Dark Ranger

Who Are They?

Dark Rangers are similar to their high elven cousins, but focus on shadowcraft more than nature. Dark Rangers are silent and invisible stalkers of the shadows, felling unsuspecting opponents with a single arrow. Dark Rangers still favor the bow as the ultimate weapon, using the same arts that Quel'Thalas taught for millennia. Their spells work with manipulating the essences of life and death, as well as various horrible curses and mind-enslaving abilities.

Dark Rangers' senses grow sharper than even those of other Forsaken. The dark ranger learns how to fade into dark conditions, wrapping herself with shadows. The skilled Dark Ranger can notice the tiny movements of her enemies along with other visual and auditory cues that allow her to react more quickly in combat.

While they no longer study nature, Dark Rangers remain some of the best trackers in the world. Naturally, most Dark Rangers hail from the scout class, but many newer rangers are former rogues, who use their stealth abilities to act as silent and near-invisible slayers for the Dark Lady.

Once fully trained, Sylvanas's Dark Rangers once again assumed their roles as guardians and hunters, now working for the Forsaken. Some undead, especially former elves, view rangers as a necessary force, and trust them implicitly. Other Forsaken view these shadow killers as relics of an old past, with an inability to move along with the times.

Dark Rangers serve as generals for Forsaken armies, as well as elite scouts and assassins. Like most Forsaken, Dark Rangers remain in the back lines, performing precision attacks and curses.

Who Likes Them?

The Forsaken. Or at least the ones that worship the Forgotten Shadow. Due to the absolute chaos that engulfs the armies of the Banshee Queen, there are traditionalist sects that love their rangers. And then there are the progressive sects that think the rangers are relics of the past which should be forgotten. A sect that loves them would be the Church of the Forgotten Shadow. A sect that doesn't really like them would be the Royal Apothecary Society.

Training

Requirements

You must be Undead. Classes can include Warriors, Rogues, Death Knights, and Hunters.

Also. Let's get this out of the way. You don't need to have been an Elf. The Dark Rangers are getting more liberal with who they teach over time.

Alliance »

Horde » Forsaken

Strengths

• Officer

While the armies of the Forsaken are Sylvanas' sledgehammer, the Dark Rangers are her scalpel. Few in number, they operate as an elite force for the Forsaken. Venerated rangers often serve as generals for her armies. Thus, they have quite a bit of political power and authority within Forsaken territory.

• Marksmanship

Needless to say, the Dark Rangers are rather powerful fighters. While they might not be the best in melee, they are in fact some of the greatest archers to grace the face of Azeroth. Coupled with their dark powers, this makes them quite a potent threat indeed.

• Love of the Damned

They also got respect, yo. Forsaken soldiers might bow to them as they walk down the glorious streets of the Undercity. Blood Elves will like them if they were Elves in life. I mean, dude, these people are like mini Sylvanases. While not nearly as powerful as her, there is a bit of love that comes from being the same class as your faction's leader.

• High Rank

Your average Dark Ranger is a Captain rank in the Forsaken armies. This comes with a great deal of benefits, such as access to small groups of cannon fod- soldiers. They can also pretty much requisition whatever sort of weapon they want. A greater Dark Ranger would be a General.

• Missing Is for the Living

Look, there's a 'ranger' part of their name for a reason! Dark Rangers are some of the best shots with a bow on Azeroth. They rarely miss. And should they be fighting the living, their Dark Arrows have a tendency to home in on the foul breathers. Though keep in mind that doesn't happen at outrageous angles. Just a little shift to the side here or there. Enough to really get it into the foe's beating heart.

Weaknesses

• Melee

While Dark Rangers are actually decent melee fighters, they do not get access to a great deal of their abilities while in the fray. Best for them to stick to a distance and use their bow.

• Hatred of the Living

Especially High Elves. Needless to say, people like Dark Rangers about as much as they like your every day member of the Forsaken. Maybe even less, due to their connection to the Banshee Queen.

• Hatred of the Damned

While your average everyday citizen of the Forsaken loves the Dark Rangers... the Royal Apothecary Society does not. And while this dislike of them is generally passive, sometimes an Apothecary gets some sort of crazy scheme to sabotage a Dark Ranger if only because she looked at him funny. Publicly though, they're all smiles.

Skills and Abilities

• Minor Necromancy

Dark Rangers are essentially on the same level as Death Knights as far as necromancy is concerned. They can raise a ghoul, though it is extremely taxing. They can fling death bolts, though that's not really their style. And they can infuse necromatic energies into their arrows, creating the infamous Dark Arrow that they use. Essentially, they are limited to such.

• Shadow Bolt

See Warlock ability.

• Cloak of Shadows

The Dark Ranger can call upon the shadows to envelop her, masking her from the naked eye. Note, this is not total invisibility, and its effectiveness greatly decreases should one move. It's more like turning transparent. Like a ghost.

• Dark Arrow

The Dark Ranger enchants her arrow with dark energies, doing extra damage to a living foe, and even homing in slightly on their position. Should it slay an enemy, there is a chance the fallen foe shall raise as an undead minion, which lasts 20 seconds (average, 5 rounds in combat. It has 50% health of a basic character. IE: If you're playing with 10 health, the minion has 5. Should the division come off with a decimal (The 50% of 5 is 2.5) you round down (5 basic character, 2 minion)). Note, check with your DM before raising minions with this ability. It can be hard to manage!

• Silence

The Dark Ranger can silence a single foe, preventing spell casting. Or yelling. Kinda stinks when you kill someone and they yell, alerting all their friends. This spell is learned to stop those shenanigans.

• Life Drain

A sickening green beam projecting from her hand, the Ranger can drain the life of a foe, healing herself.

• Charm

Mind control over an enemy, lasts until enemy's will overpowers the Ranger (Roll against eachother. Victim wins, breaks free. Ranger wins, keeps control).

Note: GET PERMISSION FROM PLAYERS BEFORE USING THE CHARM ABILITY ON THEM. ABUSE OF THIS ABILITY WILL RESULT IN THE PRESTIGE BEING TAKEN AWAY.

Training Outline

First things first, the trainee will need to find herself someone willing to train her. This might require one to go through contacts and enter places they've never been before. Heck, getting to the Dark Ranger might be a trial in itself. Don't be afraid to spend a couple of posts on your character getting to her master.

Once the Dark Ranger has been found, an introduction will be necessary by both parties. Take a post for this. After which, the master will haphazardly give the student a quick trial. Keep in mind that the Forsaken are a race of few elites and a lot of cannon fodder. The master won't even give the student another look if he's not certain she's strong enough for it. This trial might constitute slaying a group of breathers, or hunting down a party of rebellious undead. Really, it could be anything. Still, take your time with this, make a couple of posts. There's no rush.

Upon coming back in one or more pieces, the Dark Ranger will begin her training. She will be taught how to properly wield a bow, first off. Then she will be taught of her necromatic abilities. And finally she shall be taught of the prizes that await her upon becoming a full Dark Ranger. Keep in mind that the master might spend a post giving other tidbits of advice, like who to avoid and what not.

Finally, once confident in his student, the Dark Ranger will send her on a final trial. Whatever this task might be, one thing is absolutely certain. It will be terribly lethal. Failure would mean certain death for the potential ranger. This mission will also be a relatively important one as well, like the assassination of a particularly important Scarlet Crusader.

Upon returning to her master in victory, she shall be granted the full benefits of being a Dark Ranger, a military rank of Captain, and a shiny new bow. She will be considered a hero by her people. And she will be expected to serve when called for.

Active Dark Rangers

Currently there are no active Dark Rangers, so any applicants would have to create an NPC for the training.