D&D (2024) Ranger playtest discussion

[Neonchameleon]

Natural explorer was a good idea terribly implimented. Giving rangers abilities based on their favoured terrain was a good idea. But where it went wrong was that it gave them abilities in that terrain rather than transferrable abilities they learned from the terrain but could use anywhere.

So for example a mountain specialist in the 2014 PHB got a collection of abilities like "tracks better on a mountain" and "forages better on a mountain". What they should have gained was abilities like a climb speed, expertise in athletics, and the ability to easily guide people in climbing because as a mountain ranger they spend a lot of time (a) climbing and (b) doing mountain rescue. But these abilities apply anywhere, so the expert mountain climber can also climb buildings pretty easily.

 

[Charlaquin]

Natural explorer should have been global ability (not being 100% dependent on DM charity) that gives you:

You can always stay alert to danger while doing other tasks,
You have advantage on Survival checks
You can use stealth while moving at normal pace, and with disadvantage while moving at fast pace.


Then if you just need to have favored terrains, all terrains should give global benefit that is most useful in that terrain.

Arctic:
cold resistance and advantage on saves vs cold.
Advantage on acrobatics to retain balance.

Desert:
fire resistance and advantage on saves vs heat/fire
You can survive twice the time without food and/or water

Urban:
gain proficiency in 2 skills from:
History, Insight, Deception, Intimidation, Persuation
Learn 2 languages

Underdark:
Gain or improve darkvision by 60ft
You can Hide as Bonus action

Plains:
improve base speed by 10ft
you can Dash as Bonus action

Swamp:
resistance and advantage vs poisons
immunity do diseases(non magical)

Aquatic:
breathe water
swim speed

Forest:
Climb speed
proficiency in athletics or expertise

That would be great, yeah.

 

[Charlaquin]

Any character can stay alert to danger if their Perception is good enough.

Not true. Staying alert to danger is a travel task one has to choose, at the expense of other travel tasks (unless one is a ranger).

And while getting lost isn't the only hazard, it is about the only one that dumps you in the exploration pillar for any length of gameplay time. So, yeah, skipping.

What do you mean? Exploration has many hazards.

So, spells.

Right, which I don’t love, but it’s better than taking away the Ranger’s exploration abilities and replacing them with nothing at all.

 

[Horwath]

Wizards likes to stay close to formula. There's a reason why most races get dark vision and now they even come with their own spells. They've been adding spells to every class. In Tasha's the fighter Barbarian and Rogue subclasses all had some sort of magical ability attached. They need to think outside the box. Give us something that stands out from the others

if they want to stay at the formula, then we do not need all this classes.

then we need;

warrior type:
d12 HD. extra attacks at levels 5,11,17

some kind of gish/half caster:
d10 HD
spell levels 1-5
extra attack at 5th level(bladesinger style), bonus action attack after casting a spell at 11th,

2/3rd caster:
d8 HD
spell levels 1-7

full caster:
d6 HD
spell levels 1-9, or maybe 10th level spells at 19th level

give a feat or two every class level and build on.

 

[Mort]

In my somewhat jaded, looking back at 4E perspective, rangers need to have spells because there's a vocal contingent who is going to be upset at any powerful ability from any class that's explicitly called out as non-magical. I recall the most common answer to the question, at what level should a ranger be able to non-magically create the effects of Leomund's tiny hut was effectively "never".

So, it seems to me that the best way to get around it is to make the spell-less ranger a subclass and give them ways to expend spell slots to create effects that are flavored as non-magical (including the ability to create a non-magical equivalent of Leomund's tiny hut when they can cast third-level spells).

I was going to post basically the same thing. Having the abilities be spells is the "safe" option to appease the VERY vocal "but it's not realistic...." crowd.

Take Nature's Veil (13th level ability) bonus action to become invisible until your next turn. This is something that, I think, a ranger should be able to do. By 13th level they become so good (and fast) blending into terrain that invisible is a good term. There are LOTS of examples in film of special forces (or the like) appearing out of nowhere because "they're just that good." But make it a "normal" ability and it guarantees endless quibbling about how is that "realistic."

Make it a magical ability? You might get a few complaints of how too much is magic, but there will be NO complaints (especially during play) that the ranger can turn invisible. It's irritating, but I can certainly see why WoTC chose the side it did.

 

[Gladius Legis]

Not true. Staying alert to danger is a travel task one has to choose, at the expense of other travel tasks (unless one is a ranger).

Two words: Passive Perception.

What do you mean? Exploration has many hazards.

None of which Natural Explorer really addressed. Otherwise, all its abilities do is prevent you from getting lost and making sure you have enough food and travel at standard pace, which in execution leads you to skipping exploration entirely.

Right, which I don’t love, but it’s better than taking away the Ranger’s exploration abilities and replacing them with nothing at all.

3 of the 5 Primal Awareness spells have the ritual tag. Which in 1D&D any spellcaster can now cast without using up spell slots.

And since Rangers are now prepared casters, you can just prepare those as you need them. This new Ranger also has more spells prepared than the old Ranger, even with Primal Awareness, knew at the same levels.

 

[Minigiant]

You know how both fighter and rogue, as base classes, have no spells but offer subclasses that use magic?

Yeah, ranger should follow their lead.

You know the number one reason why this won't happen you wouldn't like it if they did this.

If you get nonspell ranger features, guess

who chooses which nature features you get
how many features you get
how often you get to use it
how often your options are updated in new books....


WOTC tied a nonspell ranger twice, the community hated it.

 

[Mort]

Two words: Passive Perception.

A PC not expressly focused on danger detection (as in doing one of the other travel tasks like Navigating, foraging or mapping) cannot contribute their Passive Pereption to the task of noticing threats. A ranger can do another task AND be on the lookout for danger - that's an exception.

 

[Eric V]

WOTC tied a nonspell ranger twice, the community hated it.

They did?

 

[Zubatcarteira]

The 2014 Ranger had a bunch of features that were non-magical, and a lot of them were awful or outright useless. Definitely more of an issue with the design, Primeval Awareness was bad and it was magical as well, they just have to make non-magical features that don't suck.