D&D 5E Why are non-caster Ranger themes so popular?

[doctorbadwolf]

Yes, for me that's what I imagine. I just don't want a Ranger doing 1-action spellcasts. Their magic stuff should be objects crafted from natural objects and such: Poultices, potions, runes, imbued ammo, and the like.

What about overtly magical defenses against magic? So, freedom of movement as a class feature, ability to speak intelligibly while paralyzed, some manner of bonus to saves vs charm, etc?

Basically, “what are the biggest magical effects that getting hit by while alone is a total loss condition?” Followed by “how can Rangers be more resilient against those effects?”

And also “poultices” and traps and such. Maybe wards? Like, doesn’t it makes sense that the people who train to protect wilderness from the trampling of civilization and also protect civilized people from blundering into dire consequences in the wilderness, and protect wilds and folk from nature’s great monsters, to be able to ward stuff?

Like, a simple one is creating a warded encampment that is easy to miss, hard to find, creatures have to make Int saves to walk into the camp (and so mundane beasts will have a penalty to the save but humanoid ambushers have a shot at success). At higher levels the camp also protects against weather and extreme temperatures.

 

[Greg K]

I have no issue with non-magical healing. I have seen several tv shows and movies where the hunter/trapper/tribal person treated someone's wounds, illness, or poison using herbs, poultices, are some kind of herbal broth ("Here, drink this. Now, rest").

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I have no issue with non-magical healing. I have seen several tv shows and movies where the hunter/trapper/tribal person treated someone's wounds, illness, or poison using herbs, poultices, are some kind of herbal broth ("Here, drink this. Now, rest").

This is another thing the bard steals from the Ranger. Why isn’t the Ranger making rests more restorative?

I wonder how close we can get to a spell-less Ranger cobbling together bits of 5e lol

Lots of existing Ranger stuff, bring high level features in much earlier (hide as a bonus action, hide in plain sight) bulking up others (hide in plain sight, natural explorer) make others prof bonus per day and describe non-magically (primeval awareness, certain spell effects like “large group bonus to stealth”, and “focus on one critter until it dies”), add all the plausibly non magical tashas feature to the class as additions not replacements, then steal some bits from other classes (increased movement speed, ability to shake off charm effect as an action, improve group healing in short rest), and from feats (the entire cooking feat, maybe skulker), and see what it looks like. It may not need much from there.

Could give it some dice that can be used to limit and randomize the efficacy of stuff like poultices, “bane” poisons*, traps, etc.

Le sigh…I may have to write this up

 

[niklinna]

Le sigh…I may have to write this up

If you do, there's lots to scrounge from this thread! Also check out that Martial Ranger II that @ScuroNotte linked earlier.

 

[Minigiant]

If artificer becomes core in 6e, I would love to see rangers make with infusions. Ranger could gather ordinary, rare, or magical herbs, rocks and animal bits, and alter items.


Camoflauge Armor
Druid Berries
Healing Poultice
Poison Neutralizer
Venom Cream
Weatherproof Armor

Magical effects could be explained as the ranger findiing naturally occurring magical plants and stones in the wild. The ranger isn't casting lightning arrow, they made an arrow with a fey touched tree branch that was stuck by lightning.

Maybe even favored terrain would give a free known infusion when in that terrain. Having Favored Terrain Swamp means you can always fine black dragon's teeth to make Acid Arrows.
For example at level 2, you can craft Common Potions. 5th level Uncommon Potions, 9th for Rare Potion, 13th for Very Rare Potions, 17th Legendary Potions.

 

[jmartkdr2]

Really? DnD wilderness isn't necessarily magical? The place where fairies and satyrs and forest gnomes and ettercaps and dispacer beasts dwell? Where hags make their homes and the trees can come to life and whole forests, from ground to canopy, can be overtly magical?

This is where I get stuck with the nonmagical ranger. The most dangerous stuff in the wilderness is magical and/or requires magic to effectively combat. The DND ranger not having magic is like not giving US Marshal firearms.

What do you mean by "requires magic to effectively combat?" Does it require spellcasting? Other explicitly magical class features? Magic weapons?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

What do you mean by "requires magic to effectively combat?" Does it require spellcasting? Other explicitly magical class features? Magic weapons?

I chose my words correctly. Many creatures in the wild require magic to effectively combat. Especially on a reliable basis, and especially without access to a whole squad to other combatants to help you.

Thus, the Ranger must be magic. It's absurd to imagine a Ranger in any published DnD world with no magic actually surviving the job.

 

[Greg K]

I chose my words correctly. Many creatures in the wild require magic to effectively combat. Especially on a reliable basis, and especially without access to a whole squad to other combatants to help you.

Thus, the Ranger must be magic. It's absurd to imagine a Ranger in any published DnD world with no magic actually surviving the job.

That is your opinion, not fact

 

[Greg K]

Well, the rules do assume that. Anything else is up to the table.

Only because WOTC doubled down on forcing Forgotten Realms into everythingis built (Have I mentioned before my dislike for both FR, the story team, and the fantasy that WOTC pushes on top of the mechanics?). Outside of that, it comes down to individual tables, the classes and subclasses that the DM allows and what monsters the DM uses (just because things are in the MM does not mean they exist in an individual setting).

 

[Tinker-TDC]

I chose my words correctly. Many creatures in the wild require magic to effectively combat. Especially on a reliable basis, and especially without access to a whole squad to other combatants to help you.

Thus, the Ranger must be magic. It's absurd to imagine a Ranger in any published DnD world with no magic actually surviving the job.

Not trying to put words in your mouth, but are you implying that a Fighter or Rogue should be basically incapable of wilderness survival?