D&D 5E Ranger

[Bryk]

At least until level 15, when you get share spells.

Giant poisonous snake is also nice with its 10' reach and 3d6 poison damage.

I see in no way how share spells would work with your pet when hunter's mark does not target you, and it specifies spells that target you.

 

[Bryk]

Sharpshooter + volley is only "okay" damage by level 11.
You already get 2 attacks so if you need to 2 guys, you can do it already. So Volley is only worthwhile if you somehow get 3or more guys in its small area. So a ranger would not be doing AOE every round unless they set up the enemy.

The real problem is the level you get it ranger stuff.
At level 11, most foes are fat with HP and ranger AOE anyjust tickles them. Most threats have more that 50 HP and a danger AOE does not break their stride for the squishy back row out of fear. Fighters can do 3 attack burstdown, barbarias have raging reckless attack with brutality. Paladins can burn slots for good damage while buffed. Rangers get AOE for stuff that shouldn't scare them or a 2nd attack for their squishy pet.

1 - for any AoE, you need the enemies "setup".
2- AoE hitting more targets than your allies hitting one still does more area of effect damage (hence aoe) if it hits more targets and does more overall damage than you normally would in that area of effect.

Due to the caps (forgot the WotC wording for this on the tip of my tongue), things should always "scare you", since this game is based on multiple encounters that whittle you down throughout the course of a day. If a DM only throws a few strong monsters at you, and no weak minions, then AOE wouldn't have helped you to begin with. AoE shines against large groups of weak minions.

You can't argue against the purpose of all AoE and single target out the Ranger. The Ranger has the best sustained AoE, plain and simple.

 

[Runny]

At 11th level, an Envoker can spam a lot of fireballs. Nine to be precise. That is a lot of AoE. All are party friendly. All add 5 to damage. Dex save DC is 17. The area of effect is gigantic.

I am guessing that most days, nine fireballs is enough AoE to count as sustainable. You also have four shatters to boot. Just saying that you are leaning very heavily on what is considered sustainable.

 

[Minigiant]

Ranger's probably do have the best sustained AOE damage until evoker gets at will slot spells.

My point is the usefulness of sustain AOE is limited at high levels.
Unless your DM is throwing 3 dozen goblins at you at level 13, the damage of "at will AOE" just tickles the enemy.

Then they shake off your arrow sprat of 10-20 damage.

And eat your face.

 

[Bryk]

Ranger's probably do have the best sustained AOE damage until evoker gets at will slot spells.

My point is the usefulness of sustain AOE is limited at high levels.
Unless your DM is throwing 3 dozen goblins at you at level 13, the damage of "at will AOE" just tickles the enemy.

Then they shake off your arrow sprat of 10-20 damage.

And eat your face.

Dragons have 250 HP, 150 hp creatures taking 25 damage per round, adds up.

 

[Minigiant]

If you are doing AOE multiple times in a fight with a dragon, you are probably gonna TPK.

5e followed the trend of 3e and having super mean solo monsters or a handlful of tough monsters with tons of HP at higher levels. If you don't cause enemy casaulties and limit their offense, you are going to die". 5e isn't 4e where you can survive a couple turns of heat. 5e monsters are the mean killer 3e kinds where the DM subbed out their junk feats.

 

[Bryk]

If you are doing AOE multiple times in a fight with a dragon, you are probably gonna TPK.

5e followed the trend of 3e and having super mean solo monsters or a handlful of tough monsters with tons of HP at higher levels. If you don't cause enemy casaulties and limit their offense, you are going to die". 5e isn't 4e where you can survive a couple turns of heat. 5e monsters are the mean killer 3e kinds where the DM subbed out their junk feats.

If there is a halfway decent DM, there are most likely going to be minions. Meaning if you don't AOE, then ... it is going to be TPK, sigh guy.

 

[Plane Sailing]

I feel that the real problem isn't about DPR or anything similar. It is just that the class doesn't really have that "wow, play me!" factor. Not enough interesting choices or flavour IMO.

 

[BASHMAN]

I feel that the real problem isn't about DPR or anything similar. It is just that the class doesn't really have that "wow, play me!" factor. Not enough interesting choices or flavour IMO.

This. We have a player in our campaign that from the earliest playtest, character concept was "Ranger". In e initial playtest, that wasn't an option, so he was a Rogue who never disarmed traps indoors, etc.

After over a year of cobbling together patchworks of multi-classing or feats, etc. to make his character "rangery" the actual ranger is released... and he decided to rebuild the character... as a Fighter/Rogue.

 

[Sword of Spirit]

I feel that the real problem isn't about DPR or anything similar. It is just that the class doesn't really have that "wow, play me!" factor. Not enough interesting choices or flavour IMO.

Yeah I think that's definitely a part of it. I don't think any edition of ranger has really gripped me since the 1e version that got both druid and magic-user spell casting.

Hopefully a lot of ranger fans will disagree and find this one more interesting than I do. Part of me wants to say "maybe I'm just not a fan of rangers" but I don't think that's true. I pretty much enjoy every class. I'm generally not a big fan of monks in the PHB (I prefer they get released in an Oriental Adventures supplement), but I was blown away with how well done the monk is this edition. Ranger just isn't carrying enough flavor for me.