D&D 5E (2014) The 2024 Ranger is Actually Pretty Good (with numbers)

[doctorbadwolf]

Few people are okay with Hunter's Mark being a central aspect of the Ranger.

Hunter's Mark is just likely the only Rangery thing that has an approval rating over I would guess 80% amongst the community that people would allow being part of the base ranger and not a subclass feature.



Level 1: Favored Enemy
You always have either the Ensnaring Strike, Hunter’s Mark, or Stalking Brand spell prepared. From now on this is your Favored spell. You can cast your favorite spell twice without expending a spell slot, and you regain all expended uses of this ability when you finish a Long Rest.

The number of times you can cast the spell without a spell slot increases when you reach certain Ranger levels.

Level 13: Relentless Hunter
Taking damage can’t break your Concentration on your Favored Spell.

Level 17: Precise Hunter
You have Advantage on attack rolls against the creature currently targeted or marked by your Favored spell.

Level 20: Foe Slayer
The damage die of your Favored spell is a d10 rather than a d6.

The damage dice of your Conjure Barrage, Lightning Arrow, and Conjure Volley are d12s rather than a d8s.

I like that a lot.

I wonder if you could give the Ranger a gnarly “paint the target” spell that could scale well. Like shining smite but bonus damage on every attack against the target, or something. Or just give them shining smite and let them use it with melee or ranged attacks.

And tbh just give the Ranger expanded crit range at level 11 and 17. It would still likely be behind Paladin in raw DPR, but range and AoE make up for that. Eeeet

 

[Minigiant]

I like that a lot.

I wonder if you could give the Ranger a gnarly “paint the target” spell that could scale well. Like shining smite but bonus damage on every attack against the target, or something. Or just give them shining smite and let them use it with melee or ranged attacks.

And tbh just give the Ranger expanded crit range at level 11 and 17. It would still likely be behind Paladin in raw DPR, but range and AoE make up for that. Eeeet

That's how my conversion of Stalking Brand works.

You put an ugly glowing brand on the target. The brand is visible even even invisible or transformed. And anyone who hits the target has an expanded 18-20 crit range and the crit deals 1d6 per spell level extra radiant damage.

And the brand is in any shape or word you want. Hilarity ensues.


Stalking Brand
Evocation
Casting Time 1 Bonus Action
Range/Area 90 ft.
Concentration up to 24 hours.
You magically cause a tiny mark to appear upon the forehead of one creature you can see within range and mark it as as your quarry. The mark appears as you envision it, approximately 6 inches in diameter.

Until the spell ends, attacks can score a Critical Hit on a roll of 18, 19, or 20 on the d20. You also can see the mark even if the subject uses magical means to change or hide its appearance. Spells such as disguise self, polymorph, and invisibility do not hide the mark. it The target can’t benefit from the Invisible condition. The mark glows a light green that casts Bright Light in a 5th radius.

If the target drops to 0 Hit Points before this spell ends, you can take a Bonus Action to move the mark to a new creature you can see within range.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. Your Critical hits against the target deal an additional 1d6 radiant damage for each spell slot level above 1.

 

[CreamCloud0]

as much as i hate HM, i'd be more conceptually interested in them having (in practice i'd still very likely never pick it though) a variation that triggers the bonus damage to the target whenever they're hit by anyone not just the ranger, a real 'hey team let's all focus on this one guy and take them down quickly' spell.

plus it'd be more differentiation from Hex