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.

 

[mellored]

I think the problem comes from everyone looking at the other classes, where the word "enhanced" is used about a million times. Then, this ranger, doesn't look as "enhanced" as the other classes.

The problem comes from the ranger not having a strong identity to begin with.

The most common suggestion I've seen is turning hunters mark into not-a-spell hunters mark, fix hide in plain sight, and adding expertise.

And WotC gave them not-a-spell-slot hunters mark, fixed hide in plain sight, and added expertise.

So we basically got what we asked for. We just didn't ask for much.

 

[CreamCloud0]

The problem comes from the ranger not having a strong identity to begin with.

eh, i think it does have a strong identity, it's just one that's also very wide, Wizards are having issues with it's design because they're trying to build a centralised core for a naturally diverse concept.

 

[Rocker26a]

The most common suggestion I've seen is turning hunters mark into not-a-spell hunters mark, and adding expertise.

And WotC gave them not-a-spell-slot hunters mark, and added expertise.

Yeah but they also;

• Spent 3 additional spaces on the levelling table, including the capstone, making "Hunter's Mark but with some free castings" a very lukewarm better (Like, even if your stance is "those levels are usually blank anyway", they could've at least rolled them in to the base feature to communicate that's the intent better, as is it gives the impression that they're meant to be features unto themselves),
• Couldn't even do two-and-two Expertise, they had to drop it down to two languages and an Expertise for the first instance, and only two actual Expertises at level 9.

They seem to be absolutely terrified of making Ranger especially strong in any respect, so they always flinch when they're potentially on to something.

 

[Minigiant]

This. 100%.

I think the problem comes from everyone looking at the other classes, where the word "enhanced" is used about a million times. Then, this ranger, doesn't look as "enhanced" as the other classes.

On a side note, the backwards compatibility for the PHB is not really compatible as promised. I realize some core rules were changed (surprised for example), but all these classes seem like the 2nd edition splat books of classes. Not exactly like them, but definitely in the same vein.

I think part of the problem was that Ranger went through its re-evaluation in Tasha's.

So now in 2024, not much was changed from them to make it up to par to all tables.

 

[Minigiant]

Couldn't even do two-and-two Expertise, they had to drop it down to two languages and an Expertise for the first instance, and only two actual Expertises at level 9.

I think this is Rogue niche protection.

I think Bard might lose an Expertise as well.

 

[Minigiant]

The problem comes from the ranger not having a strong identity to begin with

The ranger has a strong identity.

The issue is a lot of fans don't like that identity and wish to shift it to a new one or one of its sub archetypes.

 

[Rocker26a]

I think this is Rogue niche protection.

You're probably right yeah, but I don't think it's particularly necessary. Rogues getting their Expertises first was the protection, I thought. Yeah Bards have to hang on till 10th level to get their 2nd set, but being a Bard for those 10 levels helps. Rangers could fit into that equation without special treatment I think, in theory anyway.

I think Bard might lose an Expertise as well.

I think that'd be a shame! Did anybody really passionately complain about Bard stepping on Rogue's toes?

 

[WanderingMystic]

See I would have loved something like

Favored Enemy: Gain proficiency in your choice of Nature, History, Arcana, Religion. In addition you have advantage on the study action when finding out information about your foes.

This let's them be good at knowing about creatures and an extra skill since the class is so skill heavy so you can really feel like you have studied on type of opponent.

 

[Rocker26a]

See I would have loved something like

Favored Enemy: Gain proficiency in your choice of Nature, History, Arcana, Religion. In addition you have advantage on the study action when finding out information about your foes.

This let's them be good at knowing about creatures and an extra skill since the class is so skill heavy so you can really feel like you have studied on type of opponent.

Wouldn't fly on it's own though, they kinda need a damage buff of some sort, and they need it on the levelling table.

 

[mellored]

eh, i think it does have a strong identity, it's just one that's also very wide, Wizards are having issues with it's design because they're trying to build a centralised core for a naturally diverse concept.

Breadth is best covered by letting the player pick from a (spell) list.

And now you don't have to worry about casting Animal Friendship, since you still have Hunters Mark.

Yeah but they also;

• Spent 3 additional spaces on the levelling table, including the capstone, making "Hunter's Mark but with some free castings" a very lukewarm better (Like, even if your stance is "those levels are usually blank anyway", they could've at least rolled them in to the base feature to communicate that's the intent better, as is it gives the impression that they're meant to be features unto themselves),

Not losing concentration is basically giving you even more hunters marks enough that you should never need to use a spell slot on it.
A few more Zephyr Strikes, or Animals Friendships

Always having advantage is a very good feature.

I completely agree with the capstone is crap. Crapstone.

Couldn't even do two-and-two Expertise

Enhance Ability is effectively a flexible expertise.

hey seem to be absolutely terrified of making Ranger especially strong in any respect, so they always flinch when they're potentially on to something.

Except the post above you just said rangers didn't have depth, they have breadth.