D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook reveal: "New Ranger"

"More than any other class, the ranger is a new class."

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It has been a year (less a day) since we last saw the Ranger in UA Playtest 6. There still could be a lot of change. My sense is that they are more or less happy with three of the subclasses (Fey Wanderer, Beastmaster, and Gloom Stalker), but many questions remain: Will anyone be happy with the favored enemy/relation to the land abilities? Will Hunter's Mark be foregrounded in multiple abilities? Will rangers at least get a free casting of the Barrage/Volley spells? For the Hunter, will the "Superior" abilties at levels 11 and 15 continue to be things you didn't choose at lower levels? For the Gloom Stalker, will they pull out 3rd level invisibility from "Umbral Sight"? Any chance for a surprise substitution of the Horizon Walker? Let's find out.

OVERVIEW

• "widely played, but ... one of the lowest rated"
• Spellcasting and Weapon Mastery at 1 (as with Paladin). Spellcasting can change spells after long rest (not every level)
• NEW: Favored Enemy: Hunters Mark always prepared, and X castings per day. (was level 2 in PT6, where it was WIS times/day)
• NEW: Fighting Style at 2 (no limits on choice). or you may choose two cantrips (again, like Paladin).
• NEW: Deft Explorer at 3: expertise in a proficient skill, +2 languages. NO INTERACTION WITH LAND TYPES. This is a nerf from PT6, where at least you got a bonus to Intelligence (Nature) checks.
• Extra attack at 5, Roving at 6 (+10' move, Climb Speed, Swim speed).
• Two more expertise options, at 9, presumably. Compared to the playtest, this is a nerf: PT6 gave 1 expertise, the spell Conjure Barrage always prepared, and +2 land types for Explorer. These had problems, but it's a lot to lose for one additional expertise.
• At 10, Tireless (as in PT6) -- THP and reduced Exhaustion.
• NEW: At 13, Damage no longer breaks concentration with Hunter's Mark.
• At 14, Nature's Veil -- invisibility. At 18, Blindsight.
• NEW: At 17, advantage vs person marked with Hunter's Mark.
• NEW: Damage of Hunter's mark increases to d10, not d6. (This too is a nerf from the playtest, which gave +WIS to hit, and +WIS to damage.)

The clear expectation is you are using Hunter's Mark, occupying your concentration and taking your first Bonus action every combat, from levels 1-20.

SUBCLASSES
Beastmaster

• command Primal Beast as a bonus action, and higher level abilities as in PT6, apparently.
• stat blocks level up with you (as in Tasha's and PT6). Beast gets Hunter's Mark benefits at 11.

Fey Wanderer

• vague on specifics; apparently just as in Tasha's.

Gloom Stalker

• as in PT6, Psychic damage bonus a limited number of times per day. +WIS to initiative (cf. Assassin and Barbarian)
• Umbral Sight, darkvision bonus, and invisible in the dark.
• NEW: psychic damage goes up at level 11. Mass fear option of Sudden Strike mentioned, nothing about Sudden Strike.

Hunter.

• Hunter's Lore at 3: know if there are immunities/resistances of creature marked by Hunter's Mark.
• NEW: Hunter's Prey at 3: you have a choice and can change your choice every short/long rest.
• NEW: Defensive Tactics at 7: you have a choice, and again can choose after a rest. The choices are Escape the Horde, Multiattack defense (not Evasion, Uncanny Dodge, and Hunter's Leap, as in PT6).
• NEW: At 11, Hunter's mark now "splashes" damage onto another target.
• NEW: you can choose to take resistance to damage, until the end of your turn.

 

[Gladius Legis]

I mean, it's better than 2014. Better in some ways than Tasha's, worse in others. Will probably be a decent mid-tier class power-wise despite itself (which even the 2014 version was, really).

Spell changes will be key for this Ranger. If its "smite" equivalents lose the concentration then Hunter's Mark remaining concentration won't be as bad. Otherwise, it will have all the same feel-bad problems.

 

[Charlaquin]

Also, increasing a d6 to a d10 on 2-3 attacks per turn (unless you wanted to use your concentration on something else, in which case you get no benefit at all) is easily the weakest 20th level feature ever conceived. Barbarians get an equivalent damage boost from rage at 1st level! Between that and calling Flex one of the mathematically strongest masteries, it’s clear that WotC just massively overvalues damage die size increases.

 

[Minigiant]

Also, increasing a d6 to a d10 on 2-3 attacks per turn (unless you wanted to use your concentration on something else, in which case you get no benefit at all) is easily the weakest 20th level feature ever conceived. Barbarians get an equivalent damage boost from rage at 1st level! Between that and calling Flex one of the mathematically strongest masteries, it’s clear that WotC just massively overvalues damage die size increases.

They massively overvalue die increases and undervalue advantage.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I mean, it's better than 2014. Better in some ways than Tasha's, worse in others. Will probably be a decent mid-tier class power-wise despite itself (which even the 2014 version was, really).

Spell changes will be key for this Ranger. If its "smite" equivalents lose the concentration then Hunter's Mark remaining concentration won't be as bad. Otherwise, it will have all the same feel-bad problems.

Yeah, this is where I'm feeling it. It isn't going to be terrible, but it isn't going to be top tier.

The spell changes are hopefully going to give us some good things. Also hoping to get a few extra things for melee rangers.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I like some of this but I was fruitlessly hoping for a ranger who is only a spell caster depending on their subclass. Back to the homebrew board, I guess.

Level Up rangers operate that way.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Treantmonk is quite exited and hinted about an ability for the base class and one boost to the fey wanderer they forgot to mention.

So in the last few years, Treantmonk being exited is a good indication of something being good in play.

He also thinks the capstone is disappointing, but the rest he seems ok with.

I personally really think that the ranger with better and more versatile spells and nit having a bonus action problem alone makes the ranger better.
To be honest, a lot of my disappointment with the 2014 ranger was not the bad 1st level... but the inflexibility and the abilities that actively hinder each other, either because they all use bonus actions or in the case of the hunter level 11 ability, create a new action to attack that is not using an attack action.
Even the tasha ranger with their favoured foe ability suffered from overlaps, as both this and hunters mark use both concentration.

So even if it looks the same or even worse, it seems like a big boost.

 

[Stormonu]

The problem with the 5E Ranger is that because they tried to make all the classes close together in damage output over the adventuring day this class is the Champion Fighter, but it takes 10 steps to get there instead of 1 or 2. I.E., it's too complex for most people to like making it work decently. Those who like the flowchart process to make the class work are going to be in the minority.

 

[Epic Meepo]

...all they had to do was rework Hunters Mark into not being a spell...

Your ranger wants to deal bonus damage with a weapon attack? Cast a spell.
Your paladin wants to deal bonus damage with a weapon attack? Cast a spell.
Your druid wants to magically transform into an animal? No spell required.

 

[Argyle King]

I don't fully understand the design philosophy guiding at what level certain abilities become available.

Hopefully the Hunter subclass is better with these changes. From a glance, I believe it is.

It sounds as though the 5.24 Ranger may be taking some inspiration from the 4E Ranger's "striker" role.

I'm curious to see how stealth works in 5.24. Overall, these (not just the ranger) previews imply easier access to invisibility, alternate modes of movement, and other such things that would make setting up an ambush easier. Though, from what I understand, "surprise" doesn't do as much anymore, so maybe that balances out.

I can't remember if I've played a 5E Ranger for more than a few levels. I think I had one early character who was a rogue/ranger.
I vaguely remember a bard/ranger I played; it was in a larger group, and I focused on being a support character.

Anyway... I feel as though a lot of ranger concepts are cool, but I'm not sure that, traditionally, the Ranger class has been the best way to represent those concepts. Hopefully, these changes help the 5E Ranger establish an identity through which players can build characters they want to play.

 

[mellored]

I don't like it for other classes either.

Well, it's been in the game since day 1 so not sure what to do about it.

I don't use their character sheets.

It's not a BIG dislike. Just a minor irk.

I actually just use blank paper.