D&D 5E Ideas for Unique Ranger Spells and Magic

[doctorbadwolf]

I think that rangers should be able to gather intel from nature in ways that others simply can't ever do, maybe even druids. So, the Druid can cast speak with plants, maybe the ranger can cast a spell to experience what the plant experienced? Like psychometry for plants?

I think part of the problem is simply how few spells the ranger knows. Can you really justify taking animal messenger, beast bond, animal friendship, or even stuff like longstrider and jump, when you also kinda need to be able to turn spell slots into damage and tactical advantages with stuff like hunter's mark and ensnaring strike? I mean, obviously you can, but it sucks to have to choose between them in as limited an amount as the ranger gets.

Which is why I give rangers spells known equal to 1/2 level rounded down plus wisdom mod.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Good point, but IME those rangers are less common. I'm not saying that means they shouldn't be represented, however. So, as I said, good point.

IMO this is where Favored Terrain should come in. Each terrain should have a benefit to fighting in a certain way, and to surviving in certain contexts, that is useful in any enviroment, but especially useful in the associated terrain.

 

[R_J_K75]

They should have a Rangercraft cantrip. Functions include: 1) lighting campfires, 2) drying wood to be suitable for a campfire, 3) salting, dehydrating, or otherwise preserving foods, 4) altering their scent or tracks, 5) leaving marks in natural places that only you can see, and 6) 1 minute of darkvision (with concentration).

7) Create latrine. At higher levels it comes with toilet paper and an air freshener.

 

[R_J_K75]

Do Rangers and Druids still get their spells from Deities and/or Elemental forces in 5E like in earlier editions? Its been awhile since Ive read the PHB or had anyone play either in any of my campaigns. I always thought of Druids as more of custodians of a certain wilderness area, like a park ranger or Green Peace, who looked after a particular area or went to where they were needed. For example the people who went to Alaska to help clean up the Exxon Valdeze oil spill. Rangers were more like travelers who specialized in hunting, trapping. fishing, survival and camping. Like Green Berets/special forces or Les Stroud, just passing through. Im just asking as game mechanics aside, sometimes it was hard to tell where the concept of the two classes began and the other ended. I think that once this is established then determining the Rangers spell abilities is easier.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Well, a lot of that is really up to your table's preference. A ranger could be a rover or live in an established area, protecting just that region. It works either way. shrug

While I want rangers to have spells, they are primarily warriors. If I could make a comparison, I would say:

Rangers are to Druids as Paladins are to Clerics. I see those two classes as the warriors with some spellcasting ability instead of being spellcasters with some fighting ability. I always found it interesting to note there is no arcane equivalent to the Ranger or Paladin to compare to the Wizard.

At any rate, I suppose that is one of the reasons why rangers are so difficult to tie down--they represent different things to different people.

 

[R_J_K75]

Well, a lot of that is really up to your table's preference. A ranger could be a rover or live in an established area, protecting just that region. It works either way. shrug

While I want rangers to have spells, they are primarily warriors. If I could make a comparison, I would say:

Rangers are to Druids as Paladins are to Clerics. I see those two classes as the warriors with some spellcasting ability instead of being spellcasters with some fighting ability. I always found it interesting to note there is no arcane equivalent to the Ranger or Paladin to compare to the Wizard.

At any rate, I suppose that is one of the reasons why rangers are so difficult to tie down--they represent different things to different people.

One thing that I never understood about the Ranger, whats with the Grizzly Adams, BJ and the Bear animal companion thing? Is he a loner walking through life alone with nothing more than a Chimpanzee at his side? Again as you said makes the class hard to pin down. Anyone Ive ever seen play a Ranger with an animal companion buried that thing within two or three games. Im gonna send Scraps into battle and it always ends up on the wrong end of a lightning bolt.

 

[DND_Reborn]

One thing that I never understood about the Ranger, whats with the Grizzly Adams, BJ and the Bear animal companion thing? Is he a loner walking through life alone with nothing more than a Chimpanzee at his side? Again as you said makes the class hard to pin down. Anyone Ive ever seen play a Ranger with an animal companion buried that thing within two or three games. Im gonna send Scraps into battle and it always ends up on the wrong end of a lightning bolt.

Poor Scraps! Not again! Boo-hoo-hoo!

Actually, the "beast-master" aspect of rangers never appealed to me, personally. I've seen others use them, but they weren't part of 1E so I don't bother with them. Honestly, I am not even sure when that concept made it into the ranger class...

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

From another thread:

Baleen Bomb
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration (maximum 10 minutes)

The caster immediately sprouts giant hummingbird wings and becomes pregnant with a baby baleen whale. At any time before the spells ends, the caster may decide to prematurely give birth to the baleen whale. The caster takes 20 points of force damage as the whale emerges from his or her body. If the caster is flying, the baleen whale falls to the ground. Any creature directly under by the falling baleen must make a dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 15d6 bludgeoning damage, is knocked prone, and smells like fish until its next bath.



That unique enough?

 

[R_J_K75]

Poor Scraps! Not again! Boo-hoo-hoo!

Actually, the "beast-master" aspect of rangers never appealed to me, personally. I've seen others use them, but they weren't part of 1E so I don't bother with them. Honestly, I am not even sure when that concept made it into the ranger class...

If I had to guess the 2E Complete Rangers handbook. TSR needs money, QUICK...give the ranger some a Rambo knife with some fishing gear a rain poncho and...wait for it...a giant toad. But in all seriousness I think the ranger suffers from identity crisis from being something different in every edition. Again as you said made it that much harder to pin down the core of the class. So it begs the question where does its powers actually come from?

 

[DND_Reborn]

So it begs the question where does its powers actually come from?

Well, my thoughts are primarily druid with minor arcane, and it could even be exclusively "natural", but I know others have their own opinions of course.