As I’ve mentioned elsewhere,
I began playing (Advanced) Dungeons & Dragons in 1978. There has always
been a ranger class in my D&D, and we always wanted to play Aragorn. No
doubt you’ve heard of him?
However, it turns out that “ranger” as a concept can be difficult to implement
as a class, and a class by itself does not necessarily lead to playing Aragorn.
That 1st Edition ranger class has some curious
elements. Sure, tracking, surprise bonuses, the “giant class” damage bonus, interesting
followers, and the otherwise incongruous ability to use scrying items all say
“Aragorn”. We learned to like the d8 hit die, with a second hit die at 1st
level, and 11 hit dice total. But spell use?! Druid and magic-user spells?!
Presumably the best way to represent some of Aragorn’s more fantastic abilities
in game. However, I have no idea what our beloved Gygax was thinking with the
limits on rangers appearing in a group. I can only assume his players loved
rangers as much as I do, and he ended up with more at the table than he liked.
I was not an early fan of 2nd Edition, and
that’s putting it mildly. I carefully noted and considered every change as I read
the new Player’s Handbook. Two-weapon fighting?! I racked my brain for when
Aragorn wielded two weapons. Because clearly, if Aragorn didn’t do it, it
shouldn’t be a part of the ranger class. Ah! There was that time on Weathertop,
when wielding a torch in one hand and a sword in the other, Aragorn at least
temporarily drove off the Nazgûl. That must be it! Crisis averted. In time,
another dual-wielding character who shall remain nameless came to dominate the
portrayal of the ranger.
The official D&D ranger continues to evolve, leaning this way and that, and I continue to evaluate ranger classes (and the games they are a part of) through the lens of Aragorn. But as difficult (if not impossible) as it is to get a ranger class right, turns out, that’s not enough. Aragorn isn’t Aragorn without the Dúnedain, the Rangers of the North, Narsil and much more. Aragorn isn’t a class, he’s a very important thread in the rich tapestry that is Tolkien’s Middle-earth. To play a similar thread, you need a similar tapestry. That’s why I’m passionate about the Heroic Fantasy Handbook, which provides Judges with the tools to weave their own tapestry not unlike Middle-earth, wherein new threads not unlike Aragorn may flourish.
And that is why I play the game!
Aragorn isn't a class though, is he? No amount of race and class ability salad will make you as cool as Aragorn. Aragorn is a state of mind.
ReplyDeleteI played in a BECM campaign years ago, before the movies came out, and there was a thief character named Strider. I didn't make the connection then but it was pretty clear that guy was playing Aragorn.