D&D 5E (2024) Multiclass Ranger Fix?

[Sorinth]

Which other media?

Lord of the rings? Aragorn casts no spells.

Computer games like World of warcraft? Hunter (Ranger) has no real spells only special shots scaling from ohysical attributes.

Other RPGs like Pathfinder 2? Ranger can only get limited spells through choices but per default has none.

Movies like Robin Hood? No spells

Boardgames like Andor? Ranger has no Spells.


The Ranger having spells is really really D&D (subedition) specific.

The Witcher is probably a bigger influence on what being a Ranger means then Aragorn. And plenty of people will say that Aragorn does use magic. Similarly plenty of video games have the Ranger inspired classes using plenty of magic as builds: Path of Exile, Diablo, Titan Quest, Divinity Original Sin 2, etc...

 

[ECMO3]

Summon Fey is mentioned as a level 11 subclass festure before. But its using limited resources unlike other level 11 festures.

Fey Reinforcements is EXTREMELY powerful but the power is not in the free casting, that is ho hum, the power is not needing concentration and how it combines with the 7th level feature Beguiling Twist.

I've been in a massive battle with 4 Fey on the battlefield at once, all 4 of them making 1 or 2 attacks and all 4 of them throwing a charm around every single turn, and when they bad guys save using Beguiling Twist to turn it to Frightened and then when they save against that in the future turning that into another Frightened.

But both of these are not 2024 subclasses. Did you use 2024 ranger else? The drakewarden is also one of the strongest ranger subclasses.

I don't think it is as powerful as Fey Wanderer, Gloom Stalker or Swarmkeeper

I am not saying ranger has a massive problem, but its really dependant on a good subclass.

This I agree with completely!

And I can see why people might want to get into another class at level 5 which grants more damage.

IME the damage is fine, not awesome but fine. Why I dip rangers it is usually for different spells and/or more spell slots.

 

[ECMO3]

Playable from level 1 was another requirement. When are you taking the dips?

I would start Monk 1 then Ranger 2, then Fighter 1. That is very playable from level 1. The reason for Fighter is the 2nd Fighting Style, although having 5 masteries is pretty awesome too.

If you are pushing for damage this will be very good.

At level 5 (M1/F1/R3) you are doing 3d6+13+subclass damage without using any resources. Using Hunter's Mark it is 4d6+10+subclass on rounds you cast or move it and Hunter's Mark plus martial arts is 6d6+13+subclass and that is while being 2 levels behind for extra attack and you have Ranger spells and second wind to boot.

 

[ECMO3]

And plenty of people will say that Aragorn does use magic.

Yeah, he definitely uses spells in the novels, and I think he is even the inspiration for the V/S/M system implemented in AD&D 1E.

What is in question is not whether he uses spells. What is in question whether the spells come from being a Ranger or come from having Elven blood. Most Tolkien scholars say it is the latter.

 

[Tigris]

The Witcher is probably a bigger influence on what being a Ranger means then Aragorn. And plenty of people will say that Aragorn does use magic. Similarly plenty of video games have the Ranger inspired classes using plenty of magic as builds: Path of Exile, Diablo, Titan Quest, Divinity Original Sin 2, etc...

The ranger was literally modelled after aragorn. The witcher is not so long known and is quite different to a ranger flavour. Being a magically enhanced mutant using potions you brew is much closer to an alchemist.


And in lord of the rings movies the scenes which made aragoen look like a ranger where his knowledge and and experience. Not his magical lineage.

 

[Minigiant]

Yeah, he definitely uses spells, and I think he is even the inspiration for the V/S/M system implemented in AD&D 1E.

What is in question is not whether he uses spells,ecause he definitely does in the novels. What is in question whether the spells come from being a Ranger or come from having Elven blood. Most Tolkien scholars say it is the latter.

D&D ranger magic seems to be a flowchart of "Aragorn knows spells because of Elven blood" to " You don't need to be an elf to cast spells in DND." to " Ranger would like to know the spells that Aragon knows from elves" to "Rangers would learn those spells from priests elves and wizards.".

 

[Minigiant]

The ranger was literally modelled after aragorn. The witcher is not so long known and is quite different to a ranger flavour. Being a magically enhanced mutant using potions you brew is much closer to an alchemist.

There is no alchemists in core DND.


That is 75% of the reason why Rangers cast spells in the first place. OD&D rangers were item users before they were casters. It was just that you didn't have control over your item availability.

 

[Tigris]

There is no alchemists in core DND.


That is 75% of the reason why Rangers cast spells in the first place. OD&D rangers were item users before they were casters. It was just that you didn't have control over your item availability.

I never said D&D is good at representing the witcher flavour.

I said that the witcher is nowhere close to a ranger (or any other D&D class).

A ranger is close to nature, a witcher is an unnatural being and some animals like cats have a natural disliking of witchers because of that.

 

[Sorinth]

The ranger was literally modelled after aragorn. The witcher is not so long known and is quite different to a ranger flavour. Being a magically enhanced mutant using potions you brew is much closer to an alchemist.


And in lord of the rings movies the scenes which made aragoen look like a ranger where his knowledge and and experience. Not his magical lineage.

The 1e Ranger was no doubt modelled partly on Aragorn, but it's a stretch to say the 5e one was. The 1e Ranger had very limited magic that came at high level which fit the Aragorn mold. The 5e one gets a ton more magic because Aragorn is no longer the main influence. Class influences change with time, and the more magical Ranger's in media like The Witcher, are now bigger influences on D&D Rangers then the old influences like Aragorn. Similarly the Harry Potter world is probably a more significant influence on the Wizard class then the likes of Merlin/Gandalf.

 

[ECMO3]

The 1e Ranger was no doubt modelled partly on Aragorn, but it's a stretch to say the 5e one was. The 1e Ranger had very limited magic that came at high level which fit the Aragorn mold. The 5e one gets a ton more magic because Aragorn is no longer the main influence. Class influences change with time, and the more magical Ranger's in media like The Witcher, are now bigger influences on D&D Rangers then the old influences like Aragorn. Similarly the Harry Potter world is probably a more significant influence on the Wizard class then the likes of Merlin/Gandalf.

Yeah the original Ranger got heavy armor and was a primary heavy melee PC, not the dex-based thing we have today, they did not have pets, they had to be good.

Dual Wielding, Pets, sneaky are all things that came later.