1 M ASTERS OF THE W ILD A Guidebook to Barbarians, Druids, and Rangers Credits Designers: DAVID  ECKELBERRY  AND  MIKE SELINKER Additional Design And Inspiration: WOLFGANG BAUR , MICHAEL  DONAIS , RICH  REDMAN, JENNIFER  CLARKE  WILKES, TEEUWYNN WOODRUFF Editor: PENNY WILLIAMS Creative Director: ED  STARK Art Director: DAWN  MURIN Cover Artist: JEFF EASLEY Interior Artist: DENNIS  CRAMER, DAVID  DAY , WAYNE REYNOLDS Typesetter: ANGELIKA LOKOTZ Graphic Designer: CYNTHIA  FLIEGE Business Manager: ANTHONY  VALTERRA Project Managers: JUSTIN  ZIRAN , MARTIN  DURHAM Production Manager: CHAS  DE LONG Playtesters: Rich Baker, Tim Beach, Andy Collins, Michael Donais, Dale Donovan, Jeff Grubb, Robert Gutschera, Gwendolyn FM Kestrel, Jessica Lawson, Duane Maxwell, Angel McCoy, David Noonan, Jonathan Tweet, JD Wiker, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, Skip Williams, Teeuwynn Woodniff, Warren Wyman, Justin Ziran Based on the original DUNGEONS  & DRAGONS ® rules created by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and the new DUNGEONS  & DRAGONS ® game designed by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Richard Baker, and Peter Adkison. Resources: Some of the material in this book originally appeared in the FORGOTTEN  REALMS ® Campaign Setting, Magic of Faerûn, Defender of the Faith: A Guidebook to Clerics and Paladins, Sword and Fist: A Guidebook to fighters and Monks, and Song and Silence: A Guidebook to Bards and Rogues. This Wizards of the Coast game product contains no Open Game Content. No portion of this work may be repro- duced in any form without written permission. To learn more about the Open Gaming License and the d20 System License, please visit www.wizards.com/d20. 620-88164–001 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, D&D, DUNGEON MASTER, FORGOTTEN REALMS   and the Wizards of the Coast logo are registered trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. a subsidiary of Hasbro Inc. The d20 System logo is a trademark owned by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. All Wizards characters, character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof are trademarks owned by Wizards of the Coast. Distributed to the hobby, toy, and comic trade in the United States and Canada by regional distributors. Distributed in the United States to the book trade by St. Martin’s Press. Distributed in Canada to the book trade by Fenn Ltd. Distributed worldwide by Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and regional distributors. This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. This product is a work of fiction. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, places, or events is purely coincidental. ©2002 Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Made in the U. S. A. Visit our website at www.wizards.com/dnd EUROPEAN HEADQUARTERS Wizards of the Coast, Belgium P. B. 2031 2600 Berchem Belgium +32–70–23–32–77 U. S., CANADA, ASIA, PACIFIC, and LATIN AMERICA Wizards of the Coast, Inc. P. O. Box 707 Renton WA 98057–0707 (Questions?) 1–800–324–6496

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction ........................................... 4 What This Book Is and Is Not ....................................... 4 How to Use This Book ................................................... 4 Chapter 1: Nature’s Lore ....................... 5 The Barbarian in Perspective ......................................... 5 Race and the Barbarian .............................................. 5 The Barbarian and Other Classes .............................  6 Sidebar: Level Equivalent ..........................................  6 Choosing When to Rage  ...........................................  7 Sidebar: On the Origin of Things .............................  8 The Druid in Perspective ..............................................  8 Race and the Druid ....................................................  8 The Druid and Other Classes  .................................  10 Rules Update: UsingWild Shape  ...........................    10 The Ranger in Perspective ..........................................  12 Race and the Ranger  ...............................................  13 The Ranger and Other Classes ...............................  14 Variant: Urban Rangers ...........................................  15 Choosing a Favored Enemy  ....................................  16 Variant Favored Enemy Rules  .................................  18 Sidebar: Variant Intimidation Rules .......................  18 Chapter 2: Skills and Feats..................  18 New Ways to Use Skills...............................................  18 Handle Animal  ........................................................  18 Hide  .........................................................................  19 Wilderness Lore .......................................................  20 Feats.............................................................................  20 Virtual Feats .............................................................  20 Wild Feats ................................................................  20 New Feats ................................................................  20 Animal Control.....................................................  20 Animal Defiance ..................................................  20 Blindsight .............................................................  21 Brachiation ...........................................................  21 Create Infusion ....................................................  22 Clever Wrestling ...................................................  22 Destructive Rage..................................................  22 Dragon’s Toughness ............................................  22 Dwarf’s Toughness ..............................................  22 Extended Rage .....................................................  22 Extra Favored Enemy ...........................................  22 Extra Rage ............................................................  22 ExtraWild Shape ..................................................  22 FastWild Shape ...................................................  22 Faster Healing ......................................................  22 Favored Critical ....................................................  23 Flyby Attack ..........................................................  23 Giant’s Toughness ...............................................  23 Greater Resiliency ................................................  23 Greater Two-Weapon Fighting ............................  23 Improved Flight ...................................................  23 Improved Swimming ...........................................  23 Instantaneous Rage .............................................  23 Intimidating Rage ................................................  24 Multiattack ...........................................................  24 Multidexterity .......................................................  24 Natural Spell ........................................................  24 Off-Hand Parry.....................................................  24 Plant Control ........................................................  24 Plant Defiance ......................................................  24 Power Critical .......................................................  24 ProportionateWild Shape ...................................    24 Remain Conscious ...............................................  25 Resist Disease  .....................................................  25 Resist Poison .......................................................  25 Resistance to Energy ...........................................  25 Scent .....................................................................  25 Shadow .................................................................  25 Snatch  ..................................................................  25 SpeakingWild Shape ...........................................    25 Supernatural Blow ...............................................  25 Wingover ..............................................................  25 Chapter 3: Tools of the Trade.............  26 Exotic Weapons ...........................................................  26 Weapon Descriptions ..............................................  26 New Magic Items ........................................................  27 Infusions ......................................................................  31 Sidebar: Optional Rule: Druids as Alchemists ......  31 What Is an Infusion? ...............................................  31 Creating Infusions ...................................................  31 Variant: Doing It Yourself ........................................  32 Chapter 4: Animals .............................  34 Animal Companions ...................................................  34 Sidebar: Previous Sources ......................................  34 Shopping for an Animal ..........................................  34 The Bond ..................................................................  35 Animal Mood and Attitude .....................................  35 Limitations and Problems  ......................................  35 Sidebar: The Best Animal Companion?  .................  35 Food and Care  .........................................................  36 Sidebar: Raising a Companion ...............................  36 Breaking the Limits .................................................  36 Abandoning a Companion ......................................  37 Improving a Companion .........................................  37 Dire Animals  ...............................................................  37 Dire Toad ..................................................................  38 Dire Hawk ................................................................  38 Dire Snake................................................................  39 Dire Horse ...............................................................  39 Dire Elk .....................................................................  39 Dire Elephant ...........................................................  39 Legendary Animals ......................................................  40 Legendary Eagle .......................................................  41 Legendary Ape .........................................................  41 Legendary Wolf ........................................................  42 Legendary Snake ......................................................  42 Legendary Horse  .....................................................  42 Legendary Bear ........................................................  42 Legendary Tiger .......................................................  42 Legendary Shark ......................................................  43 Chapter 5: Prestige Classes ...............  43 Animal Lord .................................................................  43 Sidebar: Special Prestige Classes ...........................  43 Totems .....................................................................  45 Bane of Infidels ...........................................................  46 Blighter ........................................................................  48 Bloodhound .................................................................  49 Organization: The Bloodhounds ............................  51 TABLE OF CONTENTS

3 Deepwood Sniper ........................................................  52 Exotic Weapon Master ................................................  53 Eye of Gruumsh ...........................................................  54 Organization: The Eyes of Gruumsh ......................  56 Foe Hunter  ..................................................................  56 Forsaker .......................................................................  57 Frenzied Berserker.......................................................  59 Ceomancer  ..................................................................  60 Drift ..........................................................................  62 Hexer............................................................................  63 King/Queen of the Wild ..............................................  65 Terrain-Dependent Features....................................  66 Oozemaster .................................................................  67 Shifter  ..........................................................................  68 Tamer of Beasts ...........................................................  70 Tempest .......................................................................  72 Verdant Lord ................................................................  73 Organized Druids: The Order of the Verdant Grove ..........................  74 Watch Detective ...........................................................  75 Sidebar: The Rule of Evidence  ................................  75 Windrider .....................................................................  77 What’s a Mount? .....................................................  79 Sidebar: Other Mount Feats ...................................  79 Chapter 6: Spells ................................  80 New Druid Spells ........................................................  80 New Ranger Spells ......................................................  81 New Cleric Spells ........................................................  81 New Sorcerer/Wizard Spells .......................................  81 Sidebar: More Spells for Adepts .................................  81 New Spells ...................................................................  81 TABLES Table 2–1: Feats ...........................................................  21 Table 3–1: New Exotic Weapons .................................  26 Table 3–2: New Magic Items ......................................  28 Table 3–3: Infusion Base Prices and Costs 32 Table 3–4: Tailored Infusions ......................................  33 Table 5–1: The Animal Lord ........................................  43 Table 5–2: The Bane of Infidels  ..................................  47 Table 5–3: The Blighter  ...............................................  48 Table 5–4: The Bloodhound ........................................  50 Table 5–5: The Deepwood Sniper ...............................  52 Table 5–6: The Exotic Weapon Master .......................  53 Table 5–7: The Eye of Gruumsh ..................................  55 Table 5–8: The Foe Hunter ..........................................  56 Table 5–9: The Forsaker ..............................................  58 Table 5–10: The Frenzied Berserker ............................  60 Table 5–11: The Geomancer .......................................  61 Table 5–12: The Hexer .................................................  64 Table 5–13: The King/Queen of the Wild ...................  66 Table 5–14: The Oozemaster ......................................  67 Table 5–15: The Shifter................................................  69 Table 5–16: The Tamer of Beasts ................................  70 Table 5–17: The Tempest ............................................  72 Table 5–18: The Verdant Lord .....................................  73 Table 5–19: The Watch Detective ................................  75 Table 5–20: The Windrider ..........................................  77 Table 5–21: The Windrider’s Mount ...........................  78 Table 5–22: Handle Animal DCs for Training Mounts  .....................................  79 TABLE OF CONTENTS

4 differently than people who band together in walled cities do, these characters nonetheless make formidable opponents. This book examines the masters of the wild in detail and provides you with new tools that you can use to maximize their adventuring potential. WHAT THIS BOOK IS AND IS NOT The material presented herein pertains to the new edi- tion of the DUNGEONS  & DRAGONS  game. You’ll find new feats, spells, and prestige classes, as well as useful advice for getting the most out of your barbarian, druid, or ranger character. Nothing here supersedes or replaces the rules and in- formation presented in the core rulebooks, except as noted. This supplement is designed to mesh with the rules system presented in the Player’s Handbook, the DUN - GEON  MASTER ’S  Guide, and the Monster Manual. This book presents options, not restrictions, for play- ing the D&D® game. However, players should ask their Dungeon Masters (DMs) about incorporating elements of this book before making changes to their characters. DMs can also make good use of the new feats, spells, and prestige classes presented here for designing nonplayer characters. Use what you wish and change or ignore the rest. Have at it, and enjoy! HOW TO USE THIS BOOK This book’s primary goal is to help you customize your barbarian, druid, or ranger player character. With the ma- terial presented here, you can personalize your character and broaden his or her capabilities. Chapter 1 discusses the advantages of playing a bar- barian, druid, or ranger. Here you’ll find advice on how to take advantage of your character’s class abilities and min- imize any potential weaknesses. Explanations of, advice on, and expansions to topics that are already part of the game, such as choosing favored enemies are also here. Chapter 2 offers special feats, such as Fast Wild Shape and Dragon’s Toughness, with which to enhance your character’s abilities. In addition, there is an extensive dis- cussion of skills, with notes on new and interesting uses of class skills for barbarians, druids, and rangers. Chapter 3 presents items of interest to both spellcast- ing and nonspellcasting characters. Chapter  4  offers  advice  on  how  to  play alongside animal companions. It also includes statistics for new dire animals as well as for members of a new subtype of animal—legendary animals. Chapter 5 takes your character in exciting new direc- tions with the animal lord, the blighter,  the frenzied berserker, and many other prestige classes. Chapter 6 expands the selection of divine spells avail- able at all spell levels. I NTRODUCTION “Feel the green.” —Vadania For all its magic, its fearsome dragons, and its powerful wizards, the world of the DUNGEONS  & DRAGONS^©  game is still predominantly a natural one. Animals, plants, and weather patterns form the basis of its ecology, and the strength of nature is never in doubt. The characters who most closely embrace this wild, natural world are fully equipped to deal with its down-to-earth realities. These characters aren’t consumed in far-flung extraplanar ex- periments, worship of distant immortal deities, or ab- stract systems of ethics. They don’t withdraw from the natural world into monasteries or cities. Druids, rangers, and barbarians belong to their world in a way that no other characters can. The barbarian fills his existence with a zest for living and possesses indomitable strength. The ranger combines knowledge of nature with mystical grace. The druid welcomes into herself all the wonders of land, sea, and sky. Despite their power, these “masters of the wild” are at heart humble people. Because they adapt to their world and seek to protect it, fools may consider them weaker than warlords and rulers who force their wills upon the land. While barbarians, druids, and rangers approach life INTRODUCTION

5 C HAPTER 1: NATURE’S LORE “Time flows like a river. All our sufferings, these are just pebbles in the riverbed.“ —Vadania This chapter examines the roles of the barbarian, the ranger, and the druid in the campaign. Such characters might appear to be loners, cut off from civilization and stuck in the cycle of nature. Fundamentally, though, the DUNGEONS  &  DRAGONS  game isn’t about solo play; it’s about team dynamics in an unpredictable world. Thus, barbarians, druids, and rangers must somehow find ways to work harmoniously with other classes, using their par- ticular talents to advance the group’s goals. This section discusses how to integrate these “outsiders” into a cam- paign so that they can use their strengths to the fullest. THE BARBARIAN IN PERSPECTIVE “There’s a logic to chaos. Hit 'em with everything. you've got. Hit ’em fast, hit 'em hard, hit'em till they stop moving. That’s logic.” —Krusk The barbarian’s road is the path to power. Without the combat tricks ot the lighter, the holy energy of the paladin, or the lithe grace of the ranger, the barbarian still more than holds his own in combat. How? He’s tougher and stronger than everyone else, and that makes all the difference. Many melee-oriented characters profit from an obvi- ous versatility. The ranger and the paladin balance their combat prowess with spellcasting and other special abil- ities. The rogue has a wide range ot skills, the tighter a se- lection ot bonus feats, and the monk a palette ot special abilities. The bard is the very definition ot flexibility. So why does the barbarian fare so well in comparison with them? Because he has locus. He won’t try to trick or de- ceive you. He won’t try to do anything but overcome you by force. That devotion to a single methodology makes the barbarian an unusually effective war machine. After all, during any given round of combat, the two actions that most characters perform are attacking and avoiding the attacks ot others. So why not be good at it? Of course, a barbarian must be able to take hits at least as well as he can dish them out. Survivability is ot para- mount importance to a character who relies primarily on combat. While it’s good to have the might to strike down toes, it’s also important to live long enough to see the next tight. The barbarian has more hit points, on average, than a character of any other class, and his damage re- duction ability effectively increases that total. Even rage, his signature offensive ability, gives him extra hit points that may allow him to survive an extra round or two of combat. In addition, the barbarian’s uncanny dodge abil- ity minimizes  his exposure to surprise, flanking, and traps. Finally, many high-level barbarians don suits of mithral full plate (medium armor) to preserve their fast movement while gaining the best Armor Class possible. This same reasoning also explains the popularity of rings of evasion and cloaks of displacement among barbarian char- acters. In addition, the barbarian’s rage, damage reduc- tion, and uncanny dodge abilities improve as he rises in level, making him even more formidable. All that obvious power and toughness can make a bar- barian forget about some of his other advantages. His class skills are diverse enough to allow for considerable variation, and it is the choice of skills more than any- thing else that differentiates one barbarian from another. One may concentrate his skill ranks in Intimidate to become a swaggering warrior; another may choose to know the outdoors through Intuit Direction, Swim, and Wilderness Lore. Other adventurers tend to view the barbarian as an un- sophisticated, ignorant, and unintelligent thug. In tact, more than a few barbarians do fit that stereotype, but plenty of others are clever—it not brilliant—warriors. They may not be worldly, but neither are they gullible. Nor are they necessarily violent, except when the situa- tion calls for judicious use of might. Race and the Barbarian Human and humanoid societies exist at all levels of cul- tural development, from primitive to advanced, so the barbarian class is open to  all races. Social restrictions make some races more likely than others to embrace the barbarian  way  ot life,  but  concrete  disadvantages  to adopting the class are few. Humans: Lacking the fighter’s bonus feats, a barbar- ian can profit greatly from the bonus feat and the bonus skills that the human race offers. Humans are also the most likely humanoids to descend into—or fail to rise above—a primitive culture. While that may be a regret- table trait tor humanity in general, it makes human bar- barians  the  most  common  and  the  most  accepted members ot that class. Dwarves:  Barbarians  generally  don’t  flourish  in highly regimented  societies,  so  it’s  no surprise that dwarves training tor warcratt tend to become soldiers (fighters) rather than barbarians. Where the normally or- derly dwarven society is absent for some reason, dwarven barbarians can arise. For example, a dwarf who grew up among primitive humans would be a perfect candidate for the class, as would one whose keep was overrun and left in chaos. Dwarves make good barbarians for many reasons. Not only does the dwarf’s +2 bonus to Constitu- tion enhance the barbarian’s  already high average hit points, it also extends his rages. In addition, the barbar- ian’s fast movement ability offsets the dwarf ’s normally slow movement rate. Finally, the dwarven racial bonus on saving throws to resist spells fits in nicely with the distrust of wizardry that some barbarians exhibit. Elves: Most elven societies do not accept barbarians, perhaps because elves do not make especially good ones. The elf’s penalty to Constitution devalues the barbarian’s natural strengths, and although he is known for his care- free nature, the typical elf finds the primitive and some- times savage ways of the barbarian repellent. A note- CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

6 worthy exception is the wild elf (grugach), who takes up the barbarian’s path with pleasure, despite his Constitu- tion penalty. Gnomes: Gnome barbarians are as rare as elven ones, though the reasons for this are primarily social. Gnomes do not separate themselves from the natural world, but they do tend to prefer sophisticated professions such as alchemy, engineering, and skilled trades. The average gnome enjoys his own cleverness too much to adopt the boldly direct approach of the barbarian. That’s un- fortunate, because the gnome doesn’t per- form poorly in that role. His size bonus to AC and attacks and his racial Constitution bonus offset his Strength penalty most of the time, and the barbarians fast movement can compensate for the gnome’s slow speed. Half-Elves: Most barbarians are either humans or half-orcs, but half-elves run a close  third. Since the  half-elf  has  all  the capriciousness of both his human and his elven sides, the requirement for a nonlawful alignment is easy to meet. Half-elves who find themselves cast aside by human and elven communities may find the barbarian’s path an especially inviting one. Becoming a barbarian may even lead to a form of accept- ance for the half-elf—although tribal soci- eties  are  not  known  for  welcoming  out- siders, they readily accept a strong sword- arm in times of trouble. Half-orcs: Orcs are savages, it’s true. So, it’s no real surprise that many half-orc heroes are barbarians. All orcs can feel the battle rage pounding in their hearts, but only those who are also barbarians can harness their blood frenzy to best effect. The half-orc’s bonus to Strength, the prime statistic for the combat-focused, is worth the sacrifice of Charisma and Intelligence. (After all, how often  must  the  barbarian  try  to  woo  or outwit  someone?)  Count  the  number  of times the fighter swings his sword, and re- member that not only does the half-orc bar- barian typically do more damage than the fighter with each hit, he also hits more often. If you’re looking for the most powerful bar- barian, and you can live with a bit of social stigma, then half-orc is the right choice. Halflings: For the barbarian, high Constitution is usu- ally better than high Dexterity, so gnome tends to be a better  choice than  halfling. Moreover,  primitive  or savage halfling communities are quite rare. Halflings are creatures of comfort, and their communities are strong. While their athleticism and bravery do them credit, and their racial bonus to Listen checks falls right in line with the barbarian’s class skills, the penalty to Strength is too great a drawback to overlook. Monsters:  Among the monstrous races, grimlocks, lizardfolk,  locathahs, and orcs are the most  likely to adopt the barbarian way of life. Grimlocks are xenophobic, subterranean creatures. Though they are blind, they can still sense their foes through  blindsight.  Grimlocks  charge  into  combat wielding battleaxes, and that trait in itself seems bar- baric.  Grimlocks  are  strong,  tough,  and  formidable enough to make fine barbarians. Because of the grim- lock’s various advantages, his level equivalent is his class levels +5. Lizardfolk make ideal barbarians, both because their societies tend to be primitive and because their liveli- hood depends primarily on hunting and raiding. Fast movement provides them with a speed advantage over members of most other races. Rage greatly enhances a lizardfolk’s already above-average Strength and Constitu- tion scorcs, which can provide a significant bonus on their weapon and natural attacks. Because of these ad- vantages, the lizardfolk’s  level equivalent is his class levels +4. Locathahs are an exotic but reasonable choice for bar- barian player characters. They tend toward neutrality in alignment, and while they don’t trust outsiders, they aren’t as aggressive as grimlocks. Perhaps that’s because locathahs are unusually intelligent and wise (+2 racial bonus to Intelligence, Wisdom, and Dexterity) for hu- manoids who favor the barbarian class. Locathahs have a terrible land speed (10 feet) that even the barbarian’s fast movement can’t fully compensate for. Because of his ad- vantageous ability modifiers, formidable natural armor, and ability to breathe water, however, the locathahs level equivalent is his class levels +3. The orc is another common choice for barbarian, and his +2 racial bonus to Strength is a good selling point for the class. The DUNGEON MASTER’S  Guide provides rules for playing an ore, which is basically a more extreme version of the half-orc. Many of the same considerations noted for half-orcs (above) apply to the orc as well. The Barbarian and Other Classes Barbarians can be very opinionated, so it’s not surprising that they provoke strong reactions from other characters. In most cases, though, these differences in approach art- just hooks for good roleplaying. The barbarian makes an excellent addition to adven- turing parties in need of more muscle. If you’re playing a barbarian, you may find some good advice in the follow- ing paragraphs about getting along with your fellow ad- venturers. Bards:  There’s nothing like a good skald to inspire your battle rage or while away the downtime between ad- ventures with songs and stories. You don’t really under- stand his spellcasting, but you can appreciate it more than that of the wizard or sorcerer—after all, the bard’s magic can heal. Best of  all, though, he  can help you achieve immortality by making up songs and legends about your exploits. So what if he tends to get the party into trouble with his boasting and tomfoolery occasion- ally? What’s life without a little conflict? Clerics:  You can certainly appreciate a good healer, but the typical cleric spends a lot of time talking about the afterlife and trying to convert others to his faith. You don’t worry all that much about the next life—you have to focus on the here and now if you want to survive. Cler- Level Equivalent Some  monsters  are  innately more  powerful  than  members of the common races (human, elf,  dwarf,  and  so  on).  When one  of  those  monsters  gains levels in a class, some number is added to its class levels to de- termine its effective level. The total of its class levels and this number  (which  varies  accord- ing to creature type) is its level equivalent. For  example,  a  grimlock’s level  equivalent  is  equal  to  its class levels +3. This means that a 1st-level grimlock barbarian is effectively  a  4th-level  charac- ter—in  other  words,  roughly equal  in  power  to  a  4th-level player  character  of  one  of  the common races. (What gives a grimlock  this  advantage  is  its blindsight, coupled with its im- munity  to  attacks that  rely  on the  target  having  a  visual sense.) An  ordinary  member  of  a monster  race  (one  without class levels, such as the grim- lock described in theMonster Manual  ) does not have a level equivalent. In  addition  to  grimlocks, creatures  discussed  in  this book that have level equivalents are  lizardfolk,  locathahs,  cen- taurs,  dryads,  nymphs,  gnolls, sahuagin, and yuan-ti. For more on level equivalent, see Monsters as Races in Chap- ter  2  of  theDUNGEON MASTER’S Guide. CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

7 ics who follow nature deities (including nonhuman deities such as Corellon Larethian) are another matter. They have their feet on the ground, so to speak, even if their heads are in the sky, and you welcome their pres- ence. It’s wise not to offend any cleric if you can help it; you can’t deny the power of deities in the world. Druids: You get along with the druid just fine. She has healing powers, but she doesn’t proselytize the way the typical cleric does. Maybe that’s because both of you are committed to nature, or because you share many skills, or because she simply prefers to follow her own path. Whatever her philosophy, the druid is the sage of your world—her knowledge of nature outstrips even your own. Although you may never adore nature the way she does, you both walk the same trails and drink from the same springs. Fighters: You can’t help but appreciate the company of a fighter, since his approach to life is so much like yours. He is a staunch ally in battle and a friendly rival outside it. The fighter has more options and tricks than you do in combat, but you’re often the more formidable foe, especially while you’re raging. In addition, you have a wider array of skills than he does, so you have the ad- vantage over him in wilderness exploration. None of this hurts your friendship, though. A little competition is a good thing, after all. Monks: If you have an opposite number, it has to be the monk. Your zest for life and focus on reality are dia- metrically opposed to her philosophy of withdrawal from the world. You have no trouble expressing your opinions, but she’s terribly reserved—she must either be afraid of something or be too stifled to show her feelings. Other people claim that your approach to life and hers are both  valid, but you think she’s simply wrong. You don’t worry much about her choices, though, as long as she doesn’t try to impose them on you. Paladins: The paladin is a welcome ally in combat, but off the battlefield, the two of you seldom see eye-to-eye. You hate restrictions, and she, of course, is rigidly lawful as well as good. You tend to set aside social niceties and get right to the heart of a situation; she wastes time with platitudes and negotiation. Even in combat, the two of you sometimes differ in your approaches. Whereas the paladin considers her foes’ actions in a moral sense and tries to protect the weak, you simply want to crush your enemies and to see them driven before you. Neverthe- less, the two of you can work together quite effectively as long as your overall goals coincide. Rangers: In melee, the ranger is your polar opposite. Light and graceful, he often wields two weapons while you typically fight with a single large one. You’re might- ier than he is, but he dabbles in divine spells. Look past those superficial differences, though, and it’s obvious that the two of you have a lot in common. You share more than a few class skills, including Wilderness Lore. You both embrace the outdoors, and you’re both uncomfort- able in heavy armor. The ranger is better at tracking foes than you are, but you’re happy to throw in your muscle against his favored enemies. Rogues: Some people dislike rogues, but you can see the advantage of having one around. Without her, you’re likely to bear the brunt of a lot more traps. And not even you can ignore the impressive damage she can inflict when you’re helping her flank a foe. Rogues and barbar- ians often achieve a profound respect for one another that eventually deepens into genuine friendship. Sorcerers: Here’s a fellow who can fire off some very flashy spells, but his power doesn’t come from gods, or even from books, like the wizard’s does. He says his spell- casting ability is natural, and maybe that’s true—he does wield his power with an easy grace, as though it were part of him. As long as he’s honest with you about his abilities and treats you with respect, there’s no reason the two of you can’t become close friends. But if he tries to forge an air of mystery about himself, as some sorcerers do, he’s likely to earn your antipathy instead. Wizards:  You don’t understand the wizard, and you don’t trust what you don’t understand. How can just read- ing a book give her such incredible powers? For all you know, she could be in league with some dark deity, so her ability to toss around fireballs won’t earn her any respect from you until she takes the time to explain how she does it. At that point, maybe you can move beyond your basic mistrust of the unknown and begin to form a per- sonal connection with her. Choosing When to Rage “Sometimes my mind just gets in the way. Sometimes not.” —Krusk The barbarian’s rage is limited in both duration and fre- quency, so the question of when to activate it is an im- portant tactical decision. But the considerations change as the barbarian gains levels and has more opportunities to rage. The low-level barbarian can rage only once or twice per day, so he must use the ability wisely. One option is to save his rage for the combat that he guesses to be the big showdown of the day. In the typical dungeon, it’s often obvious when the party is facing or about to face the toughest villain. In this case, it makes sense to rage as soon as the battle begins. The faster the enemies can be eliminated, the less damage they do, and the fewer party resources must be expended in the battle. Unless the barbarian’s Constitution score is especially low, his rage should last long enough to finish even the toughest fight ot the day. It sometimes makes sense for a low-level barbarian to rage when he’s low on hit points. The extra hit points that rage grants may keep him on his feet long enough to finish off his foe, and a rage opportunity left unused is no good to an unconscious or dead barbarian. However, this tactic can be problematical. The bonuses last until the rage ends. At that point, the barbarian immediately loses those extra hit points—and if he’s already severely in-- CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

8 jured or unconscious, he might die from that additional loss. In fact, a barbarian who uses this tactic frequently is more likely to end up dead after a fight than anyone else in his party. As  the  barbarian  gains  levels,  deciding when to rage becomes easier. The mid-level barbarian,  who  can  rage  three  or  more times per day, might want to use the ability whenever he faces spellcasting enemies. It grants him a +2 morale bonus on Will saves and a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves (through increased  Constitution).  Given  that Will saves can be something of an Achilles’ heel for the barbarian, anything that minimizes his  chance  of  falling  victim  to  fear  or mental  domination  is  a  good  thing—not just for him, but for everyone in his party. The  same  reasoning  applies  when  he’s facing  opponents  who  use  poison  or  a draining  ability  that  requires  a  saving throw—the barbarian should rage to try to prevent any negative effects he knows are coming. He might also consider raging to gain the Strength bonus he needs to open an especially stubborn door or overcome a physical  obstacle,  or  to  gain  the  saving throw bonuses when he fears setting off a troublesome trap. At 20th level, when he can rage five or more times per day, the barbarian should simply use the ability at the start of every sig- nificant  encounter.  Against  obviously weaker foes, he can withhold his power just as the wizard or spellcaster conserves spells, but whenever the outcome is worth worry- ing about, he should rage. THE DRUID IN PERSPECTIVE “Nature is by definition uncontrollable. At best you can attempt a momentary influence, but even that is subject to the whims of nature.” —Vadania The druid’s home is more spacious, and possibly more beautiful, than that of any other character. Tall oaks, pines, and elms form the roof over her world—a canopy more vibrant and interesting than any ceiling fresco. The grasses and leaves provide her with a floor and a soft bed. Where are the walls? The druid laughs, for she knows no walls—no  boundaries  to  her  never-ending natural world. Within her home or outside it, the druid is never with- out friends. That wolf hiding in the grass, the hawk flying above, and the mighty bear—these make loyal traveling companions as well as fearsome opponents for uninvited guests. Should she need clever scouts to prowl the bushes or soar through the sky in search of enemies, or strong warriors to protect her from harm, her friends can be at her side in a moment. If their aid isn’t enough, she can become one of nature’s creatures and either defeat her foes with claw and tooth or take wing and escape. Woe to the cretin who thinks the druid powerless outside her wood, for even in the darkest dungeon, she is never without friends, spells, or powers. Unlike many adventurers, the druid is fully prepared to go it alone. The fighter, wizard, and rogue depend on the cleric to heal them, and the cleric depends on the fighter to keep enemies at bay. The druid, on the other hand, can defeat her enemies with fiery spellcasting nearly as powerful as the sorcerer’s, take the form of a tiger or a lion to gain the upper hand in melee, then heal herself when the battle is done. Because of this versatility, the druid has much to offer a group of adventurers. She can take on any role that’s re- quired. Need a healer for the barbarian? Can do. Need a little more firepower to strike down foes from a distance? No  problem.  Need  some  spells  to  make  the  party tougher? Sure  thing.  How  about  reasonable  combat skills, allies that can be summoned at a moment’s notice, and the ability to bring down the rain or clear away the clouds? The druid is your choice. With all these options, hundreds of druids can share the same world and still be nothing alike. One may concentrate on healing, another on the creation of magic items, another on animal com- panions, and yet another on assuming other shapes. Race and the Druid Druids  can  emerge  from  any  natural  environment. Where they are rarest is where cobbled stones and the noisy advance of civilization have replaced a carpet of leaves and the gentle song of the lark. Some races are more likely than others to take up the druid’s path tor cultural reasons, but in game terms there’s no race that makes for an especially bad druid. Since Wisdom is the primary ability score tor the class and no race has a bonus or penalty to this score, no obvious racial choice exists for druid characters. Humans: Though humans lack the special abilities of other races, the bonus skill points and feat they gain at 1st level make them excellent candidates for the druid class. After all, a druid who knows more of the forest’s se- crets (though extra ranks in Wilderness Lore) is by defi- nition a more powerful druid. The human druid also has the acceptance of her peers, especially if she is from a savage or primitive background. The one glaring human weakness, poor night vision, is problematical for druids, but they can eventually compensate for it through spells, magic items, or wild shape. Dwarves: Dwarven druids, as the  Player’s Handbook notes, are rare. Since dwarves often exhibit fierce loyalty to clan or keep, placing nature first doesn’t come easily tor most of them. Nor does it help that many dwarves spend their lives working underground, carving up rock and stripping precious resources from the earth. Never- theless, a dwarf who leaves that life behind can be a for- midable defender of nature, tough beyond measure. The extra hit points a dwarf gets from her racial Constitution bonus are invaluable to a druid who spends a lot of time in battle. The druid’s ability to take other forms though wild shape compensates nicely for the dwarf’s slow move- ment rate, and darkvision is a real blessing. On the Origin of Things In history, druids were priests of Celtic tribes in western Europe. Many stories and great legends describe these figures from our past.  To  learn  more,  visit  your bookstore or check a few books out  of  your  library  and  read about  the  druids  who  popu- lated  history.  Good  works  to start with includeCeltic Lore    by Ward Rutherford,The Druids   by Stuart  Piggott,  andMyths  and Symbols in Pagan Europe: Early Scandinavian  and  Celtic  Reli- gions    by  Hilda  Roderick  Ellis Davidson. Keep in mind that the druids of  the  D&D  game  are  based more  on  fantasy  and  fiction than  on  historical  fact.  Here, druids  are  not  Celtic  priests, and they don’t follow the same beliefs,  obey  the  same  restric- tions, or participate in the same rites that real druids did. Druids in   the   game  have   more   in common  with  characters  from Terry Brooks’sShannara    series, Marion  Zimmer  Bradley’sThe Mists  of  Avalon,    and  Morgan Llywelyn’sThe  Druid    than  with anyone from Earth’s past. CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

9 Elves: Elves are  the archetypal  druids,  with  good reason. From birth, children of this race learn to love the woodlands  and  the  natural  world  in  general.  Elven druids have several racial advantages, not the least of which is their improved vision—low-light vision and bonuses to Spot and Search checks. Sadly, they must set aside their racial training in the longsword, rapier, and bow; a druid who uses any of those weapons loses all her druid powers for 24 hours. The physical frailty of an elf (–2 penalty to Constitution) is a slight disadvantage, bur one that most elven druids are willing to accept. Best of all, an elven druid can return to the woodland home of her youth and find acceptance and even honor among her  kind.  Not many cultures are so accepting of the druid, and in few other settlements can she feel truly comfortable. Gnomes: Though many do not realize it, the gnomes’ bond with the natural world is nearly as strong as the elves’. Gnomes live simply, in wooded hills and warm burrows. Unlike members of other races, they can con- verse with burrowing creatures through an innate speak with  animals  ability. Whether  it  is  a  blessing  of  the deities or a trick the gnomes learned over time, this abil- ity bonds them with animals in a way that few others un- derstand.  Add  in  the  gnome’s  low-light  vision  and natural hardiness, and the gnome druid has many of the dwarf’s physical advantages as well as the social accept- ance that the elf enjoys. Though her small size makes the gnome druid physically weaker than a human, wild shape allows her to take the form of an animal with great strength, such as a bear or leopard. Humble, playful people that they are, gnomes make talented and stead- fast druids. Half-Elves:  Lost and looking for her place in the world, many a half-elf finds solace in serving nature. Per- haps it’s a way of accepting her elven half or appeasing elven kin—or perhaps the half-elf whom society has cast aside finds a certain appeal in the sometimes lonely path of the druid. Whatever her reasons for taking up the class, the half-elven druid benefits from her elven her- itage through her improved vision. Half-elves may also have an easier time getting along in a human-dominated world than elves do. Half-orcs: It’s unfortunate that so few half-orcs take up the druidic path. Like their orc parents, many half- orcs live in wild frontiers, often far away from settled and well-defended towns. Those same frontiers are often home to druids. Halt-orc characters have two significant advantages: darkvision and a +2 racial bonus to Strength. Moreover, although some may mock the half-orc for her lack of intelligence and her crudeness, a druid can live without great intelligence and charisma. Like the half- elf, the half-orc must live with a degree of social stigma, so she may find a solitary existence in the woods prefer- able to dealing with those who can’t accept her for what she is. Nature, after all, embraces all living beings and brings peace to the tormented soul. Halflings: Halflings make good druids. Their natural athleticism and sensitive ears are ideal tor outdoor sur- vival, and their general good  luck and bravery serve them well too. The primary reason that so few halflings take up the sickle and mistletoe is the strength of the halfling community. Their predilection for comfortable beds, fine food, and ample drink tends to discourage them from choosing more challenging lives in service to nature. The few who do take up the druid’s path find that their size is no impediment to excellence. Monsters: Among the monstrous races, two stand out as likely druids: centaurs and lizardfolk. Both races gen- erally have tribal societies, and both live in harmony with their environments. It is not uncommon in either culture to find druids in positions of leadership. A centaur makes an excellent druid because of her +3 racial bonus to Wisdom, her natural familiarity with the outdoors,  and  her  skill  with horticulture. Her  level equivalent is her class levels +7, so a 1st-level centaur druid would be appropriate for a 6th-level party. Lizardfolk druids are easier to integrate with the aver- age game than are their centaur counterparts—if noth- ing else, it’s easier to take a lizardfolk than a centaur into a dungeon. Since the lizardfolk’s level equivalent is her class levels +4, a 1st-level lizardfolk druid can join a cam- paign  when the  average  character  level  is  only 3rd. Unlike centaurs, lizardtolk druids have no racial adjust- ment  to their Wisdom  scorcs,  but  they  do  have  re- spectable natural attacks at their disposal. As aquatic- creatures, they’re the only druidically inclined race that can also breathe water. An enterprising player might also consider the dryad (class levels +4) and the nymph (class levels +12) as choices for a druid character. Both have strong ties to nature, and abilities that benefit from the addition of the druid class. CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

10 The Druid and Other Classes The druid’s defense of the natural world is neither short- sighted nor provincial. She is, in some sense, a living ex- tension of nature’s will. Therefore, when evil threatens the land, she’s likely to enlist in the fight, even if it takes place far outside her grove. On other occasions, the druid may become involved in adventures out of loyalty to friends, or out of curiosity about some aspect of nature. As noted above, the druid has no difficulty fitting into most adventuring parties. If you’re playing a druid, you may find some good advice in the following paragraphs about getting along with your fellow adventurers. Barbarians: Though the barbarian may rush headlong into combat, your relationship with him tends to be a good one. Both of you have woodland skills, and while you may not share the same view of the world, you do tra- verse the same hills and valleys. Bards: You can understand the traveling lifestyle of the bard, but you don’t envy it. Bards tend to stir up nearly as much trouble as rogues do in their wander- ings, but bards at least make charming and versatile ad- venturing companions. Their wide range of skills, their spellcasting talent, and their combat ability make them suitable backups for nearly any other character class. Add to that their incredible musical effects, and what’s not to like? The bard reminds you that zest for living is a good thing, and that whatever duties you take on, life is a precious gift that should be enjoyed, not merely spent. Clerics:  You and the cleric share many spells and some similar obligations, but you certainly don’t share the same viewpoint on life. Your mind is focused on the earth, while he contemplates the heavens. This differ- ence  does  not  necessarily  make  for  poor  relations; indeed, you and he can develop a healthy respect for one another’s abilities and come up with some highly useful spell combinations. True friendship is rare, how- ever, unless the cleric has chosen the Animal, Plant, or Sun domain. Fighters: It’s always handy to have a fighter around when there’s trouble. Through the barbarian may be tougher overall, the fighter is incredibly skilled in the art of war, which means he usually knows a lot of fighting tricks that can help his group defeat sophisticated and powerful adversaries. On the other hand, it seems that he devotes his entire life to combat—and what sort of atti- tude is that? It’s that mindset—concentrating on petty squabbles instead of more important issues—that en- courages ever-increasing conflict in the world. All things considered, you get along fine with the fighter when your goals coincide with his, but you would rather spend time with the ranger or the barbarian. Monks: The monk seeks enlightenment through an ascetic lifestyle, which ultimately amounts to a denial of the self. To you, that seems utter folly. While there may be  other planes of  existence and  a  state  beyond  the “mortal realm,” people should live in the present—in this world. You can sympathize with that lonely figure who came out of a monastery, but you have trouble embracing her outlook on life. As long as she’s content to let others pursue their own paths, though, the two of you might be able to forge a bond of friendship. Paladins: Your relationship with the paladin is often strained because the two of you have different outlooks on life and devote yourselves to different goals. The two things you have in common are a sense of moral duty and a desire to protect something in this world. You’re both champions of your causes, and at those times when your interests overlap—when confronted by an over- whelming evil, for instance—you can form an alliance that few foes can withstand. Lasting friendship between the two of you is rare, however. Rangers: As might be expected, you and the ranger get along well. You share an understanding of the natural world, and though your means may vary, you see the need for each other. The one thing that disturbs you about the ranger is his vengeful dislike of certain crea- tures. You can understand the desire to hunt—that’s a natural instinct—but you don’t understand the desire to eradicate a certain type of being. Though your skills tend to overlap, the two of you together with your animal companions can greatly increase the capabilities (and sheer numbers) of an adventuring party. Rogues: You appreciate rogues for their unique tal- ents, but your lifestyle rarely brings you into contact with them. For the most part, that suits you just fine. The fact that civilized society considers rogues to be miscreants, thieves, and assassins doesn’t concern you, since you care little for society’s strictures anyway. But some  rogues  think  of  life  as  a  game,  and  too  many others think of nothing but worldly goods. This leaves you little in common with the party’s rogue, though you respect her skills. Sorcerers: You may not fully understand the sorcerer or his origin, but you do respect innate gifts. The sor- cerer, through some quirk of fate or  bloodline, has  a talent for magic, and unlike the wizard, he doesn’t clois- ter his body inside a moldy tower or his mind inside an equally moldy tome. Most  sorcerers are  charismatic people who don’t hide from the world or hold them- selves above it. Those attributes make it easy for you to get along with them. Wizards: There’s a place for learning and a place for academic study. Wizards spend far too much time with their noses in books and not enough time getting exer- cise in the fresh air. But despite their typical lack of physical prowess, they often make pleasant compan- ions and able adventurers, and their spells complement yours nicely. From your perspective, the only real flaw in the wizard’s magic is that she draws her power from unnatural sources, calling in energy from places not of this  world. Thus,  while  you  are  wise  enough  to  be- friend the wizard in your own adventuring group, you often take some small pleasure in fighting a villainous wizard. Rules Update: UsingWild Shape “They tickle and itch, but you get used to feathers. Never quite get used to the eggs, though.” —The druid Kelliana of Blue Tribe Wild shape is one of the druid’s most useful and flexible class features. The following version of this ability super- sedes the one presented in the Player’s Handbook. CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

11 Wild Shape At 5th level, a druid gains the spell-like ability to turn herself into a Small or Medium-size animal (but not a dire animal or a legendary animal) and back again once per day. The druid may adopt only one animal form per use of this ability. The creatures available as  wild  shape forms include some giant animals (as described in Appendix I of the Monster Manual) but not beasts, magical beasts, or any- thing with a type other than animal. The druid may use wild shape to become a dog or a giant lizard, for example, but not an owlbear. The form chosen must be that of an animal she is familiar with. For example, a druid who has never been outside a temperate forest could not become a polar bear. The druid can freely designate the new form’s minor physical qualities (such as fur, feather, or skin color and texture) within the normal ranges for an animal of that kind. The new form’s significant physical qualities (such as height, weight, and gender) are also under her control but must fall within the norms for the animal’s species. The druid is effectively disguised as an average member of the new form’s species, gaining a +10 bonus on her Disguise checks as long as she maintains the form. This change of form never disorients the druid. Upon changing to an animal form, she regains lost hit points as if she had rested for a day, though this healing does not restore temporary ability damage or provide any other benefits of resting for a day, and changing back does not heal her further. If slain, the druid reverts to her original form, though she remains dead. When the change occurs, the druid’s equipment, if any, melds into her new form and becomes nonfunc- tional. Material components and focuses melded in this way cannot be used to cast spells. When the druid re- verts to her true form, any objects previously melded into the animal form reappear in the same locations they previously were and are once again functional. Any new items the druid wore in animal form (such as a saddle, rider, or halter) fall off and land at her feet; any that she carried in a body part common to both forms (mouth, hands, or the like) at the time of reversion are still held in the same way. The druid acquires the physical and natural abilities of the creature whose form she has taken while retaining her own mind. Physical abilities include size as well as Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution scorcs. Natural abilities include armor, natural weapons (such as claws, bite, or gore), sensory abilities (such as low-light vision), and similar gross physical qualities (presence or absence of wings or gills, number of extremities, and so forth). Natural abilities also include mundane movement capa- bilities, such as walking, swimming, and flying with wings. The druid also gains all the racial bonuses and feats of the animal form selected. She does not gain any supernatural or spell-like abilities (such as breath weap- ons or gaze attacks) of her new form, but does gain all the form’s extraordinary abilities. All these alterations last until the wild shape ends. The druid’s new scorcs and faculties are average ones for the species into which she has transformed. She cannot, for example,  turn herself into a wolf with a Strength of 20. Likewise, she cannot change into a bigger or more powerful version of a creature (or a smaller or weaker version). The druid retains her own Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scorcs, level and classes, hit points (despite any change in her Constitution score), alignment, base attack bonus, and base save bonuses. (New Strength, Dexterity,  and  Constitution  scorcs  may  affect  final attack and save bonuses.) The druid also retains her own type (for example, humanoid), extraordinary abilities, and spell-like abilities, but not her supernatural abilities. She loses her ability to speak while in animal form be- cause she is limited to the sounds that a normal, un- trained animal can make. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.) Though the druid retains any spells she previously car- ried, her new form may not permit her to use them. Unless the chosen form is one with prehensile hands (such as a monkey or an ape) or some other manipulative appendage, the druid may not be able to manipulate ma- terial components and focuses for spells—even if those are not melded into her new form. Likewise, her lack of a humanlike voice means she cannot cast spells with verbal components or activate command word items. In the same manner, the lack of appropriate appendages may prevent her from using manufactured weapons and magic items. If the usability of a particular spell or item is in doubt, the DM makes the decision. The druid can use this ability more times per day at 6th, 7th, 10th, 14th, and 18th level, as noted on Table 3–8 in the Player’s Handbook. In addition, she gains the ability to take the shape of a Large animal at 8th level, a Tiny animal at 11th level, and a Huge animal at 15th level. At 12th level and beyond, she can take the form of a dire animal. At 16th level, the druid may use wild shape to change into a Small, Medium-size, or Large elemental (air, earth, CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

12 fire, or water) once per day. She gains all the elemental’s special attacks and special qualities when she does so, re- gardless of ability type (that is, she gains the supernatural and spell-like abilities of the elemental as well as extraor- dinary ones). She also gains the elemental’s feats and racial skill bonuses for as long as she maintains the wild shape while retaining her own creature type (humanoid in most cases). At 18th level, she can assume elemental form three times per day. Choosing a Wild Shape Beginning at 5th level, the druid gains the ability to use wild shape. During her career, a variety of choices present themselves as she masters larger and smaller forms, and eventually she can assume the form of a dire animal or an elemental. The array of options can be downright bewil- dering. The primary consideration in selecting an animal form is what you want it for. Here are some factors a druid should consider when approaching this decision. Detecting: Because the druid can use the extraordi- nary abilities of the form chosen, she can gain blindsight as a dire bat or a porpoise. Most animals have low-light vision, and a few (such as the snake and the owl) also have racial Spot or Listen bonuses. Escaping: The one of the best way to escape a trou- bling situation through wild shape is to take to wing as a hawk or an eagle. The fly speeds of those creatures are 80 and 60 feet respectively, and that’s usually fast enough to escape from an advancing army or a land-bound monster. The owl, despite its popularity, doesn’t fly especially fast (only 40 feet). In a dungeon, or against some airborne foes, the cheetah or horse may be a more appropriate choice. A light horse has a respectable land speed of 60 feet; the cheetah moves only 50 feet normally but can also travel 500 feet in a sprint (see the cheetah entry in the Monster Manual). Escape doesn’t always require fast movement, though—a high-level druid can use wild shape to take the form of a Tiny animal and use the Hide skill to avoid enemies. Fighting: Wild shape can make the druid a formidable opponent. Until 8th level, when she can use ivild shape to become a Large animal, her best choices are the wolver- ine, black bear, or leopard, with three attacks each. Of these, the black bear offers the highest Strength score and the leopard the highest AC. The wolverine’s rage ability grants it the same Strength bonus as the black bear, plus a few additional hit points. The form of a con- strictor snake might also prove very useful, especially against enemy spellcasters. For an 8th-level druid, the polar bear reigns supreme with its Strength score of 27. The heavy horse is weaker in combat but a lot less conspicuous, if that’s a concern. The only other options worth considering are the big cats—lions and tigers—whose pounce and rake abilities are a fair trade for the polar bear’s higher strength. The tiger is uniformly tougher than the lion, but both can hold their own in combat. Finally, reach provides a sig- nificant advantage in a fight, and the druid can gain that in the form of a Large viper. At 12th level, the druid can use wild shape to become a dire animal. As a dire bear with a Strength of 31, she can do 30 or more points of damage in a single round. The dire lion is her second-best choice. When the  druid reaches  15th  level,  the  dire  tiger becomes  available,  but  the  dire  bear  may  still  be  a better  decision. The  dire  tiger’s  Huge  size  makes  it easier  to  hit  than  the  dire  bear, and the  addition  of pounce and rake attacks may not entirely compensate for that disadvantage. At  16th  level,  the  druid  gains  a  significant  new option—elemental form. This allows the druid access to all the special abilities of the chosen elemental, includ- ing whirlwind, drench, vortex, push, and burn. Because of its high Strength score, the earth elemental is proba- bly the best choice, though the water elemental has a better AC. If AC is not a factor, however, the dire bear is still a better fighter than any elemental simply because of its higher strength. Impressing Foes: Bears, lions, and elememals im- press the local populace and frighten even veteran mer- cenaries. A DM may allow a +2 circumstance bonus on Intimidate checks for a druid using an impressive form. Impressing Other Animals: The druid usually relies on her Animal Empathy skill to calm hostile or hungry animals and reassure them that violence is not necessary. The druid who takes the time to use wild shape to assume the target animal’s form often has an easier time in this negotiation, even though she doesn’t gain the ability to speak with the creature directly. To represent this advan- tage, the DM may allow the  druid a +4 circumstance bonus  on  Animal  Empathy  checks  made  against  an animal whose form she has assumed. Scouting: Avian forms are good for scouting, but don’t overlook subterfuge as an option. An old story tells of a druid who learned all her enemies’ plans when she as- sumed the form of a heavy horse and served a day as the steed for the commander of the evil army. Most people pay little attention to horses, livestock, or passing frogs, and the druid can profit from that. Training  Animals: The  training  process  becomes much easier if the druid can simply assume the animal’s form and demonstrate the behavior or action she wants. The DM may allow the druid a +4 circumstance bonus on her Handle Animal checks when she uses wild shape in this fashion. Traveling: Because of their good fly speeds, birds are the obvious choices for travel. Should travel by ocean, sea, or river be an option, the dire shark moves at an im- pressive speed (90 feet) that even the eagle cannot match. At 15th level and higher, the druid should seriously con- sider the form of an air elemental for travel because of its incredible fly speed (100 feet). THE RANGER IN PERSPECTIVE “You could just as easily gel a shark to give up swimming as you could get a ranger to sfay at home.” —Soveliss Despite his association with the forest, the ranger cannot be described as “rooted.” Too  great an attachment to CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

13 places, material possessions, and traditions is unhealthy from his point of view. After all, change is a fundamental aspect of nature, and it doesn’t pay to fight that. In fact, the ranger is among the most versatile of all characters. Yes, he wears armor, but it’s never as clunky as the paladin’s. Yes, he casts spells, but he never relies solely on them for survival as the wizard does. Yes, he moves like  the  breeze,  but  never  with  the  blatant  fear  of straight-on confrontation that so many rogues display. Though the bard claims to be a jack-of-all-trades, it is the ranger who quietly proves himself the perfect balance of disciplines. The ranger’s versatility makes him more of a generalist than most other characters, and that can be as much a hindrance as a boon. He can’t deal as much damage with a  single  blow as a greatsword-wielding  fighter  with Weapon Specialization or a wizard with a maximized fire- ball. What he can do is mete out a wild flurry of damage from multiple sources, then retreat before his opponent can return the favor. A ranger of moderate level might unleash three unerring arrows in one round, switch weapons and close in the next round, then lay his oppo- nent low with four blows from his two weapons in the third round. If that opponent is a favored enemy, the second and third rounds might not even be necessary. In many ways, the ranger’s greatest strength is leader- ship. Like the rogue, he often scouts ahead of fellow party members, where he can make the best use of his Track feat and sense-oriented class skills. Unlike the rogue, however, he feels physically outmatched by the challenges that those talents reveal. As the first to spot an enemy, he must decide whether to close or sneak back, and his friend’s lives may depend on the wisdom of his decision. Race and the Ranger Every humanoid race has spawned rangers, and each offers its own set of advantages. As with the druid, no ob- vious racial choice exists for a ranger. Humans: Most rangers are human. Dividing a human ranger’s initial skill points evenly between Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore gives the 1st- level human ranger a +5 bonus on those checks against favored enemies, in addition to any other bonuses he may have. Moreover, he doesn’t have to choose between Weapon Focus and Alertness to augment his best attrib- utes; he can get them both right away. Of course, the human’s biggest advantage is that he is a member of the dominant race on the planet. Dwarves: Like most of their race, dwarven rangers tend to live underground. Such “cavers” need not worry much about maintaining relations with fey creatures or protecting the trees, but that doesn’t mean they should skimp on ranks in the Wilderness Lore skill. It’s a neces- sity for tracking foes, especially since dungeon floors count as hard ground (see the Track feat description in the  Player’s Handbook). The Listen skill is also vital in a dungeon environment, and the ranger gets a bonus on Listen checks against favored enemies. The dwarven ranger’s racial combat bonuses already let him shine against three categories of foes (orcs, goblinoids, and giants), so those are excellent first, second, and third choices for favored enemy. Choosing giants first might well pay off when that first ogre comes charging down the dungeon corridor. Elves: The elf is the ranger incarnate. He has bonuses on two skills for which the ranger gets also favored enemy bonuses: Listen and Spot. That means a 5th-level elven ranger gets a +4 bonus on Spot checks against his first favored enemy, on top of his skill ranks and any other bonuses he has. Most fey creatures favor elves, so the elven ranger can create a strong network of allies during his travels through the forest. In addition, his need for but 4 hours of meditation and 4 hours of rest rather than 8 hours of sleep means he is almost always on watch at night, when his low-light vision and high Spot bonus are the most useful. Gnomes: Like the dwarf, the gnome ranger starts out with solid bonuses against some very common favored enemies: goblinoids, kobolds, and giants. Like the elf, he gets a racial bonus on Listen checks. Like the halfling, he gains bonuses on attack rolls and AC for being Small. Unlike anyone else, the gnome ranger with an Intelli- gence score of 10 or higher has both arcane spells and divine spells at 4th level, plus the best possible base attack bonus. All this makes the ranger class an excellent fit for the gnome. However, gnome rangers rarely leave their homelands—a loss to adventuring parties every- where. Half-Elves: The half-elf is already an outsider, so the ranger lifestyle is second nature for him. Nearly every- thing said above about the elf (racial bonuses on Spot and Listen checks, low-light vision, and so on) applies to the half-elf as well, though not always to the same degree. So- cially, however, the half-elf is a better bridge between the CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

14 natural and the civilized worlds than either the elf or the human is. Half-orcs: Though many half-orcs consider barbarian and fighter to be better class choices, the half-orc ranger is a true monster against his favored enemies. A racial bonus to Strength, the best possible attack progression, and favored enemy bonuses mean that a 10th-level half- orc ranger with a Strength score of 22 and Weapon Focus (battleaxe) has a +20 attack bonus against his first favored enemy, not including the bonus of the magic battleaxe he has in each hand. A half-orc going this route must try to compensate for his  Intelligence penalty, since the ranger’s strength lies not only in combat but also in skills. Probably the biggest disadvantage for the half-orc ranger is that few believe he is a friend of the forest. Still, he has his ways of persuading people. Halflings:  The Player’s Handbook notes that halfling rangers aren’t encountered often, but that’s primarily be- cause  they  can  choose  when  encounters  occur. The halfling’s Strength penalty undercuts his ranger bonuses, but consider the 9th-level halfling ranger with Weapon Finesse and a through-the-roof Dexterity score. He’s toss- ing thrown weapons and wielding pairs of melee weap- ons, as well as moving silently and hiding better than anyone else through frequent use of the pass without trace spell.  In  addition,  his  exceptional  bonus  on  Listen checks lets him know that his foe is coming long before he has to decide whether to fight or flee. Monsters: Members of several monstrous races also make particularly good rangers. Among these are cen- taurs, gnolls, grimlocks, sahuagin, and yuan-ti (pure- blood and halfblood). All these creatures have racial bonuses to Strength, and each has one or more advantages all its own. The sahuagin’s ability to breathe water and its blood frenzy are significant advantages, though they are effectively limited to underwater environments. The yuan-ti half- blood has several interesting options—scales for a natu- ral Armor Class bonus, snakes instead of arms for natural attacks, or even a snake head with a poisonous bite. Add to this the spell-like abilities and psionic powers that all yuan-ti have, and either creature is a formidable foe. The level equivalents of these creatures vary widely. The gnoll’s level equivalent is class levels +3, the grim- lock’s is class levels +5, the sahuagin’s is class levels +5, the centaur’s is class levels +7, the yuan-ti pureblood’s is class  levels  +12,  and  the yuan-ti  halfblood’s  is  class levels +13. One final note about nonhuman rangers: All of them can select human as a favored enemy, and they should strongly consider doing so. Humans are the most fre- quently encountered toe in almost every D&D game, so favored enemy bonuses against them come into play often. The Ranger and Other Classes The ranger’s single-minded pursuit of a favored enemy often provides the impetus for a quest. For example, if orcs occupy the hinterlands, it’s the ore-hunting ranger who gets a group together to chase them out. When  selecting  companions  for  his missions,  the ranger should consider how his skills and attitudes fit with theirs. If you’re playing a ranger, you may find some good advice in the following paragraphs about getting along with your fellow adventurers. Barbarians:  You and the barbarian make a terrific one-two  punch,  since  you  can  both  inflict  tons  of damage. Working together, you can also avoid nasty sur- prises—you watch for foes coming out of the woodwork and he ignores sneak attacks and avoids traps. A party with the pair of you doesn’t have as much need for a rogue as one not so doubly blessed. The only issue be- tween you and the barbarian is that you may want to leave combat long before he does. Bards: The bard seems like such a dilettante. Both of you are extraordinarily versatile, but you’re versatile with a purpose (at least in your mind). Nonetheless, you’re both favorites of elves, so you tend to get along. On a good day, you’re cool toward him (like you are to every- one else), and he’s superficial toward you (like he is to everyone else). Clerics: Though you might get along with a druid more easily, you rarely turn down an alliance with a cleric. Of course, the extent of the friendship always de- pends on his domains. A cleric with Animal, Healing, Sun, or other domains relating to nature is always a wel- come companion, but you’re less likely to enjoy the com- pany of one who specializes in Death, Destruction, or Trickery—unless of course you’re an evil ranger who doesn’t care much about the cycle of life. Druids: You and the druid are natural partners, in both senses of the term. You appreciate guidance in the ways of the wild, so you’re willing to help out the druid in return for some of her knowledge. She’s a better divine spellcaster than you are, but this works for both ot you, if you plan accordingly. You carry the standby spells such as protection from elements so that she can focus on healing and controlling animals.Though your skills are similar, a party with both of you benefits from the many animals and summoned allies you both tend to have in tow, which can deliver a swarm of attacks against your toes. Fighters: The fighter is a demonstration of everything that’s wrong with society—he’s clanky, monomaniacal, and graceless. You’re almost as good at fighting as he is (considering that he gets bonus feats), but you have other abilities as well. When you’re in a parry with him, the monsters tend to consider you (with your light armor; as the lesser of the two threats—at least until you hit four times in a round. Monks: The monk’s ascetic lifestyle is very similar to the sort of self-exile you embrace. Both of you are nimble and silent, and you both have the ability to make extra at- tacks each round. Best of all, each of you respects the other’s need for solitude. You and she could live in the same  woods  tor  years  and  never  say a word to  each other—except the occasional “Help!” When you do join forces, you make a powerful combination. Paladins: It the fighter is rigid and loud, the paladin is even more so. Even if you’re both of good alignment, you may be so far apart on the law and chaos axis that you can’t have a civil conversation. Even her warhorse is a sticking point, since at any moment it can command your mount, and you’re not about to stand for that. Still, CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

15 the two of you do have one thing in common: If some- thing goes against your code, you’re unshakable in your fervor to set things right. When you both agree on some- thing, it’s not a good idea to get in your way. Rogues: You have a lot in common with the party rogue because your skill sets overlap but don’t compete. When the two of you move down a hallway together, you can  back each other up in ways a paladin and wizard couldn’t begin to understand. You may live in different environments, but you respect each other’s abilities and attitudes. Sorcerers: Sorcerers are what rangers would be if they were arcane spellcasters—fast, focused, and uncluttered by tomes and universities. You and the sorcerer work well together because you can depend on him to do what you expect and do it well. Wizards: Wizards can be maddeningly unpredictable. You want maximum versatility in combat, and so does she—mostly for staying out of melee. But just when you decide to wade in for two-weapon battery, you discover that she’s targeting the area for a fireball. Still, any arcane spellcaster is better than none, since she’s bound to have lots of useful spells. Variant: Urban Rangers The  Player ’s  Handbook  describes  rangers  as  forest denizens who can use the natural camouflage of the woods to advantage. Soveliss, girded in his tree-trunk- brown studded leather, is ready at a  moment’s  notice  to  disappear among  the  trees. This  is  a  fine lifestyle for the majority of rangers, but some prefer to stalk foes through other ter- rain. The urban ranger is the king of the streets, capable of tracking a foe through a marketplace or across a castle parapet. To play an urban ranger, use the rules from the ranger class description in Chapter 3 of the Player’s Handbook. Every rule mentioned there also applies to an urban ranger. With your DM’s permission, however, you can adopt a few modifications designed to make your charac- ter more effective in the unorthodox urban terrain. •  Make  the  following  class  skill  switches:  Animal Empathy  for  Gather  Information  and  Knowledge (nature) for Knowledge (local). Saying goodbye to an exclusive class skill is hard, but you need as many ranks in Gather Information and Knowledge (local) as you can get. •  Trade the Track feat for the Shadow feat (see Chapter 2). This  gives  you  an  edge  in  following  someone through city streets. Also, you might want to adopt the special use of the Hide skill called Tail Someone, as described in Chapter 2. •  Take an organization or culture rather than a creature type  as  a  favored  enemy.  For  example,  you  might choose the Knights of the Hart, which would allow you to use your favored enemy bonuses against elves and humans who belong to that organization, but not against other elves and humans. Be sure to make such a choice in concert with your DM, or you could end up with a favored enemy you never encounter. •  Swap out a few ranger spells for bard spells of equal level. Here are some trades to consider: delect snares and pits for detect secret doors, speak with animals for message, speak with plants for  delect thoughts,  plant growth  for phantom  steed, and  tree  stride  for  dimension  door. You might want to see if your DM would let you trade for spells from different class lists as well, though you’re unlikely to get chainlightning out of the deal. An urban ranger who wants to adopt a prestige class might consider the watch detective, the foe hunter, or the bloodhound (see Chapter 5). All those focus on im- proving the ranger’s best attributes without advancing the naturalistic aspect of the class. Below are statistics tor an urban ranger created with these variant rules: the dwarven constable Sergeant Regi- nald Fitz-Louis and his trusty mastiff, Baskerville. mSergeant  Reginald  Fitz-Louis: Male  dwarf Rgr12;  CR  12;  Medium-size  humanoid;  HD 12d10+36;  hp  102;  Init  +1;  Spd.  20  ft.;  AC  17 (touch  11,  flat-footed  16);  Atk  +14/+9/+4  melee (1d8+3/19–20, + 1 ghost touch longsword) and +13/+8 melee (1d6+2/×3, +1 handaxe) or +15 ranged (1d8+1/ 19–20, masterwork light crossbow with + 1 crossbow bolts);  SQ  Dwarf  traits,  favored  enemies  (cult  of Vecna +3, goblinoids +2, giants +1); AL LN; SV Fort +11, Ref +5, Will +7; Str 15, Dex 12, Con 17, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 15. Skills  and  Feats:  Appraise +4, Bluff +7, Concen- tration   +6,   Craft   (metalworking)   +4,   Craft (stoneworking) +4, Diplomacy +4, Disguise +4, Gather CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

16 Information +19, Hide +11, Intimidate +4, Knowledge (local) +12, Listen +11, Move Silently +6, Perform +4, Ride (horse) +6, Search +17, Spot +18; Alertness, Expertise, Im- proved Two-Weapon Fighting, Shadow, Skill Focus (Gath- er Information), Weapon Focus (longsword). Dwarf Traits: +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against orcs  and  goblinoids;  +2  racial  bonus  on Will  saves against spells and spell-like abilities; +2 racial bonus on Fortitude  saves  against all  poisons;  +4  dodge  bonus against giants; darkvision 60 ft.; stonecunning (+2 racial bonus on checks to notice unusual stonework; can make a  check  for  unusual  stonework  as  though  actively searching when within 10 ft. and use the Search skill to find stonework traps as a rogue can; intuit depth); +2 racial bonus on Appraise checks and Craft or Profession checks related to stone or metal (figured into the statis- tics above). Favored  Enemies:  Reginald  has  selected  the  cult  of Vecna  as  his  first  favored  enemy,  goblinoids  as  his second, and giants as his third. He gains a +3, +2, and +1 bonus, respectively, on melee damage rolls and on his Bluff. Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks against these creature types. Spells Prepared (2/2/2; base DC = 13 + spell level): 1st— detect secret doors,  message;  2nd—cure light wounds,  detect thoughts; 3rd—neutralize poison, phantom steed. Possessions: +3 studded leather cirnior, +1 ghost touch long- sword, +1 handaxe, masterwork light crossbow, 25 +1 cross- bow bolts, circlet  of persuasion, figurine of wondrous power (onyx dog), potion of sneaking, potion of cure moderate wounds. mBaskerville: Male  onyx  dog;  CR  1;  Medium-size animal; HD 2d8+4; hp 13; Init +2; Spd. 40 ft.; AC 16 (touch 12, flat-footed 14); Atk + 3 melee (1d6+3, bite); SA Trip; SQ Darkvision 60 ft., low-light vision, scent, see in- visible, speaks Common; AL N; SV Fort +5, Ref +5, Will +1; Str 15, Dex 15, Con 15, Inr 8, Wis 12, Cha 6. Skills and Feats: Listen +5, Search +3, Spot +9, Swim +5. Wilderness Lore +1 (+5 when tracking by scent). Choosing a Favored Enemy “Do unto others as they seek to do unto you.” —Soveliss Over the course of twenty levels, the ranger chooses five favored enemies. Many factors can come inio play here, includingthe player’s choice of background (“I chose my path when orcs devastated my homeland”), campaign environment (“Here in the snowy northlands, we live to fight the remorhaz”), and game utility (“What are we going to fight in the near future?”). Once the ranger makes a choice, he can’t later change his mind. That means the player must bet on what kind of creatures the character is likely to meet most often. The Dungeon Master can help with this, since he or she knows what’s out there in the campaign world. Against his favored enemy, a ranger gets a bonus on Bluff, Listen, Sense Motive, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks as well as damage rolls with melee weapons and with ranged weapons fired from no more than 30 feet away. (This damage bonus does not apply against crea- tures immune to critical hits.) The value of the bonus is +1 when the ranger first designates that creature type as a favored enemy, and it rises by an additional +1 at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th levels. He chooses his first favored enemy at 1st level, the second at 5th level, the third at 10th, the fourth at 15th, and the fifth at 20th. There’s a tradeoff involved in making these choices Should the ranger’s first favored enemy be a low-CR or a high-CR creature? Remember, the first favored enemy chosen is the one against which he has the highest bonus throughout his career, and the last is the one against which he has the lowest bonus. Is it better to gain an early advantage or to forego the immediate benefit and work toward the long term? In fact, both are perfectly valid choices. For example, suppose you choose orcs first. That gives your ranger a useful bonus against orcs when he’s likely to see them most—when he’s low level. When he’s 20th level, though, he has a +5 bonus against orcs (which he may rarely see at that point) and a lower bonus against the more powerful creatures that he’s likely to meet more often. Conversely, if you choose demons as your ranger’s first favored enemy, he’s not likely to get much benefit out of his bonus for a long time because he probably won’t meet many demons until he has several levels under his belt. But when he does meet them, he immediately has a substantial bonus against them. Aberrations: This category is a rich choice for favored enemy. Aberrations include beholders, carrion crawlers driders,  gibbering  mouthers,  mimics,  mind  flayers nagas, oryughs, rust monsters, skum, umber hulks, will- o’-wisps, and many others. Of these, skum are the lowest powered at CR 2. Thus, if you want an early advantage aberrations may not be a good first choice. However there’s a clump of them in the CR 6–8 range, and even more beyond that, so this category is a fine choice for a second, third, or fourth enemy. If you don’t mind waiting a while to reap the benefit, go ahead and take aberrations as your first choice. Animals: Animals are among the best choices for tirst favored enemy. Your ranger should meet a lot of them at low levels, but he’ll continue to meet tougher ones as he advances. Dire animals range all the way up to CR 9 (the dire shark). Beasts:  This surprisingly small category of foes in- cludes odd creatures such as ankhegs, griffons, hip- pogriffs, hydras, owlbears, purple worms, and stirges, as well as dinosaurs, rocs, and sea lions. The CRs in this grouping range from 1 (stirge) to 12 (purple worm), so beasts are a good choice for a ranger’s tirst, second, or maybe even third favored enemy. Constructs: These creatures are immune to critical hits (and thus to  the ranger’s favored enemy damage bonus), so this is a suboptimal choice unless you’re using the variant favored enemy rules, below. Bluff and Sense Motive are useless against constructs. The bonuses on Spot. Listen, and Wilderness Lore checks still apply, but since constructs frequently just sit in place until dis- turbed. these benefits aren’t much help either. Dragons: This category is a great choice at any level. A ranger can meet a wyrmling white dragon right out of the gate and still be fighting dragons when he reaches 20th level. This is one of the few categories that scales up as the ranger advances, since dragons advance as well. CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

17 The bonus is also effective against dragon turtles, half- dragons, pseudodragons, wyverns, and anything else with the dragon type. Pay special attention to those Bluff and Sense Motive bonuses—often the best way to deal with a dragon is by skillfully playing on its desire for treasure and fame. Elementals: Unless  you  use  the  variant  favored enemy rules below, your favored enemy damage bonuses don’t work against elementals because they are immune to critical hits. The other bonuses still apply, but what good is a Spot or Listen check against a creature that anyone can see and hear from a quarter-mile away? Fey: This  category  is  an  excellent  choice  for  evil rangers, but good rangers tend to ally with these crea- tures rather than fight them. Dryads, nymphs, satyrs, and sprites fall into this grouping. Nymphs are the toughest at CR 6, so if you’re going to take fey as a favored enemy, you might want to do so early. Giants: Giants  make  great  favored  enemies  for dwarves and gnomes, who already have racial bonuses against them. In addition to the six giants, this category includes ettins, ogres, ogre mages, and trolls. Since your ranger is likely to meet ogres early in his career, consider giants as a first or second favored enemy choice. That way, when he meets storm giants later on, he’ll have a sig- nificant bonus against them. Humanoids: This category requires the choice of a specific humanoid subtype, but only an evil ranger can choose his own subtype. Some choices here are better than others. Humans: This is easily the best choice in the game for everyone except the nonevil human ranger, who can’t select it. In almost any D&D game, player characters must fight many human foes. Even a ranger allied with humans should consider taking this option early. Dwarves,  Elves,  Gnomes,  Haflings:  All  four  of  these choices are much more limited than humans. If you think your ranger would be surprised to find a tyrannical halfling warlord trampling life and liberty across the campaign world, avoid these groups. Orcs:  This is an excellent choice for dwarves (who already get a +1 bonus on attacks against orcs) and a pretty good choice for others as well. Since the bonuses work against both orcs and half-orcs, this can be a good option to take early, when your ranger is fighting orcs and their leaders in abundance. And even though he’s not as likely to meet orcs at higher levels, he may still have to deal with the occasional orc army or high-level half-orc NPC. Gnolls: This is not as versatile a choice as orcs in most campaigns. The typical ranger is less likely to meet ad- vanced gnolls than advanced half-orcs as he rises in level. Goblinoids: This is a fine choice,  particularly at low levels. A dwarven or gnome ranger already has a +1 racial bonus on attack rolls against these creatures and is likely to fight them for living space regularly. This category also includes bugbears, goblins, and hobgoblins (CR 2, 1/4, and 1/2, respectively). It’s a good choice for first favored enemy, but it isn’t too useful later. Reptilians: This  is  a  surprisingly good choice for a gnome ranger, who already has a +1 bonus on attack rolls against kobolds. Lizardfolk and troglodytes are also rep- tilians. Again, this is a good choice for a first favored enemy but less useful thereafter. Aquatic: Speaking of lizardfolk, this category includes that race as well as locathah, merfolk, and sahuagin. If you expect your ranger to go to sea a lot, consider this option for his first or second favored enemy. Magical Beasts:  In a campaign with lots of bizarre creatures, you  probably  can’t do better for a favored enemy than this. The list is enormous, and it includes most of the  traditional  D&D  foes,  such  as  basilisks, chimeras, cockatrices, displacer beasts, krakens, manti- cores, phase spiders, remorhazes, ropers, sphinxes, and the tarrasque. There’s at least one magical beast at every CR from 1 to 15, so your ranger gains value from the choice at every level. Moreover, he gains bonuses against all the celestial and fiendish creatures summoned by his arcane foes. Consider taking magical beasts as a first or second favored enemy. Monstrous Humanoids: This category includes such creatures as centaurs, grim locks, hags, harpies, kuo-toa, medusas, minotaurs, and yuan-ti. Since there is little commonality about where and when a ranger might meet these creatures, it is a very versatile option. All the creatures noted above are CR 7 or lower, so this category is a decent choice for a second or third favored enemy. Oozes: These mindless, formless creatures aren’t sub- ject to critical hits, so favored enemy damage bonuses don’t work against them unless you’re using the variant rules below. You won’t get bonuses on damage rolls, Bluff checks, or Sense Motive checks, and you probably won’t hear them coming. Still, a high Spot bonus is very help- ful against a gelatinous cube. Outsiders: This category is among the few appropriate choices for a ranger’s fifth favored enemy, but since you must choose a specific kind of outsider, you have to guess what sort your ranger is likely to fight. The list of options includes nearly all creatures native to planes other than the Material Plane. Of these, only celestials, demons, devils, formians, and slaadi have enough CR variation to justify them as good choices over the long haul—and of those, only demons and devils are commonly encountered foes. See the variant rules below for another way to approach rangers’ favored enemy bonuses against outsiders. Plants: There’s something quite odd about the concept of hunting plants. They’re immune to critical hits and thus to favored enemy damage bonuses, and Bluff and Sense Motive checks are generally useless against them. In addition, most of them don’t move enough for your bonuses on Listen and Wilderness Lore checks to be useful. A Spot bonus might be nice, but you gain much more  utility out of choosing another favored enemy unless you use the variant favored enemy rules below. Shapechangers: Even though only a few creatures have this type, lycanthropes alone have enough variation to make this category an excellent choice. A lycanthrope can have any CR above 1, so a ranger can benefit from this choice at any time in his career. Undead: When your ranger runs into skeletons and zombies  in  his  first  few  adventures,  you  might  be tempted to choose undead as afavored enemy. Resist the temptation. All undead are immune to critical hits and mind-influencing effects, and some are also incorporeal, CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

18 so they don’t make noise. Thus, favored enemy bonuses are all but useless against undead unless you’re using the variant rules below. Vermin: This category is a moderately good choice. A lot of monstrous spiders and centipedes live out there, and even though your ranger won’t be bluffing them, every bit of extra damage helps. Variant Favored Enemy Rules Some favored enemy choices have significantly less util- ity than others—namely outsiders and those types that are immune to critical hits. The variant rules presented here make these choices more appealing. As with all vari- ant rules, a player wishing to utilize these must first get the DM’s consent. Favoring Subtypes of Outsiders: In this variant, the ranger can choose a subtype of out- sider as a favored enemy. The available options are air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, water, and no subtype. A ranger who chooses chaotic outsiders, for example, gains favored enemy bonuses against chaos beasts, demons, djinn, ghaeles (a type of celestial), lillends, slaadi, and titans, whereas one who chooses outsiders  with  no  subtype  gains  bonuses against aasimars, half-celestials, half-fiends, jann, ravids,  and  tieflings. When  choosing among these options, consider your ranger’s alignment and the conditions in which he nor- mally adventures. Favoring Subraces of Your Own Race: A good or neutral ranger cannot select his own race as a favored enemy, but his enemies can, which is disconcerting. In this variant, a ranger can select a subrace of his own race as a favored enemy. Generally, the DM should allow this only when it corresponds to deep divisions within that race. For example, a high elf could select drow, but not gray elves. Similarly, hill dwarves might select derro or duergar, but not deep dwarves. Half-orcs (especially if raised among humans) could choose orcs. This vari- ant also allows the ranger to choose others of his own race who come from a hostile country as a favored enemy. Defensive Favored Enemy Bonuses:  A ranger  using  this  variant gains his favored enemy bonus on Hide and Move Silently checks instead of on damage, Bluff checks, and Sense Motive checks  against  a  particular favored enemy. Also, he can use his favored enemy bonus as a dodge bonus as if using the Dodge feat. (That is, each round he must designate one favored enemy opponent against whom the AC bonus applies, and he gains no bonus when flat- footed.) The ranger retains his other bonuses on Listen, Spot, and Wilderness Lore checks. Once you choose this option for a particular favored enemy, you may not reverse the decision. This variant is recommended for rangers who choose constructs, elementals, oozes, plants, or undead as favored enemies, though other mem- bers of the class may find it useful as well. C HAPTER 2: SKILLS AND FEATS “He just sat there, downing poison pepper after poison pepper. Each of his challengers would pop one pepper and then leave on a stretcher.” —A town crier’s description of Krusk The first section of this chapter details new ways of using some of the skills listed in the  Player’s Handbook. The second section presents a number of new feats designed with barbarians, druids, and rangers in mind—though, of course, any character who qualifies can take them. NEW WAYS TO USE SKILLS New ways to use the Handle Animal, Hide, and Wilder- ness Lore skills are discussed below, as well as variant rules for using the Intimidate skill. Handle Animal Once you have befriended an animal, you might want to train it before taking it into dangerous adventuring situa- tions with you. Teaching an animal a trick requires two months and a successful Handle Animal check (DC 15). If the creature is your animal companion, a +2 circumstance bonus applies to the check. This represents the animal’s unusual degree of loyalty and willingness to cooperate. New Tricks See the Animal Companions sidebar in Chapter 2 of the DUNGEON  MASTER ’S  Guide for the basic list of tricks animals can learn. Several additional tricks are detailed below. Armor: The animal is willing to accept the burden of | armor. Assist Attack: The animal aids your attack or that of an- other creature as a standard action. You must designate both the recipient of the aid and a specific opponent. The animal makes one attack roll per round it is assisting. If it hits AC 10, the creature it is aiding gains a +2 circum- stance bonus on attack rolls against the designated oppo- nent until the animal’s next turn. Assist Defend: The animal aids your defense or that of another creature as a standard action. You must designate both the recipient of the aid and a specific opponent. The animal makes one attack roll per round it is assisting. If it hits AC 10, the creature it is aiding gains a +2 circum- stance bonus to AC against the designated opponent until the animal’s next turn. Assist Track: The animal aids your attempt to track. If its Wilderness Lore check (DC 10) succeeds, you gain a +2 circumstance bonus on Wilderness Lore checks made for tracking. Calm: This trick lets an animal deal with dungeon en- vironments. It becomes willing to move through or rest quietly in darkness, to skirt ledges around pits, and to climb up slanted passages and staircases. When the situ- ation requires it, the animal even allows itself to be har- Variant Intimidation Rules It’s an unfortunate fact that the barbarian,  regardless  of  his might, can still fail to intimidate foes who are cowed by the styl- ish  bard  or  the  magnetic  sor- cerer.  The  two  optional  rules presented here are designed to make the barbarian a bit more frightening.  These  rules  work whether the barbarian is raging or  not,  though  rage  does  in- crease their effectiveness. Raging Intimidation: A raging barbarian gains a +4 bonus to both his Strength and his Consti- tution scorcs. This variant also grants him a +4 morale bonus on his Intimidate checks. After all, when a barbarian begins to scream and froth at the mouth, just about anyone is a little more likely to do what he says. Intimidation through Strength: Sometimes it’s appro- priate to change the key ability score of a particular skill. While Intimidation  is  usually  a  func- tion  of  Charisma,  this  rule allows  the  barbarian  to  apply his  Strength  modifier  rather than his Charisma modifier to Intimidate  checks.  This  as- sumes,  of  course,  that  he  ac- companies such attempts with appropriate  displays  of  might, such  as  breaking  objects  or showing  off  impressive  mus- cles. A barbarian who is raging is  even  better  at  intimidation because   of   his    increased Strength score. CHAPTER 1: NATURE'S LORE

19 nessed for travel over vertical surfaces. Hold:  The animal initiates a grapple attack and at- tempts to hold a designated enemy in its arms, claws, or teeth. An animal with the improved grab ability uses that in the attempt; otherwise, the attack provokes an attack of opportunity. Home: The animal returns to a preset location, travel- ing overland as required. Hunt: The animal attempts to hunt food for you (and any others you designate) and bring it back through the use of Wilderness Lore. While an animal automatically knows how to hunt for its own needs, this trick causes it to return with food rather than simply eating its fill of what it finds. Subdue: The animal attacks a designated target creature to subdue it, suffering a –4 penalty on its attack roll. The attack trick (above) is a prerequisite for this one. Stalk: The animal follows a designated target, doing its best to remain undetected, until the target is wounded or resting, and then attacks. Steal:  In this variation on the fetch command, the animal  grabs  an  object  in  the  possession  of  a  target creature, wrests it away, and brings it to you. If multi- ple objects are available, the animal attempts to steal a random one. Hide The Hide skill is as useful in the wild as it is in a city. Sometimes, however, rangers and druids must adapt their skills to city situations (see Urban Ranger, in Chap- ter 1). This section describes how to use the Hide skill to track someone surreptitiously. Tail Someone Since the Hide skill allows for movement, you can use it as a move-equivalent action or part of a move action if de- sired. This means you can try to follow someone while making periodic Hide checks to remain unseen. How often you need to make a Hide check depends on the dis- tance at which you follow. If you stay at least 60 feet away from your quarry, you can get by with a Hide check once every 10 minutes, provided that your quarry doesn’t sus- pect you’re following and that you do nothing but main- tain the tail. At distances of less than 60 feet, you must make a Hide check each round. Of course, you still need appropriate concealment to succeed at Hide checks while tailing, but many options are often available. In a forest, of course, there are plenty of convenient trees to hide behind. If you’re trying to tail someone  on  a  city  street,  you  can  duck  behind passersby—though in that case, you wouldn’t be hidden from the people you’re using for cover, just from your quarry. If the street is fairly crowded, using passersby as concealment imposes no penalty on your Hide check, though you might still suffer a penalty for your movement (see the Hide skill description in the Player’s Handbook). If you don’t have moving people to hide behind, you can instead move from one hiding place to another as CHAPTER 2: SKILLS AND FEATS

20 offers a variety of new feats designed specifically for barbarians, druids,  and  rangers—though,  of  course, any character who qualifies can take them. Many of these new feats have at least one prerequisite, such as a minimum ability score or base attack bonus. Aster- isked feats on Table 2–1 are available as fighter bonus feats. Virtual Feats If a character has a class feature or special ability that exactly duplicates the effects of a feat, then he or she can use that “virtual feat” as a prerequisite for other feats, as well as prestige classes, and so forth. For ex- ample, a ranger can fight with two weapons as if he had the feats Ambidexterity and Two-Weapon Fighting, so he is considered to have those feats for the purpose of acquiring the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat de- tailed in this section. If the character ever loses the vir- tual prerequisite, he or she also loses access to any feats or other benefits acquired through its existence. For ex- ample, a ranger who wears armor heavier than light loses access to the virtual feats noted above, and thereby to Greater Two-Weapon Fighting as well. Acquiring a virtual feat does not give a character access to its pre- requisites. Wild Feats The feats in this new category relate to the wild shape abil- ity, and all require it as a prerequisite. Any class feature or ability that has the words “wild shape” in its name (such as lesser wild shape, greater wild shape, and undead wild shape; see Chapter 5) counts as wild shape for meeting prerequi- sites. Wild feats apply to any version of wild shape. New Feats “I smell blood and bones and the whiff of fear.” —Soveliss Animal Control [General] You can channel the power of nature to gain mastery over animal creatures. Prerequisites: Animal Defiance, ability to cast speak with animals and animal friendship. Benefit: You can rebuke or command animals as an evil cleric rebukes undead. To command an animal, you must be able to speak  with it via a speak with  animals effect, though you may issue your commands mentally if desired. The number of times per day that you can use this ability is equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. Your highest  divine caster level is the level at which you rebuke animals. Special: Animals you command through this ability count against the HD limit of animals you can befriend through animal friendship. Animal Defiance [General] You can channel the power of nature to drive off animals. Prerequisite: Ability to cast detect animals or plants. Benefit: You can turn (but not destroy) an- imals as a good cleric turns undead. The number you follow your quarry. Distance is a factor, though— this option works only as long as your next hiding place is within 1 foot per Hide rank you possess of your cur- rent one. (If you have a magic item that helps you hide, such as a cloak of elevenkind or a robe of blending, add 1 foot to that limit per point of Hide bonus it provides.) If you try  to  move  any  greater  distance  than  that  between hiding  places,  your  quarry  spots  you.  A  movement penalty may apply to your Hide check if you dash from one hiding place to the next at more than  half your normal speed. Even if you fail a Hide check while tailing someone or are spotted while moving too great a distance between hiding places, you can attempt a Bluff check opposed by your quarry’s Sense Motive check to look innocuous. Suc- cess means your quarry sees you but doesn’t realize you’re tailing; failure alerts him or her that you’re actually follow- ing. A modifier may apply to the Sense Motive check, de- pending on how suspicious your quarry is. The table below gives Sense Motive modifiers for particular situations. Sense Motive Y our Quarry ... Modifier Is sure nobody is following –5 Has no reason to suspect anybody is following +0 Is worried about being followed +10 Is worried about being followed and knows you’re an enemy +20 Wilderness Lore The description of the Track feat in the Player’s Hand- book notes  that  with  a  successful  Wilderness  Lore check, you can track someone for a mile or until the tracks become hard to follow. But what if you’re follow- ing someone who really knows how to hide a trail? In that case, the quarry may make a Wilderness Lore check to hide his or her trail. This is opposed by your Wilder- ness Lore check for tracking. The DC modifiers listed in the Track feat description in the Player’s Handbook apply to the quarry’s check. FEATS Feats provide characters with new  capabilities or im- prove those that the heroes already have. This section CHAPTER 2: SKILLS AND FEATS

21 of times per day that you can use this ability is equal to 3 + your Charisma modifier. Your highest divine caster level is the level at which you turn animals. Blindsight [Wild] Your senses are as keen as the bat’s. Prerequisite: Ability to use wild shape to become a dire bat. Benefit: You gain the extraordinary ability blindsight (as described  in Chapter  3  of  the  DUNGEON  MASTER ’S GUIDE ), which operates regardless ot your form. Like the dire bat, you emit high-frequency sounds, inaudible to most creatures, as a lorm of “sonar” that allows you to TABLE 2–1: FEATS General Feats Prerequisites Animal Defiance Ability to castdetect animals or plants         Animal Control Animal Defiance, ability to castspeak with animals   andanimal friendship Brachiation Climb 6 ranks, Jump 6 ranks, Str 13 Clever Wrestling Improved Unarmed Strike. Small or Medium-size Destructive Rage Ability to rage *Dragon’s Toughness Base Fort save bonus +11 *Dwarf's Toughness Base Fort save bonus +5 Extended Rage Ability to rage Extra Favored Enemy Base attack bonus +5. at least one favored enemy Extra Rage Ability to rage Faster Healing Base Fort save bonus +5 Favored Critical Base attack bonus +5, at least one favored enemy Flyby Attack Ability to fly, either naturally or through shapechanging *Giant’s Toughness Base Fort save bonus 18 or higher Greater Resiliency Damage reduction as a class feature or innate ability *Greater Two-Weapon Fighting Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Two Weapon Fighting, Ambidexterity, base attack bonus +15 Improved Flight Ability to fly (naturally, magically, or through shapechanging) Improved Swimming Swim 6 ranks Instantaneous Rage Ability to rage Intimidating Rage Ability to rage Multiattack Access to a form with three or more natural weapons *Multidexterity Access to a form with three or more arms. Dex 15 *Off-Hand Parry Ambidexterity, Dex 13. Two-Weapon Fighting, base attack bonus +3. proficiency with weapon Plant Defiance Ability to castdetect animals or plants         Plant Control Plant Defiance, ability to castspeak with plants *Power Critical Improved Critical, base attack bonus +12, proficiency with weapon Remain Conscious Base attack bonus +2, Endurance, Iron Will, Toughness Resist Disease — Resist Poison — Resistance to Energy Base Fort save bonus 18 Shadow — Snatch Access to a form with either claws or bite as natural weapons Supernatural Critical Favored enemy that is immune to critical hits, base attack bonus +7 Wingover Ability to fly (naturally, magically, or through shapechanging) Item Creation Feats Prerequisite Create Infusion Wilderness Lore 4 ranks, spellcaster level 3rd Wild Feats Prerequisite Blindsight Ability to usewild shape   to become a dire bat ExtraWild Shape Ability to usewild shape FastWild Shape Ability to usewild shape   to become a dire animal, Dex 13 Natural Spell Ability to usewild shape.   Wis 13 ProportionateWild Shape Ability to usewild shape,   natural form neither Small nor Medium-size Scent Ability to usewild shape   to become a wolf. Wis 11 SpeakingWild Shape Ability to usewild shape,   Int 13 locate objects and creatures within 120 feet. Since this ability relies on hearing, any circumstance that deprives you of that sense also negates your blindsight. Brachiation [General] You move through trees like a monkey. Prerequisites: Climb 6 ranks. Jump 6 ranks. Str 13. Benefit: You move through trees at your normal land speed by using your arms to swing from one branch to another. To  allow brachiation, the area through  which you are moving must be at least lightly wooded, with trees no farther apart than 15 feet. You may not use this ability while holding an item in either hand, or while wearing armor heavier than medium. CHAPTER 2: SKILLS AND FEATS

22 Create Infusion [Item Creation] You store a divine spell within a specially prepared herb (see Chapter 3 for details on infusions). Prerequisites: Wilderness Lore 4 ranks, spellcaster level 3rd. Benefit:  You create an infusion of any divine spell available to you. Infusing an herb with a spell takes one day. When you create an infusion, you set the caster level, which must be sufficient to cast the spell in question but not higher than your own level. The base price of an in- fusion is its spell level times its caster level times 50 gp. To create an infusion, you must spend 1/25 of this base price in XP and use up raw materials costing one-half this base price. Any infusion that storcs a spell with a costly material component or an XP cost also carries a commensurate cost. In addition to the costs derived from the base price, you must also expend the material component or pay the XP when creating the infusion. Clever Wrestling [General] You have a better than normal chance to escape or wrig- gle free from a big creature’s grapple or pin. Prerequisites: Improved Unarmed Strike, Small or Medium-size. Benefit: When your opponent is larger than Medium- size, you gain a circumstance bonus on your grapple check to escape a grapple or pin. The size of the bonus de- pends on your opponent’s size, according to the follow- ing table. Opponent Is ... Bonus Colossal +8 Gargantuan +6 Huge +4 Large +2 Destructive Rage [General] You shatter barriers and objects when enraged. Prerequisite: Ability to rage. Benefit: While you’re raging, you gain a +8 bonus on any Strength checks you make to break open doors or break inanimate, immobile objects. *Dragon’s Toughness [General] You are incredibly tough. Prerequisite: Base Fort save bonus +11. Benefit: You gain +12 hit points. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. *Dwarf’s Toughness [General] You are tougher than you were before. Prerequisite: Base Fort save bonus +5. Benefit: You gain +6 hit points. Special: You can gain this feat multiple times. Extended Rage [General] Your rage lasts longer than it normally would. Prerequisite: Ability to rage. Benefit: Each  of  your  rages  lasts  an additional  5 rounds beyond its normal duration. Special: You can take this feat multiple times, and the additional rounds stack. Extra Favored Enemy [General] You select an additional favored enemy. Prerequisites: Base attack bonus +5, at least one fa- vored enemy. Benefit: You add an extra favored enemy to your list (see Table 3–14 in the Player’s Handbook)  beyond your normal allotment.  Initially, you gain the standard +1 bonus on damage and the usual skill checks against this new favored enemy. When you advance beyond the level at which you gained Extra Favored Enemy, this bonus in- creases in the same way other favored enemy bonuses do. For example, suppose you select goblinoids as your first favored enemy when you are a 1st-level ranger and mag- ical beasts as your second when you reach 5th level. Then you take Extra Favored Enemy as your feat at 6th level and select aberrations. At this point, you have a +2 bonus against goblinoids and a +1 bonus against both magical beasts and aberrations. When you reach 10th level, your bonuses rise to +3 against goblinoids and +2 against mag- ical beasts and aberrations. Extra Rage [General] You rage more frequently than you normally could. Prerequisite: Ability to rage. Benefit: You rage two more times per day than you otherwise could. Special: You can take this feat multiple times, gaining two additional rages per day each time. ExtraWild Shape  [Wild] You use wild  shape  more frequently than you normally could. Prerequisite: Ability to use wild shape. Benefit:  You use your wild  shape  ability two more times per day than you otherwise could. If you are able to use wild shape to become an elemental, you also gain one additional elemental wild shape use per day. Special: You can take this feat multiple times, gaining two additional wild shapes of your usual type and one ad- ditional elemental wild shape (if you have this capability; each time. FastWild Shape  [Wild] You assume your wild shape faster and more easily than you otherwise could. Prerequisites: Ability to use wild shape  to become a dire animal. Dex 13. Benefit: You gain the  ability to use wild  shape as a move-equivalent action. Normal: A druid uses wild shape as a standard action. Faster Healing [General] You recover faster than others do. Prerequisite: Base Fort save bonus +5. Benefit: You recover lost hit points and ability score points taster than you normally would, according to the table on the next page. CHAPTER 2: SKILLS AND FEATS