D&D (2024) How to simply fix Ranger in 2024.

[Minigiant]

The Ranger class only exists because TRADITION. If you were designing from scratch, a wilderness guy background with fighter, rogue, barbarian or paladin (Aragorn) completely fulfills the role in 5e.

So it’s a class frantically trying to justify its existence with its rather silly hunters mark mechanic.

False since D&D lacks a detailed skill system.

So without a very lenient DM, a nonranger nondruid lacks the mechanics to do wilderness stuff.

 

[Bacon Bits]

The Ranger class only exists because TRADITION.

That's true for at least 10 of the classes in the PHB.

And rogued get sneak attack, which takes thier weapon slot.
And barbarians get rage, which takes their concentration slot.
And monks get unarmed attack dice...
And spells take an action, preventing you from attacking.

The whole game is filled with features on class tables that prevent you from using other features.

That's not the design level. That's the play level.

 

[Minigiant]

But that doesn't mean it's "extra".

2014 Ranger's Natural Explorer and Favored Enemy were amazing and quite powerful.... for a character that would be involved in a campaign where wilderness recovery was difficult, and actual resource attrition once you leave town had real teeth. But D&D hasn't been that game since the 90s. In 5e D&D, the only RAW attrition you actually need to care about is ammunition. That's why people tend to ignore it.

So the 2014 Ranger didn't have free mechanics that did nothing. It had real mechanics that the design bought and paid for that don't interact with the rest of the game. That doesn't mean that literally anything that changes that and actually does interact with the rest of the game is "extra." It means it was fundamentally misconfigured before, and now it isn't.

Similarly, Sear Undead existing doesn't mean that Destroy Undead didn't exist or didn't have a design cost or that Sear is "extra."

Like I kind of see what you're driving at, but it's really weird to describe it the way you have. Better than bad isn't necessarily good. The logic just doesn't follow.

2014 FE and NE only worked in limited range (vs favored enemy or terrain).

So a DM either had the ranger be always good at it or not be able to use it

And none of this addresses the issue that Hunters Mark competed with Speak with Animals or Animal Messenger for spell slots.

THAT was the problem.

 

[mellored]

That's not the design level. That's the play level.

I'm not sure what different you see.

Hunter's Mark is a bonus action for more damage and you can't concentrate on other things.

Rage is a bonus action for more damage and you can't concentrate on other things.

Vow of Enmity is a bonus action for more accuracy and you can't Channel Divinity on other things.

All those things apply both on the class list and durring the game.

 

[Minigiant]

The 2024 Ranger can cast lightning Arrow without concentration now.

No one but a few ranger players are talking about it.

Instead everyone's complaining about hunting Mark being still concentration.

So what spell do they actually want to concentrate at the same time as Hunter's mark.

Hmmm..... Conjure Spells.

Just say you want a gish class and stop lying to force the ranger to be the missing fish class.

If people stop trying to force the ranger to be a gish maybe someone would actually put hard work into creating the dish class.

 

[CreamCloud0]

i would replace the free hunter's mark uses with the Hunter's Lore feature from the Hunter subclass, except you don't need to cast HM it's just a bonus action targeting a creature, learn their vunerabilities, resistances and immunities, boom done, flavourful, doesn't hog concentration, and it feels like less of a waste if you don't end up using it. maybe it could even grant advantage on your next attack to the target.

personally at 13th and 17th i'd give it wildshape, not sure what to put for capstone

 

[mellored]

The only change I would make is to allow Hunter's Mark to be cast on tracks.

Giving advantage to hunt something down.

 

[Horwath]

not to mention that SW5E managed to make HM version that actually does not suck, describes what rangers are good at it and it's at-will and not taking your concentration:

Star Wars 5e

sw5e.com

RANGER’S QUARRY​

Scout: 1st, 5th, 9th, and 17th level
You learn how to effectively read and track your prey. Once on each of your turns, you can choose a creature you can see within 120 feet and mark it as your quarry (no action required). For the next hour, you gain the following benefits:

• Once per turn, when you hit the target with a weapon attack, you can deal 1d4 additional damage to it of the same type as the weapon’s damage. This die changes as you gain scout levels, as shown in the Ranger’s Quarry column of the scout table.
• You have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check you make to find it while it’s on the same planet as you.

You can only have one creature marked in this way at a time. Beginning at 5th level, you can use your reaction to mark a creature when it enters your line of sight, provided it is within range of your Ranger’s Quarry.

The duration increases to 8 hours at 9th level and 24 hours at 17th level.

 

[mellored]

not to mention that SW5E managed to make HM version that actually does not suck, describes what rangers are good at it and it's at-will and not taking your concentration:

Do SW5E scouts also cast Spiked Growth?

 

[Horwath]

Do SW5E scouts also cast Spiked Growth?

they do have Tech powers and many do require Concentration.
and yes, they do have "spike growth"

Concealed Caltrops	2	1 action	150 feet	Up to 1 hour	Concentration	PHB
You scatter a large number of caltrops across ground in a 20-foot radius centered on a point within range. These caltrops pierce deep into the feet and boots of anyone who walks upon them. The area becomes difficult terrain for the duration. When a creature moves into or within the area, it takes 2d4 kinetic damage for every 5 feet it travels. The caltrops are nearly invisible to the naked eye. Any creature that can’t see the area at the time the power is cast must make a Wisdom (Perception) check against your tech save DC to notice the caltrops before entering the area.