D&D 5E Convince me that the Ranger is a necessary Class.

[Flights of Fancy]

Ah. I see the journey being the way a character is played in an adventure from start to finish. Completing an adventure is the destination. An adventure in D&D is full of twists and turns in the form of a main quest and one or more side quests. You can either stick to the fast and direct by sticking only to the main quest itself, or you can do it and the side quests. The latter approach will take longer.

I was more talking about the character creation process, sorry for any confusion.

3e's Unearthed Arcana has the Expert (the Skill-Monkey), the Adept (arcane/divine casters) and the Warrior.

Yep, and it is why I like the Sidekicks in 5E.

Anywho, back to the ranger part of the thread.

 

[Laurefindel]

So what is the skinny, are people convinced we should keep the Ranger?

The skinny;

if you think the ranger class is unnecessary, this thread isn’t going to convince you otherwise.

If you like the ranger, this thread isn’t going to make you think it’s more superfluous than the paladin, bard, or barbarian.

 

[Minigiant]

one class can also be enough.

classes are just a laundry list of preselected feats.

Eh.

Class are just a laundry list of pre-selected feats balanced around being pre-selected.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Primal half-caster: Ranger

I think calling it something different, without all the contradictory baggage, would be the be the way to go.

“Warden” seems like a good name.

 

[Minigiant]

Yes. I like half-casters, too.

Arcane half-casters: Artificer, Bard
Divine half-casters: Paladin, Warlock
Primal half-caster: Ranger

Something along those lines.

I like half casters as well

Arcane half-casters: Artificer
Eldritch half-caster: Warlock
Divine half-casters: Paladin
Primal half-caster: Ranger
Universal half-caster: Bard

I think calling it something different, without all the contradictory baggage, would be the be the way to go.

“Warden” seems like a good name.

Ranger would still have to cast spells because the majority of rangery effects require specific language and most D&D fans don't want to learn additional subsystems.

 

[Flights of Fancy]

Arcane half-casters: Artificer
Eldritch half-caster: Warlock
Divine half-casters: Paladin
Primal half-caster: Ranger
Universal half-caster: Bard

Works for me!

But what exactly is "Eldritch" for spells as opposed to arcane, divine, or primal?