Ranger

General

The Ranger is a scout, warrior and woodsman. But the Ranger is not always the guardian of the wilds that the Druid is as they owe no oaths to circles of elders. Able to slip through the shadows with great ease while little escapes the Rangers notice they make ideal wilderness scouts and explorers.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d10

Proficiencies: Armor (Light, Medium), Shields, Weapon (Simple, Martial)

Skill Points: 4+int modifier per level (4+int modifier)*4 at 1st level

Save Progression: Fort High, Will Low, Ref Low

Attack Bonus: +1/level

Spellcasting

Divine (spell failure from armor is ignored), wisdom-based (a base wisdom score of 10 + the spell's level is required to cast a spell, bonus spells are based on modified wisdom, and the wisdom modifier affects spell DCs), and requires preparation.

Animal Companions

EFU uses a more dynamic animal companion system where you have to find the companion yourself in the wilderness.

A Player Tool called Train Companion is available at the time your ranger or druid receive the Summon Animal Companion feat. By targeting an animal empathized creature, you learn if the animal can be trained as a companion, if you have enough levels (druid and ranger levels) to train the animal, the XP cost of doing so, whether it will replace your old animal companion and ask you to confirm. Repeatedly targeting the animal with the player tool will then turn the animal into your new animal companion.

Use of the Summon Animal Companion feat will call upon the trained animal companion. However, if the animal companion dies it is dead for good and you will have to train a new animal. There is no XP cost for the animal dying.

You can name your animal companion through the voice command:

/c name_companion Biter

Which will name your companion Biter. It usually takes a few seconds after the animal companion is summoned or the voice command is issued before you can see the change. Alternatively, you may have to enter a new area. Only one name (no surnames) can be applied at this time.

The start area also have a selection of starting animal companions from the surface. See the parrot.

With this change it is possible for us to give you unique custom animal companions. If you get one of these, remember that death is final.

Also there are some commands available for your companion:

   /c astealth a      Puts your companion in stealth mode.
   /c adetect a       Puts your companion in detect mode.
   /v a      Speaks through your companion.  You do not actually speak through your companion, but you can make it say things such as "Growls".  Type /v a "Growls".

Divine Wands

Rangers are able to use wands crafted by divine spell-casters.

Favored Enemy

The attack bonus against Favored Enemies has been changed to +1/3 Ranger levels (from +1/2 lvls).

Like many classes in EFU Rangers have a number of perks to choose from which grant some minor combat advantages. However unlike most classes the perks Rangers receive are based on which favored enemies they select at 1, 5 and 10.

Favored Enemy Perks

All of the ranger bonuses below kick in only with minimum six ranger levels:

Aberration

• +1 Will.
• +2 Concentration and Heal.
• +2 Hide, +2 Move Silently, +1 AB, +1 AC, while within the Lowerdark.

Animal

• +2 Animal Empathy, Disable Trap, and Set Trap.
• Random generated trap each rest.

Beast

• +1 additional AB and damage VS magical beasts.
• 2/- DR slashing.
• Awaken bonus to Animal Companion.

Construct

• 2/- DR bludgeoning.
• +1 electrical damage vs constructs.
• +2 Search, +2 Spot, +1 AC, +1 AB, while within the Machine.

Dragon

• +4 dodge AC vs Dragons.
• +1 additional AB and Damage VS reptilians.
• +5% Physical damage immunity.
• Immunity: Fear.

Dwarf

• +1 non-magical AB VS Lawful.
• +2 Appraise and Search.
• Plunder: Enemies slain may yield a few gold pieces.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC dwarves.

Elemental

• 10% Elemental Immunity. (acid, cold, electrical and fire)
• +1 random elemental damage (acid, cold, electrical or fire) each rest/reset.

Elf

• Immunity: Sleep.
• +1 additional AB and damage VS half-elves.
• +2 Listen and Spot.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC elves.

Fey

• +2 VS mind affecting.
• 7% concealment.

Giant

• +4 Discipline
• +4 dodge AC against giants. (if not dwarf or gnome)
• Dwarves and gnomes with FE: Giant gain +1 additional AB and damage VS giants.

Gnome

• Spell Immunity: Color Spray.
• Spell Immunity: Tasha's Hideous Laughter.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC gnomes.

Goblinoid

• Bonus Feat: Cleave.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC goblins.

Half-elf

• +1 additional AB and damage VS elves.
• +1 additional AB and damage VS humans.
• +2 Bluff, +2 Persuade.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC half-elfs.

Half-orc

• +1 additional AB and damage VS humans.
• +1 additional AB and damage VS orcs.
• +2 Intimidate, +2 Taunt.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC half-orcs.

Halfling

• +1 AC vs halflings.
• +1d4 bludgeoning VS halflings.
• +2 Spot and Listen VS halflings.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC halflings.

Human

• Gain access to Examine Mark player tool.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC humans.

Magical Beast

• +1 additional AB and damage VS beasts.
• +1 VS Spells (if not dwarf).
• +3 Lore and +2 Spellcraft.

Monstrous Humanoid

• 5% Physical damage immunity.
• +5% Movement speed added to wilderness speed (creating a total of 15% instead of 10%).
• +1 Fortitude.

Orc

• +1 additional AB and damage VS half-orcs.
• 5/- DR fire.

Outsider

• Protection from alignment benefits against all Outsiders.
• 1/day Dismissal (7).

Reptilian

• +1 additional AB and damage VS dragons.
• Use Poison feat.
• +4 VS poison.
• +4 VS traps.
• Retrieve a flesh trophy from slain PC kobolds.

Shapechanger

• Immunity: Disease.
• Drawn blood has a chance of revealing lycanthropic nature of other PCs, both natural and infected.
• +2 spot and listen.
• An additional +2 spot and listen against shapechangers.
• +2 dodge AC vs shapechangers.

Undead

• 10% negative energy immunity.
• +2 VS death and negative energy.
• +1 Divine damage VS undead.

Vermin

• +4 vs poison.
• +1 Reflex.
• Spell Immunity: Web.
• +2 Listen, +2 Spot, +1 AB, +1 AC, while within the Sewers and oozed Lower.

Note on Favored Enemy Changes

• Access these simply by choosing the matching Favored Enemy feat.
• Multiclassing is possible, PRCs, etc., so long as you have six ranger levels. Otherwise you will only benefit from the +1 AB/3 levels, and default ranger bonuses.
• Additional changes are likely in the future, though please refrain from making knee jerk, fussy suggestions.
• Any ambiguity should be found out in game.

Natural Swiftness

Rangers gain 10% movement speed increase if the character has 2 Ranger levels and is in a wilderness (caves) area. This is disabled in heavy armor.

Natural Senses

Rangers gain +4 bonus to Spot, Search and Listen in wilderness areas if they have at least 5 Ranger levels.

Resting

Unlike most other classes in EFU Rangers do not require a campfire to rest in the wilderness. A bedroll is still required, however.

Tracking

Rangers are able to track NPCs (not PCs) in the same area as themselves if they have at least 2 Ranger levels.

What is tracking?

"Tracking in hunting is the science and art of observing a place through animal footprints and other signs, including: tracks, beds, chews, scat, hair, etc. ... So called, 'master trackers', are able to know an animal through its tracks and trails, also known as spoor. These include not only identification and interpretation of tracks, but also scat (or feces), feathers, kills, scratching posts, trails, drag marks, sounds, marking posts, and more. There is a story in most of these marks to be found. The skilled tracker is able to discern these markings and recreate what transpired."

-- Wikipedia, on Tracking

One of the extra benefits that we provide for rangers and other wilderness oriented characters is a scripted Tracking ability. Rangers get this ability at ranger level two, and druids get it at druid level six. Tracking allows a character to use their keen observation skills to collect information on nearby animals, monsters, and characters without directly observing them.

How does tracking work on EFU?

To perform tracking, you can use either the Tracking option in the crafting menu, or the "/c track" voice command. They both do the same thing: your character will stoop for four seconds, and tracking information will be displayed in the combat window.

Successful tracking will yield a list of results. The amount of information conveyed in these results depends on the degree to which the tracker's roll to track exceeds the prey's roll to avoid being detected. The following are sample results, in increasing order of success:

   (nothing)
   Other undistinguishable tracks here.
   Creature tracks to the N.
   Small creature tracks to the N.
   Small creature tracks to the NNW.
   Small creature tracks to the NNW, nearby.
   Small animal tracks to the NNW, nearby.
   Small animal tracks roughly 5 meters to the NNW.
   Small animal tracks (of the Rabbit of Caerbannog) roughly 5 meters to the NNW.

Tracking is done in EFU using opposed rolls. A tracker's ability to track his prey is a combination of the following:

   The tracker's ranger levels.
   The tracker's spot and search skills.
   The tracker's lore skill, capped by his ranger levels.
   The distance between the tracker and his prey.
   Whether the prey is the tracker's favored enemy.
   Whether the tracker has special vision (low-light vision or darkvision).

The prey's ability to confound a tracker is a combination of the following:

   The prey's size.
   The weight the prey is carrying.
   Whether the prey is flying/levitating.
   The prey's hide and move silently skills.
   Whether the prey is moving in Stealth Mode.
   Whether the prey has the Trackless Step feat.

What environmental factors can affect tracking?

Tracking is easiest in outdoor natural environments. Attempting to track in an indoors environment, or in an artificial environment, will incur a small penalty, due to the decreased number of visible cues (no rocks to displace, no lichen to trample, no mushrooms to brush aside).

What counts as "outdoor" or "artificial" in the Underdark? A mushroom grove is an outdoor natural environment. The streets of Traensyr are an outdoor artificial environment. The interior of the Sanctuary Town Hall is an artificial indoor environment.

Certain areas also impose spot and listen modifiers, due to low amounts of light, constant echoing, or other environmental factors. These modifiers will factor into tracking by changing the effective spot and listen skills of the tracker.

How does Favored Enemy factor into tracking?

Good question! Rangers study their favored enemies and develop a keen understanding of their weaknesses; this understanding allows them to more skillfully track these foes. When attempting to decipher the tracks of a favored enemy, a ranger gets a bonus to their tracking roll.

Furthermore, certain racial types which an ordinary tracker might not be able to tell apart simply by virtue of their tracks (aberration tracks and outsider tracks are both "strange", magical beast tracks don't look that different from regular beast tracks, half-elf tracks look very similar to human tracks, et cetera) can be distinguished by a tracker for whom such creatures are favored enemies.

This emphasizes the favored enemy choice. A tracker with Favored Enemy: Aberrations isn't just a tracker: he is an aberration hunter, who can track aberrations better than his peers and identify the fine distinctions between an ordinary vrock's talon scratches and a hated hook horror's claw marks.

Does tracking properly identify the racial types of subrace PCs?

Yes! If you are attempting to track a goblin or kobold PC, they will show up as goblinoid or reptilian, not halfling (the base racial type which those subraces are built upon in our subrace system). Everything will work as expected, when it comes to tracking subrace characters.

How does filtering work for the "/c track" command?

You can use filtering to reduce the number of results shown when performing tracking. For example, consider a tracker searching a crypt for a drow necromancer. The crypt contains sixteen skeletons, the drow necromancer, and a stealthy drow assassin. Regular tracking results might look like:

   Other undistinguishable tracks here.
   Medium-sized elf tracks to the WSW, very distant.
   Medium-sized undead tracks to the WSW, distant.
   Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant.
   Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant.
   Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant.
   Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant.
   Medium-sized undead tracks to the SSW, distant.

(...repeated ten more times...)But the tracker doesn't care about the list of skeletons! Is there a way to get tracking results about the drow whom you care about, without having the flood of results about the skeletons, whom you don't?

Yes. Use "/c track -race elf", and the only result you get is "Medium-sized elf tracks to the WSW, very distant." This removes all of the undesirable information about the skeletons. Notice that it also removes the first result about indistinguishable tracks, coming from the stealthy drow assassin -- despite the fact that he is actually drow, your tracking results weren't accurate enough to determine that he was drow, and so he got filtered out.

You can do the same trick to filter out creatures by size category, or by name, using "/c track -size" and "/c track -name". Filters can also be combined, so to get only results about medium-sized goblinoids, you can do "/c track -size medium -race goblinoid".