Designing a Ranger Without Magic; Please PEACH a Few Class Features

[wayfare]

Hey All:

I'm working on a campaign setting where magic is much less common than it is in the standard Forgotten Realms/Eberron settings (to be clear, its not less powerful, its just that only two classes can cast spells because it is a very rare talent).

In any event, I'm working on a ranger variant for this setting that doesn't use magic. Instead, this ranger forms a more powerful bond with his animal companion, getting a full strength companion that gets to learn nifty tricks at 2nd level and every 5 levels thereafter.

Two of the abilities i working on:

Frenzy Companion: You can instill a fierce rage into your companion, turning even the most mild companion into a fierce protector. Twice per day, you can cause your companion to enter a frenzy. While frenzied, the companion gains +2 to attack rolls and damage rolls and a +10 foot bonus to speed. This effect lasts for 1 round per level.
Taking this ability a second time improves the frenzy, granting your companion an additional attack each round at its highest attack bonus.
Taking this ability a third time transforms your companion into a veritable terror to your enemies: your companion gains immunity to stunning and critical hits and may no longer be flanked. Your companion becomes immune to fear effects, and gains a +4 bonus to saving throws against death effects while the frenzy persists.

Emulate Extraordinary Ability: You and your companion have grown familiar with each other, gaining a peculiar insight from your bond. You gain access to any one Extraordinary Ability or Special Quality your animal companion has. In turn, your companion gains any feat you possess that it meets the prerequisites for. If your companion does not meet the prerequisites for any of your feats, it instead gains a fighter bonus feat it meets the requirements for.
Special Qualities and extraordinary abilities earned in this way do not physically change the ranger’s body. A ranger who gains Improved Grab emulates the savage strength of his bear companion -- he doesn’t grow sledgehammer paws and heavy claws to aid in grappling. As such, abilities like Swallow Whole are of little use to a medium sized ranger, lest he intend to devour Fine opponents.
Any saves derived from these abilities are derived from the Rangers attributes, not his companions.
Once the quality you learn from your companion (and the feat it learns from you) is chosen, it cannot be changed.
You may only take this feature once.

They seem a bit off to me, PEACH to your hearts content.

Thanks in advance for the help

--wayfare

[Darth Stabber]

Ideas for differentiating the two tracks (twf and archer)

Examples
Two Weapon Track
Rending - Bonus Damage based on attacks hitting from both weapons. Gain d6s along a certain progression

Hamstring - non-magical slow effect duration = ?? Fort save DC 10+1/2 ranger lvl + str

Two Weapon Whirlwind - Make an attack against each adjacent enemy with each weapon

Knockback Kick - after a full attack, you may make an unarmed attack that does not provoke AoO. If successfull, bullrush upto xft, you do not move as a part of this special bullrush.

Archery Track

Aimed strike - extra precision damage for taking the time to aim (similar to sneak attack, but different condition, might make aiming worth while). Gain d6s along a certain progression

Distracting shot - Target is considered flanked (regardless of positioning) until the begining of your next turn Will save DC 10+1/2 ranger lvl + dex

Rain of arrows - Area of effect attack that offers a save instead of attack roll.

Arrow blot out the sun - improved version of above

[wayfare]

Nice abilities...I might end using a few for another variant i'm working on.

This variant ditches fighting style for improved combat ability with your companion -- better bonuses when you flank the same opponent, the ability to grant each other temp hp, the ability to boost speed.

This class is very companion-focused. His non companion tricks involve charming or dominating animals and finding his way in the wilderness (via find the path as a (Sp) ability.

[Darth Stabber]

Maybe roll some of the Familiar and Special Mount abilities into it (They get slightly different bonuses, so combining will yeild a stronger critter). Bonus damage would be appreciable for some critters (make that monkey hit like a Primeape).

[Re'ozul]

I wholeheartedly support this endavour.
So far the only migic-less Ranger class I like is this take on Archery.

[Roderick_BR]

For a spell less ranger, I could suggest the ranger from the Ultimate Classes serie: http://www.liquidmateria.info/wiki/Ultimate_Ranger

Complete Warrior uses a spell less ranger variant, but that's crap..... and gives you some SLAs... I mean, what's the point?

That said, your ranger seems based on animal companions. Not sure about the rage thing. Emulate special ability is like a wildshape based on your companion, but without actually changing form, only gaining the abilities. I think it's cool.

A spell less version I thought of once would be giving the ranger a familiar, an animal comnpanion, and a mount, making a sort of animal lord kind of guy.

[wayfare]

For a spell less ranger, I could suggest the ranger from the Ultimate Classes serie: http://www.liquidmateria.info/wiki/Ultimate_Ranger

Complete Warrior uses a spell less ranger variant, but that's crap..... and gives you some SLAs... I mean, what's the point?

That said, your ranger seems based on animal companions. Not sure about the rage thing. Emulate special ability is like a wildshape based on your companion, but without actually changing form, only gaining the abilities. I think it's cool.

A spell less version I thought of once would be giving the ranger a familiar, an animal comnpanion, and a mount, making a sort of animal lord kind of guy.

It looks really good...also, i might have to change my terrain mastery feature to avoid plagiarism.

A few questions about some additional class features:

1) One of the class features I'm thinking of is a +1 enhancement bonus to your companions natural attacks at 4th level and every 4 levels thereafter. I'm a bit hesitant to implement this, as it less a bonus to the ranger as it is to the companion -- I'm not certain how useful or exciting it would be.

2) I'm thinking of changing the Emulate Extraordinary Ability feature to something like this:

The ranger gains the ability to learn any one of the following abilities from his companion. This ability must be an ability the companion naturally has. A ranger may learn:

Low-Light Vision
The Scent Ability
Blindsense
Improved Grab
Ferocity
The Trip Ability granted by Wolves or Cheetahs
Sprint
Hold Breath
Pounce
Constrict
Powerful Charge (I know about the ubercharger cheese -- should this be taken out)
Keen Scent

Instead of gaining a Special Ability, the Ranger may instead gain a fighter bonus feat.

Thanks for the help so far!