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.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I don't have any of that context, I came in at 5E, where Hunter's Mark is underwhelming but also just what you're expected to be doing in combat as Ranger, even before they tried to put it directly on the levelling table.

Honestly, I think that context does make a great deal of difference.

 

[mellored]

It would take Ranger 2 turns just to apply both of those to one target, and then they'll get +2d6. Or they could have just used that bonus action to do an attack both turns, getting more total damage.

This scenario is a non-problem.

Then what is concentration preventing you from doing?

 

[Corinnguard]

Then what is concentration preventing you from doing?

Good question. Another such question would have to be, what would they be like if their spells didn't require concentration? Their spells would still be treated as known spells instead of prepared spells. They wouldn't be able to swap them out like a wizard does between long rests. They would be stuck with what they got until they advanced to the next level.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Then what is concentration preventing you from doing?

Honestly, the big ones that WoTC likely were considering? Entangle and Faerie Fire. Mass Restrain and Mass advantage are pretty powerful abilities to get on top of your continued damage boost. But those are the only two I really see at 1st level that are both powerful combat buffs and that I don't think are going to receive more of a smite spell treatment.

 

[Rocker26a]

Then what is concentration preventing you from doing?

Besides the "what does concentration prevent running together" angle, there's also the gameplay aspect. When your main combat feature obliges concentration, it favours less aggressive play. You're incentivized to stay at "range", plinking your mark from around cover rather than striding out to face them head on. And you'd have to hang on till level 13 to alleviate that. It's more than just concentration that creats that incentive, sure, but I'd still say melee focused Rangers have more to worry about, and not really any great tools to deal with it.

 

[Rocker26a]

Honestly, I think that context does make a great deal of difference.

Not unreasonable, but. Y'know, I calls 'em as I sees 'em. It's 2024, and Paladin is still just getting the better version of Ranger's entire shtick at level 11.
Even when you're like me and came in at 5E, this has been business as usual for a decade.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Then what is concentration preventing you from doing?

Casting anything else? Look at Ranger spells. Let me just Zephyr to get into a better pos... oh.

Plus, if you are a concentration-reliant class, with no Con save proficiency, you better stay hiding in a bush and plink people from range, or you will lose that concentration.

 

[Rocker26a]

Let me just Zephyr to get into a better pos... oh.

That's another thing right, it's not even always about stacking buffs, some spells that are functionally one-and-dones like Zephyr Strike use concentration as well.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Casting anything else? Look at Ranger spells. Let me just Zephyr to get into a better pos... oh.

We don't know that yet.*

Plus, if you are a concentration-reliant class, with no Con save proficiency,

We don't know that yet.**

you better stay hiding in a bush and plink people from range, or you will lose that concentration.

Not necessarily.

*wotc told us rhey revisited concentration on some spells.

**treantmonk hints at a significant buff they left out in the preview.
Getting con proficiency instead of dex proficiency looks so minor it might not be worth noting but is actually a major update.

 

[Corinnguard]

Plus, if you are a concentration-reliant class, with no Con save proficiency, you better stay hiding in a bush and plink people from range, or you will lose that concentration.

Anyone playing a Ranger in this situation would try to pick up the Resilient Feat (assuming it's in 2024 D&D, or if not, from 5e itself) at the earliest opportunity and grant themselves proficiency in Constitution saves. The obvious downside to this, of course, is forgoing an ASI feat or another useful feat.