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IonDragon
2010-06-10, 12:20 AM
Hello Playgroundrs,

Does anyone know of any non-homebrew Ranger variants that trade in their Animal Companion for something... useful?

Coidzor
2010-06-10, 12:44 AM
Distracting Attack. Lets you set things up for rogues.

Mystic Ranger from Dragon, lets you cast spells better and really makes sword of the arcane order attractive.

Check with Crystal Keep, there's two or three variants they have about.

mikej
2010-06-10, 12:57 AM
The "Solitary Hunter" variant from Dragon Magazine 347, in exchange for replacing the the Animal Companion, you get your favoured enemy bonus to hit as well as damage.

Edit: Mystic Ranger would be the better choice, in my opinion.

Curmudgeon
2010-06-10, 01:04 AM
Shooting Star Ranger substitution levels (Champions of Valor, page 50) gain bonus spells slots in place of the animal companion. Other levels give an increased caster level and add spells to the Ranger list.

Zombieboots
2010-06-10, 01:26 AM
Maybe ...
Celestial Slayer (EoE, p 20): must be evil; lose wild empathy, animal companion, and woodland stride, gain SR vs. good spells/spell-likes and +4 to confirm crit. vs. good creatures

Distracting Attack (PHB 2, p 55): Lose animal companion. Whenever you hit with an attack, the enemy is then considered flanked.

Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RW, p 155): d6 hitdice, 8 skill points
4th level: Elven Hound Companion

Gnome Ranger Substitution Levels (RS, p 149):
4th level: Burrowing Animal Companion (stronger animal companion, can't share spells with it)


Kobold Ranger Substitution Levels (RDr, p 109):
4th level: Dire Weasel Companion, Kobold Ranger Spells (different spells)

Phynxkin Companion (DrM, p 13): Gain a phynxkin instead of your normal animal companion.

Planar Ranger (UA, p 55): Wild empathy works better on fiendish/celestial creatures than it does on regular animals, may aquire a fiendish or celestial animal as a companion.

Planar Ranger (PlH, p 34): gain knowledge: the planes as a class skill
4th level: Planar Animal Companion

Shooting Star Substitution Levels (CV, p 50): add Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft
3rd level: Weavespeak (as sending with restrictions), replaces Endurance
4th level: Bonus Spells, Improved Spellcasting, replaces animal companion
8th level: Expanded Spell List (see invisibility, word of recall), replaces swift tracker

Spiritual Guide (CC, p 50): Lose animal companion. As long as you're in natural settings, gain a bonus on several skills. Use commune with nature once per day.

Urban Companion (CS, web): Instead of a normal animal companion, instead gain something similar to a familiar.

Waste Hunter (SSt, p 49): Choose a specific wasteland creature from among current favored enemies, gain additional benefits against that creature.
:smallsmile:

Rokurai
2010-06-10, 05:59 AM
I think both MotW and UA have a few ranger variants. There is an Undead Stalker, who gives up animal companion for turning ability, favored smite(undead), and switches spell list out to be more anti-undead. There's the wildshape ranger of course. And I think there was a variant in which a ranger could trade in a companion for rage/day progression like a barbarian.

panaikhan
2010-06-10, 07:40 AM
I think there's a Ranger variant that loses their animal companion for a Totem Spirit, giving them bonuses.
Could be Eberron, could be PHB2. Don't have my books atm.

Person_Man
2010-06-10, 10:02 AM
Here's all of the Ranger variants, from the alternate class features III (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19872054/Alternative_Class_Features_III) thread.

Arcane Hunter (CM, p 32): lose normal favored enemy, gain "Favored Enemy (Arcanists)"

Aquatic Ranger (SW, p 51): Track in water, apply woodland stride to aquatic terrain instead of woodland terrain.

Celestial Slayer (EoE, p 20): must be evil; lose wild empathy, animal companion, and woodland stride, gain SR vs. good spells/spell-likes and +4 to confirm crit. vs. good creatures

Champion of the Wild (CC, p 50): Lose spellcasting for bonus feats.

Crowd-Walker (CS, web): Exchange woodland stride for the ability to move in crowds more easily.

Distracting Attack (PHB 2, p 55): Lose animal companion. Whenever you hit with an attack, the enemy is then considered flanked.

Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RW, p 155): d6 hitdice, 8 skill points
1st level: Elf Favored Enemy (extra bonus vs certain races)
4th level: Elven Hound Companion
10th level: Strongheart Slayer (+4 morale bonus on will saves vs. drow and driders, +4 for bonus vs spider venoms), lose a favored enemy

Half-Elf Ranger Substitution Levels (RD, p 158):
1st level: Urban Tracking, lose tracking
4th level: Street magic (swap spell lists)
13th level: Skill mastery, lose camouflage

Heat Endurance (SSt, p 48): Gain Heat Endurance, lose Endurance.

Fangshields Ranger Substitution Levels (CV, p 41): nonhumanoid, add Diplomacy
2nd level: Combat Style (Multiattack or Improved Natural Attack (single natural weapon), Weapon Focus (any natural weapon), Weapon Focus (any other natural weapon), or Greater Weapon Focus (single natural weapon))
4th level: Animal Companion (as druid of 1/2 ranger level +2)
5th level: Lion and the Unicorn (+1 sacred bonus to AC during day or night), replaces favored enemy

Feign Death (EoE, p 21): lose evasion, gain ability to appear dead

Gnome Ranger Substitution Levels (RS, p 149):
1st level: Gnome Favored Enemy (bonus with certain skills vs favored enemy instead of damage)
4th level: Burrowing Animal Companion (stronger animal companion, can't share spells with it)
8th level: Gnome Ranger Spells (switch some spells on list)

Hidden Stalker (CS, web): Lose camouflage and normal hide in plain site, gain the ability to hide more easily in urban settings.

Kobold Ranger Substitution Levels (RDr, p 109):
1st level: Kobold Favored Enemy (favored enemy works with different skills)
4th level: Dire Weasel Companion, Kobold Ranger Spells (different spells)
7th level: Subterranean Stride (underground stride instead of woodland stride)

Phynxkin Companion (DrM, p 13): Gain a phynxkin instead of your normal animal companion.

Planar Ranger (UA, p 55): Wild empathy works better on fiendish/celestial creatures than it does on regular animals, may aquire a fiendish or celestial animal as a companion.

Planar Ranger (PlH, p 34): gain knowledge: the planes as a class skill
4th level: Planar Animal Companion
8th level: Portal Intuition (attempt to determine where portals lead), lose swift tracker
13th level: Planar Tracking (use plane shift to follow quarry), lose camouflage

Rival Organization (CS, web): Do not gain favored enemies. Instead, gain bonuses when fighting members of an organization which you have studied.

Sandskimmer (SSt, p 49): Gain Sandskimmer, lose woodland stride.

Shadow Sword Substitution Levels (CV, p 49): add Knowledge (history)
3rd level: Walk in Silence (+5 Move Silently for 1 round 1 day/2 ranger levels), replaces Endurance
6th level: Bane Weapon (treat weapon as bane weapon against favored enemy), replaces improved combat style
8th level: Portal Analysis (detect portal within 10', study as with analyze portal, use as with portal well), replaces swift tracker

Shape-changing (UA, p 58): Gain wildshape as druid (small and medium animals only) and fast movement as barbarian. Lose combat styles.

Shifter Ranger Substitution Levels (RE, p 128): add balance to list of class skills
1st level: Wild Empathy (add wisdom instead of Cha to wild empathy)
4th level: Share Shifting (share benefits of shifting with animal companion), replaces the ability to share spells
9th level: Enhanced Shifting (gain extra benefit while shifting, depending on primary shifter trait), lose evasion

Shooting Star Substitution Levels (CV, p 50): add Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft
3rd level: Weavespeak (as sending with restrictions), replaces Endurance
4th level: Bonus Spells, Improved Spellcasting, replaces animal companion
8th level: Expanded Spell List (see invisibility, word of recall), replaces swift tracker

Spell Reflection (CM, p 35): Lose evasion, gain the ability to reflect spells targeted at you that miss.

Spell-less Ranger (CW, p 13): Lose spellcasting, gain fast movement and spell-like abilities. Spiritual Connection (CC, p 50): Lose wild empathy, gain speak with plants and speak with animals spell effects. Spiritual Guide (CC, p 50): Lose animal companion. As long as you're in natural settings, gain a bonus on several skills. Use commune with nature once per day.

Trap Expert (DS, p 12): Lose tracking. Gain trap finding, and disable device as a class skill.

Urban Ranger (UA, p 55): No animal companion greater than medium, replace tracking with urban tracking, no woodland stride or camouflage. Add only one half level to wild empathy checks. Gain Hide in Plain Site in any area, and additional spellcasting.

Urban Companion (CS, web): Instead of a normal animal companion, instead gain something similar to a familiar.

Urban Tracker (CS, web): switch normal tracking for urban tracking.

Voice of the City (CS, web): Lose wild empathy to gain the ability to communicate with people who speak languages you do not know.

Waste Hunter (SSt, p 49): Choose a specific wasteland creature from among current favored enemies, gain additional benefits against that creature.

The best option is to take the Urban Companion, and then take the Improved Familiar or Celestial Familiar or Dragon Familiar feat to get something more powerful. Familiars use the master’s base attack bonus (which in your case would be full BAB), and this variant has 3/4 your hit points (which in this case should be quite good).