Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana: Another New Ranger Variant

*Deleted by user*

 

[Uchawi]

I believe anyone that is interested in playing a beast master will want a permanent companion, so a temporary magical one will not suffice. And from a shaman spirit companion perspective the class does not do enough.

So basically that leaves them with upgrading the beast master subclass, convert the current variant into a striker/fighter variant - twin strike, stealth, and maybe temporary hit points in the surprise round, or work on a pure shaman class. Although I believe a class like the 4E shaman may work better as a warlord variant, or even a bard subclass.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Yeah but you don't get to choose the animals anymore. The DM could give you giant rats. And they suck.

Giant rats are CR 1/8, not 1/4, so a DM who gives you those is being a jerk. But, 16 Giant Rats still wouldn't be bad! +4 attack for 16x4 points of damage, plus the meat shield factor. There really are no bad animals to summon. If I knew that Giant Rats were the only animals that could ever show up, I would still strongly consider casting the spell in a number of circumstances.

(And of course, if somebody else casts Animal Shapes, all those giant rats become CR 3 Giant Scorpions. Rawr.)

Rangers have a max 2 of Conjure Animals V at levels where half those boss monsters have AOE.

Most AoE doesn't have a good shape for disposing of truly large swarms of enemies. Blue dragons and black dragons both have lines, for example, which will kill a few rats but leave most intact. If 16 giant rats surround a red dragon to attack it, the dragon has to choose between killing only a few of them with its breath weapon, moving to a better position to hit them all but taking 16 opportunity attacks in the process, or using a 2 Legendary Actions to beat its wings (killing them all). AoE is not an auto-win, and it burns actions that could otherwise go towards killing PCs. Meanwhile the ranger is filling it full of arrows.

And yeah, a pure ranger has only 2 Conjure Animals Vs, but he has a bunch of Conjure Animals III and Spike Growth and Pass Without Trace. Besides, what's the problem with "only" being able to fight off two "boss monsters" in a day? I don't really know what a "boss monster" is in precise terms, but if you mean "climactic encounter with a high-level foe", and you expect multiple climactic encounters in a single day, then yeah, by the third fight the ranger has run out of his highest-powered stuff. Why is that a problem, and what does that have to do with the original assertion that Conjure Animals is weak?

Whereas a beast master ranger sacrifices one attack for 1 or 2 attacks with +proficiency to damage and attack rolls.+ hunter's mark. The BM beast is stronger, but you sacrifice your attacks to use it.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

The Paladin is an instrument of their god, just as the Cleric. The Druid is (probably) an instrument of Nature, but the Ranger is not.

In 5E as in AD&D, a paladin is an instrument of their oath. They could be religious on top of that, but they don't have to be.

 

[RotGrub]

I'm still waiting for an option to remove the HD mechanic completely from 5e. It's too bad this version of the ranger has it listed as a key mechanic.

 

[MoonSong]

In 5E as in AD&D, a paladin is an instrument of their oath. They could be religious on top of that, but they don't have to be.

In no edition besides 4e the paladin is tied to a god, they are tied to their oaths, their dedication to their causes.(normally good as a cosmic force). They being holy warriors and servants of their gods is pure fanon, again in every edition but 4e.

 

[Sacrosanct]

In no edition besides 4e the paladin is tied to a god, they are tied to their oaths, their dedication to their causes.(normally good as a cosmic force). They being holy warriors and servants of their gods is pure fanon, again in every edition but 4e.

I don't think I understand this. Are you saying that only in 4e were paladins tied to religion, or 4e was the only edition where they weren't?

I know the idea of paladins being viewed as holy warriors and servants of their gods existed in 1e. It says right there in the description that they must confess sins to a good cleric and tithe some of their wealth to a religious institution. And then of course you've got all the other supplemental stuff at the time which reinforced that. Their spells were also clerical in nature, which is a dead give away that paladins were servants of the divine, seeing as how clerical magic works in AD&D

 

[MoonSong]

I don't think I understand this. Are you saying that only in 4e were paladins tied to religion, or 4e was the only edition where they weren't?

I know the idea of paladins being viewed as holy warriors and servants of their gods existed in 1e. It says right there in the description that they must confess sins to a good cleric and tithe some of their wealth to a religious institution. And then of course you've got all the other supplemental stuff at the time which reinforced that.

Not as clearly spelled, it is indirect, and only as a means to good. A paladin sins? go to a good cleric to cleanse yourself and be on good terms with the cosmic good, it doesn't matter what good god, and it doesn't have to be the same god every time. Likewise the tithing to a church, (and it isn't even a church, it has to be a charity of a lawful good religion of the paladin's choice) it is because it is a good act, not because the paladin owes to a certain church. Paladin following a certain god is an extension of the paladin's quest, not a requirement to be one. At no point they are asked to pick a deity.

Now as Greyhawk was detailed, there was the concept of paladins following certain gods, but as far as I know nowhere it said only those paladins existed. And the FR just forced everybody to pick a god, but the paladin isn't obligated to serve a god, and doesn't derive their power from them. Paladins only follow gods out of pure devotion or as means to good, but the gods can't just arbitrarily remove the paladin's power like they can with clerics.

 

[Minigiant]

Guys.
Guys!
GUYS!
GUYS!!!!!!
I realized something.

This ranger has zero tracking bonuses outside of Natural Explorer.

No Favored Enemy bonus.
No Hunter's Mark.
No Detect Magic.
No Locate X.
No beast companion with keen senses.

Just learning size, number, and time of tracking quarries in favored terrain.

*googles Flip Table*

 

[Sacrosanct]

Not as clearly spelled, it is indirect, and only as a means to good. A paladin sins? go to a good cleric to cleanse yourself and be on good terms with the cosmic good, it doesn't matter what good god, and it doesn't have to be the same god every time. Likewise the tithing to a church, it is because it is a good act, not because the paladin owes to a certain church. Paladin following a certain god is an extension of the paladin's quest, not a requirement to be one.

Uh, yeah it is. Again, the paladin gets clerical spells. Just to the spells section and read how clerical magic works. It's right there in black and white, and not something fans just created out of the blue.

Clerical spells, including the druidic, are bestowed by the gods, so that the
cleric need but pray for a few hours and the desired verbal and somatic
spell components will be placed properly in his or her mind. First, second,
third, and even fourth level spells are granted to the cleric through
meditation and devout prayer. This spell giving is accomplished by the
lesser servants of the cleric's deity. Fifth, sixth, and seventh level spells can
be given to the cleric ONLY by the cleric's deity directly, not through some
intermediary source. Note that the cleric might well be judged by his or
her deity at such time, as the clerk must supplicate the deity for the
granting of these spells. While the deity may grant such spells full
willingly, a deed, or sacrifice, atonement or abasement may be required.
The deity might also ignore a specific spell request and give the cleric
some other spell (or none at all). Your Dungeon Master will handle this
considering a cleric's alignment and faithfulness to it and his or her deity.
Note that some cleric spells (and all druid spells) also require material
ingredients in order for the desired effect to take place. Such components
must be supplied by the cleric (or druid), as material is not bestowed.

I don't know what other conclusion you could come to, other than a paladin is a servant of the divine.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I like the idea of a spell-less ranger a lot, and I think they've built a solid class here. It is not perfect, but I think it fits my image of what I want a ranger doing better than the alternatives we have seen.

I offer a few short comments on objections that seem to have been unanswered.

Ambuscade: Everyone is going to take a ranger dip. High level wizard/sorcerer + Ambuscade = unstoppable party.

I'm not sure this will happen. The spell caster can still only cast one spell/turn. It is a powerful dip for the assassin, admittedly, and for a high-level (11+) fighter.

Two strong saves, something which no other class gets.

I agree that this is disappointing, but it is something they've already flirted with (using an even stronger version, "Strength of Mind") in the Psionics UA. So while players (esp on this board) see one strong/one weak as a rule, it is clear to me that the designers do not hold it as a sacred cow.