The Rangers

[Vortex]

I see in other topics that many people say the Minbari Factbook and the Rangers book are poor supplements. I have the Minbari and it is indeed the one I liked the least of all those I have (about a dozen).

The Rangers book was the one I planned to buy next but I'm beginning to have doubts. I would like to know more.

What's bad in it and why?

What's good in it and why?

 

[EricRoss]

Personally I like both the Minbari and Ranger books. They have alot of info that is helpful if one is going to run a campaign centered around Mibari or Ranger characters. Even if you are going to use Rangers a reoccuring NPCs it is helpful to have all the info they give you on Rangers, how they operate and what equipment they typically have.

 

[omegar]

I think one of the biggest problems i had witht eh ranger books was the total difference in continuity with the show.

one of the big factors of the Minbari, is that no minbari has killed a minbari in a 1000 years, however there are in this book major samples of where this is not the case.

on the plus side, the book changes and updates the Ranger prestige class, and adds a whole new Ranger class for first level players.

I guess it all comes down to what you want, and i think there is plenty of potential within the ranger book for players.

 

[frobisher]

The biggest, single thing that sucks about the Rangers supplement is the history sucks and is at almost total odds with show continuity in what it shows, taking the approach that if you say that people don't talk about it then that's okay :roll:

The next thing that really offended me (as a B5 Wars veteren) was the explosion of Whitestar varients. The whole point was meant to be that the Minbari couldn't build more Whitestars without Vorlon expertise due to the nature of the Vorlon technology included, which if you check the show seems to indeed be the case. This supplement has them being churned out left right and centre, with a design or two that would mean the Victory class destroyer wouldn't have been needed to be built, which directly contradicts show canon...

The various character classes are well enough presented though and these in themselves are worth purchasing the book for if you should want to run an Anla'Shok campaign.

 

[Babylon 5 Aide]

I don't think that is necessarily the case, as a Whitestar is not the end all be all of ship building design. It is not something that shows up alone in a system and really makes bad guys think about what they are doing. The Victory can do that. Its just like why we have different classifications of ships in the US Navy, because some are for different roles.

Who's to say that some of the Whitestars seen cannonically are not straight copies?

 

[Epaminondas]

There is also a difference between Officially Accepted History and reality.

The Minbari party line might be no minbari has killed another minbari for a thousand years; and exceptions to this are not talked about, or covered up.

Its a very rigid, caste based system- if people are told something is true, very few people are going to publically doubt it. Conformaty, and appearances are everything.

Check out Feudal Japan, or even modern Japan...

===

A ranger operating away from high command finds a Minbari working for the Shadows. His only options are to kill him, or let him escape.

Ranger kills him. Do you think he is going to buy advertising space in Minbari Daily with a big banner saying I Minabari ranger have killed a minbari from warrior caste X?

He will not lie about, but not stating certain information, or presenting in an incomplete truth that leads to a different conclusion is consistent with the show. Delen lies by ommission pratically every thing she opens her mouth in the first season 8)

The ranger could say "He died by an ancient evil;" "He had an accident;" "I don't think he will be returning to Minbari space;" "He is seeking spirtual enlightment;" "He went to the ocean"

All are true... and misleading.

 

[Shadow Queen]

i would of thought they would reverse engineer it

 

[frobisher]

I don't think that is necessarily the case, as a Whitestar is not the end all be all of ship building design. It is not something that shows up alone in a system and really makes bad guys think about what they are doing. The Victory can do that. Its just like why we have different classifications of ships in the US Navy, because some are for different roles.

Yes, but one of the White Star derivatives (Gunship..?) can do just that. We're not talking about simple swapouts on weapons here but hefty cruiser sized upscaled derivatives...

 

[frobisher]

A ranger operating away from high command finds a Minbari working for the Shadows. His only options are to kill him, or let him escape.

Ranger kills him. Do you think he is going to buy advertising space in Minbari Daily with a big banner saying I Minabari ranger have killed a minbari from warrior caste X?

That may have well happened, but the supplement has the Anla'Shok effectively waging war on the Minbari... Big difference.