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.

 

[pawsplay]

I just keep coming back to these videos with the same complaint: yes, each class should have a distinctive feel, but the most important thing is that each class be playable. I'd rather have three classes that are basically just the fighter, but work, then three classes which are distinct but struggle to really work in play.

 

[mellored]

D6So the latest playtest is indeed our last information. So probably it stays as it was. But maybe we are lucky.

But if it stays as is, this is some kind of oversight by tge designers.

I don't think so.

Dex applies to more things. So boosting Str weapons more is the right call IMO.

If you mean the ranger 17, then yeah.

The whole hunters mark feels like "we couldn't get consensus on anything else, and we're running out of time, so we're going with this".

I mean, it works. It's just kinda boring.

Although there coud be situations where vex could help. When it was your last hit and you lose hunter's mark in between and you don't want to recast it. Still a bit lousy.

Vex and hunters mark are both against the same target. And you're not going to lose concentration at level 17.

You could be concentrating on conjure fey though.

But complaining that you can't get advantage because you have advantage isn't exactly provoking sympathy from me.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

But complaining that you can't get advantage because you have advantage isn't exactly provoking sympathy from me.

It is less complaining but a bit sad that abilities overlap. Just a personal dislike.

 

[Chaosmancer]

Ok. I meant besides nick, as nick does nothing in your primary hand.

Then you could use the club, but also you need to consider that the Ranger only gets two Weapon Masteries, and never any more. So, getting Nick with the Scimitar already takes half your options. And there is no harm in going ahead and having your bow's weapon mastery as a back-up, if you no longer need Vex, rather than getting a feat and using your second Weapon Mastery on something else.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Then you could use the club, but also you need to consider that the Ranger only gets two Weapon Masteries, and never any more. So, getting Nick with the Scimitar already takes half your options. And there is no harm in going ahead and having your bow's weapon mastery as a back-up, if you no longer need Vex, rather than getting a feat and using your second Weapon Mastery on something else.

That is good advice! Did not consider that.

A StRanger could have a backup spear.

 

[Minigiant]

There really Should be a light weapon that is not finesse on the list like the kama or "war club"

 

[Chaosmancer]

There really Should be a light weapon that is not finesse on the list like the kama or "war club"

You mean like the sickle and the club?

 

[Minigiant]

You mean like the sickle and the club?

Larger. 1d6 or 1d8 damage due to match the disadvantage of strength.

A war sickle or war club.

Like the Aztec club-sword

 

[Azzy]

There really Should be a light weapon that is not finesse on the list like the kama or "war club"

Like the handaxe?

 

[UngainlyTitan]

There really Should be a light weapon that is not finesse on the list like the kama or "war club"

I think that the DMG should encourage and offer guidance for custom weapon properties.