Unearthed Arcana Unearthed Arcana Ranger

[Nyarlathotep5150]

A player in my new game sprung the Unearthed Arcana Ranger Variant on me without notice. (The one with 2d6/level Hit Points and a free turn at the start of every combat). I'd never heard of this version before he made his character. After reading it, I tentatively okayed it but I have some issues. It only has the first 5 levels, but there is a more recent UA ranger that is a complete rewrite of the PHB class.
Should I just consider the older one obsolete?
If not, should how should I handle this class?
After 5th level, does it just progress as a standard Ranger (seems pretty broken with better than Barbarian HP and all those early powers added)?

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

A player in my new game sprung the Unearthed Arcana Ranger Variant on me without notice. (The one with 2d6/level Hit Points and a free turn at the start of every combat). I'd never heard of this version before he made his character. After reading it, I tentatively okayed it but I have some issues. It only has the first 5 levels, but there is a more recent UA ranger that is a complete rewrite of the PHB class.
Should I just consider the older one obsolete?
If not, should how should I handle this class?
After 5th level, does it just progress as a standard Ranger (seems pretty broken with better than Barbarian HP and all those early powers added)?

I would consider is obsolete, yes, if just for the fact that it's only stretches to 5th level. At the speed that 5e character advance in level, your player should overtake 5th level in less than 2 months. If you plan on the campaign continuing for longer than 8 sessions, I would tell your player to find another class.

 

[Shiroiken]

I wouldn't have okayed, but the past is past. Given that it only has 5 levels, you have two choices. You can either finish making the class or require him to multi-class out after level 5. Alternately convince him to use the updated UA Ranger (still has problems, but much more workable).

 

[Fanaelialae]

It's somewhat obsolete when compared to the Revised Ranger.

That said, there's no reason that anyone couldn't still use it (with DM approval). It has a bit of a different feel to it (akin to a shaman). That said, as the level progression only advances to 5th level, I would make it clear to the player that they will need to multiclass should the campaign reach 6th level. (You could instead expand the level climb yourself.)

If your player doesn't want to multiclass or you don't allow multiclassing, then I would say that the Revised Ranger is the way to go. I've been playing a Beastmaster and it's been effective without being broken. It deals impressive damage, but because the bulk of that is bound up in the companion (who has around half my ranger's hp) I have to be a bit careful or risk losing most of that damage. Since the companion is very easy to resurrect, the DM doesn't have to pull punches. Overall, I like it a lot and would recommend it.

 

[Jester David]

Your player likely purposely chose that obsolete version on purpose. Which means they think it's more powerful in some way, likely multiclassing into something at level 5. So be warned.

 

[Kobold Stew]

The older UA ranger is obsolete; yes. The ideas there were tested, and rejected, and a new, subsequent UA Ranger was offered.

It is not possible to simply extend the 5-level Ranger up to 20; if it were, that's what they would have given originally. It was a balloon, and it didn't fly, and after receiving feedback it was not worth their time to continue to invest time in developing this version.

I would suggest talking to your player.

- Is the player willing to consider the revised UA ranger, or the PHB ranger, instead? It may be that the player did not know about the revised version.

If the player only wants this version, and you don't want to press things, then I would suggest that they need to multi-clasm at level 5. But hopefully a reasoned conversation, and your explanation of not knowing about the revision, is enough.

Also, congrats on your first post! Welcome.

 

[Nyarlathotep5150]

I'm sure he did. The red flags went off when he didn't even mention using that build option until his character was done. There are noncanon classes in the game (a Bloodhunter) but they asked a week before we did character creation so I could read up on it first.
My main concern is with the HPs. They get the best HP progression in the game. And, if he just keeps progressing as a regular Ranger after 5, that seems broken. Like, what did you give up for those nearly double HPs then?

 

[Nyarlathotep5150]

Thanks guys. The consensus seems to be that it's an obsolete option that was replaced by the Revised Ranger (which doesn't seem as problematic to me).
I'll just have him rework his character next session (its only the second session so it's not that well established). Cost of putting me on the spot by not clearing playtest rules with me beforehand.

 

[Fanaelialae]

My main concern is with the HPs. They get the best HP progression in the game. And, if he just keeps progressing as a regular Ranger after 5, that seems broken. Like, what did you give up for those nearly double HPs then?

The HPs will make a fairly minimal difference, particularly over just 5 levels. The average of 1d10 is 5.5, whereas the average of 2d6 is 7, so 1.5 HPs per level (since level 1 is maximized, 8 extra HPs over 5 levels when compared with the d10 HD Ranger).

I wouldn't let him progress as a ranger after 5th though. It wouldn't really work, since the subclasses from this version don't exist in the other versions. You can't multiclass into your own class and this version of the ranger only goes to 5th, so IMO they would have to switch to a different class after 5th. The only possible way it could work is if the DM took the time to extend the progression.

That's not to say that I disagree with your decision of asking him to switch. That's perfectly reasonable.

 

[Ganymede81]

Yeah, your player is in a bind.

That UA Ranger is only designed to go to level 5 AND isn't designed to be multiclassed. That means, unless you give him special dispensation, he is stuck at level 5 forever.

Remind him of that and he'll likely be willing to switch over to the updated UA ranger.