Unearthed Arcana Ranger Revised - Overpowered?

[Coralirahd]

I am currently running a homebrew 5E DnD game, and one of my players wants to revise their single classed PHB Ranger (lvl 7) character and use the material as provided here - http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/unearthed-arcana-ranger-revised .

This looks a little over powered, especially with Natural Explorer at first level and all it provides (ignore difficult terrain, advantage in initiative rolls, advantage on attack rolls of first round if before the enemy has gone), and the traveling stuff not requiring a specific region type anymore, but not game breaking. Has anyone played this revision or dm'd for a player using it? I would like to hear their thoughts on it, as well as any considerations when allowing this revised Ranger. Ultimately, I want my players to be happy and enjoy the game, and will most likely allow this change. Thanks in advance for your replies.

 

[OzDragon]

The revised ranger is very front loaded. If you feel it's too much adjust when somethings are added to the class.

 

[Coralirahd]

Yeah, this revised class seems very prime for a quick 2-3 level dip in multi-classing. Thanks for the advice OzDragon.

 

[OzDragon]

You are most welcome. Most DM's don't really think of that option. That is what is great about D&D just adjust it a bit.

 

[Blue]

We had one that went up to 11th in a game I was in.

They are very front loaded. It mostly evens out later though as other classes get more toys then they do. At level 7 it should be fine, though they will always like advantage on Init.

Mearls has stated that multiclassing balance pass happens later, after the UA feedback stage. I usually don't allow multiclassing with UA subclasses (though some are okay), and that holds double with the UA Ranger because fo the front-loading.

TL;DR: Should be fine at 7th, wouldn't let multiclass.

 

[Sleepy Walker]

I'm actually playing an unearthed arcana ranger multiclassed with a monk right now. Level 12 as of right now, ranger 7/monk 5.

Things that could be overpowered:

-Favored enemy (level 1):
-Natural Explorer (Level 1):
-Primal Awareness (Level 3):

Solutions:

-Favored enemy is a good trait, but should be moved to level 3 to help prevent a 1 level dip.
-Natural Explorer is just plain too good. Suggestion to make it a choice for the ranger to choose the combat abilities or the utility abilities. In my campaign I chose combat, but had an equal number of times where utility would have been better (chult and never getting lost or slowed down is very powerful).

-Primal Awareness is hard on the DM. The range as written is 5 miles, which means the DM needs to decide if any of the hated enemies are within 5 miles or not, right then on the spot. I made the suggestion to my DM that it is a variable sense ability and that the range is not fixed. Pretty much it is just sensing that their are hated targets nearby and a general feeling of where it is ("you feel a strong sense of undead to the north some distance away, it could be a single massive undead or lots of small ones").

The animal aspect seemed out of place. It seemed to me that it was an ability that an animal handling check could accomplish. I asked for it to be removed for my character.

I would move this in place of favored enemy at level 1.


Things I like

- Extra damage and some more defensive abilities for hated targets is really nice. Greater favored enemy is really nice to go for and is a good ability for a level 6 ranger.
- fleet of foot at level 8 is very nice, compared to the current ranger ability.

I would say that the extra damage can get to be too much if the player really looks to abuse it, but in general it is not that big of a deal. If you are concerned about the potential for +4 damage per hit on a target, just reduce it to +2 for Greater Favored Enemy.
I'm doing the full +4 and a few times I could burn down a single opponent really fast, but most of the time it does not play that big of a role. It could be a byproduct of my having horde breaker and monk's flurry of blows, so I can do up to 5 attacks in close combat and really rack up the flat bonuses. A ranger stuck with 2 attacks per round, or 3 with horde breaker, would not see the same benefit.


I have no experience with the beast master


In general I really like playing the unearthed arcana ranger. It is too much if left as-is, but a few minor changes and it can turn into a very capable combatant or a very capable guide, without feeling like it does everything.

 

[Myrdin Potter]

The super radar is the most overpowered feature and as a DM you need to be very careful about it.

 

[superstition]

The super radar is the most overpowered feature and as a DM you need to be very careful about it.

It's not surprising since Perception tends to be the skill that is seen as most important. Anything that increases perception significantly can lead to problems for the GM.

 

[FelixJ]

This class should never be used if multi-classing is being considered, and the only enclave allowed should be beast. If a player is going to take this option then it takes it 20 no multi classing allowed because it isn't balanced in the slightest for multi classing.

Just to add it shouldn't even be used with new sub-classes. A lot of people are saying all you need to do is add extra attack at 5 and it works. It really doesn't it is still too strong.

 

[Mr. Wilson]

I have a UA ranger in the party I DM for and I will tell you that the exploration pillar of the game is pretty much tossed out the window, which to be fair, I don't mind. The party can survive and thrive in the wilderness and I don't have to keep track of their food stores? Score.

As others have mentioned it's a bit front loaded, but honestly, it's not that bad once everyone is around 9th or 10th level. The player in my group has multiclassed into Tempest Cleric because of RP reasons, but she was looking to get out of the class anyways because it didn't really get that much good stuff in the 10-20 range.

As long as people are taking a 1-3 level dip and you are comfortable with the exploration pillar being trivialized, the class is fine.