM's permission you could buy
a special Attack Power that allows your
Character to do damage to more than one
opponent at a time.
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You can use variations on Area of Effect:
Any Area with No Range to indicate an ability
to accurately attack all the hexes adjacent
to your character, for example.
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This is a more expensive option, but it
makes for interesting flavor for a given
Character; also, don't forget the advantage
of only needing to hit a hexes DCV of 3.
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Reaping the Whirlwind: Killing Attack
- Hand-To-Hand 2d6 (plus STR) (vs. PD),
+1 STUN Multiplier (+1/4), Area Of Effect
(4" Any Area; +1) (67 Active Points);
OIF (Sword of Opportunity; -1/2), All hexes
must be adjacent to own hex (-1/2) Costs
7 END |
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Real Cost:
33 points
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SPELLCASTING |
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Rangers use the
Animine Magic System |
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Rangers gained the ability to cast some
nature oriented Spells as early as fourth
Class Level with good statistics, or sixth
Class Level otherwise. This ability was
not particularly defining for Rangers, but
did give them some flexibility. |
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This conversion resource assumes that Rangers
use the provided
Animine Magic System, which
is a conversion of D&D 3e style Druidic
Magic. The full details of how this Magic
System works are provided in the linked
document. |
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WARDEN MAGIC |
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A selection of Ranger Spells has been made
available on the
Spells Page, under the "Warden"
category.
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NOTE: As an organizational aid, Ranger
Spells are grouped into a "Warden"
Category. This is simply a labeling / grouping
convenience. Ignore or use the term it as
you prefer.
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SPEED OF SPELL PROGRESSION |
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There is nothing preventing a Ranger character
from starting off with Ranger Spells, not
having any at all, or advancing them to
a much higher degree in the HERO System.
It is up to the individual GM to determine
at what rate a character may progress their
Spellcasting; in my own campaigns I allow
the point expenditure to dictate the rate.
If a players wants to spend the points on
it, then I allow them to advance their Spellcasting
as quickly as they can afford and prefer. |
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RANGER MAGIC SCHOOL SKILLS |
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Rangers work magic via their mastery of
natural forces much like a Druid and use
an EGO based version of the Power Skill
called Nature Lore, which also serves as
both KS: Nature Lore, and PS: Ranger for
the Ranger in addition to being used whenever
a Spell Skill Roll is needed.. |
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Nature Lore: Power Skill: Nature
Lore |
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Real Cost: 3 Points |
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SPELL SELECTION AND CREATION |
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Rangers cannot create new spells by default;
their Spell List is fixed, and well defined.
Rangers may only select Spells from the
Ranger Spell List and only the GM
may alter this list. |
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FAVORED ENEMY |
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A feature more or less unique the Ranger
Class, this ability gives Rangers a scaling
bonus versus a chosen opponent. Unfortunately
the fashion in which it was handled in 3e
resulted in the bonus versus the first Chosen
Enemy being very large and the bonus vs.
the last Chosen Enemy being very small.
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Thus, you ended up with Rangers with something
like a +5 vs. Goblins and a +1 vs. Dragons
at 20th Class Level; or you got the power
gamer who cleverly named Dragon, Demon,
or some other dangerous opponent as their
first Chosen Enemy and then reaped no benefit
from it until the higher levels where they
suddenly became very dangerous versus a
powerful type of opponent.
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With the "if you want it you just have
to pay for it" mentality of the HERO
System, this flaw goes away unless the GM
or Player chooses to maintain it. You don't
need to buy a lot of levels versus an Enemy
type that you don't need them against, and
you can buy more levels vs. an Enemy you
feel you do need them against. |
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FAVORED ENEMY BONUSES |
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In the source material the Ranger gained
their Favored Enemy Bonus with a list of
skills and to damage. This resulted in Rangers
that chose Constructs, Undead, and similar
creatures not getting their bonus to damage
because it didn't work vs. opponents that
were immune to critical hits. Personally,
I always translated the damage bonus to
a bonus to hit for those Rangers. |
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FAVORED ENEMY SKILL BONUSES |
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I recommend translating the Favored Enemy
bonus as a to-hit bonus rather than a damage
bonus in the HERO System which dovetails
nicely with Overall Skill Levels to cover
the Skill Bonus aspect of Favored Enemy
as well, as indicated by the following. |
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Favored Enemy: +1 Overall, Only vs.
Specific Creature Type (-2) |
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Real Cost: 3.3 Points each |
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FAVORED ENEMY DAMAGE BONUSES |
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For those looking to play a "Slayer"
type character, you can also use the Deadly
Blow Talent listed on pg 105 of Fantasy
HERO for 5th Edition, using the "very
limited circumstances" option. |
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Favored Enemy Slaying: +1d6 KA; any
weapon, very limited circumstances;
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Real Cost: 4 Points per die; Costs
1 END per die |
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TRACKING |
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Rangers are able to track just about anything
in the source material; this is most closely
represented by use of the Tracking Skill
in the HERO System. |
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Tracking: Tracking Skill
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Real Cost: 3 points |
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Better Tracker: +1 to Tracking |
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Real Cost: 2 points each level |
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TWO WEAPON FIGHTING |
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The ability to dual-wield without penalty
was a major advantage for Rangers in the
source material, though it has never been
apparent to me at least why that particular
ability was ever attached to Rangers. Regardless,
this ability is extremely easy to do in
the HERO System with the Two-Weapon Fighting
(HtH) skill. |
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Dual Wielder: Two Weapon Fighting
(HtH)
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Real Cost: 10 points |
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BETTER TWO WEAPON FIGHTING |
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To be able to dual wield more freely, a
Ranger may also want to take Rapid Attack
(HtH).
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Fast Dual Wielder: Rapid Attack (HtH) |
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Real Cost: 5 points |
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ANIMAL COMPANION |
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Some Rangers wind up with Animal Companions
that serve them loyally. Use the Follower
Perk to design appropriate Animal Companions.
The HERO System Bestiary is an excellent
source of creature write-ups, which can
be expanded upon as appropriate and with
GM permission. |
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NOTE:
Step 5: Gear, Followers, and Property
of the D&D 3e Conversion process covers
the conversion of Animal Companions in more
detail. |
| Rangers are capable woodsmen and
naturalists that are very capable at surviving in the wildlands of the
world. |
| Presented
below are an assortment of Basic Packages, Extension Packages, and Composite
Packages for your use. |
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