D&D (2024) What type of ranger would your prefer for 2024?

[CreamCloud0]

or no casting ranger with 1/3 casting subclass.
Or maybe 1/2 casting subclass. 1/3 casting is rubbish anyway.

i wonder if they'd ever make a 1/3 caster base class with a 1/2 caster subclass, not talking about ranger specifically here but just in general...

 

[Emberashh]

The designers specifically wrote open ended undefined skilled to remove 5e from the backlash of 3e and 4e's skill and in a attempt to pull back AD&D GMs who didn't want any rules.

And now in 2023 the OSR exists and isn't a market mainline DND is ever going to tap back into in any significant way.

You really need to stop negotiating with people that aren't there

 

[Horwath]

i wonder if they'd ever make a 1/3 caster base class with a 1/2 caster subclass, not talking about ranger specifically here but just in general...

1/3 caster should not exist.
spell levels come to little too late for 99% of campaigns.
As for EK or AT subclasses, they should be buffed up to 1/2 casters, if that is not doable(class/sub-class resource limit), delete them and make dedicated 1/2 caster classes that focus on those areas.

 

[Emberashh]

Another example…there’s been at least one call to remove Goodberry entirely as being antithetical to the Ranger class, while another poster highlighted as something suitably ranger-y.

Goodberry needs to be removed because its bad game design. Its one of many "turn off these game mechanics" buttons that only exist so people don't have to engage with the unnecessarily abrasive survival rules.

 

[Charlaquin]

or no casting ranger with 1/3 casting subclass.
Or maybe 1/2 casting subclass. 1/3 casting is rubbish anyway.

I’d be fine with multiple casting subclasses, heck, even with most subclasses having spellcasting. As long as there was at least one non-casting option. And I say 1/3 casting because 1/2 casting on a subclass lines up weirdly with subclasses starting at 3rd level, which is why Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster use that progression. If 1/3 casting isn’t enough, there could always be subclass features that grant additional free castings of spells, like the 1/2 casting warlock had.

 

[Horwath]

Goodberry needs to be removed because its bad game design. Its one of many "turn off these game mechanics" buttons that only exist so people don't have to engage with the unnecessarily abrasive survival rules.

1HP per berry is good.
24hrs worth of food per berry is bad.

 

[Yaarel]

If it is of interest, I noticed the Ranger can potentially take the Rogue Scout subclass.

Scout 3 Skirmisher → Ranger 3
Scout 9 Survivalist → Ranger 7
Scout 13 Mobility → Ranger 10
Scout 17 Sudden Strike (extra attack with Sneak damage) → Ranger 14

So the Ranger gets the Scout feature a bit sooner than the Rogue, which is fine?

A decision needs to be made about the extra Sneak Attack, maybe a level 1 version?

The overall result of a Scout Ranger feels to me more like an Army Ranger (a counterpart to the Navy Seal), for special ops.

 

[Horwath]

I’d be fine with multiple casting subclasses, heck, even with most subclasses having spellcasting. As long as there was at least one non-casting option. And I say 1/3 casting because 1/2 casting on a subclass lines up weirdly with subclasses starting at 3rd level, which is why Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster use that progression. If 1/3 casting isn’t enough, there could always be subclass features that grant additional free castings of spells, like the 1/2 casting warlock had.

more reasons to have subclasses from level 1,

but you can have 1/2 casting starting from level 3, why not? You start with 3 1st level spell slots and amount of spells known/prepared that is appropriate for 3rd level 1/2 caster.

 

[Charlaquin]

Goodberry needs to be removed because it’s bad game design. It’s one of many "turn off these game mechanics" buttons that only exist so people don't have to engage with the unnecessarily abrasive survival rules.

IMO, Goodberry could easily be fixed just by making it consume its material component (a sprig of mistletoe, which does have a listed cost due to also being a Druidic focus).

 

[Reef]

Goodberry needs to be removed because its bad game design. Its one of many "turn off these game mechanics" buttons that only exist so people don't have to engage with the unnecessarily abrasive survival rules.

And yet it is something causing disagreement. You want it gone completely. Others want it tweaked one way, while others have different suggestions. It's just a good example of how hard it is to get this right.

Anyway, I have no attachment to Goodberry one way or another. It was just the first example that came to mind.