D&D (2024) What type of ranger would your prefer for 2024?

[Chaosmancer]

Martial classes in 5E generally just get better at their competencies, though granted that's part of why they lag behind.

You can lean into the hunting aspect and give them increasingly nasty ways to dominate prey, like being able to hobble them, blind them, confuse them, anticipate and interrupt their actions, deal massive damage, shut down their powers, etc. Much of this would just be "borrow from 4E".

You know what is really amusing about this? My first thought of how to implement this is... Cunning Strikes.

Which makes me curious about the new Scout Rogue coming down the pipeline.

 

[Frozen_Heart]

We already have a half-caster ranger, so I'd like to see a spell-free ranger to complete the set.

Bonus points if we get a spell-free paladin along with it...

 

[Incenjucar]

You know what is really amusing about this? My first thought of how to implement this is... Cunning Strikes.

Which makes me curious about the new Scout Rogue coming down the pipeline.

Yeah, ranger has always been somewhere between rogue and fighter in a lot of ways, so it's a natural direction to lean into. Hence why I ended up playing a ninja in 2E when the ranger fell a bit flat - they combined stealth and lightly-armored melee skills in a really satisfying way without any magic.

 

[The Myopic Sniper]

I am not sure if you guys have heard about the GenCon Unearthed Arcana panel this weekend. Apparently, they had a huge OneD&D subsystem planned for wilderness exploration and adventure for the Ranger class to interact with that got scrapped for being too complicated. I am sure there will be more on this as GenCon reports come in this weekend. It would be nice if the D&D design team could release that into the wild as an optional module for DMs and players to try even if it didn't make the cut for the 2024 edition of the game.

 

[Incenjucar]

I am not sure if you guys have heard about the GenCon Unearthed Arcana panel this weekend. Apparently, they had a huge OneD&D subsystem planned for wilderness exploration and adventure for the Ranger class to interact with that got scrapped for being too complicated. I am sure there will be more on this as GenCon reports come in this weekend. It would be nice if the D&D design team could release that into the wild as an optional module for DMs and players to try even if it didn't make the cut for the 2024 edition of the game.

That sounds about right. Criminy.

Either a lack of faith in the gamers, or a lack of efficient design, but either way that's quite frustrating.

 

[Minigiant]

I am not sure if you guys have heard about the GenCon Unearthed Arcana panel this weekend. Apparently, they had a huge OneD&D subsystem planned for wilderness exploration and adventure for the Ranger class to interact with that got scrapped for being too complicated. I am sure there will be more on this as GenCon reports come in this weekend. It would be nice if the D&D design team could release that into the wild as an optional module for DMs and players to try even if it didn't make the cut for the 2024 edition of the game.

Surprise surprise the Wilderness Subsystem got cut.

 

[Horwath]

I am not sure if you guys have heard about the GenCon Unearthed Arcana panel this weekend. Apparently, they had a huge OneD&D subsystem planned for wilderness exploration and adventure for the Ranger class to interact with that got scrapped for being too complicated. I am sure there will be more on this as GenCon reports come in this weekend. It would be nice if the D&D design team could release that into the wild as an optional module for DMs and players to try even if it didn't make the cut for the 2024 edition of the game.

well, color me surprised...

It took them 10 years to realize that feats are not really optional.
And they still believe that new players are too stupid to pick a subclass at level 1.

 

[CleverNickName]

And they still believe that new players are too stupid to pick a subclass at level 1.

I think it has more to do with players cherry-picking subclasses at level 1.

 

[Minigiant]

I think it has more to do with players cherry-picking subclasses at level 1.

That and subclasses sucking up design space

That's why ranger got theirs at third. Rangers are Martial + Combat + Magic. They get Martial and Skill at 1st. Then Magic and the rest of Martial at 2. There was no space for subclass until 3.

With magic at level 1 now, there is even less space for Subclass.

I mean, it is clear why all the classes that used to get subclass at level 1 were full spellcasters.

 

[Rocker26a]

I'm personally firmly on the side of spellcasting for Ranger, but something I've been trying to pin down for a while now is, what's a good answer for where the Ranger's magic comes from exactly. In particular, what satisfactorily distinguishes them from Druids (and to a lesser extent Barbarians where applicable) in terms of magic, if anything. Because I do think it ought to be something, in the same way that while Clerics and Paladins have some overlap, they are distinct expressions of their corner of magic.

I'm sure this has come up and been discussed already, but. Hell, it's a lot to sift through at this point.