Don’t like D&D 2024’s new ranger? Or animal companions? A Level 20 PATHFINDER ranger w/ combat demo!

The Ranger and Animal Companions are awesome in Pathfinder 2e! Let's build RONALD THE RULES RANGER and his super cat MEGAN and do a short combat demonstration!

Level 20 ranger feats on ARCHIVES OF NETHYS:

The last time we visited this tavern:

"EVERY Pathfinder 2e Archetype in 20 Minutes!" (Pathfinder Pals):

My Pathfinder Beginner Box video:

0:00 Intro
2:29 Ranger
4:13 Building Level 20 Ronald the Rules Ranger & Megan!
10:11 Combat demo
22:12 Alternate ranger build paths

Music from Ivan Duch's Music Packs module for Foundry:

For my Foundry setup, JOIN MY DISCORD (link below) and go to the #vtt-advice channel and find the pinned comment with my list of mods!

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[TheRulesLawyerRPG]

ADDITIONS/ERRATA:
-In my enthusiasm I skipped a couple prerequisites: Stealthy Prey required Camouflage. Shared Prey required 2 other feats, HOWEVER that is a souped-up version of the 8th-level Warden's Boon feat, which is 1 action to share gives Hunter's Edge with an ally for 1 round, which is close to what happened here. All in all, this was still a pretty accurate depiction of a Level 20 companion-focused ranger.
- 25:37 The Eldritch Shot ability works with ANY spell, not just a cantrip

[thebitterfig]

Part of what's fun about Pathfinder "Hunter's Mark" is you just do it, and you also have the choice based on build for what you want it to do--hit it very hard, hit it very fast, or outsmart it. You aren't really shoehorned into one style.

I keep thinking about how different Rangers, Fighters, Rogues, and Swashbuckers all feel with how they play, despite the fact that you could easily build a character who fights with finesse melee weapons on all three.

[LightningRaven]

That was a savage turn for Legolas. That's the power of fighting lower level enemies. People complain about PF2e being too hard and the math being unforgiving, but that's only if you keep fighting higher level enemies.
Fighting lower level enemies can give an entirely different feel for the game and you can still have tough combats with waves of monsters or many at one (but be careful to not let your casters blow them away with a single spell, they can be nasty).

[Phonochirp]

Not to completely fly the nerd flag, but Legolas is a fighter... Aragorn was the ranger of the fellowship.

[Zedrinbot]

I've said it before and I'll say it again: PF2's interpretation of 'ranger' is my favorite, bar none. It's effective, and it's so modular that it can capture almost any fantasy you have for what makes a ranger, of which there are so many different interpretations, all without being imbalanced or bloated.

[gabrielevanella]

Rangers are great, i love Paizo's take on the class

[amelialonelyfart]

Thing I love about PF2 Ranger is the flavor is basically as much as you want it to be. You could be a nature warden, classic style ranger, or you can just be someone whose good at surviving with a respectable amount of knowledge in regards to ecology (not even just animals -- there's support for rangers who are great at fighting plants and fungus but idk how often that would come up lol) or even forgo the ecological aspects and be a more urban bounty hunter instead. You could make a ranger who focuses on archery or crossbows, or focused on dual weapons, or heavy two-handed weapons, or sword and off-hand, or entirely unarmed or even having some degree of magic and all do quite well.

Sometimes people complain that ranger is basically just a fighter with more gimmicks and less power but I fundamentally disagree. It's just a well-designed, versatile class!

[undrhil]

I'd rather have a platypus animal companion and have a running gag of it just being a normal platypus when it's around me but then whenever it gets around the corner it becomes a super animal companion and does awesome things and then the bad guys are all like Perry the Platypus and then it comes back to me and it's just a normal platypus again

[timovandervalk]

Ranger was the first class i delved into after swapping systems from DND. It made me fell in love with the system. They are just amizingly designed.

[jediprotector]

No joke, Strom "Huzzah" Winterfang is my Strength based Ranger with Intelligence for recalling knowledge in Ulfen, Warfare, and Tundra Lores. His beasts are a Bird and Wolf.

[ocecena]

This is a really cool video! One of my players wanted to play a ranger, but coming from 5E he didn't want to be disappointed. I think this may change his mind.

[alexisglaab]

If you have to explore and track things in the wilderness AT ALL, a ranger will save you entire sessions. PF2e ranger is pretty great all-around, in combat and out of combat, but really shines in the wilds. And they are a pure martial with optional spells, as opposed to a hybrid class, which is great because PF2e already has some awesome hybrid casters.

[alessandrodellanno]

Keep making combat demos, i love them!

[PathfinderPals]

Omg thank you so much for the shoutout! 💜 😁 I was just happily watching along and suddenly there I am! haha

[alarkhar]

Something to be pointed out: there are quite a few archetypes, like the dual weapon warrior and the clawdancer, that increase the effectiveness of a flurry ranger to "cuisinart on PCP" levels. Sure, they aren't as flashy as, say, the arcane archer, but they let you puree an opponent in the blink of an eye.

[TheLBG]

I love how you said "Megan" and her ears perked up

[justinchrstnsn]

This video was incredibly informative and hilarious. The clips of Megan swating the funko was cracking me up

[cheesusabidas]

if that was my first pathfinder impression, i would definitely be interested xD

[theVaam]

Legolas will always be a bow fighter for me

When Ronald mentioned the ranger from LotR my first idea was Aragorn, not him. But I get it for the demo

Anyways nice showcase!

[kinmersha]

I listen thru Ron’s intro every time just cuz I find the music so comfy 😊