Pointy Hat - The Cowboy - Ranger Subclass
Pointy Hat - The Cowboy - Ranger Subclass
Pointy Hat - The Cowboy - Ranger Subclass
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The Cowboy
A Ranger Conclave
“When we think of a protector of the natural world against those that mistreat it or wish
to harm it, when we think of gaining magic through the connection with nature itself, when we
think of unlocking the secrets that allow one to not only survive but thrive far from civilization,
we rarely think of the cowboy, but those that belong to this often ignored conclave are rangers
just as prodigious as any other.
“Cowboy rangers did not follow the traditional creation of conclaves, but rather, ranger
magic found them. Cowboys protected their ranches and their cattle, respected the land and
learned its secrets so they could survive on it, they bonded with their animal companions, and
that was enough for the first traces of ranger magic to manifest in these newborn rangers.
Years of refinement, perfecting, and teaching, have made of this emerging ranger way a true
conclave, complete with masters, disciples, and traditions and lessons to follow.
“Those that foolishly believe cowboys to lack the mysticism of other rangers fail to look
at them with eyes unclouded by preconceived notions of what a ranger can be. Cowboys hear
the whispers of the plains and speak back, they feel the primal emotions that govern the
actions of the cattle they tend to, and they know of the deep unknowable magic that watches
expectantly, waiting just at the edge of the light of the campfire.”
Overview:
The Cowboy subclass is meant to bridge the surprisingly small gap between the ranger class
and the iconic figure of the cowboy. It does not shy away from introducing ranger magic to the
cowboy, but rather themes traditional ranger magic around iconic visuals associated with
cowboys. The subclass tries to pay homage and draw inspiration from iconic cowboy imagery,
while playing within the framework of the ranger class.
The cowboy subclass gives a twist to other ranger subclasses by allowing it a semblance of an
animal companion, although the relation between the cowboy and the beast is more of a friend
with its own free will that has crossed paths with the cowboy and has decided to help them for a
time, rather than a lifelong servant. This, along with countless uses clever players are bound to
find, makes the cowboy perfect for feats that revolve around mounted combat, something that is
both particularly appealing to players but hard to implement in actual games. The cowboy’s
ability to befriend any beast it encounters and mount it (provided the beast’s biology permits
this) makes it so the GM can plant specific opportunities for the cowboy to show off their animal
handling skills, even deep inside a dungeon.
The cowboy is also particularly centered around firearm combat, using the rules present in the
DMG (but being particularly easy to adapt to being used with rules from other sourcebooks).
This allows a player that chooses the cowboy to weave magic with shooting, and gives them the
opportunity to perform the iconic cinematic feats that have made cowboys famous.
3rd Level: Cowboy Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as
shown in the Cowboy Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't
count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Level Spell
9th Haste