D&D 5E Poll: Should Orzel's "Favored Enemy" idea be implemented in D&D Next?

[Serendipity]

I dig the mechanic, but it doesn't really sing "Ranger!" to me. (Then again, I tend to shift around how favored enemy works depending on the campaign setting.) It doesn't speak of any other class either though (well, save maybe assassin).
Perhaps a variation on this could work in which it keys off of something other than monsters? A terrain based variation? Which speaks more of what a ranger is (to me) than what it's good at killing.

 

[GX.Sigma]

I really like it, but I like favored terrain even more. It fits the ranger theme better.

The idea also could apply to environments.

Favored Environment: Hot Forest (Jungle)
Stealth +3
Great Fortitude: The ranger gains advantage when rolling saving throw against naturals diseases and poisons.
Tiger Tactics: When attacking, the ranger gains an additional 1d6 piercing claw attack.

One can imagine a "woodlands" ranger, a "desert" ranger, an "urban" ranger, etc.

 

[Serendipity]

I really like it, but I like favored terrain even more. It fits the ranger theme better.

I can't give you any more experience for a bit, but this is precisely what I was talking about.

 

[Jiggawatts]

I'm happy with a bonus against giant class creatures. Simple and works.

This.

Also return the ranger fluff to civilizations guardian against the wilderness rather than the wilderness defender that they became (druids more than fit that role, or even barbarians). In addition take the "every ranger is a dual wielder" out of the game, if a ranger character wishes to take the feats or proficiencies for dual wielding, fine no problem, but this trope that every one does needs to die.

Aragorn, not Drizzt.

 

[variant]

This.

Also return the ranger fluff to civilizations guardian against the wilderness rather than the wilderness defender that they became (druids more than fit that role, or even barbarians). In addition take the "every ranger is a dual wielder" out of the game, if a ranger character wishes to take the feats or proficiencies for dual wielding, fine no problem, but this trope that every one does needs to die.

Aragorn, not Drizzt.

I completely agree that the fluff of the ranger needs to change from wilderness defender to civilization's guardian against the wilderness. I also agree that the concept that every ranger dual wields weapons needs to go. I also think that rangers shouldn't get spellcasting either.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Novel. The non-situational benefit is the strongest feature; I could certainly support it.

 

[Ahnehnois]

I kind of liked the ideas, but I think there should be a simple numerical bonus against the creature type in question (perhaps in addition to the generalized ability), and the suggestions seemed to stretch my sense of what facored enemy should be able to do. Generalizable bonuses is one thing, but they have to clearly relate to the favored enemy.

I'm also thinking that favored enemy probably shouldn't be a class ability under 5e structure. Seems like a background/theme thing to me.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Returning it to AD&D's version would sour me on the class.

Much as I like the old Ranger- still play them quite often when I play AD&D- it is too narrowly written in the context of a class that may be appropriate for any culture in any environment. De-linking the class from just being a giant killer was a good design decision- now you can have rangers who specialize in being hunters of men, slayers of vermin, ooze destroyers, and on occasion, hunters of the dead.

 

[Fifth Element]

In addition take the "every ranger is a dual wielder" out of the game, if a ranger character wishes to take the feats or proficiencies for dual wielding, fine no problem, but this trope that every one does needs to die.

Erm, that was only the case in 2E wasn't it? 3E and 4E provide it as an option but not a requirement. (Though honestly I don't remember the 3.0 ranger so it may have been 3.5 that made the change?)

 

[GX.Sigma]

Ranger
Level 1: Choose one of the following Hunting Styles and gain its benefit:

• Giant Slayer: You deal 1 bonus damage per Ranger level to Goblinoids, Monstrous Humanoids, and Giants.
• Favored Enemy: Choose a favored enemy from the table below.
• Favored Environment: Choose a favored environment from the table below.
• Hunter's Quarry: Once per round, you can designate the nearest enemy to you as your quarry. You have advantage on attack rolls against that target. You can't choose a new quarry until your current quarry is defeated, or until the end of the encounter.

Erm, that was only the case in 2E wasn't it? 3E and 4E provide it as an option but not a requirement. (Though honestly I don't remember the 3.0 ranger so it may have been 3.5 that made the change?)

In 3e and 4e, the Ranger had to choose Archery or Two Weapon Fighting (and thus was suboptimal with any other fighting style).