Feral Ranger 2021 Update by /u/Leuku
Beyond my Beastmaster Accounting homebrew supplement designed to address and repair the flaws within the PHB Beastmaster Ranger, I've put little thought into publishing my own Ranger replacement homebrew. This was due to the sheer volume of them; why dive in when so many others are already doing a fantastic job? However, this did not mean I did not have ideas for one. So much time has passed since the PHB was released, but the frequency of new Ranger replacements persists. I decided I had denied myself for long enough.
In this iteration, I ditched most of the PHB Ranger. This will not be homebrew-lite like my Beastmaster Accounting. Primary among the complaints is how it is insufficiently dissociated from a Fighter with the Outlander background and that its 1st and 2nd level are so unremarkable compared to the Paladin. The mechanical execution of its identity is weak. What is a Ranger?
To me, a Ranger is feral, straddling the border between civilization and wilderness. An animal, but not literally like a Druid. That means enhanced senses, preternatural sensitivity to danger, and purpose-driven ferocity. In the following you will see some familiar mechanics, but most will be new and different to the Ranger.
Hunter's Quarry vs Favored Enemy
2021 Update: Hunter's Quarry is completely redesigned.
Favored Enemy does not function well because it cannot adapt quickly to any given campaign. Hunter's Quarry is quick and flexible, enabling you to learn about a creature's capabilities while fighting or observing them. There are 3 things you can learn about a creature, and once you do, you can add that creature's type to a personal list. The number of creature types you can retain on that list increases as you gain levels, and you can swap them out when you study other creatures.
A creature type on your list grants you an actual combat benefit when you use your 2nd level Ferocity class feature. However, this combat benefit is not essential to the function of Ferocity, so don't feel pressure to always have your Hunter's Quarry active.
DMs, don't forget that this feature does not tell the player what a creature's # of Hit Dice, AC, or Speed is.
Natural Explorer vs Adept Explorer
2021 Update: Adept Explorer is new.
I dropped Natural Explorer. It removes challenge entirely when instead it should merely help you tackle it. I really liked WOTC's alternative class feature option to replace Natural Explorer called Deft Explorer. There were some issues with it, so I adapted it to let you specialize in one of the 3 benefits or spread yourself between them.
Hunter's Mark vs Ferocity
This ranger does not attempt to incorporate the spell hunter's mark into the class. It introduces a new mechanic, Ferocity. Ferocity can benefit from hunter's mark, but they compete more than they synergize. This class still functions with hunter's mark, but should no longer require it to maintain combat potency.
Ferocity is my answer to the Paladin's Smite. Instead of dealing additional damage dice on a hit, you make additional weapon attacks. You can only use feral ranger spell slots, so you can't use fullcaster slots to fuel it. Ferocity on average deals less damage than a smite, especially since you can't rely on crits, but other Ranger abilities, such as hunter's mark, Savagery, and most subclass 3rd level abilities, will enhance it.
Ferocity is also my answer to the UA Revised Ranger's damage bonus to Favored Enemies. I try to avoid small, static, stacking damage modifiers, so I took advantage of the advantage/disadvantage system and granted advantage on weapon attacks granted by Ferocity that target Hunter's Quarries. There is now much more value in reaching Ranger levels beyond 6th.
Savagery
The Feral Ranger also contains a class-wide average damage booster at 11th level in addition to the subclass features granted at that level. It hinges on the calculation that for Two Weapon Fighting to remain competitive with all other weapon style options, all it needs is to make one additional weapon attack at 11th level.
One could simply make it so that anyone Two Weapon Fighting gets an additional weapon attack as part of their Bonus Action (though there are also other variants that propose eliminating the need for the Bonus Action entirely). Savagery occurred to me as an idea that not only accomplishes this goal, but also synergizes with the Feral Ranger's unique features, particularly Ferocity, while not changing TWF's core mechanic whatsover.
Savagery makes it so that a Two Weapon Fighting Ranger will almost always gain its benefit, but also enables any other fighting style to gain its benefits via Ferocity. Savagery intentionally works at cross or conflicting purposes against features like the Hunter's Volley and the Horizon Walker's Distant Strike. 11th level focuses on granting you competitive options for focus-firing and for spreading damage.
2020 Update: Having witnessed the effective implementation of the latest UA Class Feature Variant Ranger in a campaign I'm playing in, I have decided to improve the frequency of Ferocity by adding Wisdom Modifier uses to it. Like the UA Class Feature Variant, this should satisfyingly free up Ranger Spell Slots for casting actual spells, even as it raises the potential of the Ranger's overall daily damage output.
Expertise
2021 Update: Expertise is gone! Replaced by Adept Explorer at level 1.
RAWR!
That about covers the basics of this new Ranger iteration. I hope you'll continue reading and tell me what you like and don't like, and how this Ranger fares among the countless myriad of Ranger options out there. This isn't one of the most creative Ranger variants (I believe that goes to /u/ImFromNasa's YARV Ranger), but it's my Ranger.
Hope you enjoy!
The Feral Ranger
—Spell Slots per Spell Level—
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Focus | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Focus, Adept Explorer | 2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Ferocity | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Ranger Fable | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 3 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Adept Explorer, Keen Senses | 4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Ranger Fable Feature | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | — | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Adept Explorer, Primal Resilience | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Savagery, Ranger Fable Feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | ─ | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Beastly Fortitude | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | ─ |
| 15th | +5 | Ranger Fable Feature | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ─ |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | ─ |
| 17th | +6 | ─ | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Bewildering Assault | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Apex Predator | 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Quick Build
You can make a feral ranger quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Second, choose the outlander background.
Class Features
As a feral ranger, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
- Hit Dice: 1d10 per feral ranger level
- Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
- Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per feral ranger level after 1st
Proficiencies
- Armor: Light armor, Medium armor, shields
- Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
- Tools: Herbalism Kit
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Survival and Stealth
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
- (a) two short swords, (b) two simple melee weapons, or (c) a martial melee weapon
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
- a longbow, a quiver of 20 arrows, and an herbalism kit
Starting Equipment
When you create a feral ranger, you can start with 4d4 x 10 gp instead of receiving the equipment from your class and background.
Focus
Life on the periphery has honed your instincts to their upper limits. On your turn, you can enter a focus as a bonus action.
While focusing, you gain the following benefits:
- You have advantage on Wisdom checks and Wisdom saving throws.
- You can take the Disengage or Search action as a bonus action.
- Once before focus ends, at the start of your turn, you can grant advantage to all weapon attack rolls you make until the end of your turn.
Your focus lasts for 1 minute. It ends early if you are knocked unconscious. You can also end your focus as a bonus action. Once you have focused a number of times shown for your Feral Ranger level in the Focuses column of the Feral Ranger table, you must finish a long rest before you can focus again.
Adept Explorer
You are an unsurpassed explorer and survivor. Choose one skill you are proficient in. You can add double your proficiency bonus to ability checks using it.
In addition, at 1st level, choose one of the following benefits. At 6th and 10th level, you can choose the same or different benefit. When you choose the same benefit, you gain an improved version of that benefit.
Canny
Choose one skill you are proficient in. You can add double your proficiency bonus to ability checks using it. In addition, thanks to your extensive wandering, you are able to speak, read, and write one language of your choice.
Each time you choose this benefit again, you can apply this benefit to another skill you are proficient in and another language.
Roving
Your walking speed increases by 5, and you gain a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Each time you choose this benefit again, your walking speed increases by another 5 feet.
Tireless
Whenever you finish a long rest, you regain 1 additional hit die. You can have no more than 1 + your maximum number of hit dice in this way.
Each time you choose this benefit again, the number of hit dice regained increases by 1.
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.
Spellcasting
By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of Nature to cast Spells, as a druid does.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The feral 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.
You prepare the list of feral ranger spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the feral ranger spell list. When you do so, choose a number of feral ranger spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your feral ranger level, rounded down (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
For example, if you are a 5th-level feral ranger, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 14, your list of prepared spells can include four spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell animal friendship, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn't remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of feral ranger spells requires time spent embracing the wild within: at least 1 minute per spell Level for each spell on your list.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your Spellcasting ability for your feral 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 DC for a feral ranger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Ferocity
Starting at 2nd level, once on each of your turns when you take the Attack Action, you can expend a feral ranger spell slot to make an additional weapon attack. If you expend a feral ranger spell slot of at least 3rd level, you make two additional weapon attacks instead. If you expend a spell slot of at least 5th level, three weapon attacks.
In addition, when you enter a focus or once at any time during your focus, you can use this feature to make a single weapon attack without expending a feral ranger spell slot.
Ranger Fable
Ranger traditions are passed down through tales of legends old. Their origins have long passed from feeble memory, so only fables of their great and terrible deeds remain. Yet story is often inspiration enough for a young adventurer to enter deep into the woods and emerge a Ranger.
At 3rd level, choose either the Hunted, Nightmare, or Horizon Walker Fable. Your choice grants features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Fable Spells
Each fable has a list of spells - its fable spells - that you gain at the feral ranger levels noted in the fable description. Once you gain a fable spell, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of Spells you can prepare each day.
If you have a fable spell that doesn't appear on the feral ranger spell list, the spell is nonetheless a feral ranger spell for you.
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.
Keen Senses
At 6th level, you can as a bonus action concentrate to heighten your senses. For as long as you maintain concentration, you have advantage on Wisdom checks that rely on hearing, smell, sight, touch, and taste.
Primal Resilience
Starting at 10th level, you recover stamina at an accelerated rate. Whenever you expend a hit die to regain hit points, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the hit points gained.
Savagery
By 11th level, your fierceness with weapons knows no equal. Once on each of your turns, when you make three or more weapon attacks against the same target, you can make one more weapon attack against the same target.
Beastly Fortitude
At 14th level, you can add your Wisdom modifier to Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution saving throws.
Bewildering Assault
At 18th level, your opening strikes bewilder your prey, stripping them of their initiative. On your first turn in combat, when you hit a creature that has yet to take a turn in combat with a weapon attack, it must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or become surprised until the end of their first turn. A creature immune to the surprised condition is immune to this ability.
Apex Predator
By 20th level, you become a hunter of unparalleled dominance and your prey tremble in your presence. Creatures have disadvantage on attacks against you and on saving throws against your spells and abilities while you are focusing.
Feral Ranger Fables
The tales told about feral rangers paint three pictures: that of the Hunter, the Nightmare, and the Horizon Walker.
Hunter Fable
Some rangers seek to master weapons to better protect civilization from the terrors of the wilderness. Members of the Hunter Fable learn specialized fighting techniques for use against the most dire threats, from rampaging ogres and hordes of orcs to towering giants and terrifying dragons.
Hunter Fable Spells
| Ranger level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | hunter's mark |
| 5th | find traps |
| 9th | speak with plants |
| 13th | locate creature |
| 17th | hold monster |
Hunter's Prey
At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Colossus Slayer. Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
Giant Killer. When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.
Horde Breaker. Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.
Defensive Tactics
At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Escape the Horde. Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
Multiattack Defense. When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
Steel Will. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Weapon Tempest
At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Volley. You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.
Unerring Blade. Once on each of your turns, when you miss with a melee weapon attack, you can make a single melee weapon attack against the same target.
Superior Hunter’s Defense
At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Evasion. When you are subjected to an effect, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell, that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on a saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stand Against the Tide. When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice.
Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
Hunter Fable Quirks
| d6 | Quirks |
|---|---|
| 1 | To you, the hunt is a sacred practice with rites, rituals, and obligations. You have disdain for those who would defile it with petty self-pleasures |
| 2 | You use antlers in all of your decorating |
| 3 | You feel that especially strong and cunning prey deserve to be chased again another day |
| 4 | When the wind blows, you cannot help but comment on how it howls |
| 5 | You hunt to conserve animalkind and educate people about them |
| 6 | You live by the adage "Some may never live, but the crazy never die" |
Nightmare Fable
When something goes bump in the night, you are there. When a shadow casts a sinister reach, you are there. When something is hiding under the bed, you are there. Rangers of the Nightmare Fable stalk the forgotten woods, where terrors dwell and fade from the memories of the wakeful. But when the blood moon rises and man has tortured sleep for want of retribution, these nightmares breach the veil of the subconscious mind to bring deliverence to the conscious world.
It is the duty of these rangers to return these creatures back into the folds of the seeming dreamscape, but whether they are more than just foe to the horrors of the mind is left in question, for when you stare into the abyss, the abyss stares back into you.
Nightmare Fable Spells
| Ranger level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | dissonant whispers |
| 5th | darkness |
| 9th | fear |
| 13th | phantasmal killer |
| 17th | dream |
Poltergeist Phenomena
When you choose this fable at 3rd level, you learn the thaumaturgy cantrip and gain proficiency in Intimidation. If you are already proficient, choose a different skill from the Feral Ranger skill list.
Tormenting Strike
Also at 3rd level, when you attack a creature with a weapon attack from your Ferocity feature, the creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or else become Frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of their turns, ending it on a success.
Creatures who succeed on their saving throw are immune to this effect for 1 minute.
Stalker
At 7th level, if at the end of your turn no creature can see you, you can choose to turn invisible. The invisibility lasts until you take damage, make an attack, or cast a spell. You can do this a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). You regain expended uses at the end of a long rest.
If the only creatures that can see you are frightened, you can use this feature at the end of your turn and you do not expend a use of it.
Nightmare Fable Quirks
| d6 | Quirks |
|---|---|
| 1 | When meeting people for the first time, you cannot help but cryptically warn them of imminent danger |
| 2 | You have a habit of creeping up as close as you can to others without them noticing before speaking |
| 3 | When apprehending monsters, you have a habit of tugging at their faces to see if they're wearing a mask |
| 4 | You can only sleep through the night if you're having nightmares |
| 5 | You are prone to speak of things past and things to come in a voice that is not your own, though whether there is any truth to it is up to question |
| 6 | When preparing food, examining a weapon, or bathed in blood, you cannot help but laugh maniacally |
Dread Slayer
Starting at 11th level, Frightened creatures whose CR are equal to or less than half your feral ranger level (rounded down) have disadvantage on saving throws against your spells and abilities. In addition, creatures immune to the Frightened condition instead have advantage on saving throws against your spells and abilities that would inflict the Frightened condition.
Inspire Fear
Also at 11th level, your very touch can spread despair. As an action, you can touch an adjacent creature. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC or else take 3d8 psychic damage and become Frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Find Nightmare
At 15th level, phantasma becomes your companion, allowing you to enter and exit the interstice between the waking and dreaming realms at-will. You can conduct an hour long ritual lit only by the flames of a secluded campfire around which you tell frightening tales to summon a Nightmare.
It acts on your turn and follows your mental commands (no action required by you), but will not attack except in defense of itself. If you are reduced to 0 hit points, it will retreat into the ethereal plane until you command it to return. If reduced to 0 hit points, it does not die but instead returns to the forgotten woods from whence it came, and can be summoned by conducting the ritual once more.
Horizon Walker Fable
Distant tales tell of a rampart of rangers that guard the world against threats originating from other planes or those that seek to ravage the mortal realm with otherworldly magic. They seek out planar portals and keep watch over them, venturing to the Inner Planes and the Outer Planes as needed to pursue their foes. These rangers are also friends to any forces in the multiverse - especially benevolent dragons, fey, and elementals - that work to preserve life and the order of the planes.
Horizon Walker Fable Spells
| Ranger level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | protection from evil and good |
| 5th | misty step |
| 9th | haste |
| 13th | banishment |
| 17th | teleportation circle |
Portal Magic
At 3rd level, you learn basic conjuration and gain the ability to magically sense the presence of a planar portal. You learn the mage hand cantrip, and as an Action, you detect the distance and direction to the closest planar portal within 1 mile of you.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Planar Warrior
At 3rd level, you learn to draw on the energy of the multiverse to augment your attacks.
When you use your Ferocity feature, until the end of your turn, the damage from all of your weapon attacks, including the triggering attack, become force damage, and creatures hit by these attacks take an extra 1d8 force damage from the attack. A creature can take this extra damage only once on each of your turns.
At 11th level, a creature can take this extra damage twice on each of your turns.
Ethereal Step
At 7th level, you learn to step through the Ethereal Plane. As a Bonus Action, you can cast the etherealness spell with this feature, without expending a spell slot, but the spell ends at the end of the current turn.
Once you use this feature, you can't use it again until you finish a short or long rest.
Distant Strike
At 11th level, you gain the ability to pass between the planes in the blink of an eye. When you take the Attack Action, you can teleport up to 10 feet before every attack you make in the same turn to an unoccupied space you can see.
If you attack at least two different creatures, you can make one additional attack with it against a third creature.
Spectral Defense
At 15th level, your ability to move between the planes enables you to slip through the boundaries to lessen the harm done to you during battle. When you take damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to give yourself resistance to all of that attack's damage on this turn.
Horizon Walker Fable Quirks
| d6 | Quirks |
|---|---|
| 1 | You always carry a book with you, as there is no better weapon in the world than books |
| 2 | You are committed to telling your origin story one last time, though that last time never seems to come |
| 3 | As one who seeks despite ones origins, you hold no prejudice in associating with outcasts |
| 4 | Having witnessed the Wild Hunt, you are beset by visions of other realms |
| 5 | You carry a coin with you that inexplicably always comes up heads |
| 6 | You believe everyone deserves a place to call home |
Non-magic Variant Feral Ranger
Unlike the PHB/Revised Ranger, the Feral Ranger is a lot more dependent on its spell slots for class features, so creating a non-magic variant is a tad more difficult. But I like having a non-magic variant, so let's see what we can do.
Ferocity
At 2nd level, the experience you've accumulated on the hunt allows you to exploit moments of weakness against your prey, increasing in frequency as your experience grows.
Once on each of your turns when you take the Attack Action, you can make an additional weapon attack. If your target is one of your Hunter's Quarries, you have advantage on the attack roll.
Once you do so, you can't do so again until the end of your next long rest. You gain additional uses at higher feral ranger levels, as described in the table below.
| Feral Ranger Level | Ferocity Uses |
|---|---|
| 2nd | 2 + Wisdom modifier |
| 3rd | 3 + Wisdom modifier |
| 5th | 4 + Wisdom modifier |
| 7th | 5 + Wisdom modifier |
| 9th | 6 + Wisdom modifier |
| 11th | 7 + Wisdom modifier |
| 13th | 8 + Wisdom modifier |
| 15th | 9 + Wisdom modifier |
| 17th | 10 + Wisdom modifier |
| 19th | 11 + Wisdom modifier |
At 9th level, you can expend a use of this feature to make two additional weapon attacks instead of one. You can do so twice. You regain expended uses at the end of your next long rest. This increases to thrice at 11th level and four times at 13th.
At 17th level, you can expend a use of this feature to make three additional weapon attacks instead of one. Once you do so, you can't do so again until the end of your next long rest. This increases to twice at 19th level.
Feral save DC
Features that require a Spell save DC now use the following Feral save DC, which is calculated the same as the original Spell save DC.
Feral save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Alchemy
At 3rd level, you've accrued enough knowledge on flora and fauna to put it to practical use. You can create special weapon oils and herbal poultices which can be augmented using ingredients from the creatures you kill. You can spend 1 hour gathering herbs, insects, and fungi to create a number of basic oils or poultices in any combination up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). You can carry any combination of oils and poultices at one time equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).
The oils and poultices cannot be applied by anyone but you. You store oils, poultices, and ingredients in a special carrying case. If you lose this case, you can remake one during a long rest using 5 gp worth of materials.
As a Bonus Action, you can apply one of your oils to a melee weapon or to 10 pieces of ammunition, thereby expending its use. Attacks made with a coated weapon deal an extra 1d4 damage on a hit. This benefit lasts for 1 minute, after which the oil dries up and disappears.
If you spend 1 minute applying one of your poultices to a wounded humanoid creature, thereby expending its use, that creature regains 1d6 hit points for every two ranger levels you have (rounded up).
Bestiary
At the time you apply an oil or poultice, you can augment it by adding an ingredient harvested and refined from a creature. The ingredient can be something like an eye, a bone, or at least 1 oz of hair, but it must have been harvested while the creature was alive or within 10 minutes after it died. Through a 1 minute process using an herbalism kit, you can harvest a number of ingredients equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) from a single creature. You can store and preserve a number of ingredients from any combination of creatures equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1), otherwise the ingredient swiftly rots away. When storing and preserving an ingredient in excess of your Wisdom modifier, you can replace any number of stored ingredients with newly harvested ingredients.
You can refine any number of stored ingredients using an hour long ritual which can be done during a short or long rest. Once refined, these ingredients can be added to an oil or poultice being applied, thereby expending their use. You can store and carry a number of refined ingredients equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1).
Ingredients provide different augments to oils and poultices depending on the creature's type. Ingredients used to augment oils lose their potency much more quickly, and so their effects are only applied to the first creature hit by an attack made using a coated weapon.
Oils
Beast. The creature cannot take reactions until the start of your next turn.
Fey. The creature suffers disadvantage on the next saving throw they make against a spell until the end of their next turn.
Humanoid. The creature drops an object they are holding.
Monstrosities. The creature grants advantage to the first weapon attack made against it until the end of its next turn.
Ooze. The creature loses access to all of its special senses until the end of your next turn.
Plant. The creature's speed is halved until the start of your next turn.
Undead. The creature suffers disadvantage on the first attack roll they make until the end of their next turn.
Poultices
Beast. The creature can move an additional 5 feet, once on each of its turns when it takes the Dash action, until the end of their next short or long rest.
Fey. The creature has advantage on the first saving throw they make against a magical effect until the end of their next short or long rest.
Humanoid. The creature adds their proficiency bonus to one skill that does not add their proficiency bonus until the end of their next short or long rest.
Monstrosities. The creature gains 2d6 temporary hit points until the end of their next short or long rest.
Ooze. The creature has advantage on checks to escape grapples and being engulfed until the end of their next short or long rest.
Plant. The creature is cured of 1 poison effect and has advantage on saving throws against poison effects until the end of their next short or long rest.
Undead. The creature ignores 1 level of Exhaustion until the end of their next short or long rest.
Improved Bestiary
At 9th level, you expand your bestiary to include more dangerous and exotic creatures.
Oils
Abberation. The creature disengages and moves as far as it can in a random direction using the safest route possible on its next turn. If it is unable to move or move safely, it does not move.
Celestial. The creature cannot receive any healing or regain hit points until the end of your next turn.
Construct. The creature's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of your next turn.
Dragon. The creature cannot roll to recharge any of its abilities until the end of your turn.
Elemental. The creature loses any special speeds it has until the end of your next turn.
Fiend. The creature becomes incapacitated until the start of your next turn.
Giant. The creature falls prone.
Poultices
Abberation. The creature can speak telepathically to creatures within 60 feet of it until the end of their next short or long rest, though it cannot hear anything in response unless the receiver is also telepathic.
Celestial. The creature gains the benefit of the protection from evil and good spell until the end of their next short or long rest.
Construct. The creature becomes immune to the petrified condition and any spell or effect that would alter its form until the end of their next short or long rest.
Dragon. The creature's AC cannot be less than 16 until the end of their next short or long rest.
Elemental. The creature gains resistance to your choice of fire, lightning, thunder, cold, or nonmagical bludgeoning damage until the end of their next short or long rest.
Fiend. The creature has advantage on checks to determine whether it is being presented with a lie for 1 hour.
Giant. The creature treats itself as 1 size category larger for the purposes of carrying, lifting, shoving, pulling, and grappling for 1 hour.
Call of the Wild
Starting at 13th level, you can as an Action emit a low frequency pulse much like elephants do to incite nearby natural creatures into a stampede. The DM chooses a multitude of creatures appropriate to the nearby terrain to gather together and collectively move in a single direction towards and through a point you choose within 150 feet of you. The creatures appear into sight within 80 feet of the point, and then move in a straight line until they are centered on the chosen point. At the start of your next turn, the creatures move at least 80 feet in the same direction or until they disappear from view, whichever comes first, after which the creatures disperse and the stampede dissolves.
The mass of creatures is 30 feet wide and 60 feet long. Creatures that the stampede encounters for the first time must make a Dexterity saving throw against your Feral save DC, taking 12d6 bludgeoning damage on a success or half as much damage on a failure. Large and smaller creatures then must succeed on a Strength saving throw or else be carried along with the mass of creatures. They may repeat the saving throw at the start of each of their turns, being left behind by the mass on a success. The mass of creatures is considered difficult terrain and moving 1 foot through it costs 4 feet of movement.
Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until the end of your next long rest.
Indefatigueable
At 17th level, when you have no uses of Ferocity remaining and you roll initiative, you regain 1 use of Ferocity.
Recycling Bin
Nature's Celerity
When you reach 14th level, you can cast concentration spells that require your Action using your Bonus Action instead.
Calamity
By 18th level, your dominance over the wilds extends to even nature itself. As an Action, you can demand intervention from the forces of nature to massively alter your environment to your benefit. Discuss with your DM how this intervention might develop. For example, you might replicate the effects of the 8th level spells control weather or earthquake. A tornado might touch down and whisk you and your allies away from a surrounding horde. Or a tidal wave might carry your ship to the nearest shore. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until the end of your next long rest.
Two Weapon Storm
At 11th level, whenever you engage in Two Weapon Fighting, you can make an additional weapon attack alongside your bonus action attack.
Two Weapon Storm
This document also contains an improvement to Two Weapon Fighting at 11th level. It is intended to bring the average damage output of a Two Weapon Fighting (TWF) Ranger comparative to Great Weapon Fighting (GWF) Fighter. The disparity between the two increases most dramatically at 11th level. At 11th, with a maxed STR or DEX, a GWF Fighter deals 33.99 average damage while a TWF Ranger deals 25.5. Granting a single additional weapon attack raises that average from 25.5 to 34.
Whether or not this will work with classes outside the Ranger is something to investigate. If taken out of the Ranger and applied to all classes in general, then this should be applied as an upgrade to Extra Attack.
Oils
Beast. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or else become unable to take reactions until the start of your next turn.
Fey. The creature must succeed on a Charisma saving throw or else suffer disadvantage on the next saving throw they make against a spell until the end of their next turn.
Humanoid. The creature must succeed on Strength saving throw or else drop an object they are holding.
Monstrosities. The creature must succeed on a
Undead. The creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or else have disadvantage on the next attack roll they make until the end of their next turn.
The effects of oils require saving throws, the DC for which equal 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier.
Visceral Attack
Also at 3rd level, when you hit a creature within 15 feet of you with a weapon attack granted by your Ferocity feature, the creature must make a Constitution saving throw against your Spell save DC. On a failure, the creature becomes stunned until the end of your next turn. On a success, the creature becomes incapacitated until the end of your next turn.
Evasion
At 7th level, when you are subjected to an effect, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell, that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on a saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Beasthood
By 11th level, your frequent consumption of blood has awoken the beast within. Once on each of your turns, when you make a weapon attack, you can choose to make two weapon attacks with disadvantage instead. You cannot do this if you already had disadvantage on your attack. If you are suffering from any form of madness, you do not make these attacks with disadvantage.
While Frightened in this way, a creature must use its action to take the Dash or Disengage action and move away from you by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move.
Expertise
At 3rd level, choose one of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make using that chosen proficiency in addition to Survival checks.
At 10th level, you choose another two skill proficiencies to gain this benefit.
Tireless
As a bonus action, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this special action a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
In addition,
Wild Alacrity
Also at 3rd level, your body reacts to danger with animalistic agility. Whenever you roll initiative, you can immediately move up to half your speed without triggering opportunity attacks.
Recycling Bin
Beyond my Beastmaster Accounting homebrew supplement designed to address and repair the flaws within the PHB Beastmaster Ranger, I've put little thought into publishing my own Ranger replacement homebrew. This was due to the sheer volume of them; why dive in when so many others are already doing a fantastic job? However, this did not mean I did not have ideas for one. So much time has passed since the PHB was released, but the frequency of new Ranger replacements persists. I decided I had denied myself for long enough.
In this iteration, I ditched most of the PHB Ranger. This will not be homebrew-lite like my Beastmaster Accounting. Primary among the complaints is how it is insufficiently dissociated from a Fighter with the Outlander background and that its 1st and 2nd level are so unremarkable compared to the Paladin. The mechanical execution of its identity is weak. What is a Ranger?
To me, a Ranger is feral, straddling the border between civilization and wilderness. An animal, but not literally like a Druid. That means enhanced senses, preternatural sensitivity to danger, and purpose-driven ferocity. In the following you will see some familiar mechanics, but most will be new and different to the Ranger.
Hunter's Quarry vs Favored Enemy
Favored Enemy does not function well because it cannot adapt quickly to any given campaign. Hunter's Quarry is quick and flexible, enabling you to learn about creatures while fighting or observing them.
I also changed the benefits, because tracking a creature is more sufficiently covered by the Survival skill, which I granted automatic proficiency in. Instead, I adopted a simpler version of the Battlemaster Fighter's 7th level Know Your Enemy feature. However, instead of choosing two among a list, you get to know all 3 things.
DMs, don't forget that this feature does not actually tell the player what a creature's # of Hit Dice, AC, etc., is.
No Natural Explorer
I dropped Natural Explorer. It removes challenge entirely when instead it should merely help you tackle it. Granting proficiency in Survival, and Expertise in Survival at 3rd level, should cover what Natural Explorer should have enabled you to do.
Ferocity
This ranger does not attempt to incorporate the spell hunter's mark into the class. It introduces a new mechanic, Ferocity, that would benefit from hunter's mark, though at the expense of significant resources. This class still functions with hunter's mark but should no longer require it to maintain combat potency.
Hunter's Quarry
Life on the periphery has given you a sense for the wild danger that lurks in others. Seeing how a creature reacts to an attack, or even a strong whiff of their scent, is enough to teach you of the strength a creature possesses.
A 1st level, when you make a weapon attack against a creature, or you take the Search action against a creature within 30 feet of you, the DM tells you if the creature is your equal, superior, or inferior in regards to 1 of the following characteristics:
Stronger. Maximum Hit Points
Tougher. Armor Class
Faster. Largest Movement Speed
When you learn all 3 of these characteristics about the creature, you can add its creature type to your Hunter's Quarry list. Alternatively, you can add a creature's type to your Hunter's Quarry list by examining it over the course of 1 hour if it has died within the last 24 hours. If the creature's type is humanoid, you must choose its race of humanoid (such as gnoll or orc).
You can have one creature type on your Hunter's Quarry list. This increases by 1 at 3rd (2), 6th (3), 9th (4), 13th (5), and 17th level (6). When you add a creature type to your list in excess of this number, you must replace a creature type of your choice on your list with it.
Ferocity
Starting at 2nd level, once on each of your turns when you take the Attack Action, you can expend a feral ranger spell slot to make an additional weapon attack. If you expend a feral ranger spell slot of at least 3rd level, you make two additional weapon attacks instead. If you expend a spell slot of at least 5th level, three weapon attacks.
In addition, you can use this feature to make a single weapon attack without expending a feral ranger spell slot a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier. You regain expended uses at the end of a long rest.
If the target is one of your hunter's quarries, you have advantage on these attacks.
Hunter's Focus
At 5th level, you can as an action add to your Hunter's Quarry list a type of creature you can see within 60 feet of you. This addition lasts for 1 minute and does not count against the number of creature types you can have on your list. When you do so, you can as a bonus action make a single weapon attack against that creature.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to 1 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). You regain all expended uses after a long rest.
Recycling Bin
Ferocity is my answer to the Paladin's Smite. Instead of dealing additional damage dice on a hit, you make additional weapon attacks. You can only use feral ranger spell slots, so you can't use fullcaster slots to fuel it. Ferocity on average deals less damage than a smite, especially since you can't rely on crits, but other Ranger abilities, such as hunter's mark, Savagery, and most subclass 3rd level abilities, will enhance it.
Ferocity is also my answer to the UA Revised Ranger's damage bonus to Favored Enemies. I try to avoid small, static, stacking damage modifiers, so I took advantage of the advantage/disadvantage system and granted advantage on weapon attacks granted by Ferocity that target Hunter's Quarries. There is now much more value in reaching Ranger levels beyond 6th.
Savagery
The Feral Ranger also contains a class-wide average damage booster at 11th level in addition to the subclass features granted that level. It hinges on the calculation that for Two Weapon Fighting to remain competitive with all other weapon style options, all it needs is to make one additional weapon attack at 11th level.
One could simply make it so that anyone Two Weapon Fighting gets an additional weapon attack as part of their Bonus Action (though there are also other variants that propose eliminating the need for the Bonus Action entirely). Savagery occurred to me as an idea that not only accomplishes this goal, but also synergizes with the Feral Ranger's unique features, particularly Ferocity, while not changing TWF's core mechanic whatsover.
Savagery makes it so that a Two Weapon Fighting Ranger will almost always gain its benefit, but also enables any other fighting style to gain its benefits via Ferocity. Savagery intentionally works at cross or conflicting purposes against features like the Hunter's Volley and the Horizon Walker's Distant Strike. 11th level focuses on granting you competitive options for focus-firing and for spreading damage.
2020 Update: Having witnessed the effective implementation of the latest UA Class Feature Variant Ranger in a campaign I'm playing in, I have decided to improve the frequency of Ferocity by adding Wisdom Modifier uses to it. Like the UA Class Feature Variant, this should satisfyingly free up Ranger Spell Slots for casting actual spells, even as it raises the potential of the Ranger's overall daily damage output.
Expertise
To make it so that a Rogue isn't capable of being an inherently better tracker than this feral Ranger, we follow the Bard leveling of Expertise with the caveat that one of your first two skills must be Survival. Primeval Awareness is gone.
RAWR!
That about covers the basics of this new Ranger iteration. I hope you'll continue reading and tell me what you like and don't like, and how this Ranger fares among the countless myriad of Ranger options out there. This isn't one of the most creative Ranger variants (I believe that goes to /u/ImFromNasa's YARV Ranger), but it's my Ranger.