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.

 

[Stalker0]

I'm curious to see how stealth works in 5.24.

Hopefully something very different from the playtest. their stealth rules were terrible, worse than 2014. they might just go back to 2014 we will see.

 

[Baumi]

I have the feeling that these free spells per day should be cast at your highest level. That would fix all those scaling problems. Hunters Mark would deal more damage (at least if it works like the ua version), free find steed keeps keeps usefull when you get the options for flying steeds, the free smite would not suck at higher levels, Illusionists free consure Spells would be worthwhile later on,..

At the moment they seem great at the level you get them but you quickly have to use your spells slots to keep it relevant.

 

[Thommy H-H]

Weird vibe in the D&D Beyond article where they talk up how it's more thematic that various features key of the Wisdom bonus rather than proficiency bonus, even though it's clearly a straight nerf (from 2014 + Tasha's anyway), but the free Hunter's Mark castings have clearly switched to PB per long rest (start at 2, up to 6 by Lv. 17) and that's not mentioned.

Anyway, these changes are all pretty bad, but without knowing whether Hunter's Mark has changed (again...) it's hard to judge them atm. If it triggers with every attack, I can see this version working. If it's still the same +d6 damage per turn...that's not worth a bonus action and concentration.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

I have the feeling that these free spells per day should be cast at your highest level. That would fix all those scaling problems. Hunters Mark would deal more damage (at least if it works like the ua version), free find steed keeps keeps usefull when you get the options for flying steeds, the free smite would not suck at higher levels,..

For find steed specifically:
- I used to think that you only need to cast it at highest level once. After that you can find your old steed no matter what level you cast it.
Or was that a pipe dream?

For hinter's mark specifically:
For combat use, upcasting does nothing im the 2014 version. You lose ot anyway at some point.

 

[Nightfly]

Quick Question?

Did the add "your mama's house" to the list of available favored terrains?

OMG REPORTERATED!

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Hopefully something very different from the playtest. their stealth rules were terrible, worse than 2014. they might just go back to 2014 we will see.

You didn't love DC15 Hide check to become literally invisible? Which you roll before encountering any opponents?

Yeah, that was certainly a rule. Which was there for a long time. And was still there the last UA...

 

[Minigiant]

I have the feeling that these free spells per day should be cast at your highest level. That would fix all those scaling problems. Hunters Mark would deal more damage (at least if it works like the ua version), free find steed keeps keeps usefull when you get the options for flying steeds, the free smite would not suck at higher levels, Illusionists free consure Spells would be worthwhile later on,..

It would be pointless for rangers as HM only increases duration with upcasting.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

seems the go to melee ranger will be the Nick TWF one. at 5th level getting 3 attacks for an extra 3d6 is pretty solid.

Yeah, because Nick exists, TWF Ranger seems to be a thing. Sadly, I cannot see a reason to go two-handed Str Ranger...

I wish I could say Str TWF Ranger is tempting, but it needs the nerfed Dual Wielder feat to get access to any interesting weapon masteries (it's not just the Finesse weapons that are limited in masteries, it's the other Light weapons too), so it's a big commitment when you could just play a class that doesn't rely on a Concentration spell for its expected output.

But yeah it annoys me that the ranger probably has to roll concentration saves more than almost any other class.

...further pushing them towards a ranged build over melee.

I do think the roving ability is quite nice, I have a PC with a climb speed right now and its impressive how often it comes up.

The lv6 Roving really is a solid quality-of-life boost, because +10ft movement is absolutely game-changing if you're a melee, and climbing speed makes archery positional pursuits easier (unless your GM asks for Athletics checks for everything).

(but, the awfully named Speedster feat also gives the main benefit, +10ft movement, while also adding +1 to a stat, and Fighter's lv6 feature happens to be a feat pick...)

 

[Minigiant]

I like some of this but I was fruitlessly hoping for a ranger who is only a spell caster depending on their subclass. Back to the homebrew board, I guess.

A spell-less magic-less ranger is pointless and redundant if you design the fighter class right.

 

[Twiggly the Gnome]

Your ranger wants to deal bonus damage with a weapon attack? Cast a spell.
Your paladin wants to deal bonus damage with a weapon attack? Cast a spell.
Your druid wants to magically transform into an animal? No spell required.

Your wizard wants to summon a creature? Here's a bespoke stat-block.
Your ranger wants a companion creature? Here's a bespoke stat-block.
Your druid wants to turn into a creature? Here's a monster stat-block you can kludge into a pseudo-template.