D&D 5E (2024) Best 13 Wisdom Ranger subclass dip for a Bladesinger 1-20 campaign

[ECMO3]

I am designing a character for a point buy 1-20 campaign. The campaign will be in the Forgotten Realms (Chult) and be heavy in the exploration and combat pillars.

I am planning to do an Orc Bladesinger gish build with a Ranger dip. Primarily melee-oriented with some control and some AOE options. This PC will be 13 Wisdom, max Intelligence and 16 Dex. S8 D16 C12 I17 W13 CH8 at start with the Zhentarim Ruffian feat.

The progression will be Ranger 1/Wizard 6/Ranger 4, then the rest Wizard.

Thoughts on a Ranger subclass? I play a ton of Rangers, but 90% of them are Fey Wanderers and all of them have at least a 16 Wisdom (most are max wisdom). So this is somewhat uncharted territory for me.

I am debating what Ranger subclass to use. All the 2024 subclasses are allowed and all the 2014/TCE/XGE/FTD subclasses are allowed as long as they are not from a different setting and are not reprinted in 2024.

 

[Zardnaar]

Pure bladdinger with 1 level of range imho.

If you want to go to 5th as ranger pet classes are out. Hunters decent early on MCs well.

 

[bedir than]

If a 14 Wis I would suggest Gloom Stalker

The Swarmkeeper abilities don't use your bonus action and the bonus faerie fire/web knowledge can help with how you are constructing. Free shoving in to a Web can be fun!

 

[DeviousQuail]

If a 14 Wis I would suggest Gloom Stalker

The Swarmkeeper abilities don't use your bonus action and the bonus faerie fire/web knowledge can help with how you are constructing. Free shoving in to a Web can be fun!

Exactly what I was about to say. Swarmkeeper is a complete upgrade over hunter if you're only going 5 levels. It can also be reflavored quite easily. Gloomstalker is also generally useful and pairs well with all the shade and darkness you'll find in Chult.

 

[bedir than]

Exactly what I was about to say. Swarmkeeper is a complete upgrade over hunter if you're only going 5 levels. It can also be reflavored quite easily. Gloomstalker is also generally useful and pairs well with all the shade and darkness you'll find in Chult.

Swarmkeeper in Chult could be bugs!

 

[ECMO3]

I am going to level 4 Ranger, not 5, I realize that may have been confusing in my original post.

Ranger 4 gets me 10' Blindsight (Blind Fighting), subclass, a feat and 3 hit points. It costs me 2 caster levels and 3 spells in my book.

Swarmkeeper sounds really good. With a 13 Wisdom I am not getting max benefit on some of the things from Gloomstalker that are tied to Wisdom and I am not sure how much we will actually be in darkness.

I am also thinking about Winter Walker since the Ring of Winter will feature in the campaign and the temp hps every time I cast Hunter's Mark sounds pretty nice to have. I am not sure how often I will be casting Hunter's Mark at level 9+, although I could use Favored Enemy to cast Hunter's Mark between combats just for the temp hit points.

 

[Zardnaar]

I am going to level 4 Ranger, not 5, I realize that may have been confusing in my original post.

Ranger 4 gets me 10' Blindsight (Blind Fighting), subclass, a feat and 3 hit points. It costs me 2 caster levels and 3 spells in my book.

Swarmkeeper sounds really good. With a 13 Wisdom I am missing out on some of the things from Gloomstalker and I am not sure how much we will actually be in darkness.

I am also thinking about Winter Walker since the Ring of Winter will feature in the campaign and the temp hps every time I cast Hunter's Mark sounds pretty nice to have. I am not sure how often I will be casting Hunter's Mark at level 9+, although I could use Favored Enemy to cast Hunter's Mark between combats just for the temp hit points.

How are you doing 2014/24 Material?

2024 base class with 5.0 archetypes or pure 2014 or 24?

 

[ECMO3]

How are you doing 2014/24 Material?

2024 base class with 5.0 archetypes or pure 2014 or 24?

Anything printed in 2024 uses 2024 rules. Anything not reprinted in 2024 but available in 2014 uses 2014 rules. Nothing from different settings (no Dragonlance, no Eberron, no Strixhaven etc), anything that is Faerun or setting agnostic can be used and the 2014 version is used if it was NOT reprinted and changed. It is a really elegant and effective way to mix rules and I have played a bunch of campaigns doing this.

So with these guidlines class is 2024, Gloomstalker, Hunter, Fey Wanderer, Beast, and Winter subclasses are all 2024 and 2014 versions of those are not allowed, also Bladesinger is the 2024 Bladesinger only. Plane Walker, Drake Warden, Swarmkeeper subclasses are all available and are the 2014 version.

The only exception is subclasses that start at level 1 or level 2 in the 2014 rules now start at level 3 and you get the level 1/2 abilities at level 3 instead of 1/2. This matters for Bladesinger but not the Ranger subclasses.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I personally would not bother and would remain pure wizard. Delaying spell progression and not having 9th level spells for the end game would be deal breakers for me.

 

[ECMO3]

I personally would not bother and would remain pure wizard. Delaying spell progression and not having 9th level spells for the end game would be deal breakers for me.

Yeah I see it the other way around.

If we were playing a 20th level one-shot I would agree, but for me in a 1-20 campaign, having weapon masteries for 20 levels and blindsight for 13 levels on this type of character is better than having 9th level spells for 4 levels, especially when I will have 9th level slots at 19th and 20th level even if I don't have the 9th level spells prepared.

Slower spell progression is not much of an issue because Ranger 1 gives you a full caster level and 3 spells prepared. The multiclass is ahead of a single class Wizard in spells prepared at almost every level. I won't fall behind in slots until 8th level when I take Ranger 2, and will never be more than 2 levels behind in slots; so not a big deal to me at all.