Margrave (Ranger Archetype)


Homebrew and House Rules


Margrave (Ranger Archetype)
Margraves are nobles who have been granted lands on the fringes of civilization. In return they are expected to defend the settled lands from the treats which lurk within the wilderness.

Class Skills: A marcher adds Diplomacy and Knowledge (nobility) to his list of class skills, and removes Knowledge (dungeoneering) and Stealth from his list of class skills.

Blessing of Kings: At 12th level a marcher adds the following spells to his class spell list: Aid (1st), Heroism (2nd), Angelic Aspect (3rd), Death Ward (4th). This ability replaces Camouflage and Hide in Plain Sight.

Birthright (Ex): At 1st level a marcher gains the Noble Scion feat as a bonus feat. This ability replaces Wild Empathy.

Shield of the People (Ex): At 20th level the margrave has become a legendary hero of the civilized lands, a rock upon which the tides of savagery are broken. He gains DR 5/Adamantine. This increases to 10/Adamantine whenever he is within one of his Favored Terrains. Moreover, while he is with a Favored Terrain he adds his Favored Terrain bonus to all saving throws as a Morale bonus.

Vigilance (Ex): Marchers adds half his level (minimum 1) to Perception skill check. This ability replaces Track, Swift Tracker, Quarry and Improved Quarry.

Comments?

RPG Superstar 2012 Top 16

I'd have Shield of the People be a scaling Dr x/- equal to his favored terrain bonus for that terrain, OR equal to his FE bonus against a foe, take your pick.

Angelic Aspect and Death Ward are rather inappropriate, as this isn't a holy man nor someone fighting against undead all the time. Perhaps Giant Form and Giant Form II might be better and more thematic choices?

He already gets stacking Favored Enemy and Favored Terrain perception bonuses, making him the best at that skill in the game on his home ground. he doesn't need another bonus.
So now you need another choice. You need to determine if this is a single guy or a leader of men. Someone who can track and grant a movement bonus to those who leads might be a great thematic choice. Or you could give him fast movement, like a barb, or a group morale bonus or teamwork feat bonus.

Note that with no Stealth as a class skill, abilities like Camouflage and Hide in Plain Sight no longer make thematic sense. Perhaps you should mix things with the Banner ability of a Cavaliar, since you're trying to add the whole noble trope leader of men thing?

==Aelryinth


You also need to pick a name and stick with it. Is the proposed archetype called the Margrave or the Marcher?


Content-wise, it seems awkward to wait until 12th level to swap out a spell that you get at 4th or 5th.


I'll second what Aelryinth said about perception and add on to it. While replacing Track with Vigilance isn't the best choice, it really goes overboard when Vigilance is replacing four abilities. Track gives a 1/2 level bonus to Survival which is the same "power" as what Vigilance gives, meaning there is no need to remove three other abilities for it.

Thematically, it appears that you are going for a Ranger who specializes in protecting civilization. Track, Swift Tracking, Quarry and Improved Quarry all actually fit quite nicely with this idea. This is someone of noble birth who has spent a large amount of time among the forests (or other favored terrains of his youth) learning to hunt game and track bandits. Camouflage and Hide in Plain Sight are a little less appropriate, but aren't a must to be changed.

Perhaps replacing Hunter's Bond with something akin to Leadership would build upon the idea that the Margrave is a leader of men defending the boundaries of civilization as opposed to a lonesome hero. Evasion and Improved Evasion could be nixed as well or replaced with an ability which enhances the Margrave's use of allies (teamwork feats as suggested earlier are a good idea).

I like the idea behind the flavor, it just needs a bit more work mechanically.

Shadow Lodge

I don't think that they should loose stealth


Lose, not loose.

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