Would giving the non-spellcasting Ranger trapfinding be alright?

[overduegalaxy]

My big group (six people, whoo) recently rearranged some of their characters, and are now down a trapfinder. A new player is joining the group, and it's his first time to roll up his own character. He's got a nice character concept, but it relies on getting the ranger's TWF tree.

Since it's his first time playing, I don't want to railroad him into being a beguiler/ninja/rogue/scout just because the group needs someone to disable device. So I figured a non-casting ranger isn't that different from a scout (besides the animal companion), and could feasibly be a trapfinder, too. I'm also considering giving him Intuitive Trapsmith as a bonus feat (use Wis instead of Int on Open Lock/Disable Device), just so he's not MAD out the ears.

Are there any other tweaks I should make? I don't see this having any huge repercussions, but sometimes I overlook obvious stuff. But it's just trapfinding.

[Frosty]

It is fair to give the Ranger Trapfinding if he is willing to tive up the Track feat.

[Draz74]

I say, if you're using the Spell-Less variant, don't even bother making him give up Track. (Trapfinding instead of Track is an established variation, though.) Spell-Less Rangers are weaker anyway, so I think adding Trapfinding is a great move.

You should probably even add Disable Device into his class skill list, for the sake of the fun of the whole party.

... I don't suppose Swift Hunter builds have been considered?

[Eldariel]

The variant is already in Dungeonscape. Trade Track for Trapfinding, Search and Disable Device. It's perfectly fair - you can still pick up Track, but doing so costs you a feat. It's perfectly in flavour with Ranger and gives the you some extra skill versatility.

[AstralFire]

Overdue, what happened to the game?

[TempusCCK]

I've given Rangers more for less, hell, I've given Rangers bonus feats and sneak attack and it doesn't mess with the game, at all. Honestly, it'll be alright if you let him have trapfinding and spells and tracking, because it all really fits in the flavor package of the Ranger anyway.

[overduegalaxy]

Overdue, what happened to the game?

I just don't have time to prepare for sessions during this time of year. I made a few topics about it, they might've purged by now.

This is for a local game that I DM once a month.

[Chronos]

The variant is already in Dungeonscape. Trade Track for Trapfinding, Search and Disable Device.

Actually, rangers already have Search, they just can't use it to look for difficult traps. And you also lose Swift Tracker, if you stay in ranger that long.

[Eldariel]

Actually, rangers already have Search, they just can't use it to look for difficult traps. And you also lose Swift Tracker, if you stay in ranger that long.

Ah, yea. So trade Track and Swift Tracker for Trapfinding, REAL Search (courtesy of Trapfinding) and Disable Device.

[BardicDuelist]

Eh, if he's using the No Spellcasting variant in CWar, then just give him trapfinding and disable device too. Really, it won't be overpowered (not that trapfinding really deals with powerlevel anyway) or encroach on anyone's toes (since you said that the party doesn't have a trapfinder). Simply, just houserule that it's part of it for this campaign.

[Tequila Sunrise]

Give him Trapfinding and Disable Device as a class skill for free, or just don't use traps with DCs higher than 20. Making a PC give something up for Trapfinding is like making a child give up a toy in exchange for giving them the ability to look for the monsters under their bed at night. In other words, Trapfinding is a non-ability; it's something that exists to circumvent an artificial and needless handicap on all PCs. It was written into the game just to so that one player in every group is forced to play the rogue, even if nobody wants to. So just say that any PC with ranks in Disable Device can at least attempt to disable traps.

TS

[AstralFire]

Eh, if he's using the No Spellcasting variant in CWar, then just give him trapfinding and disable device too. Really, it won't be overpowered (not that trapfinding really deals with powerlevel anyway) or encroach on anyone's toes (since you said that the party doesn't have a trapfinder). Simply, just houserule that it's part of it for this campaign.

It still baffles me that by 'no spellcasting' they mean 'access to a paltry few weak spells as spell-like abilities with no other real benefits in return.'

Way to totally make the class simultaneously weaker AND not actually change the flavor into what you said the variant is supposed to represent!