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Message: <blockquote data-quote="NotAYakk" data-source="post: 8095170" data-attributes="member: 72555">DEFCON, there are mechanical hooks that the "spell" part of ranger hangs on.Hunter's Mark, Find Traps and Longstrider all use the same "slots", are restricted total per long rest, can be dispelled, use the spell rules for bonus vs action use, can be countered, etc etc.---Now, you can make a Feature-based ranger, but the mechanics of a feature-based rider would not be the same as a spell-based ranger.You could even steal many of the Ranger spells and turn them into Ranger features.  But that transition should give them different mechanics, if only on the margin.Like:Hunter's Mark: A Ranger's bond with the Primal spirits lets it mark a creature to be hunted.  As a bonus action select a creature within 90' the Ranger is aware of.  The Ranger has advantage on Perception checks to detect that creature, Knowledge checks (such as Nature) to determine its properties, and on Survival checks to track it.  Whenever the Ranger hits the creature, deal an extra 1d6 magical damage of any one the the attack's damage types.If a Ranger uses Hunter's Mark on a different creature, the effect on the first creature ends.---That is a "featurized" Ranger Hunter's Mark.We can do the same for Longstrider and Find Traps:---Longstrider: The Ranger and creatures within 50' of the Ranger who the Ranger considers allies gains 10' of movement speed.Trapsense: The Ranger can detect the presence of traps within line of sight.  The Ranger is not told exactly where the trap is, only that it is present, but you do learn the general nature of the trap you detect.  A Trap is a device deliberately designed to hurt, be it mechanical or magical, not just accidental poor construction or weathering.  The Ranger has advantage on all saving throws triggered by traps and attacks on the Ranger by traps are at disadvantage.  Once a Ranger has sensed a Trap this way, they don't sense that particular trap again until the Ranger completes a short rest.---The core effect of these abilities is the same as the Ranger spells, but the scaffolding around it is not.---I might go a different way.  Give the Ranger Hunter's Dice, a pool of d6s, that grow with level.Each Hunter's Die can be used to apply a hunter's mark, or fuel "ranger spells".So Lightning Arrow might beLightning Arrow (At least 3 Hunter's Dice) As a bonus action, you imbue a piece of ammunition or a thrown weapon with the primal power of lightning. When you make a ranged attack with it before the start of your next turn.  The target takes the expended hunters dice on a miss, and twice that on a hit.Hit or miss, each creature within 10' of the target must make a dexterity saving throw, taking a roll of your hunter's dice used damage on a failure and half as much on a success.The weapon or ammunition then loses it's charge of primal lighting.---The Ranger gets 1 hunter's die for every 2 class levels (round up), and they recharge on a short rest.  You can only expend half of your max dice on a single ability.At this point, this is basically a short-rest spell-point spellcaster.  But there are still subtle differences.---And "even" in 5e, those differences matter.  5e was a response to 4e, where almost everyone had powers, and those powers where labelled "spells" "exploits" "prayers" etc.  Mechanically, they where almost completely uniform, and the power source was fluff.5e as a response makes certain things spells and it being spells matters.  Not boundlessly, but it does matter.</blockquote>

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