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.

 

[Remathilis]

I think that is the problem.

The 2024 ranger looks like a good class.

It's just bland and barely flavored like a ranger because WOTC only knows how to season with spells but won't create new ranger spells.

We haven't seen the Revised spell lists yet. We certainly haven't seen how the spells themselves are being updated outside a few tidbits. In general I agree that the ranger could use a bit more spice, but at least the bones are better than the 2014's.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Pretty bold to look at 1/2 of the fan base and say they are overreacting about seeing a class that was the worst designed from 2014, gets a redo in 2024 and is by far the least best reviewed. I'm seeing very constructive arguments about why this design is well behind all the rest.

Yes. Some arguments are fair. But there are quite some questions open. Spells for example. And people judge as if they had already seen them.

So yes. I stand my ground.

 

[Minigiant]

We haven't seen the Revised spell lists yet. We certainly haven't seen how the spells themselves are being updated outside a few tidbits. In general I agree that the ranger could use a bit more spice, but at least the bones are better than the 2014's.

They have never put any stress or emphasis on the Rangers spell list or new Ranger spells and the entire 10 years of fifth edition.

They spent more time in the preview video talking about the Faye while then ranger mentality and skills

So I think Guilty untill Proven Innocent is a valid stance on Ranger spells.

 

[Vael]

Pretty bold to look at 1/2 of the fan base and say they are overreacting about seeing a class that was the worst designed from 2014, gets a redo in 2024 and is by far the least best reviewed. I'm seeing very constructive arguments about why this design is well behind all the rest.

First ... bold claim to call this 1/2 the fan base. Second, I know a lot of people like calling Jeremy Crawford a lying liar who lies, but I do remember him saying that until the second pass at the Monk got rave reviews, the Ranger was leading for "best improved class" in playtests.

I dunno, martial classes aren't really my thing, but I tried out a Ranger with all the Tasha's improvements and found the class passable if not mind blowing and everything I see here says that 2024 version is a significant improvement

 

[UngeheuerLich]

They have never put any stress or emphasis on the Rangers spell list or new Ranger spells and the entire 10 years of fifth edition.

Because they did not do that for most classes.

They spent more time in the preview video talking about the Faye while then ranger mentality and skills

So I think Guilty untill Proven Innocent is a valid stance on Ranger spells.

No. The guilty until proven is never a good stance. It is the opposite of a good stance.

 

[lkj]

I think that is the problem.

The 2024 ranger looks like a good class.

It's just bland and barely flavored like a ranger because WOTC only knows how to season with spells but won't create new ranger spells.

They are getting an enhanced spell list. It's in the video at around 7 minutes. I don't know if they're getting new ranger spells or if it's just beefing up their list with existing spells, but they've clearly put thought into designing the spell list to make the exploration part of the class work.

I think something that's being missed in the critique that the class is 'bland' or lacking rangery flavor is that they have clearly placed that functionality in the spell list. In that section from 7 to 9 minutes in the video Jeremy goes on about it for a bit. That's why they're giving the rangers spells at first level, giving them more spells, and giving free castings of Hunter's Mark to avoid the pressure to only pick combat spells. I'm not really interested in the debate about whether those should be spells or class features (I have no problem with people having that debate, I'm just not interested in it) but spells are clearly a mechanically effective way to get rangers their ranger utility and allow folks to build their own custom versions of that. So in many ways the proof is in the pudding and in the spell list for this class as designed.

I also feel like features like roving and tireless and all the expertise they are given are pretty mechanically impactful ways to make them fit the role of being a ranger. I mean, having a swim in a climb speed alone is pretty great for that.

It was interesting for me because I started reading this thread before I watched the video. I was definitely concerned, since I've often had problems with the 2014 ranger not really bearing out flavor wise. But after I watched the video, I can absolutely see the narrative that Jeremy is relating to explain how rangers are the best explorers. I just came away with a very different impression than other folks in this thread.

Which is fine. I'm just on the optimistic side and think that this character will play very rangery in actual play. All the pieces seem to be there, and it sounds fun.

AD

 

[CreamCloud0]

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.

people are harping on Hunter's Mark: the class because a bunch of your class features are dedicated to a spell that implicitly shapes your capacity to play or else you get no benefit from them, the ranger has a decent base but there was absolutely no reason to hamstring it's design this way, that's why people are complaining so much.

 

[Remathilis]

I think you make some fair points about what you like. The "If WotC had called this jack of all trades "the bard" you'd all be going gaga over it!" sounds like fan blaming and its so tiring. That strategy is unconvincing and won't convince anyone to your point of view. If your just venting then ignore my post LOL.

Its mostly venting, but there has been a group of people always looking for hybrid or gish style classes, and that tends to fall on the shoulders of the bard and [insert warrior/mage here] style classes. What I'm suggesting is that looking at the ranger as that hybrid "do everything, but not as good as a focused character in that role, but good enough they can fill that role if no one else can. But people don't want the ranger to be that kind of class; they want them to be "fighter, but wilderness" and I think that's missing... the forester from the trees.

 

[Minigiant]

Because they did not do that for most classes.

They did.

All the full casters got new spells tailored to them over the years and had new spells tried out in UA for 2024.
At the casters so far had a new spell previewed. Even paladin.

Except for ranger.

 

[Incenjucar]

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.

I have no idea where you get this notion or why a ranger designed like a tanky bard is not evidence of why there is dissatisfaction. We have the Pathfinder ranger to compare to, which has a non-magical Hunt Prey ability which can be initiated by finding tracks. They can go all the way to 20 without a single magic power.