Ranger is a class in 4th edition Dungeons & Dragons. There are three ranger subclasses: original ranger, a martial striker,[PH:103] hunter, a martial and primal controller,[HotFK:149] and scout, a martial and primal striker.[HotFK:175]
Class traits
The following traits are common to original rangers, hunters, and scouts.
A 1st-level ranger begins with hit points equal to 12 plus the ranger's Constitution score, and a +1 bonus to Fortitude and Reflex defenses. A ranger gains 5 hit points per level.
A 1st-level ranger begins with simple melee, military melee, simple ranged, and military ranged weapon proficiencies.
Class skills
Original rangers, hunters, and scouts are trained in either:
- Dungeoneering (Wis), or
- Nature (Wis),
Plus any four skills from the ranger class skill list:
- Acrobatics (Dex)
- Athletics (Str)
- Dungeoneering (Wis)
- Endurance (Con)
- Heal (Wis)
- Nature (Wis)
- Perception (Wis)
- Stealth (Dex)
Original ranger
The original ranger is the subclass of ranger introduced in the Player's Handbook.[PH:103]
An original ranger has healing surges per day equal to 6 plus the ranger's Constitution modifier, and cloth, leather, and hide armor proficiencies.
- Role: Striker
- Power source: Martial
- Key Abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Wisdom
- Build Options: Archer ranger, Two-blade ranger, Beast Master
Characteristics: You combine fast, hard-hitting melee attack power with excellent ranged attack ability, and shift easily from melee to ranged combat. You are moderately resilient in battle, but you prefer hit-and-run attacks or ambushes to prolonged slugging matches. Hit hard, get out; that’s the ranger’s way.
Religion: Rangers favor deities of nature and of the hunt. They often revere Kord, Melora, or the Raven Queen. Evil or chaotic evil rangers usually worship Gruumsh or Zehir.
Races: Elves are ideal archer rangers. Humans, halflings, dragonborn, and eladrin are all sometimes drawn to the wandering life of a two-blade ranger.
Original rangers gain the following class features at 1st level:
- Hunter's Quarry
- One of the following choices:
Beast Mastery
Original rangers may choose the Beast Mastery class feature to replace the Fighting Style and Prime Shot/Running Attack features.[MP:38]
Fighting Style
Original rangers who do not choose the Beast Mastery class feature gain the Fighting Style class feature at 1st level, and choose one of the following options. Each option grants a bonus feat, regardless of whether the ranger has met the feat's normal prerequisites, and may have additional effects.
| Fighting style | Bonus feat | Additional effects |
|---|---|---|
| Archer Fighting Style[PH:104] | Defensive Mobility | — |
| Hunter Fighting Style[MP2:32] | Quick Draw | free action to sheathe weapons, and +4 AC vs. opportunity attacks provoked by ranged attacks |
| Marauder Fighting Style[MP2:32] | Two-Weapon Defense | +1 speed while not using a shield or two-handed weapon |
| Two-Blade Fighting Style[PH:104] | Toughness | treat one-handed weapons as off-hand |
Hunter's Quarry
Main article: Hunter's Quarry
Original rangers receive the Hunter's Quarry class feature.
A ranger with the Hunter's Quarry class feature can, once per turn as a minor action, designate the nearest visible enemy as his or her quarry. This designation lasts until the encounter ends, the quarry is defeated, or the ranger designates a different target. Once per round, the ranger deals 1d6 per tier damage when hitting his or her quarry with an attack.[PH:104][U :7/2008]
Prime Shot
Main article: Prime Shot
Original rangers who do not choose the Beast Mastery or Running Attack class features receive the Prime Shot class feature.
If none of your allies are nearer to your target than you are, you receive a +1 bonus to ranged attack rolls against that target.
Running Attack
Original rangers who do not choose the Beast Mastery or Prime Shot class features receive the Running Attack class feature.
If you use a standard action that lets you move (such as a charge or the skirmish shot power), and you end that movement at least 2 squares away from where you began that move, you gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls made as part of that standard action.[MP2:32]
Hunter
Hunter is a subclass of ranger introduced in Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms.[HotFK:149]
A hunter has healing surges per day equal to 6 plus the ranger's Constitution modifier, and cloth and leather armor proficiencies.
Hunters do not gain leveled at-will, encounter, or daily attack powers, and instead receive improvements to their class feature powers.
Hunters gain the following class features at 1st level:
- Archery Style
- Expert Archer
- Disruptive Shot
- Weapon Talent
- Aspects of the Wild (hunter)
- Wilderness Knacks
Archery Style
Hunters gain the Archery Style class feature at 1st level, and choose one of the following options. Each option grants a bonus feat, and may have additional effects.
| Archery style | Bonus feat | Additional effects |
|---|---|---|
| Bow Hunter[HotFK:155] | Bow Expertise | — |
| Crossbow Hunter[HotFK:155] | Crossbow Expertise | free action to reload crossbows |
Aspects of the Wild (hunter)
Disruptive Shot
Hunters gain disruptive shot as an encounter power at 1st level. Disruptive shot deals damage and immobilizes or dazes a target on a hit, or deals half damage and slows a target on a miss.[HotFK:156]
Expert Archer
Hunters gain aimed shot, clever shot, and rapid shot as at-will powers at 1st level. Each of these powers allows a hunter to make a ranged basic attack with an additional benefit.[HotFK:155]
Weapon Talent
Hunters gain the Weapon Talent class feature at 1st level. Hunters with the Weapon Talent class feature gain a +1 bonus to weapon attack rolls.[HotFK:157]
Scout
Scout is a subclass of ranger introduced in Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms.[HotFK:175]
A scout has healing surges per day equal to 7 plus the ranger's Constitution modifier, and cloth, leather, and hide armor proficiencies.
Scouts do not gain leveled at-will, encounter, or daily attack powers, and instead receive improvements to their class feature powers.
Scouts gain the following class features at 1st level:
- Two-Weapon Style
- Dual Weapon Attack
- Attack Finesse
- Power Strike
- Aspects of the Wild (scout)
- Wilderness Knacks
Aspects of the Wild (scout)
Attack Finesse
Scouts gain the Attack Finesse class feature at 1st level. Scouts with the Attack Finesse class feature can use their Dexterity modifiers instead of their Strength modifiers for both the attack rolls and damage rolls of melee basic attacks.[HotFK:181]
Dual Weapon Attack
Scouts gain dual weapon attack as an at-will power at 1st level. Dual weapon attack is an off-hand melee weapon attack made as a free action once per round, triggered by hitting with a melee basic attack on the scout's turn.[HotFK:181]
Power Strike
Scouts gain power strike as an encounter power at 1st level. Power strike triggers on a melee basic attack that hits, and adds extra damage to the attack.[HotFK:182]
Two-Weapon Style
Scouts gain the Two-Weapon Style class feature at 1st level, and choose one of the following options.
| Two-weapon style | Effect |
|---|---|
| Finishing Blade Mastery[HotFK:181] | +1 to weapon attack rolls while wielding a light blade off-hand |
| Spinning Axe Mastery[HotFK:181] | +2 to weapon damage rolls while wielding an axe off-hand |
Wilderness Knacks
Ranger powers
Ranger powers, having a martial or primal power source, are also called exploits or evocations.
Ranger feats
Heroic Tier feats
- Action Rush
- Agile Hunter
- Agile Running Attack
- Blood Quarry
- Beast Guidance
- Beast Protector
- Beast Training
- Brutal Accuracy
- Camouflage
- Constricting Serpent
- Coordinated Opportunity
- Darkfire Targeting
- Defense Throw
- Drow Beast Mastery
- Elven Beast Mastery
- Expert Tracker
- Fearless Seeker
- Feyborn Companion
- Fiendish Companion
- Flank on the Run
- Furious Charge
- Goring Boar
- Group Quarry
- Harrying Raptor
- Hobling Strike
- Human Beast Mastery
- Hunter of WInd and Wave
- Hunter's Arm
- Hunter's Aim
- Lethal Hunter
- Lucky Skirmisher
- Manticore's Fury
- Mauling Bear
- Nimble Companion
- Pouncing Cat
- Precise Hunter
- Predatory Action
- Prime Strike
- Savage Wolf
- Second Shot
- Secure Encampment
- Shifting Companion
- Snapping Lizard
- Staggering Strike
- Swift Footwork
- Thundertusk Companion
- Twilight Training
- Vengeful Beast
- Venomous Spider
Ranger paragon paths
Multiclass rangers
Warrior of the Wild
- Prerequisite: Strength 13 or Dexterity 13
- Multiclassing into Ranger gives the following benefits:
- Training in a skill of your choice from the Ranger Class Skill list above.
- Once per encounter, you can use the ranger’s Hunter's Quarry class feature.
Hybrid rangers
A character may be created as a hybrid of ranger and another class. The hybrid ranger bonus to defense is either +1 Fortitude or +1 Reflex. A hybrid ranger is trained in one extra skill from the ranger class skill list. The hybrid's ranger class feature is Hunter's Quarry (hybrid), which is the same as Hunter's Quarry except that it deals damage only when hitting the quarry with a ranger class power or ranger paragon path power.
When a hybrid ranger gains the Hybrid Talent feat, he or she chooses one hybrid talent option from either of his or her hybrid classes. The ranger hybrid talent options are:
- Ranger Armor Proficiency
- The hybrid ranger gains armor proficiency with leather and hide armor.
- Ranger Combat Talent
- The hybrid ranger gains one of the following ranger class features: Prime Shot, or Running Attack.
- Ranger Fighting Style
- The hybrid ranger gains one of the following ranger class features: Archer Fighting Style, Beast Mastery (hybrid), Hunter Fighting Style, Marauder Fighting Style, or Two-Blade Fighting Style. Beast Mastery (hybrid) is the same as Beast Mastery except that the hybrid ranger's beast takes a −1 penalty to all attack rolls and defenses.[PH3:148]