Low Magic Alternatives: Full 20 level Class, Alternate Ranger

[Capn Charlie]

In my ongoing war against the evil spell slot, and for my gritty low magic game, I have finalized my version of spell-less ranger. Leaning heavily on Superiority dice, you've seen most of the building blocks this class is made of.

View attachment ranger.pdf

Design highlights are additional maneuvers and setting specific favored enemy options.

Alternative Favored Enemies
A ranger may favor a class or type of people as their enemy, representing their experience fighting against, or even their disdain or hatred for, this group of people. Valid choices include:
• Bandits: The criminals and highwaymen that plague the land.
• Commoners: The common folk that work the fields of the land.
• Nobles: The aristocracy that owns the land and rule its peoples.
• Soldiers: The men at arms and mercenaries that fill battlefields.
• Heretics: People that follow a specific faith other than your own.
• Foreigners: People from another specific land or nationality not your own.

New Maneuvers
Rangers may employ combat maneuvers like a fighter, but gain a number of new maneuvers specific to their woods lore and survival experience.

Healing Poultice: During a short rest, you apply a poultice made of medicinal herbs to a creature. If the target spends any healing dice, you increase the amount healed by an amount equal to your superiority die plus ranger level. A creature may not benefit from this ability again until it has taken a long rest.

Quarry: When you make an attack, designate a target as your quarry. Whenever you deal damage to that target, add your superiority die to the damage dealt. This effect persists until the target is reduced to 0 hp, or until you have taken a long rest.

Spur Beast: As a bonus action, you cause your animal companion to make an attack, adding your superiority die to the damage dealt.

Shield Companion: When you are adjacent to your animal companion and it would be hit by an attack you may, as a reaction, redirect this attack onto yourself, reducing it by an amount equal to your superiority die.

See my other gritty low magic class alternatives: The Godsman and Scholar

 

[Jediking]

Hey, I'm seen your other classes and am a big fan, especially as I'd like more options for no-magic class options. I know Superiority Dice have been one of the most common replacements for spellcasting in homebrew classes (and I think it is effective), but your inclusion of the thematic Ranger abilities (the New Maneuvers) works really well.

One thing I notice is about the Healing Poultice maneuver- the PHB Ranger has access to Cure Wounds (even Goodberry, to a much lesser extent) which can be a source of in-combat healing. Your maneuver seems balanced in that it can greatly increase the healing of a Hit Die spent, but it's only used while resting. Changing it to using your action and healing the creature by your Superiority die plus Wisdom mod. (or whatever) gives the Ranger some supportive capabilities in combat. Not sure if you want them to have that capability, just a thought.

 

[Acr0ssTh3P0nd]

Hey, I'm seen your other classes and am a big fan, especially as I'd like more options for no-magic class options. I know Superiority Dice have been one of the most common replacements for spellcasting in homebrew classes (and I think it is effective), but your inclusion of the thematic Ranger abilities (the New Maneuvers) works really well.

One thing I notice is about the Healing Poultice maneuver- the PHB Ranger has access to Cure Wounds (even Goodberry, to a much lesser extent) which can be a source of in-combat healing. Your maneuver seems balanced in that it can greatly increase the healing of a Hit Die spent, but it's only used while resting. Changing it to using your action and healing the creature by your Superiority die plus Wisdom mod. (or whatever) gives the Ranger some supportive capabilities in combat. Not sure if you want them to have that capability, just a thought.

In today's news, apparently the medieval equivalent of Icy-Hot can be applied for full effectiveness in 6 seconds.

 

[Capn Charlie]

In today's news, apparently the medieval equivalent of Icy-Hot can be applied for full effectiveness in 6 seconds.

Basically this. All of these classes are balanced for a super gritty no healing game with little to no magic, especially no healing magic. I would definitely make the ranger's poultice heal more as a single action for a normal fantasy game.

 

[Jediking]

Makes sense, it would def mess up a no healing game. If any of my players ever want a no-magic Ranger I'd let them use this class, but will probably give them the option to heal as an Action. But, as you say, it'd probably be a higher-magic setting and less gritty so wouldn't be an issue for me.

 

[Capn Charlie]

Balanced against normal classes, I think die + wis as a bonus action would be good, letting a ranger heal on the fly while still being a combat force.