Ranger
I SPEND A LOT OF MY LIFE AWAY FROM CfVlLIZATION,
keeping to its fringes to protect it. Don't assume that be-
cause I don't bend the knee to your king that I haven't done
more to protect him than all his knights put together.
-SovelissRangers are free-minded wanderers and seekers who
patrol the edges of civilized territory, turning back the
denizens of the w ild lands beyond. It is a thankless job,
since their efforts are rarely understood and a lmost
never rewarded. Yet rangers persist in their duties,
never doubting that their work makes the world a
safer place.
A relationship with civilization informs every ra nger's
pe rsona lity and his tory. Some rangers see the mselves
as e nforcers of the law and bringers of justice on c ivili-
zation's frontie r, ans wering to no sovereign power. Oth-
ers are s urvivalists who eschew civilization a ltogethe r.
They vanquis h monsters to keep themselves safe while
they live in and travel through the p e rilous wild areas o f
the world. If their efforts also benefit the kingdoms a nd
other c ivilized realms that they avoid, so be it.
If you're creating or playing a range r character, the
following sections offer ideas for embellis hing the char-
acter and enhancing your role playing exp e rience.
VIEW OF THE WORLD
A ranger's view of the world begins (a nd s ome times
e nds) with that ch arac ter's out look toward civilized folk
and the places they occupy. Some rangers have a n a tti-
tude toward c ivilization that's deeply rooted in dis da in ,
while others pity the people they have sworn to pro-
tect-though on the battlefield, it's impossible to tell the
difference between one ranger and anothe r. Indeed, to
those who have seen the m operate and been the be nefi-
ciaries of thei r prowess, it scarcely matte rs why ra ngers
do what they do. That said, no two rangers are like ly to
express their opinio ns on any matter in the same way.
If you haven't yet thought about t he de ta ils of your
characte r 's worldview, consider putting a fine r point on
things by summarizing that viewpoint in a s hort state-
me nt (s uch as the entries on the following table). How
might that feeling affect the way you conduct yourself?
CHAPTER 1 I C H A RACTER OPTTONS1
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d6 View
Towns and cities are the best p laces for those who
can't survive on their own.
2 The advancement of ci vilization is the best way to
t hwart chaos, but its reach must be monitored.
3 Towns and cities are a necessary evil, but once the
wilderness is purged of supernatural threats, we
will need them no more.
4 Walls are fo r cowards, who huddle behind them
while others d o the work of making the world safe.
S Visiting a town is not unpleasant, but after a few
days I feel the ir resistible call to return to the wild.
6 Cities breed weakness by isolating folk from the
harsh lessons of the wild.HOMELAND
All rangers, regardless of how they came to take up
the profession, have a strong connection to the natura l
world and its various terrains. For some rangers, the
wilderness is where they g rew up, e ithe r as a result of
being born there or moving there at a young age. For
other ra ngers, civilization was orig inally hom e, but the
w ilderness became a second homeland.
Think of your character's backstory and decide what
terrain feels most like home, whether or not you were
born the re. What does that terrain say about your per-
sonality? Does it influe nce w hi c h spells you choose to
learn? Have your experie nces there s haped who your
favored e nemies a re?HOMELANDS
d6 Homeland
You patrolled an ancient forest, darkened and cor-
rupted by several crossings to the Shadowfell.
2 As part of a group of nomads, you acquired the
skills for s u rviving in the desert.
3 Your early life in the Underdark prepared you for
the challenges of combating its denizens.
4 You dwelled on the edge of a swamp, in an area im-
periled by land creatures as well as aquatic ones.
S Because you grew up among the peaks, finding the
best path through the mountains is second nature
to you.
6 You wandered the far north, learning how to pro-
tect yourself and prosper in a realm overru n by ice.