#stormwalker

Eating out at the whataburger

 When it comes to nature magic, we’ve seen druids that specialize in channeling the power of storms before. However, it should come as no surprise that other classes do the same, particularly today’s subject, the stormwalker ranger!

While not known for calling down lightning bolts, stormwalkers show great skill in channeling electricity in novel ways, as well as mastering the weather itself.

I’d imagine that this archetype is very common in regions known for their volatile weather, so the variety of terrains they are associated with is pretty broad, and they probably favor foes that are especially vulnerable to electricity. Regardless, they can prove impressive ranged foes regardless.

 This discipline is associated strongly with archery, and so these rangers train extensively with bows.

At their most basic ability, they also learn to channel their magic into their weapons, causing them to crackle with electricity. Later on, that magic becomes all the more potent.

Learning how to use the wind and minimize its effects, these rangers ignore the effects of strong wind, and can even accurately aim their projectiles to accommodate for natural wind.

One of their most uncanny abilities allows them to ride bolts of lightning, firing off a shot before vanishing in a flash and reappearing elsewhere. Note that this is unlike other such magical effects, as they don’t pass through other creatures as a damaging bolt in this case.

More powerful rangers eventually learn the secrets to alter the local weather as well.

At their most powerful, these rangers can use their lightning teleport while firing both before and after their leap, sending attacks from multiple angles.

A fun archetype, the fact they don’t get the bond does mean you won’t be having a companion or buffing allies with favored class features, but adding extra damage and being able to escape to more advantageous locations is good, as is using windy weather to debuff foes while being immune themselves. While situational at first, they can control weather to generate those conditions at higher level. I’d recommend specializing heavily in archery in both feats and spells, maybe stealth as well to strike unseen.

 Their lack of bond means these rangers are perhaps even more loners than others of their class, or perhaps they never developed a tactical sense. Either way, they likely seem aloof to others more so than other rangers.

  Sleeping Eirmanvale is a place where the Dimension of Dreams leaks into the material, and the druidic circle within is very careful to make sure no hostile spirits from that realm escape into the wider world. To this end, the stormwalker Korna recruits the party to deal with a nest of feargaunts that have slipped through.

 Years ago, a teleportation spell gone awry sent Bellindaxa to the surface world. Despite being in a hostile land, she became enamoured with the changing winds and weather above, and learned to harness the power of lightning to her bow. Now the drider lives in quiet communion with nature, limiting her contact with others as much as possible.