D&D (2024) So what's happening with Ranger?

[Minigiant]

So Crawford said that the Ranger is done and not going out again for UA despite lower scores because they AB tested it

want to pause for a moment and talk a little bit about the ranger here there were some pain points in the ua6 version
of the Ranger where you know some concern about favored enemy about faux Slayer and a and Deft Explorer those concerns brought down the satisfaction score of the class overall
we don't need to send this class back out though because with the ranger we
did an AB test where we tried out different versions of the same features the previous versions of those features
scored so well that for the book we're going to create a synthesis version
where basically we take the best elements that have Arisen in the class in the play test and make sure that

Which A an B do you think is getting in?

Expertise/Natural Explorer
A) Expertise in 2 skills at 1st level and 2 more at level 9.
B) Expertise in 1 skill and 1 favored terrain at 1st level and 1 more skill and favored terrain at level 9.

Favored Enemy
A) Concentration-less Hunter's Mark
B) Wis mod/LR free casting of Hunter's Mark

Tireless
A) 1d8 + Prof mod THP once per SR/LR
B) 1d8 + Wis mod THP Wis mod/LR

Nature's Veil
A) Uses a spell slot
B) Wis mod/LR

Foe Slayer
A) Hunter's Mark deals 1d10
B) Hunter's Mark get Wis Mod to attack/damage

I'm thinking BBAAB. I wouldn't expect any A if Crawford didn't say they were combining the two. I could see Nature's Veil going back to using slots. Especially if the the ranger spells aren't buffed.

Don't ask what rangers get at level 10.

Both version of Foe Slayer make me wince.

 

[mellored]

I kind of want Hunters Mark to be a cantrip.

 

[fluffybunbunkittens]

I'm trying to not think about OneDnD Ranger. Absolutely nothing about its options has elicited joy, so Crawford's promised A+B mix is not exactly the Monk turn-around the class needs.

But... they're not going to give them the concentration-less Hunter's Mark, because all previous subclasses need to work with the new Ranger chassis, and some of those subclasses have an inherent dmg boost already... yet WotC really wants to make the class nothing more than a vehicle for Hunter's Mark, so.

 

[Charlaquin]

Expertise/Natural Explorer
A) Expertise in 2 skills at 1st level and 2 more at level 9.
B) Expertise in 1 skill and 1 favored terrain at 1st level and 1 more skill and favored terrain at level 9.

I like A better, but based on Crawford’s report that feedback showed people wanted more nature theme in the ranger, I think B is more likely to make it to print,

Favored Enemy
A) Concentration-less Hunter's Mark
B) Wis mod/LR free casting of Hunter's Mark

There’s unfortunately no way A survives internal playtesting, so B.

Tireless
A) 1d8 + Prof mod THP once per SR/LR
B) 1d8 + Wis mod THP Wis mod/LR

This feels like a toss-up to me, but I suspect B just because they’ve been moving away from adding prof bonus to as many things lately.

Nature's Veil
A) Uses a spell slot
B) Wis mod/LR

I could actually see it being both. A lot of the latest UAs have had versions of features wit their own pool of uses that you can also expend a spell slot to regain a use of.

Foe Slayer
A) Hunter's Mark deals 1d10
B) Hunter's Mark get Wis Mod to attack/damage

I would say B, but then we’d be Bs across the board except for Nature’s Veil potentially being an A/B hybrid. So, A I guess?

 

[Minigiant]

But... they're not going to give them the concentration-less Hunter's Mark, because all previous subclasses need to work with the new Ranger chassis, and some of those subclasses have an inherent dmg boost already... yet WotC really wants to make the class nothing more than a vehicle for Hunter's Mark, so.

I think it's less that WOTC wants the class to be a hunter's mark spammer and more that they have few options due to backwards compatiblity and newbies think Ranger is a Archer who spams HM.

WOTC unfortunately is designing for the LCD.

I looooong believed that they should have created Ranger's Mark, Beastmaster's Mark, Gloomstalker's Mark, Horizon Walker's Mark and let you know them for free and cast them empowered.

 

[mellored]

I looooong believed that they should have created Ranger's Mark, Beastmaster's Mark, Gloomstalker's Mark, Horizon Walker's Mark and let you know them for free and cast them empowered.

It's possible to add those as spells.

 

[Minigiant]

It's possible to add those as spells.

I was more more tying the subclasses to these spells.

Gloomstaller's Mark dealing 1d8 necrotic instead but 1d10 for Gloom Stalkers.
Beast Master's mark letting beasts deal extra damage but Beast Master companions getting advantage vs the marked.

 

[mellored]

I was more more tying the subclasses to these spells.

Gloomstaller's Mark dealing 1d8 necrotic instead but 1d10 for Gloom Stalkers.
Beast Master's mark letting beasts deal extra damage but Beast Master companions getting advantage vs the marked.

I understand.
Having Hunters Mark as a cantrip and subclass that boost it various ways would be cool. (So would invocations that modifier Hex).

But think it's a bit late to change that. You can still do it as a spell though.

Mark of Gloom. Level 2
As a bonus action you Mark a target. Your attacks deal 1d6 extra necrotic damage to it. You can chage targets as a bonus action.
While the target is marked, they have disadvantage on perception checks and any darkvision they have is reduced by half.

 

[Weiley31]

I'm gonna stick with the Revised Ranger and Tales of the Valiant's version of the Ranger for my 5E games.

 

[Asisreo]

When did Crawford say this?

i think Ranger won't be able to shake its fan criticisms this edition. It still has an identity crisis. I'd hope they would lean into nature fighter rather than spellcaster fighter.

Personally, I don't care what happens to HM as long as it is no longer "the default." I think its power budget should be a class feature and do more than just extra damage on a hit like Warlock's hex.