Review: The Rangers
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- Cosmic Mongoose
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Review: The Rangers
The Rangers, MGP 3346, August Hahn
Using the now standard 128-page sourcebook layout, this book contains enough material to make creating a Ranger campaign a breeze, or simply to give the GM more info than they'll ever need for NPC Rangers in their game.
A good portion of the beginning of the book is devoted to the history of the Anla'shok, including some very nice extrapolation on their creation by Valen and their involvement with Babylon 4 (plus stats for B4 after it's refit by the Minbari!). The chapter progresses to detail the Anla'shok throughout the ages, finishing off with what may come in a possible future.
The next chapter deals with who the Anla'shok are, what they do, why and how they do it. Details of their training are disclosed, and the graduation ceremony is covered also. Consistent with how the rest of the book doesn't automatically assume you're playing in "modem" times, the roster of the Anla'shok fleet for six different eras is presented. We also learn of Ranger protocols and ranks (with insignia artwork).
A Technology chapter covers weapons, equipment, and vehicles used by the Anla'shok. Yes, those long-awaited Ranger spacecraft stats are here, along with ground and air vehicles. This chapter includes a mixture of civilian vessels designed not to draw attention, customised Minbari warships, and enough White Star variants to warrant a book of their own (six, if you're counting, including the "Miniature White Star" Superheavy Fighter variant). Nearly 8 more pages (including a diagram) cover the interior of the White Stars.
Tuzanor, the City of Sorrows is mapped and detailed in the next chapter - one which covers sites important to the Rangers. The training world of Kaddora is presented, and we are introduced to the concept of Anla'shok Caches - secret equipment stores and refuges mysteriously seeded around the galaxy.
The penultimate chapter revises the Anla'shok Ranger class, and introduces the ISA Ranger, Denn'bok Master, Anla'shok Officer, Ranger-Infiltrator, and some new feats.
Finally, a small section helps GMs fit the Rangers into their game, either as background NPCs or in running a Ranger campaign.
This is a fantastic book full of long-awaited material. The amount of material detailing previous eras makes this a book you can happily take away and read just for the heck of it. Great work, August!
Using the now standard 128-page sourcebook layout, this book contains enough material to make creating a Ranger campaign a breeze, or simply to give the GM more info than they'll ever need for NPC Rangers in their game.
A good portion of the beginning of the book is devoted to the history of the Anla'shok, including some very nice extrapolation on their creation by Valen and their involvement with Babylon 4 (plus stats for B4 after it's refit by the Minbari!). The chapter progresses to detail the Anla'shok throughout the ages, finishing off with what may come in a possible future.
The next chapter deals with who the Anla'shok are, what they do, why and how they do it. Details of their training are disclosed, and the graduation ceremony is covered also. Consistent with how the rest of the book doesn't automatically assume you're playing in "modem" times, the roster of the Anla'shok fleet for six different eras is presented. We also learn of Ranger protocols and ranks (with insignia artwork).
A Technology chapter covers weapons, equipment, and vehicles used by the Anla'shok. Yes, those long-awaited Ranger spacecraft stats are here, along with ground and air vehicles. This chapter includes a mixture of civilian vessels designed not to draw attention, customised Minbari warships, and enough White Star variants to warrant a book of their own (six, if you're counting, including the "Miniature White Star" Superheavy Fighter variant). Nearly 8 more pages (including a diagram) cover the interior of the White Stars.
Tuzanor, the City of Sorrows is mapped and detailed in the next chapter - one which covers sites important to the Rangers. The training world of Kaddora is presented, and we are introduced to the concept of Anla'shok Caches - secret equipment stores and refuges mysteriously seeded around the galaxy.
The penultimate chapter revises the Anla'shok Ranger class, and introduces the ISA Ranger, Denn'bok Master, Anla'shok Officer, Ranger-Infiltrator, and some new feats.
Finally, a small section helps GMs fit the Rangers into their game, either as background NPCs or in running a Ranger campaign.
This is a fantastic book full of long-awaited material. The amount of material detailing previous eras makes this a book you can happily take away and read just for the heck of it. Great work, August!
Matt Thomason
http://www.runetwister.com
http://www.runetwister.com
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- Lesser Spotted Mongoose
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Sounds great! *Wonders where his pre-order copy is?*
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Re: Review: The Rangers
all I can say is: sweet...Sweet...and SWEET!mthomason wrote:The Rangers, MGP 3346, August Hahn
...Consistent with how the rest of the book doesn't automatically assume you're playing in "modem" times, the roster of the Anla'shok fleet for six different eras is presented...The penultimate chapter revises the Anla'shok Ranger class, and introduces the ISA Ranger, Denn'bok Master, Anla'shok Officer, Ranger-Infiltrator, and some new feats...
can't wait to get one!

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- lastbesthope
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qstor wrote: Are the White Star stats different from the ones in the Minbari sourcebook?
The stats for the original White Star are the ones from the Minbari sourcebook with the addition of an EM Shield, plus the ACC/DEC stats have been corrected to 14lastbesthope wrote:Hopefully they'll at least have the White Star ACC/DEC stats corrected!

The other variants in the book are the slightly ugpgraded WSC-2 (second production run), WSC-A (carrier for WSC-L/Nail/Shial fighters), WSG (Gunship), WSC-L (superheavy fighter variant), and WSC-O (Command Variant)
Matt Thomason
http://www.runetwister.com
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Re: Review: The Rangers
mthomason wrote:This is a fantastic book full of long-awaited material. The amount of material detailing previous eras makes this a book you can happily take away and read just for the heck of it. Great work, August!
How did you manage to get a copy mthomason? Since rangers doesn't seem to be out yet.
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- Cosmic Mongoose
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I had one on pre-order direct from Mongoose,, this was one I didn't want to wait for ... I guess I just got lucky if I got mine before the other pre-orders 
Going on past experience retail copies will be out the middle of this month.

Going on past experience retail copies will be out the middle of this month.
Matt Thomason
http://www.runetwister.com
http://www.runetwister.com
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- Cosmic Mongoose
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Interior art is up to the same standard as the rest of the B5 books, mostly stills from the show, but there's also a few of what I can only describe as "D&D Rulebook-style" line drawings of weapons and other items of Ranger equipment
Matt Thomason
http://www.runetwister.com
http://www.runetwister.com
I got mine yesterday from UPS.
Looks great.
I had one question, I guess for August or someone in the know
There was a reference to a Shadow vessal appearing at the Battle of the Line? Is this from another source or created for the book?
Just wondering..
thanks
Mike

I had one question, I guess for August or someone in the know

There was a reference to a Shadow vessal appearing at the Battle of the Line? Is this from another source or created for the book?
Just wondering..
thanks
Mike
"Hate is baggage. Life's too short to go around pissed off all the time" Edward Furlong - American History X
- lastbesthope
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Thanks for the kind words, all. The Rangers is a book near and dear to my heart.
To answer the earlier question, the appearance of a Shadow vessel at the Battle of the Line is an extrapolation of matertial from JMS. It was never specifically stated as such but it is a logical deduction from certain pieces of source material.
-August
To answer the earlier question, the appearance of a Shadow vessel at the Battle of the Line is an extrapolation of matertial from JMS. It was never specifically stated as such but it is a logical deduction from certain pieces of source material.
-August
"This is a blanket apology to every god I can think of and all the ones I don't know. I have no idea what I did or in which life I did it, but I am really sorry. Ummm, my bad."
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