D&D (2024) The Lackluster Ranger

[Zardnaar]

No

The top damage dealers should be the pure martials: fighter, rogue, and eeergh barbarian if you squint.

The half casters, Artificer, Ranger, and Paladin should be burning spells to almost catch up.

You don't get to have utility, defense, and healing spells and be top 3 damage. That's bad design.

I don't think the spellcasters are doing that well outside spikes.

Barbarian is number 1 with Monks and Fighters swapping places. Paladin maybe here and there on key levels.

Rangers and Paladins get utility and close enough damage.

Rogues probably the worst class now.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Rangers as spell casters doesn't seem right IMO. A large chunk of people want them without any spells.

That is wishful thinking. Status quo is that the ranger is quite some spellcaster.

There's Valor bard, pact blade, war cleric, Shillelagh Druid, Bladesinger. So it's covered.

Really?

I don't think scaling Hunter's Mark damage will make them OP.

I did nkt say that.

Paladins get +1d8 on all their attacks at 11, without a cost.

Yes. I think the ranger once again suffered from last minute changes...

 

[Minigiant]

That is wishful thinking. Status quo is that the ranger is quite some spellcaster.

Status quo is the D&D community want 5 different ideas on rangers and 90% don't have a "real 1-20 level class concept" in a world with an existing fighter, rogue, and druid.

And 25% just want to play a fighter/rogue multiclass with the green label of "Ranger" on top.

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Status quo is the D&D community want 5 different ideas on rangers and 90% don't have a "real 1-20 level class concept" in a world with an existing fighter, rogue, and druid.

Yes.

And 25% just want to play a fighter/rogue multiclass with the green label of "Ranger" on top.

More than 25% of people complaining on forums.

 

[Zardnaar]

Yes.

More than 25% of people complaining on forums.

Forums aren't remotely representative.

I figured that out 2003 at the latest.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Ok. Question for all: should rangers be top damage dealers at all tiers? Or should they step back a bit behind pure single target non spellcasting martials once they become competent spellcasters?

there should be certain ranger builds/subclasses that would be top damage dealers, but IMO a typical ranger is more a higher-average DPR who's spellcasting leans into their utility and support capabilities.

 

[Minigiant]

Forums aren't remotely representative.

I figured that out 2003 at the latest.

Yeah but WOTC's surveys shows that the majority of players complaining about Ranger want either

1. a "sneaky fighter" but don't know how to make it unique
2. a "beastmaster" but can't agree on what the ranger gives up for the beast
3. a survivalist but neither want to run survival nor skip it

And then you hat the majority of fans who want it all backward compatible so you can't make Hunter's Mark not a spell.

 

[ECMO3]

Rangers as spell casters doesn't seem right IMO. A large chunk of people want them without any spells.

There's Valor bard, pact blade, war cleric, Shillelagh Druid, Bladesinger. So it's covered.

There are plenty of people on both sides of that debate and I think there are at least as many that want spells as don't want spells.

Being covered doesn't change what I think the Ranger should be.

 

[ECMO3]

Yeah but WOTC's surveys shows that the majority of players complaining about Ranger want either

1. a "sneaky fighter" but don't know how to make it unique
2. a "beastmaster" but can't agree on what the ranger gives up for the beast
3. a survivalist but neither want to run survival nor skip it

Do you have a link for this?

 

[Frozen_Heart]

the moment you did that all the people who want a primal half-caster who are pretty quiet being vaguely satisfied with the current ranger would come out the woodwork, so if those people want that, shouldn't they also be given it shouldn't they?

(almost like having more classes might be a good thing)

Then some people can have their pure martial ranger, while other people can have their primal half-caster.