D&D 5E (2024) The Problem with Treantmonk's Hunter's Mark

[Minigiant]

Like, Vengance Paladin or maybe bladesinger seems to be ideal for this, but it mostly seems like a minor power boost at most on either.

Ven Paladin and Bladesinger Wizard to of the top 10 if not top 5 strongest PC builds in 5e.

Nonchalantly boosting them is a nono.

 

[tetrasodium]

3pp's like EN Publishing likewise don't have to deal with past baggage, and community bias. They do have to meet audience obligations because they do come out with product that has to be backwards compatible with WoTC's stuff. However, they have done a very good job listening to their base's feedback by keeping what works in D&D and fixing what doesn't. It's why I like Level Up in a number of ways.

While true, wotc went from respecting that baggage to full "hold mah beer" levels of near binary compatability in service to a vocal subset of online voices going through their first edition shift rather than correcting bad expectations. I've seen fan made video game mods make more significant overhauls to games while only having access to xml files.

Adding to a monolithic sacred cow of sacred code is the way of a minor splatbook like xge or tashas not an edition shift.

 

[FrogReaver]

Ven Paladin and Bladesinger Wizard to of the top 10 if not top 5 strongest PC builds in 5e.

Nonchalantly boosting them is a nono.

It’s such a minor boost though. And in the bladesingers corner it’s not even clear if the tradeoff to pick up hunters mark is actually worth the cost.

Like that HM change doesn’t materially change where those classes rank.

It’s like a millionaire getting a penny richer.

 

[Minigiant]

It’s such a minor boost though. And in the bladesingers corner it’s not even clear if the tradeoff to pick up hunters mark is actually worth the cost.

Like that HM change doesn’t materially change where those classes rank.

It’s like a millionaire getting a penny richer.

It costs them little.

Wizard is not feat starved nor 1st level slot starved at high level. Picking up HM costs them little.

I REALLY hate 5e full caster design.

 

[FrogReaver]

It costs them little.

Wizard is not feat starved nor 1st level slot starved at high level. Picking up HM costs them little.

I REALLY hate 5e full caster design.

What first level feat gives access to hunters mark?

 

[Minigiant]

What first level feat gives access to hunters mark?

Technically Mark of Finding. But that's Eberron only.

But Fey Touched lets you get it at 4th.

Thats the issue. 1st level spells are not treated carefully at all in D&D.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Seems like we have the same story we have had for the last 12 years...

Some people do not like the Ranger for their mechanics and spell usage. Some people don't like the Ranger's required usage of Hunter's Mark. And some people do not like the Ranger because their fluff and their "story" is not represented mechanically enough. And no one can agree on what is wrong, nor agree what needs to happen to "fix" it. And when people make suggestions on how to do so, or even create 3rd party products that attempt to do so... most people don't like the results.

At some point we all just need to accept that none of our preferred Rangers match and that trying to discuss it to come up with a standard is a waste of time. Every individual just needs to make their own Ranger class in the manner they think it should be and use it just at their own table.

It was true back in 2014, and it is still true now.

 

[Minigiant]

Seems like we have the same story we have had for the last 12 years...

Some people do not like the Ranger for their mechanics and spell usage. Some people don't like the Ranger's required usage of Hunter's Mark. And some people do not like the Ranger because their fluff and their "story" is not represented mechanically enough. And no one can agree on what is wrong, nor agree what needs to happen to "fix" it. And when people make suggestions on how to do so, or even create 3rd party products that attempt to do so... most people don't like the results.

At some point we all just need to accept that none of our preferred Rangers match and that trying to discuss it to come up with a standard is a waste of time. Every individual just needs to make their own Ranger class in the manner they think it should be and use it just at their own table.

It was true back in 2014, and it is still true now.

Page space.

The issue is the ranger everyone would enjoy requires writing every spell and skill effect out

The ranger section would be 5 pages before subclasses.

 

[DEFCON 1]

Page space.

The issue is the ranger everyone would enjoy requires writing every spell and skill effect out

The ranger section would be 5 pages before subclasses.

A person could probably write a book on DMs Guild that was nothing but 12 different "Ranger" class write-ups in all different manners and formats and a bunch of players would still think the "proper" Ranger didn't exist.

 

[Minigiant]

A person could probably write a book on DMs Guild that was nothing but 12 different "Ranger" class write-ups in all different manners and formats and a bunch of players would still think the "proper" Ranger didn't exist.

Because they are too short.

Like Tracking.

Tracking monsrers require either a table or several paragraphs to feel meaningfully worth investment.

Look at the ranger spell list. Half of it is "skill entries" written as spells.

D&D reuses spells to not rewrite skill.

Hunters mark is literally focusing on someone.