[Cosmos] - Ranger - Void Runner (Patreon)

The ranger clambers into the bar, laser pistol at her side. This seedy establishment was founded in the outer reaches of the Worlds, a place of rough elements and criminal activity. A quick scan showed all patrons were locals except one - a mousey-looking beer-sipper carrying a foreign weapon. The ranger smiles, having found her target at last.

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Wow this was a rough subclass to put together. I love the idea of an option for a space-faring Ranger, but I had to walk a very fine line. The design goal for Cosmos is to create a setting that is ambiguous in technology and location, so that the homebrew could be used in both futuristic and traditional D&D settings. This Ranger was hard to design because, as we all know, there really isn't much in space except for high-tech stuff.

Spacefarer and Firearm proficiencies will probably be a given for all the Cosmos subclasses, to allow for era-ambiguous subclass design.

In the end, I'm happy with this ambushy, Wild-Westy ranger, who uses mobility and cleverness to navigate the Frontiers of outer space. It's a bit similar to Gloom Stalker, but the ideas came first. The "Shoot First" comes from Star Wars and grants a nice first-hit bonus, though unlike Gloom Stalker, can be dealt to multiple creatures, scaling at Level 5 and 11.

Star Jump leans harder on spatial maneuverability, and fills the flavor gap of a veteran traveler accustomed to low-gravity environments. The Level 11 damage boost is already accomplished via Shoot First; the possibility of an extra attack situationally assists in getting more extra damage.

The Level 7 and 15 features are pretty typical ranger defensive features. It's hard to come up with new ones!