D&D (2024) How to simply fix Ranger in 2024.

[mellored]

limit to once per turn and drop concentration

IMO, it's thematic to be "concentrating" on an enemy.

 

[Moorcrys]

Only thing I’m considering is making switching your mark a reaction rather than a bonus action after level 7 or so. Maybe 9. Then no action after 15 or so.

 

[Minigiant]

Changing Hunter's Mark to work more like Cleric Channel Divinity would help a lot. Make it not a spell, then you could have a core use, and maybe that is 1d6 extra damage on attacks for a minute, but then some thematic subclass specific abilities.

Or you could just make it a spell and make more Mark spells.

We don't say Fireball but it's a line at a lightning. We create a new spell.

I think the core issue is that this is a revision and WOTC can't and doesn't want to think outside the box 2014 had. Nor are they personally attached to fantasy that grants them ideas if they choose to think outside the box.

 

[ECMO3]

Or you could just make it a spell and make more Mark spells.

We don't say Fireball but it's a line at a lightning. We create a new spell.

I think the core issue is that this is a revision and WOTC can't and doesn't want to think outside the box 2014 had. Nor are they personally attached to fantasy that grants them ideas if they choose to think outside the box.

Creating new spells is fine, but then they still need to get rid of all the features that focus on HM specifically.

 

[Minigiant]

I am not a fan of taking away concentration as a fix as that does not get to the core problem of the features.

That said power gaming is not much of a concern given the other classes and multiclass builds. Making HM concentration-free is not going to make Ranger's competitive with the strongest classes in the game.

Sure

My point was "But concentration" complaints were just people who want to concentrate on Conjure WB or Spike Growth to cheese.

Lightning arrow, hail of thorns and barkskin, magic weapon, all lost concentration.

So most of those thematic combat spells that a ranger would concentrate on instead of Hunters mark that aren't cheesy or powerful on their own don't have concentration anymore.

Creating new spells is fine, but then they still need to get rid of all the features that focus on HM specifically.

They needed to create more Marks and made them core.

The core problem is the PHB has Hunter's Mark but no Beastmaster, Stalker, or Wanderer's marks.

So the ranger is built around the single mark it has.

 

[Shardstone]

So... Invocations.

Unfortunately that would take a much bigger rewrite. Likely removing spells.

And if you don't use Rage then how many barbarian levels do you thrown away?

It would not require removing spells, since I literally describe how this opens space for spells in that post lol

 

[Horwath]

Sure

My point was "But concentration" complaints were just people who want to concentrate on Conjure WB or Spike Growth to cheese.

Lightning arrow, hail of thorns and barkskin, magic weapon, all lost concentration.

So most of those thematic combat spells that a ranger would concentrate on instead of Hunters mark that aren't cheesy or powerful on their own don't have concentration anymore.

no need for cheese.
just replace HM with divine favor or some other 1st level spell that does not require concentration.

or give option that you can spend extra usages of HM for extra damage.

I.E.
deal extra 2d8 damage once per turn after successful attack. Damage type picked from Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison or Thunder.
increase damage to 3d8 at 5th level, 4d8 at 9th level, 5d8 at 13th level, 6d8 at 17th level and 7d8 at 20th(yay for capstone, might even be 8d8 here)

They needed to create more Marks and made them core.

The core problem is the PHB has Hunter's Mark but no Beastmaster, Stalker, or Wanderer's marks.

So the ranger is built around the single mark it has.

Agree,
but make ALL of them optional to take, not mandatory.

 

[Minigiant]

Agree,
but make ALL of them optional to take, not mandatory

Well that's the beauty of them being spells.

You can let the player choose which Mark to prepare and have Favored Enemy grant extra uses to Marks.

 

[Horwath]

Well that's the beauty of them being spells.

You can let the player choose which Mark to prepare and have Favored Enemy grant extra uses to Marks.

again you are making Marks mandatory, add just one decent non concentration spell to the list.

 

[Minigiant]

again you are making Marks mandatory, add just one decent non concentration spell to the list.

Not every mark would have concentration.
Not every mark would be a damage bonus.

They could be traps, defense buffs, trackers, teleports, charms, alternations of gear or allies, etc. just not Hunter's Mark.