Mystic Ranger

D&D 3e (3.0/3.5) Rules

by Trampas Whiteman

Mystic rangers follow the same basic path as the ranger, though they gain their
power from mysticism rather than the divine power of the gods. They are at home in
the forest and the wilds. He is a skilled hunter and stalker, knowing the woods as
if they were his home (and often they are). He draws his power from the mystic
sphere of animism, taking a different spiritual approach to nature.

Adventures: A mystic ranger can be a protector through the wilderness or as a

scout. He can also adventure for the same reasons that a fighter can.

Characteristics: A mystic ranger can use a variety of weapons in combat, often

specializing in two-weapon or archery. His skills allow him to survive within the
wilderness, to track his prey, and to avoid detection. He is able to draw upon the
mystic power of animism to fuel his spells.

Alignment: Mystic rangers can be of any alignment, though most are chaotic in
alignment. Good mystic rangers are protectors of the lands and those who travel
through them. Neutral mystic rangers protect the land for the sake of nature. Evil
mystic rangers bend nature to their will, and emulate the cruelty of predators.

Religion: Mystic rangers do not follow the ways of any deity, though most pay
respect the gods of nature. Rather, they follow the mystic path of animism, using
their inner power to connect with nature. Some mystic rangers feel that even though
some gods have a tie to nature, that nature is independent of the gods.

Background: Most mystic rangers learned their craft from masters who accepted them
as students. Some are students at the Citadel of Light, studying at the Animism
Lyceum.

Races: Mystic rangers mainly emerge from those races with close ties to nature,
such as Kagonesti elves, centaurs, and human nomads.

Other Classes: Mystic rangers get along well with other nature-based classes, such
as barbarians, druids, and rangers, even though rangers and druids don't see eye-
to-eye with the mystic ranger on where the power of nature is drawn from. Like
rangers, they bicker with paladins, not only on different styles, tactics, and
approaches, but also on religious beliefs in terms of divine magic. They share a
certain kinship with sorcerers, as they both draw on ambient magic. They're
indifferent to most other classes, though they don't get along as well with
structured classes such as monks and wizards.

Role: The mystic ranger's best role is that of a scout and secondary combatant.
Game Rule Information

Mystic Rangers have the following game statistics.

Abilities: Dexterity and Strength are important to the mystic ranger for the same
reasons they are important to the ranger. Several mystic ranger skills are based on
Wisdom, and a Wisdom score of 14 or higher is required to get access to the most
powerful mystic ranger spells. A Wisdom score of 11 or higher is requires to cast
any mystic ranger spells at all. One of the ranger's trademark skills, his ability
to track foes, is based on Wisdom.
Alignment: Any.
Hit Die: d8.
Class Skills

The mystic ranger's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Climb
(Str), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide
(Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (geography) (Int),
Knowledge (nature) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Ride
(Dex), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and
Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points at 1st Level: (6 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 6 + Int modifier.
Class Features

All of the following are class features of the Mystic Ranger.

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: A mystic ranger is proficient with all simple
weapons, martial ranged weapons, and light armor. A mystic ranger is not proficient
with martial melee weapons or shields.

Spells: Beginning at 5th level, the mystic ranger gains the ability to cast a small
number of divine spells, drawn from the ranger spell list (p. 191 of the Player's
Handbook). He can cast any spell he knows without preparing it ahead of time, the
way a ranger must.

Wisdom determines how powerful a spell a Mystic Ranger can cast, how many spells a
Mystic Ranger can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. To cast a
spell, a Mystic Ranger must have a Wisdom score of 10 + the spell's level. A Mystic
Ranger gets bonus spells based on Wisdom. The Difficulty Class of a saving throw
against a Mystic Ranger's spell is 10 + the spell's level + the Mystic Ranger's
Wisdom modifier.

Ranger Abilities: Per the ranger in the Player's Handbook.

Table: Mystic Ranger
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special
1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st +1 +2 +2 +0 Track, wild empathy - - - -
2nd +2 +3 +3 +0 1st favored enemy - - - -
3rd +3 +3 +3 +1 Combat style - - - -
4th +4 +4 +4 +1 - - - - -
5th +5 +4 +4 +1 Endurance 0 - - -
6th +6/+1 +5 +5 +2 Improved combat style 1 - - -
7th +7/+2 +5 +5 +2 Woodland stride 2 0 - -
8th +8/+3 +6 +6 +2 2nd favored enemy 3 1 - -
9th +9/+4 +6 +6 +3 Evasion 3 2 - -
10th +10/+5 +7 +7 +3 Swift tracker 3 2 0 -
11th +11/+6/+1 +7 +7 +3 - 3 3 1 -
12th +12/+7/+2 +8 +8 +4 Combat style mastery 3 3 2 -
13th +13/+8/+3 +8 +8 +4 Camouflage 3 3 2 0
14th +14/+9/+4 +9 +9 +4 3rd favored enemy 3 3 3 1
15th +15/+10/+5 +9 +9 +5 - 3 3 3 2
16th +16/+11/+6/+1 +10 +10 +5 - 3 3 3 2
17th +17/+12/+7/+2 +10 +10 +5 Hide in plain sight 3 3 3
3
18th +18/+13/+8/+3 +11 +11 +6 - 4 3 3 3
19th +19/+14/+9/+4 +11 +11 +6 - 4 4 3 3
20th +20/+15/+10/+5 +12 +12 +6 4th favored enemy 4 4 4
3

Mystic Ranger Spells Known

Level 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
1st - - - -
2nd - - - -
3rd - - - -
4th - - - -
5th 2 - - -
6th 3 - - -
7th 3 2 - -
8th 4 3 - -
9th 4 3 - -
10th 4 4 2 -
11th 4 4 3 -
12th 4 4 3 -
13th 4 4 4 2
14th 4 4 4 3
15th 4 4 4 3
16th 4 4 4 4
17th 4 4 4 4
18th 4 4 4 4
19th 5 4 4 4
20th 5 5 4 4

* = Provided the ranger has a high enough Wisdom to have a bonus spell of this
level.

Acknowledgements: This article draws some inspiration from Erik Seligman's article
on the Mystic Ranger in Dragon #336. Thanks to Cam Banks for the suggestion on the
spellcasting advancement.