Areas of Focus:
Major: Striking
Minor: Defense
Supplemental: Miscellaneous
Rangers focus on granting additional offensive abilities to the ranger, increasing the power of their animal companions, and strengthening the link between the ranger and animal companion.
Lore
Rangers are warriors of the woodlands and masters of the hunt. Always partnered with soul-bonded animal companions, they can be found in wild spaces all over the world. As their lifestyles often tend toward independence and isolation, it is rare for rangers to become an integral part of a large fighting force, though they are often employed as scouts and guides.
Overview
Rangers are warriors of the woodlands and masters of the hunt. They have learned how to live in the wilderness and adapt their unique skills in civilized contexts: their survival instincts contribute to martial prowess, and the savagery cultivated while living among beasts can be harnessed to devastating effect.
Rangers are expert sharpshooters with any ranged weapon. Though they traditionally rely on bows and crossbows, some use firearms or even magical implements. Regardless of their choice of armament, even novice rangers can strike swiftly and leave severe wounds that quickly wear down an enemy’s stamina and movement. They are assisted in their efforts by their animal companions, incredibly tough and loyal creatures with whom rangers form lifelong bonds, who share their lives (literally) with their masters.
Starting Stats
Endurance
36 + 12/level (Low)
Health
5 x Endurance (High)
Accuracy
30 + 3/level (Very High)
Deflection
20 (High)
Skill Bonus
Stealth +1 Survival +2
Starting Abilities
Animal Companion - All rangers share a strong bond with an animal companion. If one goes down in battle, the other will fall as well.
Ranger Companion
Sagani
Race: Boreal Dwarf
Sex: Female
Class: Ranger
Culture/Faction: Naasitaq
Age & Appearance: 57 years old, sturdy, world-worn, tanned boreal dwarf with black braided hair and black facepaint.
Description: Patient, methodical, quiet, warm, practical, good-natured.
Custom Features: Itumaak - Arctic Fox, facepaint texture, pigtail braids.
Tactics
Accurate Sniper Build
Advantages: Moderate Damage Output, Range, Personal Tank, Low Micro
Disadvantages: Lower Health/Endurance, Debuff if Companion Falls
Strategy
The Sniper Ranger is an incredibly Accurate build, where the ranger focuses on somewhat slower, but well aimed heavy attacks that deal large amounts of damage. With a Bear Companion on the front line, they are granted enough time to open every combat with one or two Wounding Shots. If things get hairy, Binding Roots provides a very reliable escape.
Equipment
Any Gun or Bow is recommended. Arquebus, Blunderbuss, and War Bow perform exceptionally well.
Light or Medium armor is recommended.
Races
Wood Elf
- Hearth Orlan
Culture
Deadfire Archipelago or The White that Wends
- Living Lands
Attributes
Might 18
Constitution 8
Dexterity 18
Perception 14
Intellect 8
- Resolve 9
Abilities
Bear Companion
Wounding Shot
Vicious Aim
Stalkers’ Link
Driving Flight
- Binding Roots
Talents
Accurate Wounding Shot
Penetrating Shot
Marksman
Bloody Slaughter
Thorny Roots
Stunning Shots
- Envenomed Strike or Gunner
Alternate Build
Melee Rangers are not unheard of; building your Ranger with Two Weapons and flanking your enemy with your animal companion can provide a fun alternative to the bow or gun user. When building this way, make choices similar to the Striker Barbarian and toss in a few of the animal companion talents as well. This allows both you and your companion to dish out rapid melee attacks with significant bonuses for flanking enemies in combat.
Special Abilities
Animal Companions
The ranger begins the game with (and can name) an animal companion that fights at his or her direction. This companion shares Health and Endurance with the ranger (if either one is damaged, the same pool is reduced). All rangers form a strong spiritual connection with a single creature, their animal companion. This connection allows rangers and their companions to coordinate attacks and efficiently take down prey. In most situations, the companion runs interference while the ranger attacks at range.
Rangers have the second highest single-target damage output capability and can use all abilities at a long range. Their base ranged accuracy is +15 above their base melee accuracy.
Boar Companion
Passive (Requires 0 summoned creatures)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: 1-6 Slash vs. Deflection
Summon: Boar Companion vs. Deflection
Boar companions inflict more damage when they are below 50% Endurance.
Wolf Companion
Passive (Requires 0 summoned creatures)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: 1-6 Slash vs. Deflection
Summon: Wolf Companion vs. Deflection
Wolf animal companions move exceptionally fast.
Antelope Companion
Passive (Requires 0 summoned creatures)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: 1-6 Slash vs. Deflection
Summon: Antelope Companion vs. Deflection
Antelope companions have naturally superior defenses (Deflection, Fortitude, Reflex, and Will).
Stag Companion
Passive (Requires 0 summoned creatures)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: 1-6 Slash vs. Deflection
Summon: Stag Companion vs. Deflection
Stags can activate a melee attack that does damage to all enemies in a small area around the main target.
Bear Companion
Passive (Requires 0 summoned creatures)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: 1-6 Slash vs. Deflection
Summon: Bear Companion vs. Deflection
Bear companions have unusually high Damage Reduction, giving them superior protection from all forms of damage.
Lion Companion
Passive (Requires 0 summoned creatures)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: 1-6 Slash vs. Deflection
Summon: Lion Companion vs. Deflection
Lion companions have the ability to Terrify enemies with a powerful roar.
Stalkers’ Link
Available at Level 5 (Passive)
Long experience fighting together enables the ranger and animal companion to fight as a highly efficient team. The ranger gains an accuracy bonus when fighting any enemy already engaged by the animal companion.
Driving Flight
Available at Level 7 (Passive)
Effects: Self: Ranged Attacks bounce +1 times
Each ranged attack loosed by the ranger contains such force as to fly straight through the first target and hit another behind it (within a 20-degree arc) for less damage.
Binding Roots
Available at Level 9 (5 per rest)
Speed: Fast
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Foe Target: Stuck for 30 sec vs. Reflex
Conjures roots from the ground underneath a target, causing them to become Stuck.
Arrow Sense
Available at Level 5 (Passive)
Effects: Self: +15 Deflection against ranged attacks
The ranger gains a portion of his or her animal companion’s senses and instincts, becoming especially sensitive to incoming ranged attacks that target Deflection.
Vicious Aim
Available at Level 3 (Modal)
Speed: Instant
Effects: User: x0.8 Rate of Fire, x0.8 Reload Speed, +10 Ranged Accuracy, x1.2 Ranged Damage
By lowering Attack and Reload Rate, the ranger is able to take more careful aim, giving them increased Accuracy and Damage.
Stunning Shots
Available at Level 11 (Passive)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: Stunned for 2 sec vs. Fortitude
Takes advantage of enemy distraction while Engaged by the ranger’s animal companion, Stunning the enemy (as a secondary attack) when the ranger lands a Hit or Critical Hit.
Swift Aim
Available at Level 3 (Modal)
Speed: Instant
Effects: User: x1.2 Attack Speed, x1.5 Reload Speed, -7 Accuracy
The ranger gets into a speedy and fluid offensive rhythm, reducing Accuracy but increasing Fire Rate and reload time with ranged weapon and Attack Rate with melee weapons.
Marked Prey
Available at Level 1 (1 per encounter)
Effects: Foe Target: Marked Prey for 30 sec, +20% bonus damage against single target
Designates a single target as prey, giving the ranger and animal companion a damage bonus against that target until combat ends.
Wounding Shot
Available at Level 1 (2 per encounter)
Range: 6m
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: Hobbled for 10 sec vs. Fortitude
User: Primary Attack + x1 Damage inflicted Over Time vs. Deflection
As he or she would with fleeing prey, the hunter aims for a spot that will slow the target enemy’s progress, Hobbling the target and inflicting Raw Damage over time to it.
Defensive Bond
Available at Level 5 (Passive)
The empathic bond between ranger and animal companion yields a preternatural awareness of incoming danger, giving both a significant bonus to Defense when both are subjected to the same area of effect attack.
Animal Companion Abilities
Predator’s Sense
Available at Level 3 (Passive)
Effects: Self: x1.5 Damage against targets affected by a Damage Over Time
Heightens the predatory instincts of the ranger’s animal companion, giving them a damage bonus on any creature suffering a damage over time effect.
Takedown
Available at Level 7 (1 per encounter)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Foe Target: 1-6 Slash, Prone for 10 sec vs. Fortitude
Instructs the ranger’s animal companion to rush a target, knocking it Prone.
Master’s Call
Available at Level 9 (3 per rest)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Foe Target: 15-20 Slash, Prone for 5 sec vs. Fortitude
Calls the ranger’s animal companion to his or her side, causing the companion to move back to the ranger at increased speed, ignoring Engagement and knocking any enemies in the way Prone.
Talents
Accurate Wounding Shot
Modifies Wounding Shot (+10 Accuracy, 2 per encounter)
Range: 6m
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Target: Hobbled for 10 sec vs. Fortitude
User: Primary Attack + x1 Damage inflicted Over Time
The ranger’s aim becomes deadlier, making his or her Wounding Shots more accurate.
Brutal Takedown
Modifies Takedown (20 Crush Damage, 1 per encounter)
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Foe Target: 1-6 Slash, Prone for 10 sec vs. Fortitude
The ranger trains his or her animal companion to inflict Crush damage on opponents when using Takedown.
Faithful Companion
Grants Faithful Companion (Passive)
Effects: Self: +15 Defense against Charmed attacks, +15 Defense against Confused attacks, +15 Defense against Dominated attacks
The ranger’s animal companion gains improved defenses against Charmed, Confused, and Dominated afflictions.
Merciless Companion
Grants Merciless Companion (Passive)
Effects: Self: x1.2 All Damage
Animal companions do small amounts of Sneak Attack damage against targets that qualify.
Resilient Companion
Grants Resilient Companion (Passive)
Effects: Self: +3 Damage Reduction
The ranger’s animal companion gains improved Damage Reductions against all damage types.
Strengthened Bond
Grants Strengthened Bond (Passive)
Effects: Self: +15% Interrupt chance
Increases the shared bonus provided by Defensive Bond.
Swift and Steady
Modifies Swift Aim (+5 Accuracy, Modal)
Speed: Instant
Effects: User: x1.2 Attack Speed, x1.5 Reload Speed, -7 Accuracy
The ranger becomes better able to shoot quickly, reducing the Accuracy penalty of Swift Aim.
Thorny Roots
Modifies Binding Roots (15 Pierce Damage, 15 Slash Damage, 5 per rest)
Speed: Fast
Interrupt: 40 (Average)
Effects: Foe Target: Stuck for 30 sec vs. Reflex
The ranger’s Binding Roots sprout nasty thorns that do additional Pierce and Slash damage to the target.
Vicious Companion
Grants Vicious Companion (Passive)
Effects: Self: x1.2 All Damage
Trains the ranger’s animal companion in vicious tactics, causing it to deal more damage with each hit.