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 suggesting there should be a paladin of rage?

Nah just that, Hunter's Mark appears on that spell list in 5E. I saw a message in this thread indicating that that is still the case, not sure though. Haven't investigated 2024 thoroughly, the Ranger is the bit I was invested in seeing how it shaked out.

To be clear. I don't think it's great. But I never thought the ranger had anything decent thematically to begin with. And leaning into hunters mark is at least something.

If you'll agree just that they likely could've done better, that's fine enough.

And what's thematic about your homebrew?

Is it something like using a bonus action to select a target, and you are better at killing and tracking that target, limited to 1 target at a time?

Or something cool like rangers have beast companion?

I like Ranger companions as much as the next person, but I prefer those sidekick rules for them honestly.

My homebrew's thing is a state you enter rather than an effect you apply to a target. But yeah there's a damage buff, improved tracking, and some buffs to help with a pursuit. And some other features tied to it down the line. Still tinkering.

 

[Micah Sweet]

they didn't have to, but they have, and people ought accept that rather than trying to fight it at every step and being sour that it's not something else.

Or switch to a game that does what they want.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Or switch to a game that does what they want.

if you've switched to another game then i think you've accepted ranger is not something else and stopped fighting it, at least enough to matter, unless of course you're still going around complaining about how a game you're not playing isn't designed like how you want it to be.

 

[mellored]

If you'll agree just that they likely could've done better, that's fine enough.

I've never been a ranger fan. Just can't see what it has to offer in general. (Except veast

I like Ranger companions as much as the next person, but I prefer those sidekick rules for them honestly.

My homebrew's thing is a state you enter rather than an effect you apply to a target. But yeah there's a damage buff, improved tracking, and some buffs to help with a pursuit. And some other features tied to it down the line. Still tinkering.

 

[Rocker26a]

I've never been a ranger fan. Just can't see what it has to offer in general. (Except veast

The Rangers got 'em mid-reply!
Oh yeah that's not a mystery either, that WOTC have failed to sell you on Ranger's merits. I feel like "how much you enjoy the flavour/trappings of ranger going in" is a big part of it. But even if not, I'd say "every class should meet a roughly similar level of quality/fun" is a reasonable stance.

 

[mellored]

Nah just that,

Oh. I got a better idea than a rage paladin.
Death metal rage bard.

If you'll agree just that they likely could've done better, that's fine enough.

They could of also done worse.

IMy homebrew's thing is a state you enter rather than an effect you apply to a target. But yeah there's a damage buff, improved tracking, and some buffs to help with a pursuit. And some other features tied to it down the line. Still tinkering.

So... more barbarian then?

Personal. I am just home brewing Hunters Mark. Leave it be the main feature but improve it.

Target: a creature or a creatures tracks you are aware within 60'.
Duration: half an hour per ranger level (minimum 10 minutes)

Level 1: You can automatic follow the tracks though soil / dirt / sand and deal 1d6 damage.
Cast at level 2 to track on stone / pavement.
At level 3 you track though and under water, does a d8.
Level 4 is tracking though the air.
Level 5 is tracking across plains, and does d10.

That should be enough.

Still need a better capstone, but I have yet to hit level 20 in any campaign so not too worried.

 

[mellored]

WOTC have failed to sell you on Ranger's merits.

To be fair, no one else has sold me on it either.

Except beast master. That's a unique thing.

 

[Rocker26a]

They could of also done worse.

I will concede that is entirely possible. It may not even be the worst Ranger they've ever released.

So... more barbarian then?

Somewhat similar framework, yes. I conceptualize Ranger, Barbarian and Druid as a loose trinity.

Personal. I am just home brewing Hunters Mark. Leave it be the main feature but improve it.

Could work basically alright?

Target: a creature or a creatures tracks you are aware within 60'.
Duration: half an hour per ranger level (minimum 10 minutes)

Level 1: You can automatic follow the tracks though soil / dirt / sand and deal 1d6 damage.
Cast at level 2 to track on stone / pavement.
At level 3 you track though and under water, does a d8.
Level 4 is tracking though the air.
Level 5 is tracking across plains, and does d10.

That should be enough.

Still need a better capstone, but I have yet to hit level 20 in any campaign so not too worried.

I'd say that's pretty weak for upcasting, personally. But y'know. It's your homebrew.

 

[Micah Sweet]

And none of that works in 2024, since there is no variant human and neither sharpshooter nor crossbow expert are origin feats. Also Sharpshooter no longer increases damage.

But sure, one of the single highest damage builds in the entire game during 2014 might be able to pull it off.

Yup, definitely feels like the same game, right?

 

[Micah Sweet]

Hunters mark is an ability that only rangers can do. It's thematic (as thematic as a ranger can be), actually useful, and can lead to cool moments.

The fact that it's a "spell" instead of 'you can't concentrate while raging' doesn't really change anything. Unless your campaign is full of counter spell abjuration wizards, but then the ranger is still doing a lot better than most classes.

To be fair, barbarians are one of the dying breed of classes that don't require spell use.