I think the unfortunate thing about Rangers is the game kind of tried to wipe them out of existance unintentionally.
For starters, the abilities carried over from previous editions have been diluted or weakened to the point wherein they're just not there anymore. With dual-wielding now a bonus action, I think leaving Rangers with spells was a big error in judgment, we have Paladins for that martial + divine niche. If I was designing the Ranger, I would focus on the archetypes being about how you deal damage while removing the spells entirely. Of course, the stuff below is overpowered in terms of numbers, but this is how I would've liked them to treat Rangers in 5th edition.
Natural Explorer (1st Terrain at level 1, 2nd at 6th. 3rd at 12th):
- 1st level: When foraging you may find enough food to feed people equal to your proficiency modifier.
- 1st level: Ignore difficult terrain when travelling inside your favoured terrain
- 6th level: You any anyone within 60' of you has the benefit of the Pass Without Trace spell while in your favoured terrain.
- 17th level:Immune to surprise inside favoured terrain
Tracking would've been it's own ability:
- 1st level: You add double your proficiency modifier when tracking.
- 7th level: When tracking, you may tell the type, size and number of creatures tracked plus whether they passed by within one hour, 8 hours or 24 hours.
- 13th level: Whenever you attempt to track someone and roll a 9 or less you may treat it as a 10 instead.
Animal Companion. A CR 1/4 of less creature who you may control as a bonus action. It's hit points are equal to 4 times your level or it's regular amount. Add your proficiency modifier to attack rolls and saving throws.
Extra Attack, Land's Stride, Hide in Plain Sight, Vanish and Feral Senses remain the same. Foe slayer would've been any critical against a foe by you or your animal companion deals +10d8 damage (constitution save DC 8 + prof + wis for half).
Each Ranger Archetype would be focused on the method in which the Ranger gets to deal damage, since all rangers are inherently similar outside of combat (to the same degree as Barbarians or Fighters at least)
Beastmaster:
- 3rd Level. You add your proficiency modifier to damage and armour class.
- 3rd level. It's hit points are equal to 6 times your level now instead of 4.
- 7th level. Your animal companion may be CR 1/2 or less now.
- 7th level. When your animal companion hits with an attack, a number of times per long rest equal to your wisdom modifier your next attack this round is an automatic critical if it hits.
- 11th level.Your animal companion may be CR 1 or less.
- 11th level. When an opponent moves within 5' of you or makes an attack against you, your animal companion may use it's reaction to either impose disadvantage on the attack roll, or take an attack of opportunity against the creature.
- 15th level. If you are reduced to 0 hit points, your animal companion may continue to take the attack action against any hostile creature within 15' of your body. While you are unconscious, your animal companion may use it's reaction to redirect any melee attack within 5' of both you and the assailant to itself.
Marksman:
- 3rd level. Once per short rest you may add your wisdom modifier to your attack roll. You may do this after you roll, but before the DM says whether you hit or not. - 3rd level. Pinning Shot. Once per shot when you hit with a ranged attack, you reduce the movement of a foe to 0' until your next turn.
- 7th level. When you perform a ranged attack roll within 15' you add your proficiency modifier to the damage roll.
- 7th level. Once per short rest, when you hit with an attack, you may cause the target to bleed for a number of rounds equal to your wisdom modifier. Each round the creature takes 1d8+wis bleeding damage.
- 11th level. When your animal companion takes the help action, it can target you up to 60' away. You may use this feature a number of times per day equal to your wisdom modifier.
- 11th level. Once per short rest you may fire a volley of arrows against a number of creatures equal to your proficiency modifier within 60' Roll a single attack and apply the result against each creature individually.
- 15th level. Once per day you can take an action to fire a number of arrows against 1 foe within 5' equal to your proficiency modifier. Each attack is rolled separately and has disadvantage (regardless of any other applicable modifiers).
Hunter:
- 3rd level. You add your ability modifier to off-hand damage rolls.
- 3rd level. While dual-wielding you gain +2 AC.
- 7th level. When you attack with an off-hand weapon as a bonus action, you may also make a second off-hand attack. You may use this feature once per short rest.
- 7th level. When you are hit with a melee attack, you may use your reaction to attempt to shove the creature away. Make an opposed Athletics or Acrobatics check. If successfull the creature may not approach within 5' of you until next turn. You may use this feature a number of times per day equal to your wisdom modifier.
- 11th level. When you hit with an Attack, you add your proficiency modifier to the damage of any off-hand attackss.
- 11th level. When your animal companion takes the help action to aid you, you gain advantage on all attack rolls this turn. You may use this feature a number of times per day equal to your wisdom modifier.
- 15th level. You have Evasion.
Obviously lots of people enjoy spells on Rangers and don't wish to see them go, which is a bit of a shame because most of the Ranger's spells are attacks that don't need to be spells.
