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.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Letting Hunters Mark stack with Hex would be a bit much.

It would take Ranger 2 turns just to apply both of those to one target, and then they'll get +2d6. Or they could have just used that bonus action to do an attack both turns, getting more total damage.

This scenario is a non-problem.

 

[Rocker26a]

It would take Ranger 2 turns just to apply both of those to one target, and then they'll get +2d6. Or they could have just used that bonus action to do an attack both turns, getting more total damage.

This scenario is a non-problem.

I see that sort of sentiment crop up sometimes when the notion of a Ranger doing their main thing without concentration is offered, and. I just don't know what they think they've stumbled upon. "but what if the ranger stacks their relatively negligible buff with something else??"

 

[Minigiant]

It would take Ranger 2 turns just to apply both of those to one target, and then they'll get +2d6. Or they could have just used that bonus action to do an attack both turns, getting more total damage.

This scenario is a non-problem.

The 2024 Ranger doesn't need to spend a bonus action to attack.

Nick.

Hunter's Mark Shortsword Scimitar
Hex Shortsword Scimitar
Shortsword Scimitar
Shortsword Scimitar

Hunter's Mark Longbow Longbow
Hex Longbow LongbowL
Longbow Longbow
Longbow Longbow

You only have a bonus action economy problem if you give yourself up on this action economy problem. (crossbow expert, polearms master etc)

D&D is not based nor balanced around top level optimization.

 

[Minigiant]

So badly. But WotC seems convinced that concentration is the only thing keeping Ranger in check.

Here's the part many people miss.

Concentration is the only thing keeping the Ranger from burning through all of their spell slots the same way a Paladin did.

They do not want you, to while you have hunters mark up, spam their attack spells at the same time.

Wizards of the Coast went out there way to make sure you can only smite once a time. They're doing the same to Rangers.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

Wizards of the Coast went out there way to make sure you can only smite once a time. They're doing the same to Rangers.

Rangers have been there for 10 years already.

 

[Minigiant]

Rangers have been there for 10 years already.

And they've never did it because Rangers hold up HM.

These are behavior nerfs.

If Paladin players did not smite like crazy and hold their spikes over whole adventuring day it would have never been nerfed.

The same with Hunter's mark. Because players feel required to hold up Hunter's mark and not cast any of the other buffs, the designers are being careful not not let two strong offensive buffa stack or the spamming of the Strikes.

If barkskin or stoneskin lose concentration, that would be very telling.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Rangers have been there for 10 years already.

Yes. And now they are making sure that the ranger has enough spells to use outside combat.

 

[Minigiant]

Yes. And now they are making sure that the ranger has enough spells to use outside combat.

It technically had enough if you played smart. Hunter's Mark was for big fights now every fight.

The free uses are for behavior.

It's sorta how people said the Ranger was useless but was the best archer in the game as a Hunter Ranger could put down damage and do other stuff.

But the community rolled down the "Ranger sux" caravan and WOTC gave it one strong subclass. Then "Oop Oww Gloomstalker is OP". No, Ranger didn't suck. Beastmasters sucked. Primal Awareness sucked. 2014 Rangers were great.

But WOTC is adjusting to behavior. You'd have 4/2 spell slots at level 5 and 3 free Hunters Mark.

 

[Farenn]

Alright, so we have:

• Main Ranger Iconic, Elf male
• Beast Master, Assamir female
• Fey Wanderer, Orc male
• Gloomstalker, Dwarf female
• Hunter, Human male

View attachment 369776View attachment 369782View attachment 369780View attachment 369779View attachment 369781

Then some cool art, I clouding a piece with the Iconic Ranger, Barbarian and I guess Monk fighting Gnolls:

View attachment 369777View attachment 369778

Thanks for posting these pictures. But with that being said I am not sure about how I feel about the boy band looking orc. I almost expect him to break out in song and synchronized dancing. The other ones look pretty cool.

 

[Parmandur]

Thanks for posting these pictures. But with that being said I am not sure about how I feel about the boy band looking orc. I almost expect him to break out in song and synchronized dancing. The other ones look pretty cool.

Well, that seems fitting with the Subclass abilities.