D&D (2024) 2024 Player's Handbook reveal: "New Ranger"

"More than any other class, the ranger is a new class."

​

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]

We've tried that. It doesn't work.

I mean. I guess it depends what you mean by "doesn't work". Like I said, I liked Revised Ranger. It just didn't go as far as I wanted. There are some features that are along the right lines in this rendition, but it doesn't go as far as I want (and in fact has regressed in several aspects). I think the versions of Ranger that tried it could've been iterated upon rather than completely scrapped.

Only if Rangers and NPCs who act as Ranger's role have exclusive access to Rangering stuff AND it doesn't pull resources from combat power does it work.

And that's magic. Or Ranger exclusive free feats.

I don't really see it personally. I don't think Ranger is only made worthwhile by being the only class that can feasibly do the survivalist stuff. I think them just having the quickest and most comprehensive loadout for it is nice.
But also, does any of what I just described pull resources from combat power necessarily? Some of them were specifically combat buffs or just things that are useful in combat. I thought the two went hand-in-hand.

 

[Rocker26a]

bonus 3 skill proficiencies and 3 expertise picked from:
Stealth, Nature, Animal handling, Medicine, Perception, Survival.

I think having early Expertise is a mechanically and thematically nice fit for Ranger, but they still need something to do in combat. Ranger's special du jour has consistently been some flavour of "additional damage on attacks", and I think that can be acted upon better by leaving Hunter's Mark in the rearview mirror.

 

[Minigiant]

I don't really see it personally. I don't think Ranger is only worthwhile by being the only class that can feasibly do the survivalist stuff. I think them just having the quickest and most comprehensive loadout for it is nice.

We cut out a niche for rangers.
Therefore we have to either protect or create a new one.

Good luck getting people to agree to a new one.

The one thing every D&D fan agrees on with Ranger is they should be the best tracker and forager.

 

[Rocker26a]

The one thing every D&D fan agrees on with Ranger is they should be the best tracker and forager.

I agree! But I don't think they have to be the only tracker or forager. I don't think they have to hinge off of mechanics that only exist for them. Skill checks exist, they can handily be the best/most consistent at those skill checks, and the other relevant stuff besides.

 

[Minigiant]

I agree! But I don't think they have to be the only tracker or forager. I don't think they have to hinge off of mechanics that only exist for them. Skill checks exist, they can handily be the best/most consistent at those skill checks, and the other relevant stuff besides.

Again
That requires D&D to have mechanics on the exploration pillar AND people to not skip it.
That's not gonna happen.

At some point we have to quit bashing that wall and use the mechanics that will be used.

 

[Rocker26a]

Again
That requires D&D to have mechanics on the exploration pillar AND people to not skip it.
That's not gonna happen.

At some point we have to quit bashing that wall and use the mechanics that will be used.

I almost feel like I'm speaking the wrong language. I just don't see the problem, really. I don't see how what currently exists is inadequate for creating an at least acceptable situation. The game has skill checks, conditions, and situations that can be overcome with a class toolkit. There is sometimes some crossover, but usually a given class is best suited for the job; A Cleric can cleanse a haunted house, a Rogue can navigate an enemy stronghold, a Barbarian can do gladiatorial combat etc. The tools for doing these things are not only useful for those things. I don't really get why the same can't be true of Ranger.

I think the survivalist thing has been talked to death. Yeah it's important to the class identity, no not every table will pay absolute reverence to it, I don't think they need to for the Ranger's kit to be worth a damn because the way it's expressed can be good for other things, nor do I think Rangers have to possess the only key to it.

 

[Corinnguard]

Laser Llama's homebrewed Ranger has a class feature called Ranger's Quarry that appears to combine Favored Foe and Hunter's Mark.
--------------------------------------------------------

You focus your senses to hunt as a predator of the wild. Also at 2nd level, you can use a bonus action to mark one creature you can see as your Quarry, gaining the benefits below:

• Whenever you damage it with an attack, you deal bonus damage equal to a roll of your Quarry Die, which is a d4.
• Whenever you make an ability check to track or locate it, you can add one roll of your Quarry Die to your d20 roll.
  

These benefits last for 1 hour but end early if your Quarry is slain or if you mark another creature as your Quarry. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you have no uses left, you can expend a spell slot to use this feature again.

When you reach 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels in this class, both the duration of Ranger's Quarry and the size of your Quarry Die increase, as indicated in the Ranger table.
---------------------------------------------------------
Then there is the Feral Senses feature:
You hunt with the skills of an apex predator. At 5th level, you can't have disadvantage on attack rolls against your Quarry.
When you reach 18th level, you cannot have disadvantage on attack rolls against any target within 30 feet of you.

Alternate Ranger by laserllama

Alternate Ranger by laserllama - Created with GM Binder.

www.gmbinder.com

 

[UngeheuerLich]

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?

No. I would not. It is just not how I imagine a ranger.

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.

And I like that.

I just hope the out of combat spells become more useful.

Alarm is now also castable as a ritual also for rangers. Speak with aninals too. Cordon of arrows should be buffed. Snare seems nice if it was buffed and so on.
That is where I expect rangers to cast spells. Not too much in combat.

 

[mellored]

bonus 3 skill proficiencies and 3 expertise picked from:
Stealth, Nature, Animal handling, Medicine, Perception, Survival.

That's way to strong for a dip. But they do get 3 expertise now.

It would leave them behind in damage.

 

[Rocker26a]

Laser Llama's homebrewed Ranger has a class feature called Ranger's Quarry that appears to combine Favored Foe and Hunter's Mark.
--------------------------------------------------------

You focus your senses to hunt as a predator of the wild. Also at 2nd level, you can use a bonus action to mark one creature you can see as your Quarry, gaining the benefits below:

• Whenever you damage it with an attack, you deal bonus damage equal to a roll of your Quarry Die, which is a d4.
• Whenever you make an ability check to track or locate it, you can add one roll of your Quarry Die to your d20 roll.

These benefits last for 1 hour but end early if your Quarry is slain or if you mark another creature as your Quarry. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you have no uses left, you can expend a spell slot to use this feature again.

When you reach 6th, 10th, 14th, and 18th levels in this class, both the duration of Ranger's Quarry and the size of your Quarry Die increase, as indicated in the Ranger table.
---------------------------------------------------------
Then there is the Feral Senses feature:
You hunt with the skills of an apex predator. At 5th level, you can't have disadvantage on attack rolls against your Quarry.
When you reach 18th level, you cannot have disadvantage on attack rolls against any target within 30 feet of you.

Alternate Ranger by laserllama

Alternate Ranger by laserllama - Created with GM Binder.

www.gmbinder.com

I would say that's basically fine. Sorta wish the scaling was different, that it started at something better than a D4, and that it wasn't single target, but. Y'know. Decent.