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Character class in roleplaying games

The Ranger is one of the standard playable character classes in most editions of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game. Rangers are skilled bushcraftsmen/woodcraftsmen, and often lived reclusive lives as hermits.

The ranger was primarily based on the character Aragorn, and the Rangers of the North of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle earth mythos, as warriors who use tracking and other wilderness skills to hunt down their enemies. The AD&D second edition handbook mentions several other inspirations from myth and legend, such as Robin Hood, Jack the Giant Killer, the huntress Diana, and the Greek hero Orion. Other notable rangers in the literature of Dungeons & Dragons include Hank from the cartoon series, King Tristan Kendrick from Forgotten Realms, and Ren from Pool of Radiance.

The ranger was introduced in The Strategic Review volume 1, number 2.

The ranger was one of the standard character classes available in the original Player's Handbook, one of five subclasses. The first edition rangers were a subtype of the fighters, using any weapon and wearing any armor, but they gained extra attacks at a slower rate than fighters and paladins. Unlike other warriors, the ranger used d8 hit dice instead of d10s, but had a second hit die at 1st level and maxed out at 11 hit dice instead of nine. Rangers also had extensive tracking abilities, based on a percentage score, and were able to surprise opponents on a roll of 1–3 on a d6 (rather than a 1–2) while they themselves could only be surprised on a 1. Rangers gained limited spell use at level 8, acquiring 1st–3rd level druid spells and 1st and 2nd level magic user spells (two per level maximum). Rangers were most effective when fighting giants and humanoids (such as orcs), gaining a +1 to damage per level against these opponents. High level rangers gained followers, ranging in type and power from classed player character races, to creatures such as pegasus mounts, pseudodragons, werebears, copper dragons and storm giants. As a general rule, the fewer followers a ranger gained (based on random dice rolls) the more powerful each individual follower was. Rangers were required to be of good alignment, and were initially limited to humans and half elves. The only multi class option open to rangers was the ranger/cleric, allowed to half elves.

The ranger was not available as a character class in the game's "Basic" edition. However, the Best of Dragon Magazine volumes 2–3 contained variant rules for rangers for this version, including spell lists, henchmen, and tracking ability.

Rangers went through several changes in the 2nd edition. Their hit dice were changed to match fighters and paladins. Rangers could still wear any armor, but several of their new abilities required the use of light armor, including the skill to use two weapons without penalty and the thief like abilities of move silently and hide in shadows. The class retained its tracking abilities but the ability was based on a skill check instead of a percentage roll. Rangers also gained an animal empathy ability which allowed them to calm frightened or hostile animals. Instead of gaining a damage bonus against all giant and humanoid monsters, the ranger focused on a specific creature, which did not have to be of giant or humanoid stock. The class's spell abilities were also limited to 1st–3rd level priest spells from the plant and animal spheres. Higher level rangers could recruit various woodland animals, mythical creatures (such as the treant, pegasus, and pixie), and classed characters including druids, clerics, or other rangers as followers. Although Rangers were generally Good aligned, an evil version was featured with the Paka, a race of shape shifting feline humanoids native to Ravenloft who are hostile to mankind.

The 3rd edition of Dungeons & Dragons saw more changes to the ranger. The species enemy was now called favored enemy, and the ranger was allowed to select additional enemies during advancement. The class retained its spellcasting ability, but gained it much earlier, and had its own spell list. The nature of the ranger's companions also changed significantly. Instead of gaining multiple followers the ranger gained a single animal companion, and at an earlier level than in previous editions. The race and alignment restrictions of the earlier editions were dropped, allowing evil rangers for the first time.

Rangers in the 4th edition retained their ability to specialize in archery or two weapon fighting. Rangers had the striker role, specializing in single target damage, as well as mobility. They had the martial power source, and, like all martial classes, their powers were called exploits. Their special abilities made them better suited to hit and run tactics and focusing on a single opponent. Other abilities allowed the ranger to aid his companions with skill checks and avoiding ambushes.

The Essentials rulebook Heroes of the Forgotten Kingdoms presented two alternate versions of the ranger, the hunter and the scout. The hunter focused on ranged attacks, while the scout focused on melee attacks.

The ranger was included as a character class in the 5th edition Player's Handbook (2014). Rangers are a half caster class in 5th edition, gaining limited spellcasting. Their features and spells focus on exploration, survival skills, and tracking foes. The hunter archetype gains combative capabilities, while the beast master gains an animal companion to control. In 2016, due to criticisms of the ranger as presented in the Player's Handbook (2014), the "Revised Ranger" class was released as part of the Unearthed Arcana playtest. This playtest version "made some of the ranger's core abilities easier to use and specifically fixed how a ranger uses its animal companion, giving a ranger the animal at Level 3 and allowing a ranger to attack with both its weapon and the animal on the same turn". However, this new version of the class is not legal for organized play such as in the Adventurer's League. In November 2019, Wizards of the Coast released a new Unearthed Arcana titled Class Feature Variants, which added additional class features for all classes including the Ranger. These new class feature variants where introduced in 2020, with the release of Tasha's Cauldron of Everything, as optional rules, including an optional revision of the Beastmaster's companion feature.

Playtesting for the next version of Ranger was announced. In September 2022, they released the Unearthed Arcana 2022 Expert Classes playtest material for One D&D which included rules for playing a Ranger up to level 20, as well as the Hunter subclass.