D&D 5E (2014) Convince me that the Ranger is a necessary Class.

[ECMO3]

Having magic gear is not the same thing as having an array of magic powers personally, or regularly wiggling your fingers and spouting strange words to produce discrete effects x times a day.

That post you quoted was not about the classes it was about the setting. 1E D&D was very high magic, more so than modern D&D.

 

[Corinnguard]

In modern D&D the overwhelming majority of PCs cast spells of some sort whether from their classes or somewhere else and in the rare event where a PC actually can cast no spells at all they still almost always are magical.

They are still almost always magical from our point of view. How does a native of a high magic setting see magic? A part of the background? Nothing to write home about?

 

[Micah Sweet]

I just had a chat with some people I game with who are younger, and asked them what they thought the Ranger should be. The answer was basically, The Witcher.

See, I see that as a separate class.

 

[Micah Sweet]

In modern D&D the overwhelming majority of PCs cast spells of some sort whether from their classes or somewhere else and in the rare event where a PC actually can cast no spells at all they still are almost always magical in some other way.

So I would argue it largely already is this way in modern D&D when it comes to PCs even if it is not universally part of the class mechanics.

Well, good thing WotC modern D&D 5e isn't the only option for the discerning gamer. Plenty of non-magical classes in Level Up.

 

[Micah Sweet]

That post you quoted was not about the classes it was about the setting. 1E D&D was very high magic, more so than modern D&D.

Please explain. Are you just talking about magic items in official published modules? The existence of high level magical effects? I tend to see a setting as "high magic" if the existence of magic, especially some form of spellcasting, is pervasive in the setting. Not seeing that in 1e.

 

[Micah Sweet]

In 2024 it does:

"Thanks to their connection with nature, Rangers can also cast spells that harness primal powers of the wilderness. A Ranger’s talents and magic are honed with deadly focus to protect the world from the ravages of monsters and tyrants."

That narrative very clearly features spellcasting and magic.

2014 is less specific, but it is included:

"Thanks to their familiarity with the wilds, rangers acquire the ability to cast spells that harness nature’s power, much as a druid does. Their spells, like their combat abilities, emphasize speed, stealth, and the hunt. A ranger’s talents and abilities are honed with deadly focus on the grim task of protecting the borderlands ....... Or perhaps you learned your skills as part of a band of rangers affiliated with a druidic circle, trained in mystic paths as well as wilderness lore. You might be self-taught, a recluse who learned combat skills, tracking, and even a magical connection to nature through the necessity of surviving in the wilds."

So magic is mentioned in 2014 as well, but not as specific as 2024.

What do you know? 5.5 takes something I was uncertain about in 5.0 and makes it demonstrably worse to my eyes. Film at 11.

 

[Maxperson]

The premise of the thread is kind of hokey. No class is necessary. You can get rid of all divine classes, all arcane classes, all martial classes, all spellcasters, everything but monks, or whatever else. The game will still run fine and if the group is having fun, great. It's necessary to have at least one class, but that class doesn't matter individually.

 

[Maxperson]

It's funny that the Ranger hasn't always even been an archery expert. In 2e and 3e, for example, the Ranger had a two-weapon fighting focus, with no ranged combat bonuses in sight! 4e let the Ranger focus on ranged or two-weapon fighting (or allowed you to be a switch hitter) rather easily. In 5e, the Ranger remains flexible, but not innately tied to a particular fighting style.

3e had both ranged and two weapon as a Ranger focus.

"Combat Style (Ex): At 2nd level, a ranger must select one of two combat styles to pursue: archery or two-weapon combat. This choice affects the character’s class features but does not restrict his selection of feats or special abilities in any way.

If the ranger selects archery, he is treated as having the Rapid Shot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat."

"Combat Style Mastery (Ex): At 11th level, a ranger’s aptitude in his chosen combat style (archery or two-weapon combat) improves again. If he selected archery at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Improved Precise Shot feat (page 96), even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

If the ranger selected two-weapon combat at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat (page 95), even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat."

And then you picked other ranged feats to go along with your ranged specialty if you picked it.

 

[James Gasik]

See, I see that as a separate class.

And a lot of people would, but "Hunter of supernatural creatures who themselves have supernatural abilities triggered by alchemy" could fit in the Ranger's wheelhouse. Alchemy makes more sense (well, to me, at least) than spellcasting, since it's simply using components found in the natural world (natural for a Ranger including creatures with magical abilities like Displacer Beasts or Dragons) to replicate magical effects.

 

[James Gasik]

3e had both ranged and two weapon as a Ranger focus.

"Combat Style (Ex): At 2nd level, a ranger must select one of two combat styles to pursue: archery or two-weapon combat. This choice affects the character’s class features but does not restrict his selection of feats or special abilities in any way.

If the ranger selects archery, he is treated as having the Rapid Shot feat, even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat."

"Combat Style Mastery (Ex): At 11th level, a ranger’s aptitude in his chosen combat style (archery or two-weapon combat) improves again. If he selected archery at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Improved Precise Shot feat (page 96), even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat.

If the ranger selected two-weapon combat at 2nd level, he is treated as having the Greater Two-Weapon Fighting feat (page 95), even if he does not have the normal prerequisites for that feat."

And then you picked other ranged feats to go along with your ranged specialty if you picked it.

3e Ranger, not 3.5.