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

[Shardstone]

Those should be additional spells.

I could all kinds of detection, disabling, and concealment Mark spells for Rangers.

If I were designing the Ranger class It would be based on a bunch of Mark spells that Rangers place on themselves or the environment that give them special abilities.

It can cleave both ways. 2024 design is to make it more spells.

 

[Horwath]

Like advantage?

that is main problem that I have with this version of Ranger.

At high level, you either Concentrate on HM or you have just thrown your 13th, 17th and 20th level abilities straight into garbage can.

where ironically they belong, especially the 20th level capstone.

 

[Minigiant]

that is main problem that I have with this version of Ranger.

At high level, you either Concentrate on HM or you have just thrown your 13th, 17th and 20th level abilities straight into garbage can.

where ironically they belong, especially the 20th level capstone.

That's the wrong way to think about it.

When the wizard castes Magic missile instead of Fireball are they throwing Fireball away?
When a red dragon sorcerer cast a cold spell because a enemy is vulnerable to cold are they throwing their subclass away?

Those features are upgrades to a single spell.
You can still cast other spells.
Hunter's market just buffed.

 

[RoughCoronet0]

Can I ask why Ranger needs a Concentration free damage buff?

I personally don’t see it as being any more powerful then rogues getting free sneak attack damage, especially since hunters mark would never be doing the multitude of d6s worth of damage rogues get.

This sort of solution works for my table, which is all I care about when it comes to figuring out how I want to tweak the Ranger. It isn’t even the only tweak I’m considering.

 

[mellored]

Indeed, but obviously I'm suggesting more effects, more like a menu you choose from at lower levels to customize your hunter's mark. An evolving hunter's mark that can have one aspect changed on a long rest creates a strong central identity and IMO does the job better than the spell does. Customizing your Hunter's Mark before going into a dungeon or big forest or traveling across the sea to have effects like:

• The target is exudes a soft light in darkness, making it visible.
• The target has disadvantage on Strength or Dexterity checks.
• The target can be charmed instead of suffering the extra damage.
• The target can be feared instead of suffering the extra damage.
• If you hit the target twice on one turn, you can sacrifice the HM damage to daze the creature.
• Your speed increases by +10 when moving towards the target.
• You have advantage on saving throws against magical effects from your target.
• Your attacks crit on a 19-20 against the target.
• You can hijack the target's senses once while it is marked.
• You can read the target's surface thoughts for as long as it is marked.
• You reduce the target's movement speed by -10 instead of dealing the extra damage.
• Changing the damage type of hunter's mark.
• Allowing the party to trigger hunter's mark damage + rider effects.
• Give the target disadvantage on saving throws against your spells.
• Make the target leave a bloodtrail wherever it goes.
• Afflict the target with a poison that has a unique effect.
• Remove the target's resistances until the end of its next turn instead of suffering the extra damage from an attack.
• Making a target unable to heal while marked.
• Make the target lose one proficiency while marked.
• Give the Hunter's Mark a creature type-theme, which gives it a unique rider effect, like producing Dragon Breath on a target or scrambling their thoughts ala aberrations.

By putting these basic effects into menus for Hunter's Mark, you can create more interesting Ranger Spells that fill more niches, similar to spells like Guardian of Nature or Cordon of Arrows. You could also cut the fat from the Ranger spell list as well, leaving it more thematic overall and transferring some of that mechanical weight to the Hunter's Mark customization.

So... Invocations.

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

that is main problem that I have with this version of Ranger.

At high level, you either Concentrate on HM or you have just thrown your 13th, 17th and 20th level abilities straight into garbage can.

where ironically they belong, especially the 20th level capstone.

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

 

[Horwath]

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?

and what does rage block from barbarian class exactly?

 

[The Glen]

I turned to the Ranger into a support martial, stripping out all the spells (except for a subclass). All of their abilities are tied to their favorite enemies or terrain types, but they gain a lot more of them as they level up. Plus they have the ability to pass on those bonuses to the rest of the party at a reduced efficiency. Turned them into highly mobile types that can hold their own in a fight but Grant exploration benefits to everybody who doesn't have them.

 

[mellored]

I personally don’t see it as being any more powerful then rogues getting free sneak attack damage, especially since hunters mark would never be doing the multitude of d6s worth of damage rogues get.

You forgot rangers get multi-attack (+2d6) and a fighting style (+1d6)

3d6+9 from two weapons + 3d6 from hunter's mark.
Vs
Rogue is at 2d6+3. And will need 6d6 sneak attack to match. Level 11.

 

[Minigiant]

I personally don’t see it as being any more powerful then rogues getting free sneak attack damage, especially since hunters mark would never be doing the multitude of d6s worth of damage rogues get.

This sort of solution works for my table, which is all I care about when it comes to figuring out how I want to tweak the Ranger. It isn’t even the only tweak I’m considering.

Rangers get 2-4 attacks as they level and gets a damage bonus from their subclass.

Taking away concentration just lets rangers get a damage boost while concentrating on Spike growth or Conjure Woodland Beings.

I hope you have no power gamers at your table.

 

[Horwath]

That's the wrong way to think about it.

When the wizard castes Magic missile instead of Fireball are they throwing Fireball away?

if you are using your 3rd level slot for magic missile, then yes, you are throwing your fireball away.

When a red dragon sorcerer cast a cold spell because a enemy is vulnerable to cold are they throwing their subclass away?

that has no connection whatsoever.
that is your DM throwing you a curve ball now and then, as they should. But not often as that is also bad mannerism.

sometimes your main attack path should be met with resistance or immunity.

that is not you willingly ignoring your features, that is that your features simply do not work in this situation.