D&D (2024) Ranger 2024 is a bigger joke than Ranger 2014:

[OB1]

While so far my '24 Ranger is happy with the class, I am considering one change to HM.

Instead of a Bonus Action, I would allow HM to be applied when the Ranger hit's with an attack (both initial casting and moving it once the original creature is killed. Spell slot is expended but no additional action neccessary.

I got the idea because in last Friday's session, she accidentally both cast HM and used a bonus action attack in the same round. We caught it the next round (and took her BA for that round as a result) but really, it didn't seem like overkill and I realized after that applying the mark on an attack that hits could really help the action economy for the Ranger. I would still allow it to be applied as a bonus action if the Ranger doesn't want to do damage with it (for tracking purposes or the like)

Any thoughts on if this is too good?

 

[Paul Farquhar]

i understand why EB exists, cause with such limited pact slots they need a solid turn-to-turn option but yeah it's not that great a design for creating fun having such a standout choice, it could be really interesting if warlock instead maybe got a 3rd level feature that said 'increase the size of the damage die of all warlock cantrips you gain by one' and you'd have far more versatile choices to use(i count 13 on the warlock's list and that's not considering tomelock's access to 3 cantrips from any list), the only issue i see is toll the dead which can already go up to d12, maybe that gets to add PB instead?

If you look at the original warlock design in 3.5, eldritch blast came first. The whole class focused on pew pew blasts, modified by invocations.

Pathfinder refuffed the warlock into the kineticist class.

 

[CreamCloud0]

If you look at the original warlock design in 3.5, eldritch blast came first. The whole class focused on pew pew blasts, modified by invocations.

Pathfinder refuffed the warlock into the kineticist class.

i'm not discussing 3.5 or pathfinder though, i'm discussing 5e

 

[Minigiant]

Warlock can use Agonizing blast on other cantrips to do more than just damage. (Repelling ray of frost is strong

Agonizing blast has multiple triggers with EB.

So appliing it to other Cantrips is a false choice once Cantrips ungrade.

 

[mellored]

I agree with this and think that's a great way for other subclasses to differentiate it - again no different from Channel Divinity, or augment it with other effects, similar to Warlock and Eldritch Blast.

Swarm Keeper
3: when you would deal damage from hunter's mark, you can instead move the creature a number of feet equal to twice the roll.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

i'm not discussing 3.5 or pathfinder though, i'm discussing 5e

Editions do not exist in isolation from each other. The 5e warlock is a pew pew blaster because the original warlock was a pew pew blaster. Eldritch blast is intimately associated with the warlock identity. They are not going to come along and present the warlock as a class that turns constructs, because what a D&D warlock is has already been established.

 

[Minigiant]

Honestly, I would be happy if they deleted EB from the game.
It's that omnipresent, mostly.

Last time I played warlock, I didn't even take it, I could not even hear myself saying; I cast EB.
Hexblade and improved pact weapon for Longbow did good enough job.

Warlock has been based on EB since 3e and that's what the community wants.

It's hard but sometimes You gotta accept when the community outvotes you

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Swarm Keeper
3: when you would deal damage from hunter's mark, you can instead move the creature a number of feet equal to twice the roll.

Indeed. Making sure all rangers have hunters mark opens up a lot of subclass design space. For example:

Combat Medic Subclass

Hunters Boon: When you cast hunters mark on an ally you heal 1d6 hit points per class level.

 

[Senior_WotC_Janitor]

when the Ranger hit's with an attack (both initial casting and moving it once the original creature is killed.

When the Ranger hit's what? What belongs to the hit in this sentence?

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

We can't always eat our cake and have it too. ;-)

You can, by just picking any class other than Ranger, who don't have features that actively clash with the rest of the class options.

The game doesn't stop at 10th level.
Heck, many of the OP abilities people attribute to spellcasters being OP don't start until those levels.

You have successfully outlined a strong reason why most games do stop right there.