CS Ranger Bonuses

[devillin]

I'm making a CS Ranger from CWC and I noticed something strange. Is it just me, or is the CS Ranger the only OCC that has no bonuses other than those for their skills? No attribute bonuses, no saving throw bonuses, nothing. I get that they have the widest variety of equipment that they can pick from as their standard weaponry/armor/vehicles, but is that really enough to offset their lack of bonuses?

[Jefffar]

Note: Palladium does not attempt to inherently make all classes equal like some other game systems.

[Killer Cyborg]

I'm making a CS Ranger from CWC and I noticed something strange. Is it just me, or is the CS Ranger the only OCC that has no bonuses other than those for their skills? No attribute bonuses, no saving throw bonuses, nothing. I get that they have the widest variety of equipment that they can pick from as their standard weaponry/armor/vehicles, but is that really enough to offset their lack of bonuses?

A lot of OCCs don't have anything special other than their skills....
Bonuses are just that; something extra.

[Killer Cyborg]

The one thing players must relieze when playing most Palladium games and especially Rifts, the OCCs are not balanced. In some games the power levels are closer together, but they are not balanced.

The Wilderness Scout is supposed to be a scout, not a combat character. You are to lead the party through dangerous territory while avoiding the baddies and keeping everyone alive. The Scout is supposed to avoid conflict and report back to his superiors about where the baddies are.

And that's the only odd part.
The CS Ranger is supposed to be the CS version of a Wilderness Scout.
Wilderness Scouts get bonuses to SDC and PE, but the CS guy gets nothing.
I guess Wilderness Scouts are just tougher.

[RainOfSteel]

The CS Ranger is supposed to be the CS version of a Wilderness Scout.
Wilderness Scouts get bonuses to SDC and PE, but the CS guy gets nothing.
I guess Wilderness Scouts are just tougher.

The CS Ranger gets cool looking armor?

[RainOfSteel]

Note: Palladium does not attempt to inherently make all classes equal like some other game systems.

Yes, I've noticed.

[Guest]

The one thing players must relieze when playing most Palladium games and especially Rifts, the OCCs are not balanced. In some games the power levels are closer together, but they are not balanced.

The Wilderness Scout is supposed to be a scout, not a combat character. You are to lead the party through dangerous territory while avoiding the baddies and keeping everyone alive. The Scout is supposed to avoid conflict and report back to his superiors about where the baddies are.

And that's the only odd part.
The CS Ranger is supposed to be the CS version of a Wilderness Scout.
Wilderness Scouts get bonuses to SDC and PE, but the CS guy gets nothing.
I guess Wilderness Scouts are just tougher.

I like to think of it like a wild dog vs. a tame dog, the civilian Wilderness Scout has to deal with more stuff, live a harder life. CS Rangers are military trained to be sure, not as a soldier, but as a guide. Their equipment is more readily available, thier armor is tougher, and they have the protection of surrounding soldiers. They don't have to "rough" it quite as much. I'm not bashing military scouts either, my father was a Cav. Scout in the Army. I know how tough he is. But, wild dog vs. tame dog, after weeks in the field my dad came home. That's not going to be as tough as a mountain man that lives up in the Cascades the majority of his time. I'd say that if the Ranger wasn't given any bonuses, it's because they were forgotten (30% chance), they aren't tough enough to recieve them (50%), or some other completely different reason (20%).

[Kalinda]

The one thing players must relieze when playing most Palladium games and especially Rifts, the OCCs are not balanced. In some games the power levels are closer together, but they are not balanced.

The Wilderness Scout is supposed to be a scout, not a combat character. You are to lead the party through dangerous territory while avoiding the baddies and keeping everyone alive. The Scout is supposed to avoid conflict and report back to his superiors about where the baddies are.

And that's the only odd part.
The CS Ranger is supposed to be the CS version of a Wilderness Scout.
Wilderness Scouts get bonuses to SDC and PE, but the CS guy gets nothing.
I guess Wilderness Scouts are just tougher.

I like to think of it like a wild dog vs. a tame dog, the civilian Wilderness Scout has to deal with more stuff, live a harder life. CS Rangers are military trained to be sure, not as a soldier, but as a guide. Their equipment is more readily available, thier armor is tougher, and they have the protection of surrounding soldiers. They don't have to "rough" it quite as much. I'm not bashing military scouts either, my father was a Cav. Scout in the Army. I know how tough he is. But, wild dog vs. tame dog, after weeks in the field my dad came home. That's not going to be as tough as a mountain man that lives up in the Cascades the majority of his time. I'd say that if the Ranger wasn't given any bonuses, it's because they were forgotten (30% chance), they aren't tough enough to recieve them (50%), or some other completely different reason (20%).

That's pretty much what I thought when I read the class. They're like wilderness scouts, but don't spend all their time in the field, hence the lack of bonuses.

[devillin]

The CS Ranger is supposed to be the CS version of a Wilderness Scout.
Wilderness Scouts get bonuses to SDC and PE, but the CS guy gets nothing.
I guess Wilderness Scouts are just tougher.

The CS Ranger gets cool looking armor?

Actually, the CS Ranger gets any armor that he wants.

[Guest]

he gets any armor that he wants and look at the backup! thanks all for commenting on this post. my group was wondering the same thing! thanks all i really agree with what all was said.

Of course, you could make a GM ruling and give Wilderness Scout bonuses to the Ranger also. It's solely up to you.

[Dead Boy]

The CS Ranger is supposed to be the CS version of a Wilderness Scout.
Wilderness Scouts get bonuses to SDC and PE, but the CS guy gets nothing.
I guess Wilderness Scouts are just tougher.

The CS Ranger gets cool looking armor?

Actually, the CS Ranger gets any armor that he wants.

True, but not every OCC gets a uber cool full page illustration by Vince Martin. As for the rest, yea, the CS Rangers got screwed on the bonuses that the Wilderness Scouts get. But maybe it'll be fixed in a future edition of the books.

[RockJock]

I really don't see a problem with the Ranger missing out of the Occ bonuses. I know that classes in Rifts are anything but balences, but there is a little give and take between the two classes. Sort of like the Rogue Scholar/Scientist and the CS version. They are similar, and do pretty much the same job, but aren't quite the same.