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.

 

[Minigiant]

or spells need to be more balanced.

I.E.
pass without trace:
instead of giving +10 stealth and immunity to tracking for 1hr with concentration can be:

+5 stealth, +5 to DC for tracking, 12hrs duration and no Concentration.

Pass without trace isn't a problem.

It's a modifier spell. There are no problems with exploration spells that give modifiers other that there are too few of them.

PWT only lasts an hour.

The issue is Tiny Hut, Goodberry, locate X, etc. Spells that negate or add new rules in a on/off basis.

They are on/off because the rules are simple or ignored.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

or spells need to be more balanced.

I.E.
pass without trace:
instead of giving +10 stealth and immunity to tracking for 1hr with concentration can be:

+5 stealth, +5 to DC for tracking, 12hrs duration and no Concentration.

Except for no concentration, I am sold.

You don't like concentration mechanics. But in my opinion it is one of the best mechanics in the game.
Although in some places it is not used well. Pass without trace is not one of the places though. As is hunter's mark at level 1.

 

[Horwath]

Pass without trace isn't a problem.

It's a modifier spell. There are no problems with exploration spells that give modifiers other that there are too few of them.

PWT only lasts an hour.

The issue is Tiny Hut, Goodberry, locate X, etc. Spells that negate or add new rules in a on/off basis.

They are on/off because the rules are simple or ignored.

+10 modifier is mostly on/off.
even if you give it to clumsy metal clad fighter with 8 dex and full plate, that is still +9 bonus, and most passive Perceptions in MM are not that great. And tracking part of the spell is 100% on/off.

 

[Horwath]

Except for no concentration, I am sold.

You don't like concentration mechanics. But in my opinion it is one of the best mechanics in the game.
Although in some places it is not used well. Pass without trace is not one of the places though. As is hunter's mark at level 1.

I like the concentration mechanics, but they went overboard with it.

if you reduce PWT in power, it can lose Conc tag.

and Im against Rangers having Cons on HM as it is mandatory pick, that is, it costs class resources, no proficiency in Con saves for the class, and the class is expected to take damage in fights(HD d10).
Now, if ranger gets Con saves at 3rd level, I might be sold on HM having Conc tag.

 

[Minigiant]

+10 modifier is mostly on/off.
even if you give it to clumsy metal clad fighter with 8 dex and full plate, that is still +9 bonus, and most passive Perceptions in MM are not that great. And tracking part of the spell is 100% on/off.

It lasts an hour.
And the clanking fighter still has to roll.

3+10 is only a 13.

If an hour of undetectablity ruins an adventure, that's on the DM.

 

[Horwath]

It lasts an hour.
And the clanking fighter still has to roll.

3+10 is only a 13.

If an hour of undetectablity ruins an adventure, that's on the DM.

it does not ruin adventure, but it makes almost sure you can set up an ambush and mostly prevents you stumbling into one.

 

[Minigiant]

I like the concentration mechanics, but the went overboard with it.

if you reduce PWT in power, it can lose Conc tag.

and Im against Rangers having Cons on HM as it is mandatory pick, that is, it costs class resources, no proficiency in Con saves for the class, and the class is expected to take damage in fights(HD d10).
Now, if ranger gets Con saves at 3rd level, I might be sold on HM having Conc tag.

Stacking HM with Elemental or Magic Weapon is well above base balance expectations.

 

[Horwath]

Stacking HM with Elemental or Magic Weapon is well above base balance expectations.

I would maybe agree if those are not one of the worst spells in the game.
You only use it if you are desperate for going through damage resistance/immunity.
would it really break anything if you stack +1d4 on top of +1d6 for 1st and 3rd level slot?

 

[Minigiant]

I would maybe agree if those are not one of the worst spells in the game.
You only use it if you are desperate for going through damage resistance/immunity.
would it really break anything if you stack +1d4 on top of +1d6 for 1st and 3rd level slot?

They are only bad because there are concentration and short duration.

Both spells are powerful and top notch buffs.

Trust me. If HM lost concentration, people would be complaining in 6 months.

 

[Remathilis]

They are only bad because there are concentration and short duration.

Both spells are powerful and top notch buffs.

Trust me. If HM lost concentration, people would be complaining in 6 months.

People complained about it during the playtest.