The ranger is the arrow that flies out of the forest, the eyes watching you from the dark, or the tall cloaked stranger who follows you down a deserted street at night. He is a mighty warrior, but also cunning and ruthless: a hunter, a stalker, and a survivor. A paladin or fighter may best him in a fair contest, but when fought on his own terms he is a terrifying foe. This ranger’s primary class features are Instinct, a wisdom-based bonus that you can add to one or two rolls per round, and Sneak Attack. These class features work at cross purposes (Sneak Attack encourages full-attacking, while Instinct works best when you hit and run), but combined they make for a versatile and opportunistic fighter.

Alignment: Any

Hit Die: d8

Class Skills

Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int), Knowledge (nature) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Spellcraft (Int), Stealth (Dex), Survival (Wis), and Swim (Str).

Skill Ranks Per Level: 6 + Int modifier.

Level	Base Attack	Fort	Ref	Will	Special Abilities
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	Ranger’s Lore, Track
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Instinct +1, Wild Empathy
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Sneak Attack +1d6
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Hunter’s Strike, Wild Path
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	Ranger’s Lore
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Instinct +2
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Sneak Attack +2d6
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Improved Hunter’s Strike
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Ranger’s Lore
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	Instinct +3
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Sneak Attack +3d6
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Quarry
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	Ranger’s Lore
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Instinct +4
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	Sneak Attack +4d6
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Greater Hunter’s Strike
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Ranger’s Lore
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+5	Instinct +5
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Sneak Attack +5d6
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	Prey

Class Features

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A ranger is proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light armor, medium armor, and shields (except tower shields).

Ranger’s Lore: Rangers are an eclectic lot, and while all are cunning and ruthless in combat their exact skills and techniques vary, often by tradition or homeland. A ranger may choose one of the following abilities every time the class feature comes up. They do not stack (a ranger can’t have a favored enemy bonus higher than +2), but you may select one multiple times in order to gain different favored terrains, favored enemies, or feats.

Arrows from the Trees (Ex): A ranger must be 5th level to select this ability. When using a ranged weapon, she may sneak-attack foes up to one range increment (rather than 30 feet) away. She suffers only a -10 penalty to stealth checks made to hide after attacking (rather than the usual -20).

Combat Style: The ranger gains a bonus combat feat.

Beastmaster (Ex): A ranger must be 9th level and have the “animal companion” class feature to select this ability. She gains an additional animal companion. Her effective level for determining the abilities of this companion is equal to that of her primary companion -4.

Favored Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a ranger selects a creature type from the ranger favored enemies table. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his selected type. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A ranger may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures.

Favored Terrain: A ranger may select a type of terrain from the Favored Terrains table. When in her favored terrain, a ranger gains a +2 bonus on initiative checks and Perception, Stealth, and Survival skill checks when he is in this terrain, as well as knowledge checks pertaining to that area (knowledge(nature) in a forest, for instance). Any time her favored terrain grants her cover, she gains an additional +2 dodge bonus to armor class. Add +10 to the DC to track a ranger in her favored terrain. A ranger who is dressed to blend into her favored terrain may use the stealth skill even if she does not have cover or concealment.

Guardian (Ex): A ranger must be 5th level to select this ability. If the party is attacked, any ally adjacent to the ranger gains the ranger’s instinct bonus as a circumstance bonus to armor class. That ally is not considered flat-footed unless the ranger is also flat-footed. These benefits only apply during the surprise round.

Hunter’s Eyes (Ex): A ranger must be 5th level to select this ability. The ranger applies her instinct bonus to all Perception checks.

Killer Instinct (Ex): A ranger must be 13th level to select this ability. A ranger who acts in the surprise round may make a Hunter’s Strike even if she has not had a chance to study an opponent.

Ruggedness (Ex): The ranger enjoys a +1 bonus to fortitude and will save. She gains Endurance as a bonus feat.

Wolfpack Tactics (Ex): The ranger gains a +2 dodge bonus to armor class against any opponent that she flanks.

Woodland Stride (Ex): A ranger must be 5th level to select this ability. The ranger may move through any sort of undergrowth (such as natural thorns, briars, overgrown areas, and similar terrain) at her normal speed and without taking damage or suffering any other impairment. Thorns, briars, and overgrown areas that are enchanted or magically manipulated to impede motion, however, still affect her.

Track (Ex): A ranger adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks.

Instinct (Ex): At second level a ranger gains an instinct bonus, equal to her wisdom modifier (at least 0) +1, which she adds to all initiative checks and applies as a dodge bonus to armor class during all surprise rounds. As she gains levels, a ranger’s instinct bonus increases and she may benefit from it in a number of different ways. Instinct is not a constant bonus born of repetitive training, but instead represents an active cunning, situational thinking, intuition and improvisation. At 6th level, a ranger may add her instinct bonus to a single damage roll as a swift action, or she may add it to her armor class (or CMB) against a single attack as an immediate action. At 10th level, a ranger may add her instinct bonus to a single attack roll as a swift action, or she may add it to a single saving throw as an immediate action. At 14th level, whenever a ranger spends a swift or immediate action to apply her instinct bonus to a roll, one ally of her choice within speaking distance may also spend a swift or immediate action to gain her (the ranger’s) instinct bonus on a roll of the same type, provided that the ally uses it in the same way (attack, damage, or armor class against the same enemy, or saving throws against the same ability). This ally must use this ability before the start of the ranger’s next turn. Finally, at 18th level a ranger may apply her instinct bonus once per round as a free action. This is in addition to her swift or immediate action use of the ability. A ranger’s instinct bonus never stacks with itself.

Wild Empathy (Ex): A ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal. This ability functions just like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (see Using Skills). The ranger rolls 1d20 and adds his ranger level and his Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly. To use wild empathy, the ranger and the animal must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time. The ranger can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2, but he takes a –4 penalty on the check.

Sneak Attack (Ex): If a ranger can catch an opponent when he is unable to defend himself effectively from her attack, she can strike a vital spot for extra damage. The ranger's attack deals extra damage anytime her target would be denied a Dexterity bonus to AC (whether the target actually has a Dexterity bonus or not), or when the rogue flanks her target. This extra damage is 1d6 at 3rd level, and increases by 1d6 every 4 ranger levels thereafter. Should the ranger score a critical hit with a sneak attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as sneak attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a ranger can make a sneak attack that deals nonlethal damage instead of lethal damage. She cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a sneak attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty. The ranger must be able to see the target well enough to pick out a vital spot and must be able to reach such a spot. A ranger cannot sneak attack while striking a creature with concealment.

Hunter’s Strike (Ex): The ranger excels when she can stalk her prey from the shadows, taking her time to plan and execute an attack. By studying the appearance, baring, and mannerisms of her prey she picks out weakness that others overlook, and by the time her victims are shown their faults the damage has already been done. At fourth level, a ranger who spends at least three rounds (as a standard action each round) studying a foe adds her instinct bonus to her next attack against him and deals bonus damage equal to her weapon’s base damage (1d8 for a longbow, 2d6 for a greatsword, etc). The attack must be made within one round after the ranger stops studying (in general, that means during the surprise round or the first round of combat). To make a hunter’s strike with a ranged weapon, the target must be no more than 60 feet or 1 range increment away (whichever is greater). The ranger normally remains hidden until this point, as a careless ranger’s foes might flee or attack her before she has had time to study them, but note that this ability does not actually require that her foes be caught unaware. A ranger could be staring you in the face while she sizes you up, taking note of exposed vitals. At 8th level, a ranger need only study her prey for two rounds, and deals double damage on a hunter’s stroke (rather than merely adding her base damage). If this attack is also a critical hit, increase the multiplier by 1. At 16th level, a ranger need only study her prey for one round (as a standard action), and any critical threats made on a hunter’s strike automatically confirm.

Wild Path: All experienced rangers achieve a spiritual bond with nature. This path may take one of three forms: a supernatural bond that allows the ranger to cast divine spells, a spiritual bond with a natural creature, or a physical bond with the natural world.

Mysticism: The ranger gains the ability to cast a small number of divine spells drawn from the ranger spell list, as laid out on the ranger spells per day table. These spells are wisdom-based, and his caster level equals his ranger level -3. (Note that this version of the ranger does not have a spell list and cannot use spell-trigger or spell completion items unless and until he chooses the “mysticism” class feature).

Animal Companion: The ranger gains an animal companion, exactly as the druid class feature.

Viridian Bond: In a lengthy ritual, you allow nature to physically infuse your flesh: green vines weave in and out of your skin and leaves dangle amid your hair. You gain a +1 natural armor bonus to armor class, a +4 bonus to saving throws against plant-related spells (such as entangle) and the abilities of plant creatures, and a +2 bonus to stealth checks made in a verdant environment. At 7th level you become immune to sleep effects. You no longer need to sleep, as long as you spend at least 8 hours of each day exposed to sunlight (including indirect, cloud-filtered or tree-filtered light). A ranger who spends an entire day indoors or underground suffers no special penalties but must sleep normally. At 10th level you become immune to poison and stunning. At 13th level your natural armor bonus improves to +2 and you become immune to paralysis.

Quarry (Ex): At 12th level, a ranger who observes a foe for three rounds (as a free action each round, inside or outside of combat) may designate that creature as her quarry. Whenever she is following the tracks of her quarry, a ranger can take 10 on her Survival skill checks while moving at normal speed, without penalty. In addition, she receives a +2 insight bonus on attack rolls made against her quarry, and all critical threats are automatically confirmed. A ranger can have no more than one quarry at a time. She can dismiss this effect at any time as a free action, but she cannot select a new quarry for 24 hours. If the ranger sees proof that her quarry is dead, she can select a new quarry after waiting 1 hour.

Prey (Su): A 20th level ranger need only study a creature for one round to mark him as quarry. She always knows whether or not her quarry is alive, what plane of existence he is on, and his exact direction and distance if he is on the same plane. She automatically adds her instinct bonus to all weapon damage rolls against him, and her attacks always deal sneak-attack damage to him whether or not he is denied his dexterity bonus. If her quarry is killed, she can select a new one after only 10 minutes have passed.

Author's Note: This class had been originally posted on the Paizo messageboards as Hydro's Cut-Throat Ranger. Picking out minor changes to familiar mechanics is annoying; for those of you already familiar with the PRPG ranger, here's a brief summary:

• Favored Enemy can't be taken twice for the same type (+2 is as high as it gets).
• Favored terrain is reworked slightly (sometimes applying to armor class) and can't be taken twice for the same terrain.
• This ranger cannot use wands before 4th level, as spellcasting is an optional class feature which not all rangers take.
• Animal companions (for those who take them) are just as good as a druid’s.
• Quarry is easier (but takes longer) to activate and doesn't require that the target be a favored enemy.
• Class skills, skills/level, base attack bonus, and saves are unchanged. Hit die is reduced to 1d8. Woodland Stride, Track, Wild Empathy, and Sneak Attack all work exactly as described in the Pathfinder RPG.

Additional Ratings
Balance:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 16 Votes )
Utility:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 15 Votes )
Clarity:	1 2 3 4 5 ( 15 Votes )