D&D 5E Ideas for Unique Ranger Spells and Magic

[Minigiant]

I know I know
A lot of people don't like rangers having spell casting. However I believe one of the reasons why the ranger class had issues in many editions is the disconnect of the low magic settings found in most fantasy stories and legends and the higher fantasy supernatual and magical elements of many D&D settings. Because the ranger is one of the two classes most tied to the environment, there is less to pull from real stories, legends, and literature. This causes the ranger's spell lit and class features to feel either out of space or underpowered when shifted to D&D from somewhere else. Or even worse, the features and spells are lifted fully from any other class like a druid or a wizard.

So how about we think of the ranger magic and supernatural elements more organically.

Imagine there were one or more ranger organizations in a stereotypical Dungeons and Dragons world. These warriors are known to travel the world and encounter many peoples, monsters, organizations, and environments. The rangers roam many terrains and defend civilization from all sorts of enemies.

What kinds of magic would a ranger actually pick up and share to his apprentice?
Which long forgotten scrolls and items would a ranger bring back to the stronghold?
Which discoveries would a wizard or druid deem useless that their ranger party member might regard as useful?

Like we all know a wizard invented hunter's mark. But of course the wizard was never going to track anything physically nor was he or she going to hit anything with a weapon anymore. So he sold it to a passing ranger for 50gp and a bearskin rug. Now every ranger is using it.

For example, I'm shocked that a ranger cannot plant a bug on a target. A literal magic insect that they can plant on a target that they can track and listen in with a magic rock. The rock could even beep. Or buzz to fit the insect theme.

Or a desert ranger could escape approaching orc warriors by turning into sand Michael Jackson style. I could have used that one.

What is the point of wizards if they teach the local rangers how to make their arrows explode? Can cast wish but doesn't want deranged racist archers blowing up random gnolls and goblins in the forest.

 

[Benjamin Olson]

They should have a Rangercraft cantrip. Functions include: 1) lighting campfires, 2) drying wood to be suitable for a campfire, 3) salting, dehydrating, or otherwise preserving foods, 4) altering their scent or tracks, 5) leaving marks in natural places that only you can see, and 6) 1 minute of darkvision (with concentration).

 

[Minigiant]

Would Spiderman's webwinging and Tarzan's vineswinging fit a ranger?
You like a low level variant flight?

Wild Swing

• 1st level Transmutation
• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Self
• Components: S M (a leg of a spider or a small vine)
• Classes: Druid, Ranger
• Duration: Up to 10 minutes
• As you cast this spell, you hands become wreathed with spider silk or thin vines. On your command, long threads spout from your palms to grapple to the heights. While your hands are free of objects, you gain a flying speed of feet equal to double your Strength score. You cannot fly higher than 30 feet above the tallest point within 60 feet of you.
• At Higher Levels: If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the duration of the spell increases by 1 hour for each slot level above 2nd.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I like the idea of Rangers having more unique magic, but not some of the OPs suggestions that are too "tech-magic" like for myself, anyway.

Maybe a spell Scent on the Wind which would allow the ranger to track by scent or get advantage or double proficiency?

I think the best place to start would be from the ground up. What would the ranger's magic allow them to do that others can't or shouldn't be able to?

 

[Minigiant]

I like the idea of Rangers having more unique magic, but not some of the OPs suggestions that are too "tech-magic" like for myself, anyway.

Well that's what I was going for a bit. I was thinking Ranger spells would be mostly for combat buffs, tracking tools, and instant survival gear.
Especially so players who don't like overtly magical rangers could refluff some of them as secret ranger tech.

Maybe a spell Scent on the Wind which would allow the ranger to track by scent or get advantage or double proficiency?

That sounds perfect for a ranger.

I think the best place to start would be from the ground up. What would the ranger's magic allow them to do that others can't or shouldn't be able to?

There are 2 parts to that.

What is ranger magic?
Answer is undefined. D&D never pinned don't what it is. Most of the time it is "divine" and "druidic". But not always. There are some intellectual arcane elements in it for the tracking spells and arrow spells.

Why are some spells ranger exclusive?
This one is easier. The D&D ranger is based on a collection of jobs. Ranger spells would be spells that aid in doing those jobs. Other classes don't commit enough to these jobs to learn these spells. They are close but the ranger hints to an obsession. A ranger tracks both mundanely and magically so no foe can escape them. They combine elemental and physical damage to bypass defenses. It's specialization. Notjust divination but tracking. Not just abjuration but alarms. Not just transmutation but plant awakening. Every spell is tailored to the job.

 

[DND_Reborn]

I think this is were having overlap in defined role sort of messes things up in 5E. A lot of people think of a ranger as twf or archery, for example, just as gwf seems more like it fits barbarian, and defense/protection is more typically paladin.

Which makes a better scout? A ranger or a rogue (particularly the scout subclass...)?
Which makes a better archer? A ranger or a fighter?
Which is better at survival? A ranger or a barbarian?
And so on...

Now, I like rangers having magic (more druidic with minor arcane) but I like their magic to be subtle, complimentary, and more natural. For example, I don't want to see a ranger shot a arrow and have it magically multiple into a dozen arrows raining on the ground. That isn't in my vision of ranger magic. BUT a spell that allows a ranger to shot multiple targets "in a line" with one arrow, something more akin to the piercing arrow concept of the Arcane Archer (but you would make one attack roll, not use a saving throw).

I would like to see rangers get a "point-blank" range for ranged weapons, like in AD&D.

Your idea of the swinging vine would be great if such foliage is already present. The magic would "pull" the vine to the ranger, making it so he could move across caps others couldn't hope to cross (except maybe a step of the wind used by monks...).

Spells where he could calm animals, even stop a herd of charging beasts by staring them down, etc. would all be thematic for rangers. While I see druids having a connection and harmony with beasts, I see a ranger as becoming their alpha male (so to say).

Things like heavy fog shouldn't bother their perception because their other senses are so keen and attuned to their surroundings (even if it cost them a bonus action to "focus" or something).

There are so many ways rangers could be made even better IMO, magic being a chief example.

What is ranger magic?

Ranger magic should augment and enhance their abilities in subtle ways. It isn't flashy or anything. When an outsider witnesses a ranger "using magic" it should just seem like the ranger does something great and the onlooker wonders "How'd she do that?!"
Examples include:

• Heighten senses (scent, hearing, even touch might grant some form of "psychic impression")
• Heighten ability (incredible jumps and leaps (not super-heroic, but plausible even if just plausible), quick climbing and swimming, faster movement)
• One attack, many targets (sweeping melee attacks, piercing arrows, etc.)
• Beast "dominance" by becoming the alpha-male to a pack or herd (but through mutual respect and understanding, not actual "dominating")
• Plant tending (growing, communicating, respecting the life of plants and their part in the cycle of life, etc.)
• Minor elemental touches (a cooling breeze, starting a camp fire, a sprinkling of rain)

Why are some spells ranger exclusive?
This one is easier. The D&D ranger is based on a collection of jobs. Ranger spells would be spells that aid in doing those jobs. Other classes don't commit enough to these jobs to learn these spells. They are close but the ranger hints to an obsession. A ranger tracks both mundanely and magically so no foe can escape them. They combine elemental and physical damage to bypass defenses. It's specialization. Notjust divination but tracking. Not just abjuration but alarms. Not just transmutation but plant awakening. Every spell is tailored to the job.

I agree in many ways, but in some ways not as much. No one should rival a ranger in tracking prey, but in matters druidic rangers should be the novices and druids the masters. Rangers should understand the strength of nature and use it to make themselves better, where druids can actually control nature, itself (if that makes sense?). Otherwise, I think we are much on the same page.

 

[Minigiant]

I think this is were having overlap in defined role sort of messes things up in 5E. A lot of people think of a ranger as twf or archery, for example, just as gwf seems more like it fits barbarian, and defense/protection is more typically paladin.

Part of it is the forest ranger is way too representative of the class. Forest Rangers use archery and TWF because of their environment. They aren't going to use shields. An arctic ordesertranger would use shields and be more defensive as there is less cover and you are easier flanked

Which brings us to...

Now, I like rangers having magic (more druidic with minor arcane) but I like their magic to be subtle, complimentary, and more natural. For example, I don't want to see a ranger shot a arrow and have it magically multiple into a dozen arrows raining on the ground. That isn't in my vision of ranger magic. BUT a spell that allows a ranger to shot multiple targets "in a line" with one arrow, something more akin to the piercing arrow concept of the Arcane Archer (but you would make one attack roll, not use a saving throw).

Arrow spells are "exclusive" to rangers because the other spellcaster would not use them. Paladins usually lack the dexterity. Priestly types and mages lack the proficiency.

Like I said in the OP, many of the ranger spells hint to research, development, and invention by wizards and druids. They just can't use them effectively and the secrets lost to them from disuse. Secret kept alive in ranger communities.

But I disagree on the ranger nature being natural. It can but it could be purely arcane or priestly as well. The default flavor of the ranger is that ranger are part of civilization. They just live in the wild.

Though a ranger might make a living as a hunter, a guide, or a tracker, a ranger’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of monsters and humanoid hordes that press in from the wild. In some places, rangers gather in secretive orders or join forces with druidic circles. Many rangers, though, are independent almost to a fault, knowing that, when a dragon or a band of orcs attacks, a ranger might be the first—and possibly the last—line of defense.

A ranger's order or permission to roam could be backed by a lord, king, church, cult, court, tower, or druid circle. And there options on magic should resemble that.

Now I do argee that most ranger magic would be more sublte and complementary. They are often alone or at least outnumbered or outgunned. Rangers tend to apply stealth so flashy spells would be rare and combining magic with items they would already carry would be helpful.

But if your favored enemy is goblin, you would bring wide area AOE damage to kill many goblins at once.

That's the key to me. Every spell is to advance or support the objective: monster hunting in the wilderness.
Each spell supports the hunt, eases the hunt, quickens the hunt, strengthening the hunter, or saves the hunter.

The ranger has druidic spell because druidic spells would well in the wild. Rangers don't have to necessarily revere nature at all. A ranger has speak with plants not because they love plants but because plants often are the only ones with the information the ranger needs. Many rangers do lack nature and formdeeper bonds with it but if it isn't required, many wont go that far nor specialize. Rangers repect and understand nature but outdoorsmen buy their gear in town.

This why I don't like rangers having "spells known". They should be "spells prepared" casters.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

This isn't so much an idea for new magic, but maybe it would have been better if favored enemy added some spells known to the ranger's list. I could see calm emotions being useful for someone with fey as a favored enemy, and protection from evil and good for someone with celestials or fiends as a favored enemy.

 

[jasper]

Ford spell allows a ranger to fix or repair one item.
Army spell summons one green MRE.

 

[DND_Reborn]

An arctic ordesertranger would use shields and be more defensive as there is less cover and you are easier flanked

Good point, but IME those rangers are less common. I'm not saying that means they shouldn't be represented, however. So, as I said, good point.

But I disagree on the ranger nature being natural.

That's fine. We just disagree on that point.

Now I do argee that most ranger magic would be more sublte and complementary.

And this, to me, is the more important point.

But if your favored enemy is goblin, you would bring wide area AOE damage to kill many goblins at once.

Maybe. Something like Entangle would trap the goblins and I can see a ranger more using that than Cordon of Arrows, for example. But again, this is just my point of view because I prefer it. shrug

Each spell supports the hunt, eases the hunt, quickens the hunt, strengthening the hunter, or saves the hunter.

While I agree that is important I think there are other aspects that are important too. So, maybe not every spell should support the hunt.

Rangers don't have to necessarily revere nature at all. A ranger has speak with plants not because they love plants but because plants often are the only ones with the information the ranger needs. Many rangers do lack nature and formdeeper bonds with it but if it isn't required, many wont go that far nor specialize. Rangers repect and understand nature but outdoorsmen buy their gear in town.

Well, maybe revere is too strong a word? But I think "understand" and "respect" aren't. Even a ranger who is hired by a town and lives in town, going out on occasion forays into the wild would fall under those words I think.