I know I know
A lot of people don't like rangers having spell casting. However I believe one of the reasons why the ranger class had issues in many editions is the disconnect of the low magic settings found in most fantasy stories and legends and the higher fantasy supernatual and magical elements of many D&D settings. Because the ranger is one of the two classes most tied to the environment, there is less to pull from real stories, legends, and literature. This causes the ranger's spell lit and class features to feel either out of space or underpowered when shifted to D&D from somewhere else. Or even worse, the features and spells are lifted fully from any other class like a druid or a wizard.
So how about we think of the ranger magic and supernatural elements more organically.
Imagine there were one or more ranger organizations in a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons world. These warriors are known to travel the world and encounter many peoples, monsters, organizations, and environments. The rangers roam many terrains and defend civilization from all sorts of enemies.
What kinds of magic would a ranger actually pick up and share to his apprentice?
Which long forgotten scrolls and items would a ranger bring back to the stronghold?
Which discoveries would a wizard or druid deem useless that their ranger party member might regard as useful?
Like we all know a wizard invented hunter's mark. But of course the wizard was never going to track anything physically nor was he or she going to hit anything with a weapon anymore. So he sold it to a passing ranger for 50gp and a bearskin rug. Now every ranger is using it.
For example, I'm shocked that a ranger cannot plant a bug on a target. A literal magic insect that they can plant on a target that they can track and listen in with a magic rock. The rock could even beep. Or buzz to fit the insect theme.
Or a desert ranger could escape approaching orc warriors by turning into sand Michael Jackson style. I could have used that one.
What is the point of wizards if they teach the local rangers how to make their arrows explode? Can cast wish but doesn't want deranged racist archers blowing up random gnolls and goblins in the forest.
A lot of people don't like rangers having spell casting. However I believe one of the reasons why the ranger class had issues in many editions is the disconnect of the low magic settings found in most fantasy stories and legends and the higher fantasy supernatual and magical elements of many D&D settings. Because the ranger is one of the two classes most tied to the environment, there is less to pull from real stories, legends, and literature. This causes the ranger's spell lit and class features to feel either out of space or underpowered when shifted to D&D from somewhere else. Or even worse, the features and spells are lifted fully from any other class like a druid or a wizard.
So how about we think of the ranger magic and supernatural elements more organically.
Imagine there were one or more ranger organizations in a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons world. These warriors are known to travel the world and encounter many peoples, monsters, organizations, and environments. The rangers roam many terrains and defend civilization from all sorts of enemies.
What kinds of magic would a ranger actually pick up and share to his apprentice?
Which long forgotten scrolls and items would a ranger bring back to the stronghold?
Which discoveries would a wizard or druid deem useless that their ranger party member might regard as useful?
Like we all know a wizard invented hunter's mark. But of course the wizard was never going to track anything physically nor was he or she going to hit anything with a weapon anymore. So he sold it to a passing ranger for 50gp and a bearskin rug. Now every ranger is using it.
For example, I'm shocked that a ranger cannot plant a bug on a target. A literal magic insect that they can plant on a target that they can track and listen in with a magic rock. The rock could even beep. Or buzz to fit the insect theme.
Or a desert ranger could escape approaching orc warriors by turning into sand Michael Jackson style. I could have used that one.
What is the point of wizards if they teach the local rangers how to make their arrows explode? Can cast wish but doesn't want deranged racist archers blowing up random gnolls and goblins in the forest.