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Thoughts on 2 spell-less Ranger versions.
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<blockquote data-quote="Stormonu" data-source="post: 8437126" data-attributes="member: 52734"><p>Ranger is a toughy, I've been looking at the Level-up 5 version for ideas. I do like the idea of making the base ranger spell-less, but giving them fighter manuevers (making them a baked-in Fighter Battlemaster) at about 3/4 the fighter's level.</p><p></p><p>If you're doing a spell-less Ranger, why give them the Druidic Warrior fighting style? Seems counter intuitive, unless you throw in a subclass that can cast spells.</p><p></p><p>NATURAL EXPLORER II (needs a better name) - I don't like the pigeon-holing of getting Darkvision (and certainly not getting rid of Drow sunslight sensitivity). Improving sight is a good idea, but not Darkvision level (and it does nothing for those races that already have Darkvision). I think some sort of bonus to Perception (especially Passive Perception) would be better - perhaps the "keen vision" under the Eagle monster entry, or perhaps a choice of a "keen sense" - sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. Mayhaps doubling or tripling existing vision or other sense.</p><p></p><p>VANISH - Nature's Veil (NV) is too far superior in comparison to Hide In Plain Sight (HPS). NV is a bonus action, HPS takes a minute. NV automatically causes (sight-based) Perception checks to fail, HPS is 10 + Survival DC. You can act freely under NV, for HPS can't move at all or act. The only advantage of HPS is unlimited use, but at 1 minute prep, why would anyone bother to take it? I think you should be able to move at half speed with HPS, and you can <em>attempt</em> to hide again after acting/moving (make like a bush, snipe shot, move to new ambush spot, set back up again); would need to note some way that HPS can be degraded, and that moving to a new environment where the disguise doesn't fit requires redoing the camouflage.</p><p></p><p>I do worry that without spells or access to some sort of damage augmentation, your base ranger will fall behind on damage output. You should do a mock-up at various levels (5,10,15) and compare to similar level fighters/paladin/barbarians to see if the classes are comparable in being able to hold their own in a fight. (Note: After looking at the subclasses, it looks like you are giving the class's primary damage augmentation there, so the class may be okay as long as that is kept in mind).</p><p></p><p>BLOOD RITE Subclass </p><p></p><p>I think the Limited Regeneration should work somewhat like the Fighter's Second Wind; perhaps it should be a reaction ability (at initiative count 0 or perhaps in response to taking damage?) (instead of the Fighter's Bonus Action) usable once per short rest, and with the flavor being vampiric maybe it cannot be triggered in a round where the character has taken Radiant damage.</p><p></p><p>On the Bloodlust ability, while the "keep control" DC save is thematic, it doesn't fit 5E standards of player control over their characters. Look at the Sahaugin Blood Frenzy ability - it's simply a bonus with no check to resist it; this ability should probably just be a feature that becomes available when the PC is at half health or lower, letting the PC decide if they want to use it. If you want to attach a downside to it, I'd go the Barbarian Frenzied Attack route and have it give an Exhaustion level after using it in a fight.</p><p></p><p>Same on the Controlled Bloodlust ability; I'd drop this ability and perhaps replace it with something different (it smacks of "Yeah, you've got more control of this 'bad' ability making you LESS likely to want to use it"). Maybe "Vampiric Fortitude" - The first time you drop to 0 hit points, as a reaction your body and all its possessions turn into mist and you instead have 1 hit point. You remain consious and your speed becomes 10, you can pass through enemy's spaces or reach without provoking attacks of opportunity and you ignore difficult terrain. You have damage immunity to all damage except force and radiant. You cannot make attacks in mist form or cast spells. The mist form lasts for up to 1 minute. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you take a long rest.</p><p></p><p>On Emissary of Destruction, with a # of usages, I'd change this to "refreshes per long rest", dropping out regaining uses with a short rest.</p><p></p><p>DARK MOON Subclass</p><p></p><p>On Lycanthrope Wild Shape, I think you should specify that you are becoming a Hybrid shape; expending two uses to become a "werewolf in wolf form" seems silly, when one Wild Shape use would do the exact same...</p><p></p><p>DEEP STALKER subclass seems solid, though maybe a bit too much Ranger/Rogue multiclass. If you could stick in something unique you can't get via multiclassing, it would be a lot more interesting and unique.</p><p></p><p>DRAGON BLOOD Subclass</p><p></p><p>The Dragon Warrior ability seems exceptionally weak compared to the "sneak attack" ability of the Deep Stalker (or a Paladin's smite). I think it would be appropriate to remove the "once per turn" clause, or make it 2d6 if it's only one attack a round. I'd increase it to 3d6 at 11th and 4d6 at 15th for a once a turn ability.</p><p></p><p>The Dragon's Talon ability seems mostly redundant (I mean, you suddenly make the elemental attack jump from 1d8 to essentially 5d8 - it would have been better to just that under Dragon Warrior and be done with it), and there's no place for "recharge" abilities on PCs. Maybe this would be better redone as a "Dragon's Breath" ability, with uses equal to Proficiency Modifier. Or if you wanted to keep the Dragon's Talon moniker, perhaps the Ranger's melee weapons fuse/transform so the Ranger can't be disarmed, or the ranger gains powerful natural attacks (claws dealing 1d8?).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Stormonu, post: 8437126, member: 52734"] Ranger is a toughy, I've been looking at the Level-up 5 version for ideas. I do like the idea of making the base ranger spell-less, but giving them fighter manuevers (making them a baked-in Fighter Battlemaster) at about 3/4 the fighter's level. If you're doing a spell-less Ranger, why give them the Druidic Warrior fighting style? Seems counter intuitive, unless you throw in a subclass that can cast spells. NATURAL EXPLORER II (needs a better name) - I don't like the pigeon-holing of getting Darkvision (and certainly not getting rid of Drow sunslight sensitivity). Improving sight is a good idea, but not Darkvision level (and it does nothing for those races that already have Darkvision). I think some sort of bonus to Perception (especially Passive Perception) would be better - perhaps the "keen vision" under the Eagle monster entry, or perhaps a choice of a "keen sense" - sight, hearing, smell, touch, or taste. Mayhaps doubling or tripling existing vision or other sense. VANISH - Nature's Veil (NV) is too far superior in comparison to Hide In Plain Sight (HPS). NV is a bonus action, HPS takes a minute. NV automatically causes (sight-based) Perception checks to fail, HPS is 10 + Survival DC. You can act freely under NV, for HPS can't move at all or act. The only advantage of HPS is unlimited use, but at 1 minute prep, why would anyone bother to take it? I think you should be able to move at half speed with HPS, and you can [i]attempt[/i] to hide again after acting/moving (make like a bush, snipe shot, move to new ambush spot, set back up again); would need to note some way that HPS can be degraded, and that moving to a new environment where the disguise doesn't fit requires redoing the camouflage. I do worry that without spells or access to some sort of damage augmentation, your base ranger will fall behind on damage output. You should do a mock-up at various levels (5,10,15) and compare to similar level fighters/paladin/barbarians to see if the classes are comparable in being able to hold their own in a fight. (Note: After looking at the subclasses, it looks like you are giving the class's primary damage augmentation there, so the class may be okay as long as that is kept in mind). BLOOD RITE Subclass I think the Limited Regeneration should work somewhat like the Fighter's Second Wind; perhaps it should be a reaction ability (at initiative count 0 or perhaps in response to taking damage?) (instead of the Fighter's Bonus Action) usable once per short rest, and with the flavor being vampiric maybe it cannot be triggered in a round where the character has taken Radiant damage. On the Bloodlust ability, while the "keep control" DC save is thematic, it doesn't fit 5E standards of player control over their characters. Look at the Sahaugin Blood Frenzy ability - it's simply a bonus with no check to resist it; this ability should probably just be a feature that becomes available when the PC is at half health or lower, letting the PC decide if they want to use it. If you want to attach a downside to it, I'd go the Barbarian Frenzied Attack route and have it give an Exhaustion level after using it in a fight. Same on the Controlled Bloodlust ability; I'd drop this ability and perhaps replace it with something different (it smacks of "Yeah, you've got more control of this 'bad' ability making you LESS likely to want to use it"). Maybe "Vampiric Fortitude" - The first time you drop to 0 hit points, as a reaction your body and all its possessions turn into mist and you instead have 1 hit point. You remain consious and your speed becomes 10, you can pass through enemy's spaces or reach without provoking attacks of opportunity and you ignore difficult terrain. You have damage immunity to all damage except force and radiant. You cannot make attacks in mist form or cast spells. The mist form lasts for up to 1 minute. Once you use this ability you cannot use it again until you take a long rest. On Emissary of Destruction, with a # of usages, I'd change this to "refreshes per long rest", dropping out regaining uses with a short rest. DARK MOON Subclass On Lycanthrope Wild Shape, I think you should specify that you are becoming a Hybrid shape; expending two uses to become a "werewolf in wolf form" seems silly, when one Wild Shape use would do the exact same... DEEP STALKER subclass seems solid, though maybe a bit too much Ranger/Rogue multiclass. If you could stick in something unique you can't get via multiclassing, it would be a lot more interesting and unique. DRAGON BLOOD Subclass The Dragon Warrior ability seems exceptionally weak compared to the "sneak attack" ability of the Deep Stalker (or a Paladin's smite). I think it would be appropriate to remove the "once per turn" clause, or make it 2d6 if it's only one attack a round. I'd increase it to 3d6 at 11th and 4d6 at 15th for a once a turn ability. The Dragon's Talon ability seems mostly redundant (I mean, you suddenly make the elemental attack jump from 1d8 to essentially 5d8 - it would have been better to just that under Dragon Warrior and be done with it), and there's no place for "recharge" abilities on PCs. Maybe this would be better redone as a "Dragon's Breath" ability, with uses equal to Proficiency Modifier. Or if you wanted to keep the Dragon's Talon moniker, perhaps the Ranger's melee weapons fuse/transform so the Ranger can't be disarmed, or the ranger gains powerful natural attacks (claws dealing 1d8?). [/QUOTE]
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