Horwath
Legend
Well, it's here. Finally. We got our spell-less ranger as a base class. And it delivers. Big thanks to LU team.
However, personally, I see some minor things that could be better IMHO.
but I would take this class as printed over O5E ranger any day of the week!
The Good:
It' spell-less ranger, what can be bad with that?
Exploration knacks(mostly), great addition to the class and the whole LU philosophy in general.
Maneuvers: excellent.
The Bad:
Some minor issues with knack and ability balance.
No possibility to trade out medium armor for extra class skill.
Cartographer's tool should be on tools list.
The Ugly:
still having lot's of abilities mandatory "choice" and some abilities are waaaay to weak for levels the come online.
so, let's start with complaining...
Knacks:
Build Shelter:
just an issue of limit of one a week. Just say that you cannot maintain more than one shelter at a time, and it loses utility if unattended for 3 days.
Healing Salves:
this has issue of stepping on healers toes a little, and instant HP restore looks a lot like magic. Also I would base the usage on proficiency bonus, not on wisdom.
Maybe better utility would be effect that is only obvious on longer term(at least short rest). I.E. you use a Salve on short rest and regain max HP from healing dice, or you are cured of poison during that rest. I don't know how many HDs are we getting back during long rest. If it is still half, then this applied before long rest could return ALL HDs. Or remove 1 level of fatigue and/or strife.
Anything but instant cure.
Poisons and Antidotes:
This really need scaling formula: either 8+prof bonus+wis bonus or 8+2×prof bonus. DC 10 later on is BAD.
Class Features:
Now, I have a feeling that many class feature have been written to fill every level of "features" part of the class table with something. Not concerning at what level they are gained.
Also, having all those features mandatory, even though they are good, feels little bad.
Familiar terrain, Studied Adversary, Stride and Seek, Trained accuracy, Wilderness mystique, Adversarial focus, Game hunting, Explorer's instincts, Flash of steel, Trackless hunting, Wilderness lore, Guarded post, Tactical advantage, Survivalcraft, Hunter's intent, Flora and Fauna, Extreme(ly late) Exploration, should all have been optional features to take. And many of them should be available at much lower level than it is gained in current table.
Lets call them Ranger Talents:
You get 2 at 1st level and one at every even level after. 12 in total.
So I will add min level to every one with maybe some minor tweaks for each one:
Familiar terrain: requires Ranger level 1.
This is clearly staple ability of rangers for exploration. But what's with 1hr requirement. Just say that it does not work in combat. No need to wander around for an hour before having it active.
Also, "cannot be lost" is bad design, it would be better to have advantage on Survival, Nature and any tool that can help with navigating instead of auto-success.
Studied adversary: requires Ranger level 1.
Why is this mandatory? YOU should have destroyed the Favored enemy/foe, not embrace it. Haha.
Nothing wrong with this ability, just as long you can take something else instead.
Or just have ability: Expert tracker; you have advantage on Survival rolls used for tracking. That's it.
Hunter's Target: requires Ranger level 2.
I would remove +1 to attack to not mess with bounded accuracy and bump the damage to +1d8.
Add prof bonus usages per long rest, instead of once per short/long.
Swift feet: requires Ranger level 2.
Same usage remark as Hunter's Target.
Trained accuracy: requires Ranger level 2.
I would change this. Base idea is good, but...
Have it work prof bonus per long rest.
Instead of reaction, we use bonus action to get advantage on our next attack this turn.
If attack hits deal extra +1d6 damage. Increase this damage to +2d6 at 5th level, +3d6 at 11th and +4d6 at 17th level.
Answering silence: requires Ranger level 1.
Fearsome mysticism: requires Ranger level 1.
Kindred spirit: requires Ranger level 1.
Adversarial focus: requires Studied Adversary, Ranger level 4
Gain 2nd adversary as normal. Instead of +1 attack, gain prof bonus to weapon damage rolls.
Game hunting: requires ranger level 2
3rd point should work with all one-handed weapons.
Explorer's instincts: requires ranger level 6
Flash of steel: requires ranger level 10
Hunter's focus: requires ranger level 8
Trackless hunting: requires ranger level 8
Big game traps: requires ranger level 4
Waste Not: requires ranger level 1
Defensive marksmen: requires ranger level 10
Hunters blind: requires ranger level 4
You can also add this to Build shelter knack by adding 2 hrs of work.
Covered shot: requires ranger level 6
Nature shadow: requires ranger level 1
Under the stars: requires ranger level 6
Woodlore: requires Ranger level 2
Hunter's intent: requires ranger level 18
Beastly attack: requires ranger level 10
I have the High Ground!: requires Jed...err.. Ranger level 10
Extreme(ly late) exploration: we'll slash this into it's 3 components and have them at various levels:
Environmental adaptation: requires ranger level 12
Gain cold and fire resistance
Natural immunity: requires ranger level 8
you are immune to diseases and poisons
Roving: requires ranger level 6
you gain climbing and swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
However, personally, I see some minor things that could be better IMHO.
but I would take this class as printed over O5E ranger any day of the week!
The Good:
It' spell-less ranger, what can be bad with that?
Exploration knacks(mostly), great addition to the class and the whole LU philosophy in general.
Maneuvers: excellent.
The Bad:
Some minor issues with knack and ability balance.
No possibility to trade out medium armor for extra class skill.
Cartographer's tool should be on tools list.
The Ugly:
still having lot's of abilities mandatory "choice" and some abilities are waaaay to weak for levels the come online.
so, let's start with complaining...
Knacks:
Build Shelter:
just an issue of limit of one a week. Just say that you cannot maintain more than one shelter at a time, and it loses utility if unattended for 3 days.
Healing Salves:
this has issue of stepping on healers toes a little, and instant HP restore looks a lot like magic. Also I would base the usage on proficiency bonus, not on wisdom.
Maybe better utility would be effect that is only obvious on longer term(at least short rest). I.E. you use a Salve on short rest and regain max HP from healing dice, or you are cured of poison during that rest. I don't know how many HDs are we getting back during long rest. If it is still half, then this applied before long rest could return ALL HDs. Or remove 1 level of fatigue and/or strife.
Anything but instant cure.
Poisons and Antidotes:
This really need scaling formula: either 8+prof bonus+wis bonus or 8+2×prof bonus. DC 10 later on is BAD.
Class Features:
Now, I have a feeling that many class feature have been written to fill every level of "features" part of the class table with something. Not concerning at what level they are gained.
Also, having all those features mandatory, even though they are good, feels little bad.
Familiar terrain, Studied Adversary, Stride and Seek, Trained accuracy, Wilderness mystique, Adversarial focus, Game hunting, Explorer's instincts, Flash of steel, Trackless hunting, Wilderness lore, Guarded post, Tactical advantage, Survivalcraft, Hunter's intent, Flora and Fauna, Extreme(ly late) Exploration, should all have been optional features to take. And many of them should be available at much lower level than it is gained in current table.
Lets call them Ranger Talents:
You get 2 at 1st level and one at every even level after. 12 in total.
So I will add min level to every one with maybe some minor tweaks for each one:
Familiar terrain: requires Ranger level 1.
This is clearly staple ability of rangers for exploration. But what's with 1hr requirement. Just say that it does not work in combat. No need to wander around for an hour before having it active.
Also, "cannot be lost" is bad design, it would be better to have advantage on Survival, Nature and any tool that can help with navigating instead of auto-success.
Studied adversary: requires Ranger level 1.
Why is this mandatory? YOU should have destroyed the Favored enemy/foe, not embrace it. Haha.
Nothing wrong with this ability, just as long you can take something else instead.
Or just have ability: Expert tracker; you have advantage on Survival rolls used for tracking. That's it.
Hunter's Target: requires Ranger level 2.
I would remove +1 to attack to not mess with bounded accuracy and bump the damage to +1d8.
Add prof bonus usages per long rest, instead of once per short/long.
Swift feet: requires Ranger level 2.
Same usage remark as Hunter's Target.
Trained accuracy: requires Ranger level 2.
I would change this. Base idea is good, but...
Have it work prof bonus per long rest.
Instead of reaction, we use bonus action to get advantage on our next attack this turn.
If attack hits deal extra +1d6 damage. Increase this damage to +2d6 at 5th level, +3d6 at 11th and +4d6 at 17th level.
Answering silence: requires Ranger level 1.
Fearsome mysticism: requires Ranger level 1.
Kindred spirit: requires Ranger level 1.
Adversarial focus: requires Studied Adversary, Ranger level 4
Gain 2nd adversary as normal. Instead of +1 attack, gain prof bonus to weapon damage rolls.
Game hunting: requires ranger level 2
3rd point should work with all one-handed weapons.
Explorer's instincts: requires ranger level 6
Flash of steel: requires ranger level 10
Hunter's focus: requires ranger level 8
Trackless hunting: requires ranger level 8
Big game traps: requires ranger level 4
Waste Not: requires ranger level 1
Defensive marksmen: requires ranger level 10
Hunters blind: requires ranger level 4
You can also add this to Build shelter knack by adding 2 hrs of work.
Covered shot: requires ranger level 6
Nature shadow: requires ranger level 1
Under the stars: requires ranger level 6
Woodlore: requires Ranger level 2
Hunter's intent: requires ranger level 18
Beastly attack: requires ranger level 10
I have the High Ground!: requires Jed...err.. Ranger level 10
Extreme(ly late) exploration: we'll slash this into it's 3 components and have them at various levels:
Environmental adaptation: requires ranger level 12
Gain cold and fire resistance
Natural immunity: requires ranger level 8
you are immune to diseases and poisons
Roving: requires ranger level 6
you gain climbing and swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
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