Player Tips – Adding more Class to your Class – Ranger

April 1, 2016

Last week I delved into adding more class to your class with the paladin. You can read about it here. Today however we are going deep into the forest with the Ranger. The ranger is one of my favorite class as I am an outdoors kind of guy. Perhaps Because Strider was so powerful that D&D in early editions made it hard to be one but what ever it was the fact that in 2nd Edition you could not just play a ranger made it an impactful class.

With the last several iterations of Dungeons and Dragons they did away with stat requirements to qualify for a class and 5th Edition too away all restrictions. So now those choice classes are ripe for the picking.

So ranger, the class that typically is more at home in the wilderness than in a city. So when making a ranger character there are questions you need to ask. What does it mean to be a ranger? Did you grow up in the wilderness? Did you leave civilization because the people there lied to you and harmed you a deep way? Do you have a connection with nature you do not understand? How did you get started along this career path?

Once you delve into these matters of back story you have to figure out where the character is going and the nature of the relationship with the outdoors. Some rangers have a love of nature. Be it because of its beauty or savagery it does not matter. Are you just a skilled woodsman and hunter and nothing more or do you feel that nature itself guides you? Is there a deity guiding your path or that you pay homage to or are the gods something wish no part of?

Adding More Class to Your Class – Backgrounds

Your background choice can be just as important as your class when compiling your character. It identifies where you came from and give motivations for moving froward. Here are a few ideas of how to take the standard array of backgrounds with some ideas you may not have thought of.

Acolyte – You grew up in a monastery knowing not much beyond those walls and as you grew close to adulthood your world was shattered as the monastery was attacked and destroyed. To your knowledge you were the only one to get out alive. Glad for your tie in study you remembered a few tricks to surviving in nature. Years later you have perfected those techniques and taught yourself some more.

Charlatan – At one point you excelled at getting one over on people. But one such con went bad and left on the run. This person was too powerful and you feared their wrath the only safe place was the forest. How many years would it take them to forget?

Criminal – Perhaps you were a highwayman and were young. You were taken in by those who defeated you and were trained a more useful skill.

Entertainer – Was your first performance you last? Were you mocked as you ran off stage in embarrassment? Did the wildlife of the forest off more support in their silence?

Folk Hero -Did your crazy antics as a child actually cause some major event to happen that you fled the town to get away from their constant praise?

Guild Artisan – Maybe you were a wood carver or any creator of wondrous works, but you heard of a rare material for some great project and you set out to find it. While looking for it you found something else instead.

Hermit – You and adoptive parent have been secluded away pondering the change of teh world around you and the signs of great change are moving so now is the time to act.

Noble – Are you the last surviving member of a ruling house that was forcibly removed from the throne. Are you still in danger? Do you even know of your lineage?

Outander – You have always been comfortable in nature traveling in caravans with your family. Other than the roads of the realms you have no place you call home. Learning about the trails and wilderness throughout your travels you feel kinship with it.

Sage – Did your time being stuck shelving books weigh heavily on you when all you wanted to do was be outside in nature and sunlight. Were you a nuisance always opening the shutters and windows to let in sunlight and a nice breeze. Did you spend every available second outside?

Sailor – A ranger on the waves is just as useful as one on the woods. Were you a pirate or a pirate hunter? You might have been one and then became the other. How did that happen?

Soldier – Were you trained but never saw the promised action of combat? Were you in a war and were cut off from support. Did you lead your fellow soldiers through dense forst and back home only after months of being lost. Did that effect you?

Urchin – Tired of being hungry all the time did you flee to the forest to die or because you thought that there would be a better chance of finding food?

So there you have it. Did I add more class to your class? Do you have more inspiration to play the Ranger? I hope I did. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!