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.

 

[Gammadoodler]

I don't mind the Ranger having spells. I mind Hunter's Mark being one of them.

Like, what is the effect we're causing that is so otherworldly as to require the direct alteration of reality? We're doing a little more damage and we have an easier time tracking the target. We need magic words for this?

I'm maybe ok with it needing concentration (narratively at least), a bit like rage, but it really should just be a scaling class feature.

 

[Incenjucar]

I do want to know what kind of fiction, myth, or other fantasy other than Warcraft games the idea of hunters mark is supposed to represent.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I do want to know what kind of fiction, myth, or other fantasy other than Warcraft games the idea of hunters mark is supposed to represent.

personally i think it's originally meant to represent that idea of legolas tracking the orcs over miles of land or a hunter being able to pick out their target hidden in it's cover/camoflage, but that concept is hideously impaired by adding the additional damage and making it a DPS tool, the "you have advantage on perception/survival checks to find it" is in the description like an afterthought but i think it should be the foundation.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

It's an extra Feat at 6, 10, and 14.

Fighters get an extra feat at 6 and 14.

And if we have some flavourful and useful Ranger-y like Feats, including one to pick as an Origin Feat or a Human bonus feat, a Spell-less Ranger via the Fighter class becomes VERY viable.

I don't think you need to go to feats for that. I think base Fighter is already a better Ranger, given that Tactical Mind makes them adaptably good with any skill.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I am really annoyed. Why did they settle for such a (seemingly) bad capstone...

They could have really made something better here and there would have been way less backlash.

 

[Weiley31]

If you want a full caster Ranger, is it possible to rangerify a Druid build? Is a Druid with a Ranger dip feasible?

Ranged style? Ya since the 2024 Druid will get an option to literally become a Sniper Druid pretty much with 300 Ranged Cantrips.

 

[Minigiant]

I'll say it again

1. A spell-less low magic ranger is pointless if you have a well designed fighter class and a well designed rogue class
2. Ranger magic since 1e has acted as their augment of the neglected exploration pillar and the boost to their combat ability
3. That being said, Ranger magic should be focused on its potential breadth of options and not focusing on a single spells
4. Unfortunately WOTC, KP, DP, and other 3PP have never dove into the ranger mentality. They are just copying each other and failing.

 

[Micah Sweet]

I'll say it again

1. A spell-less low magic ranger is pointless if you have a well designed fighter class and a well designed rogue class
2. Ranger magic since 1e has acted as their augment of the neglected exploration pillar and the boost to their combat ability
3. That being said, Ranger magic should be focused on its potential breadth of options and not focusing on a single spells
4. Unfortunately WOTC, KP, DP, and other 3PP have never dove into the ranger mentality. They are just copying each other and failing.

I can think of one version of 5e that has a well-designed fighter class and a spell-less ranger...

 

[Remathilis]

People keep harping on Hunter's Mark: the class but you know what I see?

I see a class with martial weapons, medium armor and shields, expertise in three skills, two attacks, d10 HD weapon mastery, and half-caster druidic magic with the option to get cantrips or a fighting style if wanted.

If WotC had called this jack of all trades "the bard" you'd all be going gaga over it! And that's even before ignoring its speed boost, free invisibility, etc.

If you look at the ranger as Jack of all trades class, it's pretty amazing. It's centrally got as much going for it as the rogue and is maybe a step behind the barbarian. (I await the monk and bard previews to determine how they fall, considering the bard was never shown in it's close to final form and the 2nd monk was a touch overtuned). I think there are things that still could have been done a bit better (that capstone is uninspired) but I have come around that it's not as going to be bad a class in play once your character is able to fight, sneak, blast and heal with others as the 2nd best in each.

 

[Minigiant]

I can think of one version of 5e that has a well-designed fighter class and a spell-less ranger...

That game is my example.

The fighter is so well designed that the ranger class is almost pointless and performative.