<div class='footnote'>Part 1 | Introduction</div> # The Ranger, ## An alterate version ### Premise The Ranger is a very iconic class, but most of the core PHB features are flavorful, but largely meaningless in most games. On the other hand, the revised ranger was to front loaded, and arguably too powerful, especially as a dip. The goal of this text is to provide the ranger with meaningful features, that remain in keeping with the theme of the ranger as a master tracker, combatant, and tactician. #### History So what is the ranger? Well, in AD&D it was a fighter subclass that gained access to lower level druid and magic user spells. Additionally they got special tracking features, and could specialize in a single weapon. They also gained surprise easier, and were more difficult to surprise. Rangers in this edition all had to be 'good'. In AD&D 2e, they added some animal features, and the concept of a favored enemy. They also had some skills limited by the type of armor they wore, edging them away from heavy armor, though in this edition they were still proficient with it. Spellcasting was of the lower level priest type. And the introduced the concept of recruiting followers and animal followers. In 3rd edition, the Favored enemy term was added, and the ranger gained it's own spell list, rather than a subset from other classes. The animal companion became more of a solid class feature, where they gained a single specific companion rather than the ability to recruit many, including other humanoids. This edition dropped the race and alignment restrictions of old, and is probably closer to what the modern player expects of the class. 4th edition deviated much more from the style of the other editions; Never having played it, I don't understand it as well from the description. But it classed them as martial strikers. This seems to have focused them on single target damage, and hit and run type fighting, with some ability to aid in skill checks. #### Concept I don't think it is necessary or desirable to replicate every feature from prior editions, but it's important to look at in understanding what players may expect or desire the class to do. Based on the prior editions, and admittedly some of my own leanings, the ranger needs to be a primarily martial character with notable magic abilities. They should have features relating to tracking, survival, and exploration, falling somewhere between fighter and druid in overall ability theme. Favored enemy is a concept some will find important, but revised ranger has shown us that adding too much flat damage from it is a bit too much. Animal companions may or may not be important to a player, depending on the edition their concept originated in, as such it is important that it exist, but perhaps not as a base feature. The PHB ranger has shown us that simply giving bonus' to tracking and lore of favored enemies is really not enough for most people to enjoy it. It has also shown us that while action economy is important when considering the companion, requiring the action of the player to command the beast while their character does nothing is too much of a cost. It can also be problematic that much of the survival aspect can be gotten from the outlander background. #### Play notes While many will point to the beastmaster as an even larger flaw, archetypes are beyond the scope of this release. This class is, for the time being expected to be played with published archetypes as written unless specially noted. If you use this class, it replaces the base ranger class features entirely, and uses the official ranger archetypes. UA archetypes are not considered in it's design. If you choose to allow UA archetypes I can make no statement about how well or poorly it may work. ### Creating a Ranger Consider in your concept where you came from, and what sort of enemies you might have fought. It makes little sense to have a favored enemy that wouldn't exist where you came from for example. Your home and upbringing might have a significant impact on what spells and skills you would have learned as well. If you were a hunter for your village you might have focused on scouting and combat skills, where someone raised in a remote monastery might have learned more about healing and medicine. #### Quick Build To quickly generate a playable ranger, Make Dexterity your highest ability score, and wisdom your second. (It can also be valid to choose strength, if you plan to use some melee weapons) Choose a shortsword for your melee weapon, and leather for your armor. Outlander is a thematic background choice. \pagebreakNum <div class='footnote'>Part 2 | Class Description</div> <div class='classTable wide'> ##### The Ranger | Level | Proficiency <br>Bonus | Features | Spells<br> Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |:---:|:---:|:-----------------|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer | — | — | — | — | — | — | | 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | | 3rd | +2 | Ranger Archetype, Primeval Awareness | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — | | 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | | 6th | +3 | Favored Enemy Improvement, Natural explorer improvement | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | | 7th | +3 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Fleet of Foot | 5 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | | 9th | +4 | — | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | | 10th | +4 | Natural explorer improvement, Vanish | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | | 11th | +4 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — | | 13th | +5 | — | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | | 14th | +5 | Favored Enemy Improvement, Extra Attack (2) | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — | | 15th | +5 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — | | 17th | +6 | — | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 18th | +6 | Feral Senses | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | | 20th | +6 | Foe Slayer | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | </div> ## Class Features As a ranger, you gain the following class features #### Hit Points ___ - **Hit Dice:** 1d10 per ranger level - **Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + your Constitution modifier - **Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st #### Proficiencies ___ - **Armor:** Light armor, medium armor, shields - **Weapons:** Simple weapons, martial weapons - **Tools:** None ___ - **Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity - **Skills:** Choose three from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival #### Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: * *(a)* scale mail or *(b)* leather armor * *(a)* scale mail or *(b)* leather armor * *(a)* two shortswords or *(b)* any martial weapon * *(a)* a dungeoneer's pack or *(b)* an explorer's pack * A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows ### Favored Enemy Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy. Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies. You add double your proficiency bonus to attack rolls made against creatures of the chosen type. Additionally, You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all. \pagebreakNum <div class='footnote'>Part 2 | Class Description</div> You choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures. ### Natural Explorer You are a master of navigating the natural world, you gain the following benefits when traveling for an hour or more: * Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group's travel. * Your group can't become lost except by magical means. * Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger. * If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. * When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would. * While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. Beginning at 6th level you also have advantage on any check to perceive hidden or invisible creatures. Beginning at 10th level you have advantage on initiative rolls. ### Fighting Style At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again. #### Archery You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. #### Defense While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. #### Dueling When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon. #### Two-Weapon Fighting When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack. #### Great Weapon Fighting When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. ### Spellcasting By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and end of this document for the ranger spell List. <div style='margin-top:100px;'></div> #### Spell Slots The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell animal friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast animal friendship using either slot. #### Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the ranger spell list. The Spells Known column of the Ranger table shows when you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. #### Spellcasting Ability Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw De for a ranger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. <div style='margin-top:10px'></div> <font face='scalysans' size='2'> <center> **Spell Save DC** </font> = <font face='scalysans' size='2'> 8 + your proficiency bonus + </center> <div style='margin-top:-8px'></div> <center> your wisdom modifier </center> <div style='margin-top:12px'></div> <center> **Spell attack modifier** </font> = <font face='scalysans' size='2'> your proficiency bonus + </center> <div style='margin-top:-8px'></div> <center> your wisdom modifier </center> </font> ### Ranger Archetype At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate: detailed in the Players Handbook at the end of the ranger class description, and in other published materials. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level. ### Primeval Awareness Beginning at 3rd level, your mastery of ranger lore allows you to establish a powerful link to beasts and to the land around you. You have an innate ability to communicate with beasts, and they recognize you as a kindred spirit. Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas to a beast as an action, and can read its basic mood and intent. You learn its emotional state, whether it is affected by magic of any sort, its short-term needs (such as food or safety), and actions you can take (if any) to persuade it to not attack. You cannot use this ability against a creature that you have attacked within the past 10 minutes. \pagebreakNum <div class='footnote'>Part 3 | Spell List</div> Additionally, you can attune your senses to determine what creatures lurk nearby. By spending 1 uninterrupted minute in concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell), you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 5 miles of you, and their general direction: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn't reveal the creatures' precise location or number. ### Ability Score Improvement When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. ### Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 14th level in this class. ### Fleet of Foot Beginning at 8th level, you can use the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn. <div style='margin-top:100px;'></div> ### Vanish Starting at 14th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can't be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail. ### Feral Senses At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can’t see. When you make an attack roll against a creature you can’t see, your inability to see it doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it. You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened. ### Foe Slayer At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter. Once on each of your turns, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll or the damage roll of an attack you make. You can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but before any effects of the roll are applied. <div style='margin-top:100px;'></div> <div class='spellList'> ### Ranger Spells ##### 1st Level - Absorb Elements - Alarm - Animal Friendship - Beast Bond - Divine Favor - Snare - Speak with Animals - Longstrider - Jump - Detect Magic - Hail of Thorns - Goodberry - Fog Cloud - Ensnaring Strike - Detect Poison and Disease - Cure Wounds - Hunter's Mark - Zephyr Strike ##### 2nd Level - Healing Spirit - Locate Object - Darkvision - Cordon of Arrows - Spike Growth - Find Traps - Animal Messenger - Silence - Protection from Poison - Pass without Trace - Barkskin - Locate Animals or Plants - Beast Sense - Lesser Restoration ##### 3rd Level - Flame Arrows - Daylight - Wind Wall - Speak with Plants - Lightning Arrow - Conjure Animals - Nondetection - Water Walk - Plant Growth - Water Breathing - Conjure Barrage - Protection from Energy ##### 4th Level - Guardian of Nature - Grasping Vine - Locate Creature - Conjure Woodland Beings - Stoneskin - Freedom of Movement ##### 5th Level - Tree Stride - Swift Quiver - Conjure Volley - Commune With Nature - Steel Wind Strike </div>