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.

 

[Rocker26a]

Are you assuming Zephyr has concentration too?

I am making the safe assumption that the Ranger spell list will have concentration spells you may want to cast on occasion. If not Zephyr Strike, something else. If not at level 1, then one further up the table.

 

[mellored]

all they're advocating for in this instance, is something instead of what's meant to be the Ranger's go-to mechanic. An equal exchange.

And replace it with what? What is the Ranger's go-to mechanic?

The only 2 things I've really heard is making them a bit of a glass cannon and Speak with Animal.

Giving extra Hunters Mark does both of those things.

 

[Rocker26a]

the ranger has enough, even without any further feature at level 1.

You don't seem to be advocating for removing Favoured Enemy, even though you think the Ranger is perfectly fine without it?

 

[Rocker26a]

What is the Ranger's go-to mechanic?

In this edition; Favoured Enemy, which is Hunter's Mark.

And replace it with what?

I dunno, I can't speak for everybody!

 

[mellored]

I am making the safe assumption that the Ranger spell list will have concentration spells you may want to cast on occasion.

So... Just like every other caster in the game, you can't use them at the same time.

Or the monk who has 3 different used for her bonus action, and can't use them all at the same time.

Do you think it's fair for the rangers to deal the highest weapon damage while also having several creatures trapped in vines?

 

[CreamCloud0]

Are you assuming Zephyr has concentration too?

Or just that you will lose it every turn?

Zephyr is designed to only maintain concentration until you make your next attack, hit or miss, it isn't a sustained occupation of your concentration.

honestly they could've just let you pick any of your 1st level ranger spells for this feature, there was no reason to limit it to just HM.
(well maybe goodberry would've been a mess with this but the rest are fine)

 

[Rocker26a]

So... Just like every other caster in the game, you can't use them at the same time.

Show me another class with a concentration spell on their levelling table.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

You don't seem to be advocating for removing Favoured Enemy, even though you think the Ranger is perfectly fine without it?

No. I think it is a great ability. As it is. Not too much. Not overpowered.

I don't want every ability to be tradable for whatever you like. @Horwath now at several points said he wants to be able to trade abilities that he does not want to use for others. I don't like that. Why have classes if you just swal what you like.

Ever played 2e with skills and powers? I did. And I don't want to go down that road again.

 

[mellored]

Zephyr is designed to only maintain concentration until you make your next attack, hit or miss, it isn't a sustained occupation of your concentration.

Right. There's no reason to have it be concentration. It's not an ongoing effect.

honestly they could've just let you pick any of your 1st level ranger spells for this feature, there was no reason to limit it to just HM

Still a fan of Invocations. (I.e. class feats)

But that's wasn't in the card for a revision.

Show me another class with a concentration spell on their levelling table.

CIRCLE OF THE MOON SPELLS Druid Level Prepared Spells
3 Cure Wounds, Moonbeam, Starry Wisp*
5 Vampiric Touch
7 Fount of Moonlight*
9 Dawn

Nearly all the caster subclasses, and all the paladin subclasses.

Also Rage is effectively is concentration that cannot be broken by damage.



Again, do you think it's fair for the rangers to deal the highest damage while also concentrating on keeping several creatures trapped in vines?

 

[Rocker26a]

CIRCLE OF THE MOON SPELLS Druid

Funny, I'm not familiar with the "CIRCLE OF THE MOON SPELLS Druid", I only know the Druid. Is that a new class they added in 2024, perhaps?

Nearly all the caster subclasses, and all the paladin subclasses.

Oh I see, I asked for classes with a concentration spell on their levelling table, because we're talking about the Ranger, that class that has a concentration spell on their levelling table, and you took that to mean... Subclasses.