The Ranger

Your true home is out there. Away from the Old Roads, in the wild places, where you've faced storm and beast alike. But unknown forces are at work beyond the Ringwall, and you fear for your kith and kin. These are strange times. Guide them, Ranger, and keep them safe when darkness falls.

Damage: d8 · HP (max 18)

Stat-less — there are no stats to assign. When a move says "roll," you push your luck (see 00-core-loop/dice-and-moves.md).

Background (choose 1)

Mighty Hunter

You are a hunter of the Great Wood, the best the steading has seen in generations. You know every part of the Wood within a two-day march.

You start with both the Expert Tracker move and the Stalker move. Go mark them now.

Wide Wanderer

You have travelled much of the known world and perhaps parts beyond. Add each of the following to the Neighbors list in the steading playbook, choosing 1 trait for each:

You start with the Mental Map move. Mark it now.

When you take this background, choose one of the following traits. You gain it permanently, in addition to your 2 — an earned trait.

Beast-Bonded

You grew up civilized, but your soul is bound to a beast of the wild. You're closer to it than to any man or woman. How did this bond come about? How long ago?

Regardless, you start with the Animal Companion move. Go mark it now.

When you focus on your animal companion for a few moments, you can use any of the actions you've marked below, no matter the distance between you. Mark 1 action at 1st level, then another at 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th.

Instinct (choose 1)

Appearance

Choose 1 on each line, or make something up:

Place of Origin & Name

Your steading is your home, or close enough. Pick one region and a name to match (or make up something similar):

Moves

You start with Home on the Range, any moves from your Background, plus 1 of your choice.

★ Home on the Range

When a journey requires you to Defy Danger, treat a bust as a success with no 6.

A Safe Place

When you select and prepare the party's camp site, hold 1 Precaution, or 2 Precaution if you are well-versed with this area and its dangers.

If trouble finds your camp site, you can spend 1 Precaution to reveal a simple defense, warning, or trick that you prepared in advance. If you do, tell us how you knew to make that specific preparation.

Animal Companion

You are accompanied by a beast of uncommon loyalty and cleverness. See the Animal Companion insert for details.

Magnificent Specimen

Each time you take this move, your companion gains 2 additional options of your choice. (Requires Animal Companion.)

Big Game Hunter

When you strike at the weak spot of a large or huge creature, you deal +2 damage.

Blot Out the Sun

When you Let Fly with a bow, you can deplete your ammunition (mark the next ammo status after your weapon) before you roll. If you do, choose 1:

Call the Shot

When you take your time and calmly line up the perfect shot, either deal your damage or roll. On a success, deal your damage and pick 1. For each 6, pick an additional 1:

Expert Tracker

When you Seek Insight by searching for or studying the signs left by passing creatures, you can ask "What happened here recently?" for free, even on a bust.

When you follow a creature's trail, roll. On a success, you follow it to a significant change in terrain or activity. On a success with a 6, you can also ask the GM a reasonable question about your quarry and get a useful answer.

Improved Trait

Each time you take this move, choose one of your traits and work with the GM to make it more powerful — lean into the fiction. (A trait that says "increment one die" becomes "increment two dice"; narrative traits take real creativity — that's the fun.)

Mental Map

When you think back on a place you've been, you can Seek Insight retroactively, as if you were still there.

You can always retrace your steps and can accurately gauge distances and directions. You might not know the way forward but can always find your way back.

Naturalist

When you Know Things about beasts, natural environs, or spirits of the wild, you have advantage.

On the Hoof

When you travel through the wilderness, you can procure 1d6 uses of provisions each day (roll with disadvantage in winter or barren terrain). Provisions can substitute for Preparation when you Make Camp.

Pack Horse

You can carry up to ☐☐☐☐ with a light load, ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ with a normal load, and ☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐ with a heavy load.

Pathfinder

When you lead your people to Pull Together or Deploy beyond sight of home, you have advantage.

Predator

When you Seek Insight, add the following to the list of questions you can ask. When acting on the answer to either question, deal an extra 1d4 damage.

Sniff Out Corruption

When you Seek Insight, you can ask "What here stinks of the unnatural?" for free, even on a bust.

Stalker

When you carry a normal or light load and move with care, you make no noise and leave no sign of your passing. When you hide yourself in a natural environment, you remain unseen until you draw attention to yourself, move positions, or attack.

Survivalist

When you Forage, pick 1 extra choice, and even on a bust, pick 1. Also add "Find or fashion some useful item or supply (GM can veto)" to the list of options.

Warden of the Wild

When you defeat a perversion of nature, you can ask the GM 2 of the following and get a useful answer:

Wild Speech

The grunts, barks, chirps, and calls of natural beasts are as a language to you. You can understand their intentions and communicate basic ideas. When you Persuade a beast, you have advantage.

Worldly

Take a move from the Blessed, Fox, Heavy, Marshal, or Seeker playbooks, for which you otherwise qualify. You can pick from a different playbook each time. (You can't pick Improved Trait or Superior Trait.) (Requires level 2+ and the Ranger.)

Alpha

When you assert dominance over another (beast, spirit, Fae, or person), roll. (Requires level 6+, and Wild Speech or Spirit Tongue.) On a success, they must pick 1 from the list below. For each 6, you also have advantage on your next roll against them.

Beast of Legend

Each time you take this move, pick 1: (Requires level 6+ and Magnificent Specimen.)

Constant Vigilance

Unless you're dazed, you're never caught off guard — not even when asleep or on a bust. When you intercept a sudden threat (to yourself or an ally), you have advantage on whatever move you make. (Requires level 6+.)

Giant Slayer

When you strike at a weak spot of a large or huge creature, you deal another +2 damage (+4 total). (Requires level 6+ and Big Game Hunter.)

Superior Trait

Choose a trait you have already Improved, and work with the GM to boost it even further — a significant, fiction-driven leap that should feel like a real capstone. (Requires level 6+.)

Trailblazer

When a journey causes you to Defy Danger and you roll a success with a 6, you also learn or discover something interesting and useful — ask the GM what. (Requires level 6+; replaces Home on the Range.)

Walk It Off

When you'd mark a debility, you can mark this move instead to no ill effect. Clear it as you would a debility. (Requires level 6+.)

Special Possessions

(Pick 2, in addition to your composite bow)

Something Wicked This Way Comes

You know firsthand that trouble is out there, and like it or not, one of these days the folk of your steading are going to have to face it. What is it that you're so worried about? (choose 1)

Then, answer at least 3 of the following questions about this threat: