Ranger houserules and homebrew

[doctorbadwolf]

Tell me what you think.

Beast Companion options: First, beast companions can be mounts, but it has to be an animal that can normally be a mount. You can't use a giant owl as a mount, normally. Second, Beasts can be commanded to Help, Dash, Dodge or Disengage as a bonus action, and you can Help your companion as a bonus action. If you help your companion, or it Helps you or an ally, add a bonus equal to Wis mod to damage of an attack, or to a skill check.

Beast Companion as core feature: Downgrade ranger spellcasting to 1/3 casting. Give Beast COmpanion as core feature at lvl 2. Sub classes could increase spellcasting if it makes sense for the concept.

Spells: Add a few spells to ranger list. Can do ranger spells as rituals if they have that tag.
Absorb elements, beast bond(add ritual tag), Control Wind (ritual), Skywrite (ritual), Tidal Wave, Warding Wind, Augury, Commune, Divination, Leomund's Tiny Hut. Cantrips: Blade Ward, Dancing Lights, Druidcraft, Guidance, Shillelagh, Thorn Whip, Seeker's Bow*, Tangle Bow*, Booming Blade, Spirit Bow*


Add the following to the Natural Explorer trait.
You can spend 1 hour familiarizing yourself with an area of wilderness or an urban area ½ a mile diameter or less, or a day to familiarize yourself with an entire settlement or an area of wilderness of a size that you could cross in one day of travel alone. In that area, you can use a bonus action in any surprise round to do one of the following: Move half your speed, use the Hide action, or interact with your environment. You also gain proficiency on any checks to navigate, forage or track in that area, even if you wouldn’t normally. If you are tracking a target, you remain aware of their exact location even if they break line of sight, so long as you can establish line of sight again by the end of your next turn. You are also able to find lodging, and make contacts in a settlement, who are friendly to you, and will help you as long as it does not endanger them.

If you track and/or study a creature for at least 1 hour, either as part of familiarizing yourself with an area, or while in a familiar area, you gain Expertise on Insight, Investigate, Perception, Arcana, or Deception checks involving that creature.

You can only keep one area’s features in your mind at one time. When you gain familiarity with an area, you lose familiarity with any other area for which you have used this trait, with one exception. Work with your DM to figure out an area related to your background. That area is always familiar to you.

At lvl 10, instead of an extra Terrain type, when in your favored terrain, or an area of familiarity, you gain advantage on any checks made during a Chase, or to locate a character/creature, and saves vs natural hazards, and you gain Advantage, once per day, when gathering information, foraging or tracking.

Replace Hide In Plain Sight with the following: You are the master of stealth in any area with which you are familiar, or a Favored Terrain. You can attempt to Hide even when only lightly obscured by terrain features, or by a crowd or other urban features, like market stalls, stacks of crates, etc, so long as you are familiar with the area or terrain type. You can also help your companions Hide more effectively. A number of times equal to your Wisdom Modifier, you can give an ally Advantage on a check to Hide.


New Spell:
Seeker's Bow
Conjuration Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Weapon Range
Components: V, M (a weapon)
Duration: 1 Round
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a ranged attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, except that the damage is Poison, Fire, Cold, Lightning, or Thunder damage, and it also takes 1d4 of that damage if it willingly moves during the duration of the spell.
This spell's damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d4 damage to it's target, and the damage for moving increases to 2d4. Both damage rolls increase by 1d4 at 11th level and 17th level.

Tangle Bow
Conjuration Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Weapon Range
Components: V, M (a weapon)
Duration: 1 Round

You call upon the spirits of the land as you draw back your bow or ready a thrown weapon, and make a ranged weapon attack against one target within the weapon's range. The target suffers the attack's normal effects. Whether the weapon attack hits or not, the ground within 15 feet of the target becomes difficult terrain. The next enemy that makes an attack within the area of effect takes 1d8 thunder damage.
The spells damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level, 11th level and 17th level.

Nature's Bow
Conjuration Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Weapon Range
Components: V, M (a ranged or thrown weapon made of wood, 1 foot of thorny vine or branch, 1 ounce of water form a spring, snowmelt or rain)
Duration: 1 Minute
The wood of the chosen weapon you are holding is imbued with nature's power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability isntead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of ranged attacks using that weapon. The weapon also becomes magical, if it isn't already. The spell ends if you cast it again or if you let go of the weapon.
Special: You can spend a 1st level spell slot to make attacks with the weapon count as silvered, and make the spell last for 1 hour.



So, I think these changes bring the class up to the level of the Paladin, but feel free to tell me if I"m missing something.

I figure the Beast Master can be replaced with some manner of spirit warrior that is more magical, and perhaps one that makes the Beast even more powerful?

anyway, any thoughts?

 

[jodyjohnson]

Let's begin at the end; with the goal: bring the class up to the level of the paladin.

So, I think these changes bring the class up to the level of the Paladin, but feel free to tell me if I"m missing something.

So what makes the Paladin so much better?
Paladin 1: Divine Sense as a cantrip (for practical purposes - it is an at-will ability taking an action)
Lay on Hands as a pseudo-cantrip/pseudo-spell with a daily pool - not really a daily power or an at-will power. It is a very precise power.

Ranger 1: The Ranger gets a Language (possibly) and Advantage on 2 very specific types of checks against a small subset of enemies. Also gets some bonuses to Wis and Int checks in certain types of terrain (especially perception).

Both get spells and a Fighting style at 2nd, Extra Attack at 5th, and the same spell progression if we ignore Divine Sense and Lay on Hands as spell-like. Well except for the Paladin gets the whole list and the Ranger gets Spells Known. So the Ranger spell list is much more like a powers list - kind of like Battle Master maneuvers - short list, small number of uses. Plus toss in the bonus prepared spells from Oath.

The second standout ability of the Paladin is trading spell slots for melee damage. This is a no-action at-will (Cantrip number 2). The Hunter can do it with Hunter's Mark (more efficiently but at the cost of concentration) but the Paladin's usage is very precise - can be saved for crits or when the situation is optimal (not smiting the nearly dead). It is also front-loaded. Giving Vengeance paladin's Hunter's Mark is just salt in the wound.

So if my goal were to balance Ranger and Paladin I'd add the Cantrip abilities (Divine Sense and Divine Smite) and add some 'domain' spells known for free (like the new Ranger subclass in UA). Then give them Vow of Enmity rewritten.

1st. Add Divine Sense detection ability to Favored Enemy - it works versus your favored enemy like the Paladin's works versus Celestials, Fiends, and Undead. Detect Favored Enemy within 60' as an action (this would also give the 3rd level Primeval Awareness some utility. Primeval Awareness combined with a Divine Sense ability to locate would be huge.
2nd. Nature's Enmity - vow of enmity refreshing on a short rest (advantage on attacks - your buff to Animal Companions would do this once per turn).
Nature's Smite - burn a spell for 1d8 bonus damage ranged or melee, +1d8 to a favored enemy. Divine Smite is melee only and we still need to account for the bonuses from the Hunter subclass and possibly Hunter's Mark.

I'm not going to worry about Lay on Hands because Range attacks and Stealth/Perception abilities are at-will damage mitigation abilities. Hiding, Range, and Surprise can negate damage.

But my preference would be to knock Paladin down a peg, because trying to bring all the d10/d12 classes up to Paladin levels is too much when I could modify Paladin down to mortal levels.

And the Paladin's damage spikes are really dependent on encounters/day and the campaigns playstyle. So I'm not saying that Paladin's are over-powered at all tables.

 

[jodyjohnson]

Beast Companion options: First, beast companions can be mounts, but it has to be an animal that can normally be a mount. You can't use a giant owl as a mount, normally. Second, Beasts can be commanded to Help, Dash, Dodge or Disengage as a bonus action, and you can Help your companion as a bonus action. If you help your companion, or it Helps you or an ally, add a bonus equal to Wis mod to damage of an attack, or to a skill check.

Not sure what you are saying here. Animal Companions can already be mounts for small characters.

Now if you are saying that you would allow Large Companions as long as they were on the short list of CR 1/4 or lower large mounts (Riding Horse, Camel, Draft Horse) then I agree with allowing some flexibility on the selection criteria.

Alternately you may be saying to give an Animal Companion options on par with those granted to Mounted Combat for free. I largely agree with that as well.

The Help option stuff seems a little much. Getting to Help yourself every round is better in the early game than the Vow of Enmity option I posted above. Except when combined with the two weapon style.

My house rule regarding this was to allow the Companion to use Dodge, Disengage or Dash without direction but pretty much just to stay with the Ranger or as a default action when not directed (Dodge).

Help as a Bonus at 7th seems fine to me. Plus the ability to precisely direct the AC.

This doesn't speak to one of the running issues with Animal Companions in terms of their ability to recover from damage or survive area spells. They get some HD recovery and do heal to full on a long rest, but they fall behind quickly as the Ranger levels.

Beast Companion as core feature: Downgrade ranger spellcasting to 1/3 casting. Give Beast COmpanion as core feature at lvl 2. Sub classes could increase spellcasting if it makes sense for the concept.

I think a full Beastmaster class might be fine but that is really too much to analyse. Trying to match Ranger with Paladin and then involving a huge assortment of possible companions is hard to balance in the DPR department.

Which 1/3 caster progression are you referring to? Arcane Trickster or Eldritch Knight?

Spells: Add a few spells to ranger list. Can do ranger spells as rituals if they have that tag.
Absorb elements, beast bond(add ritual tag), Control Wind (ritual), Skywrite (ritual), Tidal Wave, Warding Wind, Augury, Commune, Divination, Leomund's Tiny Hut. Cantrips: Blade Ward, Dancing Lights, Druidcraft, Guidance, Shillelagh, Thorn Whip, Seeker's Bow*, Tangle Bow*, Booming Blade, Spirit Bow*

With 1/3 progression Commune (5th, 1/3 casters cap at 4th) is too high level. Leomund's (13th) and Divination (19th) are probably too late in the game to matter.

More on the spells later.

 

[jodyjohnson]

Add the following to the Natural Explorer trait.
You can spend 1 hour familiarizing yourself with an area of wilderness or an urban area ½ a mile diameter or less, or a day to familiarize yourself with an entire settlement or an area of wilderness of a size that you could cross in one day of travel alone. In that area, you can use a bonus action in any surprise round to do one of the following: Move half your speed, use the Hide action, or interact with your environment. You also gain proficiency on any checks to navigate, forage or track in that area, even if you wouldn’t normally. If you are tracking a target, you remain aware of their exact location even if they break line of sight, so long as you can establish line of sight again by the end of your next turn. You are also able to find lodging, and make contacts in a settlement, who are friendly to you, and will help you as long as it does not endanger them.

If you track and/or study a creature for at least 1 hour, either as part of familiarizing yourself with an area, or while in a familiar area, you gain Expertise on Insight, Investigate, Perception, Arcana, or Deception checks involving that creature.

You can only keep one area’s features in your mind at one time. When you gain familiarity with an area, you lose familiarity with any other area for which you have used this trait, with one exception. Work with your DM to figure out an area related to your background. That area is always familiar to you.

At lvl 10, instead of an extra Terrain type, when in your favored terrain, or an area of familiarity, you gain advantage on any checks made during a Chase, or to locate a character/creature, and saves vs natural hazards, and you gain Advantage, once per day, when gathering information, foraging or tracking.

This is all pretty complicated although I could see a Downtime activity (10 days) where you can make an area (same size as Primeval Awareness, or up to 6 mile radius) treated as Favored Terrain. Kind of a Home Turf ability.

The rest looks too much.

Replace Hide In Plain Sight with the following: You are the master of stealth in any area with which you are familiar, or a Favored Terrain. You can attempt to Hide even when only lightly obscured by terrain features, or by a crowd or other urban features, like market stalls, stacks of crates, etc, so long as you are familiar with the area or terrain type. You can also help your companions Hide more effectively. A number of times equal to your Wisdom Modifier, you can give an ally Advantage on a check to Hide.

Looks OK, what is the refresh. I assume on a long rest.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Could change the bonus action help to bonus action to heal AC or give it a damage bonus/it give you one. Point is to make it useful most rounds.
Forgot to get rid of 5th level spells when I changed it to 1/3 caster. Frankly I don't think it matters which progression you use, neither will be overpowered. As for the 4th level spells, I don't know what you are objecting to. They are thematically appropriate.
The mount part is just to clarify that it can be large as long as it's a mount, probably should specify that I mean a find steed mount.

Also, bonus action pet heals will help, as would bonus hp at later levels, maybe 7 and 14?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Also, the area familiarity could Be familiar with a number of area = wis mod,rather than just 1, but that is a small matter.

Perhaps the pet should get healed any time the ranger is healed.

 

[jodyjohnson]

New Spell:
Seeker's Bow
Conjuration Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Weapon Range
Components: V, M (a weapon)
Duration: 1 Round
As part of the action used to cast this spell, you must make a ranged attack with a weapon against one creature within the spell's range, otherwise the spell fails. On a hit, the target suffers the attack's normal effects, except that the damage is Poison, Fire, Cold, Lightning, or Thunder damage, and it also takes 1d4 of that damage if it willingly moves during the duration of the spell.
This spell's damage increases when you reach higher levels. At 5th level, the ranged attack deals an extra 1d4 damage to it's target, and the damage for moving increases to 2d4. Both damage rolls increase by 1d4 at 11th level and 17th level.

I wouldn't allow Thunder damage - thunder damage works on almost everything. Poison is probably a trap option. A versatile Cantrip with a fiddly effect.

Lot's a interaction questions would be raised. Does it work with Sharpshooter? Spell Sniper? Can I add my Magic Weapon powers?

Tangle Bow
Conjuration Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Weapon Range
Components: V, M (a weapon)
Duration: 1 Round

You call upon the spirits of the land as you draw back your bow or ready a thrown weapon, and make a ranged weapon attack against one target within the weapon's range. The target suffers the attack's normal effects. Whether the weapon attack hits or not, the ground within 15 feet of the target becomes difficult terrain. The next enemy that makes an attack within the area of effect takes 1d8 thunder damage.
The spells damage increases by 1d8 when you reach 5th level, 11th level and 17th level.

Again with the Thunder damage. I assume your trying to match the lack of foes resistance to Radiant damage. Same concerns about interactions.

Plus I can see two Rangers doing an irritating Seeker's Bow and Tangle Bow combo.
Seeker's Bow I could see using. Tangle Bow is not a cantrip.

Nature's Bow
Conjuration Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: Weapon Range
Components: V, M (a ranged or thrown weapon made of wood, 1 foot of thorny vine or branch, 1 ounce of water form a spring, snowmelt or rain)
Duration: 1 Minute
The wood of the chosen weapon you are holding is imbued with nature's power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability isntead of Strength or Dexterity for the attack and damage rolls of ranged attacks using that weapon. The weapon also becomes magical, if it isn't already. The spell ends if you cast it again or if you let go of the weapon.
Special: You can spend a 1st level spell slot to make attacks with the weapon count as silvered, and make the spell last for 1 hour.

Shillelagh for bows.

If you add Cantrips to Ranger, I could see Magical Adept (feat) including the Ranger as an option. Druid or Cleric might poach this.

What qualifies as a wooden thrown weapon? Boomerang? Or is partially wood good enough?

When you throw it are you letting go of the weapon? (The spell ends ... if you let go of the weapon.)

 

[doctorbadwolf]

Not sure how tangle bow isn't a can trip. It's a fiddley booming blade. Which also does thunder, iirc.

Bat explorer refresh would be long rest. Disagree that it's too much. It'd be a ribbon if not for the tracking and the favored terrain.

 

[jodyjohnson]

Could change the bonus action help to bonus action to heal AC or give it a damage bonus/it give you one. Point is to make it useful most rounds.

Personally, the idea that an animal companion isn't useful unless it is improving your combat attacks bothers me. You get this extra zone of control (including reaction attacks), they can soak attacks, they make perception checks (often better than the Ranger), and an optional attack without any changes.

Giving them an always on damage add or one attack advantage seems like a round of house ruling for the Fighter, Monk, and Barbarian will be in order. But at your table you can set the Ranger as best combat class if you want.

Fixing the Ranger by giving them both the beastmaster and the hunter (or Deep Stalker) plus then adding always on combat boosts from the pet seems like overcompensating (even with slightly lowering their high level spells while giving them scaling cantrips).

But I do understand a little Paladin envy.

Frankly I don't think it matters which progression you use, neither will be overpowered.

But it would help to know - the Arcane Trickster gets an extra cantrip. Considering how much of the spell progressions power get's moved to cantrips it is relevant.

As for the 4th level spells, I don't know what you are objecting to. They are thematically appropriate.

No objection, just pointing out it doesn't matter until 19th.

The mount part is just to clarify that it can be large as long as it's a mount, probably should specify that I mean a find steed mount.

Warhorse is the best mount on the Find Steed list. Unfortunately it is CR 1/2 so not avallable within the normal limits. Giving it at 2nd plus Beastmaster bonuses would be very good. +8 for 13 (2d6+6) plus a potential extra attack for Trampling charge -- Save for Prone, then make a second +8 attack with advantage for another 13.

Draft Horse or Riding Horse are within the limit and lack the Trample. But then nothing is stopping anyone in the party from buying and using a Warhorse.

Also, bonus action pet heals will help, as would bonus hp at later levels, maybe 7 and 14?

Do you have any specifics?

 

[jodyjohnson]

Not sure how tangle bow isn't a can trip. It's a fiddley booming blade. Which also does thunder, iirc.

Seeker's Bow is a modified Booming Blade. I didn't recognize it after you added 4 more optional damage types and increased the range from a hard coded 5 to weapon range (up to 600).

I see the damage die was lowered to d4 from d8 but I think the main advantage is giving the Ranger a huge selection of damage types for bow attacks. There is a still big difference between a melee range control cantrip (don't run away from me) and a ranged version which has the opposite goal (don't close to melee with me).

But as I said, not a huge deal since it becomes less useful soon as you hit 5th and get Extra Attack.

Bat explorer refresh would be long rest. Disagree that it's too much. It'd be a ribbon if not for the tracking and the favored terrain.

This probably requires a whole thread in itself to discuss. It add a couple long complicated uses to an already long complicated ability.