Alpha Ranger (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The alpha ranger is a leader among animals, the strongest and wisest in the pack.

Class Information

This is a ranger archetype.

Publisher: Trailseeker.

Hit Die: d10.

Class Abilities

This archetype has all normal class abilities, except as noted.

Animal Companion (Ex)

At 1st level, an alpha ranger gains the service of a loyal animal companion to aid him in battle. This functions as a druid’s animal companion (part of the nature's bond ability), using the alpha ranger’s level as his effective druid level. The alpha ranger can pick any Small or Medium animal companion commonly available in the area as his animal companion. The animal companion never grows to more than Medium size, which may force the alpha ranger to take the option to increase the animal companions Strength and Dexterity by +2 each instead of increasing size. An alpha ranger’s animal companion does not gain the share spells special ability.

An alpha ranger's animal companion shares his favored enemy and favored terrain bonuses.

This ability modifies hunter's bond. An alpha ranger may not choose to bond with his companions.

Wild Alpha (Ex)

An alpha ranger can improve the initial attitude of an animal of the same basic kind as that of his animal companion. An alpha ranger leading a wolf pack can improve the attitude of canines, an alpha ranger leading dolphins can improve the attitude of cetaceans, and so on. The alpha ranger cannot use this ability to influence magical beasts. This otherwise functions as the ranger's animal empathy. This is a modification to the wild empathy ability.

Swarming (Ex)

At 3rd level, if all the alpha ranger's animal companions are of Small size and of the same species, they gain the swarming special attack.

Swarming (Ex) Two Small creatures with the swarming ability can share the same square at the same time with no penalties. If two swarming eidolons in the same square attack the same foe, they are considered to be flanking that foe as if they were in two opposite squares.

Pack Master (Ex)

At 4th level, the alpha ranger can add a second animal companion. Every 3 levels after level 4, the alpha ranger may take on an additional animal to a maximum of 7 animal companions at level 19. An alpha ranger with 2 or more animal companions reduces his effective druid level for the animal companion ability by one per animal companion he has; two animal companions reduce the effective level by 2, three animal companions reduce the level by three, seven animal companions reduces his effective level by seven.

All the animal companions of a certain alpha ranger are of the same kind and have identical game statistics, such as feats, skills, and tricks. The pack assists in training new members; as long as at least one member of the pack survives, new members can be taught identical tricks in one day of training. The alpha ranger is strongly encouraged to give all of the pack identical equipment, to keep thing simple.

This replaces the ranger’s spells class feature. Alpha rangers do not gain any spells or spellcasting ability, do not have a spell list or caster level, and cannot use spell trigger and spell completion magic items except through Use Magic Device.

Table: Alpha Ranger

Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special
1st	+1	+2	+2	+0	1st favored enemy, animal companion, track, wild alpha
2nd	+2	+3	+3	+0	Combat style feat
3rd	+3	+3	+3	+1	Endurance, 1st favored terrain
4th	+4	+4	+4	+1	Pack master
5th	+5	+4	+4	+1	2nd favored enemy
6th	+6/+1	+5	+5	+2	Combat style feat
7th	+7/+2	+5	+5	+2	Pack master (3 companions), woodland stride
8th	+8/+3	+6	+6	+2	Swift tracker, 2nd favored terrain
9th	+9/+4	+6	+6	+3	Evasion
10th	+10/+5	+7	+7	+3	3rd favored enemy, combat style feat, pack master (4 companions)
11th	+11/+6/+1	+7	+7	+3	Quarry
12th	+12/+7/+2	+8	+8	+4	Camouflage
13th	+13/+8/+3	+8	+8	+4	3rd favored terrain, pack master (5 companions)
14th	+14/+9/+4	+9	+9	+4	Combat style feat
15th	+15/+10/+5	+9	+9	+5	4th favored enemy
16th	+16/+11/+6/+1	+10	+10	+5	Improved evasion, pack master (6 companions)
17th	+17/+12/+7/+2	+10	+10	+5	Hide in plain sight
18th	+18/+13/+8/+3	+11	+11	+6	4th favored terrain, combat style feat
19th	+19/+14/+9/+4	+11	+11	+6	Improved quarry, pack master (7 companions)
20th	+20/+15/+10/+5	+12	+12	+6	5th favored enemy, master hunter

Summary of Changed Class Abilities

These abilities of the original class are lost or modified in this archetype:

• Wild Empathy
• Hunter's Bond
• Spells

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