D&D General What spells should be on the rangers list?

[Minigiant]

Exploding Arrow

Implacable Pursuer

Beast Form

 

[Horwath]

With skill specialties and expertise/hindrance dice, Level Up also has a better skill system.

I like the exploration focus of LU5E, but I hate the expertise dice, I just use regular expertise instead of it.
Even changed guidance to +2 bonus and divine favor to +3 bonus, just so I don't need to roll those D4's

 

[EzekielRaiden]

I mean my actual, from-the-heart answer is "none, there should not be a default ranger spell list, that should be a subclass the way Eldritch Knight is a subclass of Fighter".

But in the spirit of actually answering the thread, their spells should focus on:

• Skill, lore, and awareness
• Plants, animals, and wildness
• A very light touch of elemental power, especially for ranged weapons
• A slice of buffing/healing

So, looking things over...

absorb elements
alarm
animal friendship
cure wounds
detect poison and disease
entangle
expeditious retreat
faerie fire
goodberry
hail of thorns
hunter's mark
jump
longstrider
purify food and drink
snare
speak with animals
zephyr strike

Most of these are on the existing Ranger list. A few are missing, a few added. So, the existing Ranger list is halfway decent, if we absolutely have to submit ourselves to the (nearly) All Utility Is Specifically Spellcasting thing. Which I absolutely hate but I know plenty of people don't share my feelings on that front.

 

[Corinnguard]

If you remove spellcasting from rangers, you also have to gut the magic system to make the loss worth it. Right now, magic is the number one solution to any problem in D&D. Now I don't think it should necessarily be the case, but clearly the game sets up survival and exploration as low hurdles to clear and lets you handwave it away with a couple of 1st/2nd level slots.

Why would removing the ability to cast spells from the Ranger affect 5e's magic system as a whole? As for magic being the number one solution to any problem in D&D, it's not. The majority of problems that a party can run into during an adventure can be solved through role-playing.

 

[Minigiant]

The D&D Ranger as described is a hunter, guide, and survivalist.

The way it is described is similar to a character we all know: Batman.

Think about it.

Think about all of Batman's gadgets and tools and sidekicks and accessories, fantasy them up, and switch martial arts to eat the archery or melee weapons, and that's your Ranger spell list.

1. Boomerangs
2. bolas
3. Grappling hook
4. Scowl
5. anti giant spray
6. anti-dragon spray
7. Instant breathing device
8. Climate controlled suit
9. Bullet Arrow proof vest
10. Dog
11. Car Horse
12. Replaceable Light armored stealthy sidekick
13. Butler
14. Tracking device
15. Computer Creature Locator
16. Fear aura

That's the Ranger Spell list

 

[CreamCloud0]

The D&D Ranger as described is a hunter, guide, and survivalist.

The way it is described is similar to a character we all know: Batman.

Think about it.

Think about all of Batman's gadgets and tools and sidekicks and accessories, fantasy them up, and switch martial arts to eat the archery or melee weapons, and that's your Ranger spell list.

1. Boomerangs
2. bolas
3. Grappling hook
4. Scowl
5. anti giant spray
6. anti-dragon spray
7. Instant breathing device
8. Climate controlled suit
9. Bullet Arrow proof vest
10. Dog
11. Car Horse
12. Replaceable Light armored stealthy sidekick
13. Butler
14. Tracking device
15. Computer Creature Locator
16. Fear aura

That's the Ranger Spell list

i laugh, but you're not incorrect, batman pretty much is an urban environment ranger when you think about it:
extensive knowledge of their preferred terrain(gotham) - check,
highly versatile and adaptable kit to cover all situations - check,
has and develops specialized kit against specific dangerous targets - check,
emphasis on gaining knowledge to use against enemies, be that tracking them, figuring out who they are/what they want or analysing their strengths and weaknessess - check
typically has some form of companion assistance(the robins, ect...) - check,
combat style is a highly efficient mix of stealth, melee, ranged and mobility which uses the benefits of each while not being overly reliant on one particular aspect - check

 

[Corinnguard]

i laugh, but you're not incorrect, batman pretty much is an urban environment ranger when you think about it:
extensive knowledge of their preferred terrain(gotham) - check,
highly versatile and adaptable kit to cover all situations - check,
has and develops specialized kit against specific dangerous targets - check,
emphasis on gaining knowledge to use against enemies, be that tracking them, figuring out who they are/what they want or analysing their strengths and weaknessess - check
typically has some form of companion assistance(the robins, ect...) - check,
combat style is a highly efficient mix of stealth, melee, ranged and mobility which uses the benefits of each while not being overly reliant on one particular aspect - check

I can't help but feel that Batman is a bit of a multiclasser here. In addition to being a Ranger, he might have a couple levels in Rogue as well. His title of World's Greatest Detective could be covered by the Rogue's Inquisitive subclass.

Rogue: Inquisitive - DND 5th Edition

dnd5e.wikidot.com

 

[CreamCloud0]

I can't help but feel that Batman is a bit of a multiclasser here. In addition to being a Ranger, he might have a couple levels in Rogue as well. His title of World's Greatest Detective could be covered by the Rogue's Inquisitive subclass.

Rogue: Inquisitive - DND 5th Edition

dnd5e.wikidot.com

maybe, but i find other-media characters nearly always have some ability or other which doesn't neatly fit into DnD's class structures that trying to nail them down to specifics is an exercise in futility, maybe if you could just cherry-pick whatever abilities you wanted regardless of class or level you'd be able to do it, but that sort of defeats the point.

so i'll just say in general, i think batman is quite a prime example of what a ranger would be like and leave it at that.

 

[UngainlyTitan]

I believe that rangers should have a "scry the land" ability. A spell or ability to generate a topographical map of the area around them out to a days march.
Hunter's Mark should be castable on spoor of a creature they are tracking (sympathetic magic) to indicate what way did they go from here or even ping their current direction.
A smite type spell that converts spell slots into damage.

 

[CreamCloud0]

I believe that rangers should have a "scry the land" ability. A spell or ability to generate a topographical map of the area around them out to a days march.
Hunter's Mark should be castable on spoor of a creature they are tracking (sympathetic magic) to indicate what way did they go from here or even ping their current direction.
A smite type spell that converts spell slots into damage.

i don't really like that hunter's mark is used as a damage tool for rangers, i'd rather split that role off into a separate ability and let HM go whole hog into the tracking/locating role, the visual range is the worst part of HM IMO, as it only lets you track something you've already found, if it could work by naming your target or residual evidence(eg: i'd like to target whatever made these tracks), even expanding it to cover that land scrying aspect to let them mark a 'target' like a fresh water source, specific plants or a cave.