Twilight Ranger

The Woldian Twilight Ranger is a Core Class Archetype for the ranger class, following the class archetype rules in the Pathfinder Advanced Players Guide. First found in Dirt City, these rangers are a canny and versatile lot. Dwelling perpetually on the fringe between wilderness and the "jungle" of the city, they belong entirely to neither one world nor the other. Twilight Rangers develop a unique set of skills and abilities that are kin to the skills of rogues.

• Weapon Proficiency: Twilight Rangers are not proficient with two-handed melee weapons, and are proficient with hand crossbows, swordbreaker daggers, and lassos. Note that swordbreaker daggers and lassos, found in the Advanced Players Guide book, are exclusively available to Twilight Rangers, who can purchase them in the Catacombs.
• Class Skills: Bluff, Diplomacy, Disguise, Knowledge (local), Linguistics, and Sense Motive are added to the ranger's normal skill list.
• Hunter's Bond: If the Twilight Ranger chooses an animal companion, the choices are limited to bird, dog, dire rat, horse, pony, or snake (viper); and his effective druid level is his ranger level -1. If he chooses to bond with his companions, the bonus he shares is equal to his own, not half his own, when he is in urban terrain.
• Favored Terrain: The Twilight Ranger must choose "Urban" as their favored terrain, and must maintain that as their highest Favored Terrain. In exchange for this limitation, the Twilight Ranger's bonuses in the Urban terrain are increased by a further +2.
• Sneak Attack: At 5th level, the Twilight Ranger gains the Sneak Attack ability. This ability functions the same as for a 1st-level rogue (+1d6), except the Twilight Ranger can only apply Sneak Attack damage when fighting a Favored Enemy or when attacking in urban terrain. Damage becomes +2d6 at 10th level,+3d6 at 15th and +4d6 at 20th level. This ability replaces spell casting.
• Trap Sense: Starting at 4th level, the Twilight Ranger has an intuitive sense that alerts her to danger from traps, giving her a +1 bonus on Reflex saves made to avoid traps and a +1 dodge bonus to AC against attacks made by traps. This bonus becomes +2 at 9th level, +3 at 14th level, and +4 at 19th level. The Twilight Ranger has the same trapfinding ability that rogues do.
• Woodland Stride: The Twilight Ranger's Woodland Stride ability also functions in urban terrain.

Other thematic notes on Twilight Rangers

Urban Rangers are, by necessity, a canny and versatile lot -- and none are more cunning and capable than the handful of Rangers who make Dirt City their home. Dwelling perpetually on the fringe between the wilds of Izen and the "jungle" of city streets and sewers, they belong entirely to neither one world nor the other. They call themselves Twilight Rangers.

Having learned their skills from solitary masters, most Twilight Rangers remain loners and tend to be quiet and intense. They seldom claim allegiance to any of the major Houses, preferring the loose organization of their own kind. The major Houses have mixed feelings about this, and it is not unheard of for some high-ranking operative, feeling snubbed, to send assassins after a particular Twilight Ranger. For this reason, Twilight Rangers have a particular hatred for assassins, and will never knowingly aid one.

Twilight Rangers have a guild, of sorts, in Dirt City. It is primarily a loose network for the exchange of information, and the recruiting and training of new Twilight Rangers. It has no hierarchy, and almost no structure; the members themselves decide what needs to be done and what information needs to be shared.

Because they spend as much time learning to survive in the wilds of the city as the wilds outside the walls, Twilight Rangers develop a unique set of skills and abilities that are different from other Rangers, and more akin to the skills of Rogues. Unlike Rogues, however, Twilight Rangers are more likely to be good-aligned.

Most Twilight Rangers are humans, although their ranks also include half-elves, half-orcs, gnomes, and halflings. Good-aligned Drow often find themselves drawn to this class. Elves are rare in Dirt City, but the few elves you encounter there are very likely Twilight Rangers.

Recently, Twilight Rangers have been turning up in other cities of the Wold as well. They are still few and far between outside of Dirt City, but those who seek them out can (eventually) find them. Perhaps one day there will be a thriving Twilight Ranger guild in every city.

Twilight Rangers use their skills in a variety of ways. Many act as guides in and around the city. Some are professional hunters, whether for game or evildoers. More experienced Twilight Rangers act to protect those who may be targeted for assassination. And of course, there are the adventurers.

CREDITS: Created by Kathy for the Dirt City game.