When we think of a protector of the natural world against those who 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 Cowpoke, but those who belong to this oft-ignored conclave are Rangers just as prodigious as any other.
The first Cowpoke Rangers did not follow the traditional creation of conclaves; rather, Ranger magic found them. Cowpokes protected their ranches and their cattle. They respected the land and learned its secrets so they could survive. 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 who foolishly believe Cowpokes lack the mysticism of other Rangers fail to look at them with eyes unclouded by preconceived notions of what a Ranger can be. Cowpokes 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.
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Cowpoke Spells table. The spell counts as a Ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of Ranger spells you know.
| 3rd | Animal Friendship |
| 5th | Find Steed |
| 9th | Haste |
| 13th | Dominate Beast |
| 17th | Hold Monster |
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with firearms. Additionally, you also gain proficiency with Tinker’s Tools, allowing you to craft ammunition for any firearm for half the price it costs to buy it. Crafting a set of 10 rounds of ammunition takes 1 hour.
Your expertise and know-how in dealing with animals allows you to create a supernatural bond with any Beast. As an action, you can attempt to befriend a Beast that can see and hear you and is within 30 feet of you. You must make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check. The DC for this check equals 10 + the CR of the Beast, rounding up.
If the check is successful, the Beast is Friendly to you, trusts you, and will heed some of your commands, within reason. The Beast won’t attack your enemies, and it won’t engage in any action that will lead to its certain death. The Beast can, among other things, bring you an object out of your reach, carry a message to someone it could reasonably find, indicate the way of a location it knows, scout ahead, or, if its biology permits it, carry you and be used as a mount. If you choose to mount it, the Beast gains +10 feet to its Speed, and you gain a +1 bonus to your weapon and spell attack rolls while you are mounted.
Willingly harming the Beast will make it stop seeing you as a friend, at which point it might turn Hostile, depending on the nature of the Beast in question, at the GM’s discretion. The Beast will not leave the general area where it lives by more than 100 feet: for example, befriending an elk that lives in a particular forest means the elk won’t follow you anymore once you are 100 feet away from the forest it calls home.
Your expertise with firearms grows, making you an even more prodigious marksman. The range of all firearms is increased by 10 feet for you, and you ignore the Loading property of firearms with which you are proficient.
At 11th level, you gain the ability to infuse your bullets with your own magic, allowing you to take a shot so precise it supernaturally tracks its target. When taking the Attack action with a firearm, you can spend one of your spell slots to empower this attack. When you do so, this attack gains a bonus to its attack roll equal to the level of the spell slot used and a bonus to the damage roll equal to three times the level of the spell slot used. The attack also ignores any bonuses from Half Cover, and is not made at Disadvantage when firing at long range or against an enemy within 5 feet of you.
Spellcasting and shooting have become so natural to you that you are able to weave one with the other seamlessly. When you make a ranged weapon attack using a firearm against one creature, you can cast one spell you know as part of the same action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Intelligence or Wisdom modifier. You regain all uses of this ability after finishing a Long Rest.
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