Fell Ranger (Apath)

Unofficial rules compendium

The wild ranger has a very direct connection to nature, making him a shape shifter.

Combat Style

It is recommended that the wild ranger picks the natural weapon combat style, but this is not required.

Wild Animal Shape (Su)

At 4th level, a wild ranger gains the ability to turn herself into any Small or Medium animal and back again once per day. Her options for new forms include all creatures with the animal type. This ability functions like the beast shape I spell, except as noted here. The effect lasts for 1 hour per wild ranger level, or until she changes back. Changing form (to animal or back) is a standard action and doesn’t provoke an attack of opportunity. The form chosen must be that of an animal the wild ranger is familiar with.

A wild ranger loses her ability to speak while in animal form because she is limited to the sounds that a normal, untrained animal can make, but she can communicate normally with other animals of the same general grouping as her new form. (The normal sound a wild parrot makes is a squawk, so changing to this form does not permit speech.)

A wild ranger can use this ability an additional time per day at 6th level and every two levels thereafter, for a total of eight times at 18th level. At 20th level, a wild ranger can use wild animal shape at will. As a wild ranger gains in levels, this ability allows the wild ranger to take on the form of larger and smaller animals. Each form expends one daily usage of this ability, regardless of the form taken.

At 7th level, a wild ranger can use wild shape to change into a Large or Tiny animal. The wild ranger’s wild shape now functions as beast shape II.

At 10th level, the wild ranger can use wild animal shape as a swift action and also resume his own form as a swift action.

At 13th level, a wild ranger can use wild shape to change into a Huge or Diminutive animal. The wild ranger’s wild shape now functions as beast shape III.

This ability replaces the ranger’s spells class feature. Wild rangers do not gain any spells or spellcasting ability, do not have a caster level, and cannot use spell trigger and spell completion magic items.