Alternate Ranger (simple)

[Skyscraper]

Chalk me in as another player dissatisfied with the PHB ranger. My main gripe is the flavor: I would prefer a non-spellcasting ranger. I also think that the beast companion limitations are clonky and make little sense: the beast companion won't attack on most rounds. Weird.

The unearthed arcana alternate ranger brought the ranger into the realm of a shaman-type character. Not my thing either.

What I'm going to propose to my players in my upcoming campaign, is the following.

- The ranger now has no spellcasting.
- The ranger now benefits from the powers from both the Hunter and Beast Master archetypes as of level 3.
- The beast does not get the ranger's proficiency bonus to attacks, AC, damage, saves and skills until level 6; and only gets 1d4 + CON-mod HPs / ranger level after the third.
*edit* - the beast is allowed to act every round, and the ranger may order it with a free action to attack, defend, flee, et... */edit*
- Ranger deals addiotional damage to favored enemy equal to his proficiency bonus as of level 1
- unlimited Animal Frienship-type ability that can be used only out of combat, and allows a save to the animal
- cure with use of plants as of level 2 (similar to Cure Light Wounds in power, but scales a bit over the levels, starting with 1d8 + WIS-mod 1/day)
- neutralize poison with use of plants as of level 5 (similar to protection from poison, without however the ongoing protective effect; 1/day and scales to 3/day at level 15)
- a few other abilities over the levels, such as faster overland movement, passing without trace, speaking with plants, communing with nature

Any thoughts?

 

[Marandahir]

No Primeval Awareness, then?

Also, have you checked out the no-spellcasting Ranger from the earlier UA article, where it gave the ranger herbal poultices and superiority dice?

 

[Cyan Wisp]

The spells... do you think their absence makes up for having two archetypes worth of power? Do the two archetypes synergise well?Serious questions here. I'm intrigued and it sounds like you have already done some groundwork. Seems like you have folded spells into the package (FE bonus = Hunter's mark, etc)

I haven't seen a BM in play yet, but I understand the desire for a mundane ranger. Is there room for both? Heck, spell-less Ranger could be the base and BM & Arcane Woodsman (with spells more like an EK) the archetypes Change names as appropriate.

 

[TheLoneRanger1979]

No Primeval Awareness, then?

Also, have you checked out the no-spellcasting Ranger from the earlier UA article, where it gave the ranger herbal poultices and superiority dice?

To quote good old 'Bones' McCoy ... "By God, man!"
Why have you kept this hidden so far? I just love what they did to it in UA. If i had this 6 months ago, i would have played a ranger

EDIT: you meant this one, right?
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/ranger

 

[Psikerlord#]

Chalk me in as another player dissatisfied with the PHB ranger. My main gripe is the flavor: I would prefer a non-spellcasting ranger. I also think that the beast companion limitations are clonky and make little sense: the beast companion won't attack on most rounds. Weird.

The unearthed arcana alternate ranger brought the ranger into the realm of a shaman-type character. Not my thing either.

What I'm going to propose to my players in my upcoming campaign, is the following.

- The ranger now has no spellcasting.
- The ranger now benefits from the powers from both the Hunter and Beast Master archetypes as of level 3.
- The beast does not get the ranger's proficiency bonus to attacks, AC, damage, saves and skills until level 6; and only gets 1d4 + CON-mod HPs / ranger level after the third.
- Ranger deals addiotional damage to favored enemy equal to his proficiency bonus as of level 1
- unlimited Animal Frienship-type ability that can be used only out of combat, and allows a save to the animal
- cure with use of plants as of level 2 (similar to Cure Light Wounds in power, but scales a bit over the levels, starting with 1d8 + WIS-mod 1/day)
- neutralize poison with use of plants as of level 5 (similar to protection from poison, without however the ongoing protective effect; 1/day and scales to 3/day at level 15)
- a few other abilities over the levels, such as faster overland movement, passing without trace, speaking with plants, communing with nature

Any thoughts?

I think your beast will probably be too weak and wihtout some buffing, and die too much?

Otherwise I like you other proposed changes ... not unlike my version of the spell-less ranger!

http://dndhackersguild.weebly.com/blog/spell-less-ranger-for-dnd-5e-and-primeval-thule

 

[TheLoneRanger1979]

I think your beast will probably be too weak and wihtout some buffing, and die too much?

Otherwise I like you other proposed changes ... not unlike my version of the spell-less ranger!

http://dndhackersguild.weebly.com/blog/spell-less-ranger-for-dnd-5e-and-primeval-thule

Yeah, we had a neat discussion in that one

 

[Marandahir]

To quote good old 'Bones' McCoy ... "By God, man!"
Why have you kept this hidden so far? I just love what they did to it in UA. If i had this 6 months ago, i would have played a ranger

EDIT: you meant this one, right?
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/ranger

No, I meant this one:

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/modifying-classes

 

[bedir than]

No, I meant this one:

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/modifying-classes

That's my favorite Ranger of the three presented to WotC so far. I think the BeastMaster issues could be most simply resolved by having "Command Beast" as a Bonus Action.

 

[TheLoneRanger1979]

No, I meant this one:

http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/modifying-classes

That's almost identical to my justifier adaptation, without the poultices. I like it even better

 

[Karma Dragon]

That's my favorite Ranger of the three presented to WotC so far. I think the BeastMaster issues could be most simply resolved by having "Command Beast" as a Bonus Action.

I agree. It doesn't make sense that issuing a command is anything more than a bonus action.