Ranger
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Rangers are semi-spell users, combining skill at arms with spiritual magic. While they can only throw spells of limited power, their magic enhances their considerable skill with weapons. Ranger spells are especially potent outdoors, as many deal with manipulating nature. They are also fairly adept at learning to maneuver and use devices, both magical and mundane. One of the most versatile professions, Rangers have a flexibility that pure arms or spell users can not match.
Professional Highlights
Rangers are jacks-of-all-trades, having skill costs that allow a character to excel at almost any endeavor whether they be physically or magically focused, although not all at one time. They are less physical than paladins and less magical than bards, putting them squarely in the middle of the semi grouping. Rangers typically train in either edged weapons or archery and have many tools to enhance their combat skills. Some may choose to strike from stealth using an ambushing style enhanced by magic, and some may often use spells to directly hinder and damage their enemies.
The Ranger Base spell list has a wide selection of enhancement, attack, and utility spells. The simplest defensive spell Natural Colors eventually upgrades to a sought-after group spell that persists even after the group is disbanded. Imbue prepares foraged plant material, turning sticks, wiregrass, and tree bark into wands, rods, bracelets, anklets, and amulets, which elementalists can then imbed with magical spells. Resist Nature allows a ranger to infuse armor with protection against different types of elemental or nature-related damage. The pinnacle of these spells is Animal Companion, a profession-defining ability that provides combat, utility, and roleplaying functions that last for the entirety of the character's adventuring career.
Direct attack spells include Wild Entropy, Sun Burst, Moonbeam, Spike Thorn, and the devastating area spell Nature's Fury.
In addition to the ranger base spells, rangers have access to the Minor Spiritual circle. Comprised of many defensive and utility spells, it also enhances the diverse range of skills for rangers.
Rangers have the inherent ability to WHISPER to any character regardless of distance and allow them to respond in kind.
SENSE allows rangers to determine a location's climate, terrain, the local wildlife, and sometimes even non-obvious paths and exits. SENSE roundtime is determined by a ranger's level. It is calculated by 10 - (Level/10), with a minimum base roundtime of 5 seconds.
TRACK can be used to look for specific creatures in a wide area.
Combat Maneuvers List
Rangers have the ability to train in the following combat maneuvers. None of them are exclusive to the ranger profession.
- Combat Focus
- Combat Mastery
- Combat Movement
- Cunning Defense
- Dirtkick
- Disarm Weapon
- Dislodge
- Feint
- Garrote
- Hamstring
- Precision
- Shadow Mastery
- Shield Bash
- Side by Side
- Subdual Strike
- Sweep
- Trip
- Unarmed Specialist
General Training Suggestions
A versatile profession, rangers can train in myriad ways, creating characters ranging from the more physical to the more magical, from a hunter with a bow to a druid with a wand. With the implementation of fixskills and skill migration, rangers can also choose to gradually shift their training and skills in order to alter their hunting strategy.
With archery, for example, the attack strength for ranged weapons increases with perception and ambush skills, but only after forty ranks. It is not unheard of for some rangers to gradually switch their weapon of choice from a sword to a bow -- to start out training in edged weapons while wielding a drake falchion or other commonly found blade and then to later migrate to training in ranged weapons after taking up a bow and quiver.
Ranger Statistic Growth Rates
For more information see the page on statistic growth rates.
| Profession | Strength | Constitution | Dexterity | Agility | Discipline | Aura | Logic | Intuition | Wisdom | Influence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ranger | 25 | 20 | 30 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 25 | 25 | 10 |
Note: The table above is the baseline statistic growth rates. These values are actually modified for every race in GemStone IV, including humans.
Resources
Discussion Forums
Guides
- A beginner's guide to playing a ranger
- Comprehensive Ranger Guide
- Aurach's Two Weapon Combat Guide: A Ranger's Perspective
- Player Guide Contest
| Ranger Profession - edit | |
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| Spell Circles: | |
| Professional Highlights: | |
| Popular Archetypes: |
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| Profession - edit |
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| Squares: Rogue | Warrior | Monk |
| Semis: Bard | Paladin | Ranger |
| Pures: Cleric | Empath | Sorcerer | Wizard |