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]

Yes, but... it starts off as a +1d4 with limited uses. You'd get an unlimited +1d6 if you just stayed Rogue.

For that prospect to be actually attractive, you have to be getting something else from pivoting to Ranger that's worthwhile. And you're just, kinda not.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I mean, could do both? That's what I did/am in the process of doing. I personally made Hunter's Mark add Force damage equal to your spell modifier on weapon attacks against marked target(s), and you also learn the immunities, resistances and vulnerabilities of the marked targets. And also, uh. Yeah. It's a spell.

SO what are you doing about the Hunter Ranger subclass?

 

[Rocker26a]

SO what are you doing about the Hunter Ranger subclass?

Laughing at it?
(I should clarify; this is for 5E. I don't particularly care about 2024 beyond acknowledging the failures in design and salvaging the useful parts. That bit from Hunter was a decent idea. And I've gratefully accepted it!)

 

[ECMO3]

Yes, but... it starts off as a +1d4 with limited uses. You'd get an unlimited +1d6 if you just stayed Rogue.

No. It takes 2 levels of Rogue for each 1d6 and only 1 level of Ranger for the 1d4.

If you use two weapon fighting the peak damage from Favored Foe with a 1-level Ranger dip vs a straight rogue will be higher at every level; 1.5 DPR higher at odd levels and 5 DPR higher at even levels.

If you only attack with 1 weapon and consider martial weapon proficiency and access to a d10 weapon, it will be 3.5 DPR higher at even levels and 0.5 DPR lower at odd levels.

Those numbers do not count crits and this compares peak Nova damage when you have at least 2 uses of Favored Foe on a turn.

 

[Horwath]

So are you going to answer the question of what explanation for the damage is good enough for you? Or is this a case of "I will never be satisfied until Hunter's Mark is removed from the class entirely?"

HM without concentration and not to be forced feature at 1st level.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Correct! I still think it's lame. You're still jumping through hoops for a few pips of bonus damage however you slice it.



These were steps in the right direction, but they consistently cannot stick the landing. Things like movement options, HP options, visibility options, these are things that're held up by a good foundation in my view, which Ranger has just never had.

The more I think about the hunter's mark with concenteation, the more I like it.

I don't want the ranger to constantly casting spells in combat. So occupying their concentration is quite a clever trick. Most rangers now use their spells outside combat. They can cast rituals.

So if there is one more change (con save proficiency instead of dexterity) and I am sold.

 

[Rocker26a]

I don't want the ranger to constantly casting spells in combat.

You would never say this about any other casting class, what's so special about Ranger that they shouldn't be casting spells in combat?
Beyond the fact that, ideally their buffing is done before combat starts, but considering Hunter's Mark is where the conversation begins and ends, that's a short list.

 

[Corinnguard]

what's so special about Ranger that they shouldn't be casting spells in combat?

We're giving it too much attention. Everyone who is participating in this thread wants a version of the Ranger that meets most of the expectations of what they want the class to be. It's getting there, but it's been getting there for years.

What are we going to do when it finally gets there?

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

No. It takes 2 levels of Rogue for each 1d6 and only 1 level of Ranger for the 1d4.

Obviously. But you'd be choosing to delay your sneak attack progression, other class abilities and the jump in power that each 4th level gives, in order to get a couple +1d4s per day. It's a ridiculous proposition.

 

[Rocker26a]

We're giving it too much attention. Everyone who is participating in this thread wants a version of the Ranger that meets most of the expectations of what they want the class to be. It's getting there, but it's been getting there for years.

What are we going to do when it finally gets there?

Play it when we want to and don't worry when we don't!

I feel like we're further from a standard Ranger that just meets "good enough" territory than we were before. I think the closest we got was 2020, between Revised and the OCFs UA. WOTC's offerings have gotten palpably worse since then.