D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook reveal: "New Ranger"

"More than any other class, the ranger is a new class."

​

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.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

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.

Which as a str based character with medium armor is not devastating. Staying at 16 str is totally ok.

You can easily start with 16 str, 14 dex, 15 con and 12 wis. Even with standard array. If you value wis higher, also possible.
Actually, the only thing I am a bit worried about is how early you need higher wis to use your special abilities more often. Probably depends on subclass.

 

[Corinnguard]

Which as a str based character with medium armor is not devastating. Staying at 16 str is totally ok.

You can easily start with 16 str, 14 dex, 15 con and 12 wis. Even with standard array. If you value wis higher, also possible.
Actually, the only thing I am a bit worried about is how early you need higher wis to use your special abilities more often. Probably depends on subclass.

Could this be a problem for anyone who wants a DEX based character? For some medium armor is okay because they are relying on their STR and aren't too worried about the DEX cap or the Stealth disadvantage. But if you want to be a Stealthy Ranger, you're better off wearing light armor.

 

[James Gasik]

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.

Or at the very least, a class that doesn't have another way to buff saves, like the Paladin.

 

[Rocker26a]

Or at the very least, a class that doesn't have another way to buff saves, like the Paladin.

But how can we make room for buffs when we have to sacrifice Four class features on the altar of Hunter's Mark??

 

[Eric V]

And they've never did it because Rangers hold up HM.

These are behavior nerfs.

So WotC is protecting Ranger players from themselves?

 

[Corinnguard]

So WotC is protecting Ranger players from themselves?

Or they're protecting themselves from the Ranger players. We are a tough crowd to please.

 

[mellored]

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

Zephyr needs to loose concentration, irrelevant of anything else.

 

[Rocker26a]

Or they're protecting themselves from the Ranger players. We are a tough crowd to please.

I mean especially if you're committed to only offering minor variations on the same thing each time.

 

[Corinnguard]

Zephyr needs to loose concentration, irrelevant of anything else.

Loose concentration and be prepared spellcasters instead. Rangers in Pathfinder 1st edition and 3e D&D (presumably) were prepared spellcasters. Why were they made into known (spontaneous?) spellcasters?

 

[Horwath]

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.

So anyone playing a melee ranger is forced into a feat tax to make the character playable?

End it's not even a good, interesting or cool feat.