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.

 

[Rocker26a]

Martial weapons, fighting style, extra attack and weapon masteries want to have a word with you.

Y'mean those things that literally every martial class gets (with like, one or two exceptions, always forget that Barbarian doesn't get a Fighting Style)?
Not to say they're bad or not good enough, but Ranger would still benefit from something that's theirs.

 

[CreamCloud0]

The only other options are infusions, Invocations, and weapon masteries.

Personally I'd go with infusions. D&D rangers seem like they should be gear based. Nightvision goggles, crossbow scopes, traps, bird calls, animal treats, ghillie suits, trip wires, summon beast totems, pocket trees, smoke bombs, leather armor hardener, instant shields, pop up cover.

oh i wasn't saying their spells can't contribute to their specialisation, just that they shouldn't be the primary crux to determine said specialisation, i'd go 70%/30% infusions/invocations to spells.

 

[Micah Sweet]

Y'mean those things that literally every martial class gets (with like, one or two exceptions, always forget that Barbarian doesn't get a Fighting Style)?
Not to say they're bad or not good enough, but Ranger would still benefit from something that's theirs.

I again direct folks to the Levrl Up ranger. Lots of of stuff in that class that just theirs.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Y'mean those things that literally every martial class gets (with like, one or two exceptions, always forget that Barbarian doesn't get a Fighting Style)?
Not to say they're bad or not good enough, but Ranger would still benefit from something that's theirs.

Why should they get more than other martials?
You said they don't get martial things.

The barbarian gets less. No fighting style. Rage is not martial. It is primal.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Martial weapons, fighting style, extra attack and weapon masteries want to have a word with you.

Yeah, that plus medium armor and shields.

I wonder how often people forget that that is the entire martial base kit?

 

[Rocker26a]

Why should they get more than other martials?
You said they don't get martial things.

I did not say that, actually. I said they should have something to make the martial bit pop besides spells.
Because literally every class has a thing only they can do. For Ranger, WOTC always do the spell, or some worse version of the spell. I'm saying they should not do the spell, nor a worse version of the spell.
I don't think I'm being obtuse nor overly fussy by suggesting this.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

Just for the sake of it, I tested it, and a wizard would make a fine ranger.

True Strike + crossbow, take a origin feat for armor + shield or skilled for proficiency in rangery skills. Archetypes could be anything really.

Focus on divination (locate x or mind spike) to track creatures and illusions as lure or to stealth. Snare and Hold X to capture your prey.

Enhance Ability to boost yourself, Rope trick and co. to create shelter in the wilds.

I think that could very well make a decent ranger in anything but name.

 

[ECMO3]

Y'mean those things that literally every martial class gets (with like, one or two exceptions, always forget that Barbarian doesn't get a Fighting Style)?
Not to say they're bad or not good enough, but Ranger would still benefit from something that's theirs.

two exceptions ( or 3 if you count rogue) is half of the other martial classes

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Just for the sake of it, I tested it, and a wizard would make a fine ranger.

True Strike + crossbow, take a origin feat for armor + shield or skilled for proficiency in rangery skills. Archetypes could be anything really.

Focus on divination (locate x or mind spike) to track creatures and illusions as lure or to stealth. Snare and Hold X to capture your prey.

Enhance Ability to boost yourself, Rope trick and co. to create shelter in the wilds.

I think that could very well make a decent ranger in anything but name.

Ok.

 

[ECMO3]

I don't think that's true. Magic just isn't the be-all-end-all. Rangers should have magic, but they're martials. They should have something to make the martial bit pop besides spells.

i think the spells should be the po and martial options are a fall back, like cantrips on a full caster