## Ranger Rough and wild-looking, a human stalks through shadowed city streets, hunting the cultists he knows are planning to summon a foul demon. Prowling silently beside him, his rust monster companion flicks its antennae in anticipation. Clutching a shortsword in each hand, the man becomes a whirlwind of steel, cutting down one enemy after another. After tumbling away from a cone of freezing air, an elf finds her feet and draws back her bow to loose an arrow at the white dragon. Shrugging off the wave of fear that emanates from the beast like the cold of its breath, she sends one arrow after another to find the gaps between the dragon's thick scales. A dwarf turns to the side and spits. Ahead of him in a forest clearing is the bandit lord he's been tracking for weeks. He cracks his knuckles and readies his weapons. The bounty on this one will feed his clan for a month. From the seedy underbelly of the world's great cities to trackless wilderness far from the prying eyes of civilization, one can find rangers, unflinching warriors that always get the job done. ### Deadly Hunters Widely traveled and unmoved in the face of the vilest enemies, rangers are implacable foes that track their quarry as a predator does. Whether winding through a crowded street, stealthily moving through the wilds, or setting an ambush in rocky hills, a ranger's enemies seldom see their death coming. Rangers focus their combat training on striking first and striking hard. ### Independent Adventurers Though a ranger might make a living as a treasure hunter, a guide, or a tracker, the true calling of most rangers is the death of their enemies ─ whether in defense of his homeland, as a first strike against future aggression, or even for profit. Spending so much of their time alone leads to many rangers being independent to a fault. They often look down on the trappings of high society, and respect cunning, skill, and dedication. This fierce independence makes rangers well-suited to adventuring, since they are accustomed to a life of hardship and danger. Rangers are often slow to trust, but fiercely loyal to those who have proven themselves capable allies. <div class='classTable wide'> ##### The Ranger | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Hunter's Mark | |:---:|:---:|:---|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Hunter's Mark | 1d4 | | 2nd | +2 | Grit, Fighting Style | 1d4 | | 3rd | +2 | Ranger Archetype | 1d4 | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Increase | 1d4 | | 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 1d6 | | 6th | +3 | Swift Response | 1d6 | | 7th | +3 | Ranger Archetype feature | 1d6 | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d6 | | 9th | +4 | Keen Eye | 1d6 | | 10th | +4 | Relentless Endurance | 1d6 | | 11th | +4 | Ranger Archetype feature | 1d8 | | 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | | 13th | +5 | Ranger's Guard | 1d8 | | 14th | +5 | Blindfighting | 1d8 | | 15th | +5 | Ranger Archetype feature | 1d8 | | 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | | 17th | +6 | Counterattack | 1d10 | | 18th | +6 | Expert Skirmisher | 1d10 | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 | | 20th | +6 | Unyielding| 1d10 | </div> \pagebreakNum ### Creating a Ranger As you create your ranger character, consider the nature of the training that gave you your particular skills. Did you train with a single mentor, wandering the land together under you mastered the ranger's ways? Did you leave your apprenticeship, or was your mentor slain ─ perhaps by the same kind of monsters you now hunt ruthlessly. Or perhaps you learned you skills as a member of a guild or even a druidic circle, trained in mystic paths and wilderness lore. You might be self-taught, a grim survivor of an attack or raid, who learned combat and tracking to repay the deaths of your loved ones in kind. What motivates you to live a life filled with danger and violence? Did a monster kill someone you loved or destroy your home village? Or did you see too much evil in the world and commit yourself to reining in the depredations of the wicked? Do you seek an ancient relic that will bring you glory or wealth? Is your adventuring career a continuation of your work, or a significant change? What made you join up with a band of adventurers? Do you welcome allies in your hunt, or do you find it challenging to have to rely on and look out for others? #### Quick Build You can make a ranger quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. (Some rangers who focus on melee combat make Strength higher than Dexterity.) Second, choose the outlander background. ## 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 four from Acrobatics, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival #### Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background: - *(a)* two shortswords or *(b)* two simple melee weapons - *(a)* a dungeoneer's pack or *(b)* an explorer's pack - *(a)* a longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows or *(b)* a light crossbow and a quiver of 20 bolts - studded leather armor \columnbreak ### Hunter's Mark You have learned to read your prey, analyzing it with a careful eye and allowing your attacks to strike deeper and truer. As a bonus action on your turn, you can choose a creature you can see within 60 feet of you and mark it as your quarry. Enemies are unaware they are marked, although they may notice you studying them and draw their own conclusions. You can maintain this mark for a number of hours equal to your ranger level. Whenever you hit the marked target with a weapon attack you deal extra damage of the weapon's type, as shown on the Ranger table. While your prey is marked, you have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) checks you make to find or track it. This effect ends if you fall unconscious, use it on another creature, or dismiss it as a bonus action. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a short or long rest. ### 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. ### Grit At 2nd level, your harsh experiences have given you immense skill and determination. You gain a number of grit points equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1). You regain all expended grit points whenever you finish a short or long rest. You also regain 1 grit point whenever you are critically hit by an attack or make a successful saving throw. You can never have more grit points than your Wisdom modifier. #### Exploits You can spend your grit points to perform various exploits. You learn one exploit when you reach 3rd level, and one more each at 6th and 9th level. Additionally, when you learn a new exploit, you can choose one of the exploits you know and replace it with another exploit that you could learn at that level. \pagebreakNum If an exploit has prerequisites, you must meet them to learn it. You can learn the exploit at the same time that you meet its prerequisites. A level prerequisite refers to your level in this class. Some of your exploits and ranger class features force your target to make a saving throw to resist the feature's effects. The saving throw DC is calculated as follows: **Ranger save DC** = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier ##### Aimed Shot As an action, you can spend 1 grit point to carefully line up a perfect shot. Make a ranged weapon attack against the target of your Hunter's Mark. If the attack hits, it inflicts an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon's type. This extra damage increases to 3d8 at 6th level and 5d8 at 9th level. When you use this exploit, your speed becomes 0 until the start of your next turn. ##### Coup de Grace If a creature targeted by your Hunter's Mark is prone or incapacitated, once per turn you can spend 1 grit point to inflict 1d8 extra damage of the weapon's type when you hit the creature with a weapon attack. This extra damage increases to 2d8 at 9th level. ##### Crippling Blow *Prerequisite: 6th level* When you hit a creature targeted by your Hunter's Mark with a weapon attack, you can spend 1 grit point to force the creature to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failure, the creature's speed is reduced to 0 until the end of its next turn. ##### Disarming Strike When you hit the target of your Hunter's Mark with a weapon attack, you can spend 1 grit point to attempt to disarm the target, forcing it to drop one item of your choice that it's holding. The target must make a Strength saving throw. On a failed save, it drops the object you choose. The object lands at its feet. ##### Escape the Horde When a hostile creature moves within 5 feet of you, as a reaction you can spend 1 grit point to move up to half your speed. This movement doesn't provoke opportunity attacks. ##### Ignore Pain When you take damage, as a reaction you can spend 1 grit point to reduce the damage taken by 1d6 + your Wisdom modifier. ##### Multiattack Defense When a creature hits you with an attack, you can spend 1 grit point to gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature until the start of its next turn. ##### Stand Against the Tide *Prerequisite: 6th level* When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, as a reaction you can spend 1 grit point to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other that itself) of your choice. \columnbreak ### Ranger Archetype At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that represents a classic expression of the lone adventurer at the rough edges of civilization. Choose Beastmaster, Horde Breaker, Hunter, Monster Slayer, or Warden, all detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level. ### Ability Score Increase 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. ### Swift Response Starting at 6th level, you react with swift and lethal action when attacked. This grants you the following benefits: * When you roll initiative, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10. * On your first turn in combat, you have advantage on attack rolls you make against creatures that have not yet acted. ### Keen Eye Starting at 9th level, you are adept at picking up on the weaknesses of your prey. As a bonus action, you can study a creature targeted by your Hunter's Mark and learn whether the creature has any damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities and what they are. If the creature is hidden from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities. ### Relentless Endurance Starting at 10th level, you gain temporary hit points equal to your ranger level whenever you finish a short or long rest. ### Ranger's Guard At 13th level, whenever the target of your Hunter's Mark forces you to make a saving throw and whenever you make an ability check to escape that target's grapple, add 1d6 to your roll. ### Blindfighting At 14th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can’t see. When you attack a creature you can’t see, your inability to see it doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it. \pagebreakNum ### Counterattack At 17th level, you gain the ability to counterattack when your prey tries to sabotage you. If the target of your Hunter's Mark forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against the quarry. You make this attack immediately before making the saving throw. If your attack hits, your save automatically succeeds, in addition to the attack's normal effects. 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. ### Expert Skirmisher By 18th level, you are a master of maneuvering in combat. Your movement no longer provokes opportunity attacks. ### Unyielding At 20th level, you can draw on the steel will and determination within you to continue the fight. When a hostile creature inflicts damage that reduces you to below half your hit point maximum, you can choose to instantly gain 40 temporary hit points and to regain all expended grit points. Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest before you can do so again. ## Ranger Archetypes The ideal of the ranger has five expressions: the Beastmaster, the Horde Breaker, the Hunter, the Monster Slayer, and the Warden. ### Beastmaster The life of a ranger can be lonely and dangerous. Some adapt by learning to create a magical bond between themselves and a creature. United in focus, beast and ranger fight the monsters that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike. #### Bonus Proficiency When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill. #### Companion In your travels and adventures, you have learned to magically bond a creature to yourself to aid you. Your companion accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a beast, dragon, or monstrosity to be your companion, abiding by the restrictions below: * cannot be larger than Medium, or Small if it has a flying speed * cannot be a swarm * must have an Intelligence score of 4 or lower * must have a Challenge Rating of 1/2 or lower Add your proficiency bonus to your companion's AC and attack rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills with which it is proficient. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in its stat block or 18, whichever is higher. It can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points like any other creature. Your companion acts as you wish. It rolls initiative like any other creature. If it has a multiattack option, it cannot use it. Your companion understands your speech, and you can intuit basic concepts and statements as long as you can see or hear it. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts as you wish. If your companion is ever slain, the magical bond you share allows you to return it to life. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 25 gp/level worth of rare herbs and fine food, you can call forth your companion's spirit and use your magic to create a new body for it. You can return a companion to life in this manner even if you do not possess any part of its body. Each time you level up, your companion gains one Hit Die, and its hit point maximum increases by 5 + its Constitution modifier. Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion's abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature. #### Coordinated Attacks Starting at 7th level, when your companion attacks the target of your Hunter's Mark, it inflicts extra damage to the marked target as shown in the Ranger table. Additionally, your companion's attacks count as magic weapons for purposes of overcoming resistances or immunities. #### Strengthened Bond At 11th level, the magical bond with your companion becomes even stronger. While your companion can see you it has advantage on all saving throws, and it adds your proficiency bonus to its damage rolls. #### Bestial Endurance At 15th level, whenever an attacker that your companion can see hits it with an attack, it can use its reaction to halve the attack’s damage against it. ### Horde Breaker Horde breakers specialize in combat against many foes. Most horde breakers work tirelessly in frontier lands to stop the depredations of orcs, gnolls, goblins, and other evil humanoids that rely on sheer numbers for victory. #### Who's Next? At 3rd level, once per turn your Hunter's Mark automatically moves to a new hostile creature when the original target of your Hunter's Mark is reduced to 0 hit point, if one is within 5 feet. If there are multiple hostile creatures to choose from, you pick which creature your Hunter's Mark moves to. #### Menacing Warrior At 6th level, you gain proficiency in the Intimidation skill. In addition, you have learned to intimidate enemies you fight, often leading to a route even when outnumbered. When you score a critical hit or reduce a hostile creature to 0 hit points, you can use your bonus action to force one creature within 30 feet that you can see to make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes frightened of you for 1 minute. A creature can repeat this saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on a success. \pagebreakNum #### Multiattack At 11th level, you are a master at fighting when outnumbered. You gain one of the following features of your choice. ##### Volley As an action, you can 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. ##### Whirlwind Attack As an action, you can make melee attacks against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target. #### Divide and Conquer At 15th level, you have an uncanny knack for separating and slaying your enemies one by one. Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack that is at least 10 feet away from at least two of its allies that it can see, you deal an extra 4d8 damage of the weapon's type. ### Hunter The implacable bounty hunter, the intrepid treasure hunter, the fearless big game hunter ─ all these and more are examples of the hunter archetype. #### On the Prowl When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you have carefully honed your skills as a hunter. You gain the following benefits: * You can take the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. * You have advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when attempting to hide from a creature targeted by your Hunter's Mark. #### Dogged Pursuit At 3rd level, you develop techniques to obtain information on your quarry. If you spend at least ten minutes interrogating, questioning, or conversing with a person, your proficiency bonus is doubled on any ability checks made against that person to obtain information regarding a specific creature or item you seek. In addition, while tracking other creatures you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area. #### Improved Hunter's Mark At 7th level, you can hunt for treasure and items as well as you can for living prey. The target of your Hunter's Mark can now be an object or a creature. While you have an object marked, as an action you can sense whether it is within 1 mile of you, and if so, in which direction. You apply your Hunter's Mark damage to a creature you hit with weapon attacks if that creature that is holding or carrying the object you have marked. \columnbreak #### Thrill of the Hunt At 11th level, your movement speed increases by 15 feet when you can see the target of your Hunter's Mark and are moving towards it. #### Superior Hunter's Mark At 15th level, whenever you mark a creature with your Hunter's Mark, one ally of your choice that you can see also gains the benefits of your Hunter's Mark. ### Monster Slayer The bravest and most grim of all rangers, monster slayers are those fearless warriors that make it their life's duty to slay the most dangerous foes. Some monster slayers focus their efforts on one particular kind of creature such as vampires, demons, or dragons. Others turn their talents on any threat that makes itself known. #### Sense Monsters At 3rd level, as an action you can focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you: aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn't reveal the creatures' location or number. Once you have used this feature, you can't do so again until you complete a short or long rest. #### Harvester At 3rd level, your proficiency bonus is doubled on ability checks pertaining to the extraction of resources or materials from slain monsters. #### Iron Mind By 7th level, you have honed your ability to resist the mind-altering powers much of your prey possesses. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (your choice). #### Twice More for Good Measure By 11th level, you have learned to take no chances when dealing with the most dangerous foes. When you take the Attack action and hit a creature targeted with your Hunter's Mark with both weapon attacks, you can immediately make two more weapon attacks against the same creature. Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. #### Foe Slayer At 15th level, you become an unparalleled dealer of death. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can force it to make a Constitution saving throw. The creature takes 50 additional damage of the weapon's type on a failure, or half that much on a success. Once you have used this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest. \pagebreakNum ### Warden Some rangers turn their combat skills towards protecting the wilderness at the edge of civilizations. These rangers often ally themselves with druidic circles, and in turn learn magic to aid them in their vigil. #### At Home in the Wild You are skilled at navigating the wilderness. When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain the following benefits when traveling for an hour or more: * You have advantage on ability checks to avoid becoming lost in non-magical terrain. * 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. #### Spellcasting Additionally, at 3rd level you gain the ability to cast spells. See chapter 10 of the *Player's Handbook* for the general rules of spellcasting, and chapter 11 for the ranger spell list. ***Preparing and Casting Spells.*** The Warden Spellcasting table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells. To cast one of your ranger spells of 1st level or higher, 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 ranger spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the ranger spell lists in the *Player's Handbook* and other resources such as *Xanathar's Guide to Everything*. When you do so, choose a number of ranger spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + half your 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 warden, 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. Casting a 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 warden spells requires time spent in quiet meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list. ***Spellcasting Ability.*** Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your warden spells, since their power draws from your devotion and 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 warden 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 ***Spellcasting Focus.*** You can use a druidic focus (see chapter 5 of the *Player's Handbook*, "Equipment") as a spellcasting focus for your warden spells. \columnbreak <div class='classTable'> ##### Warden Spellcasting | Ranger Level | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | 3rd | 3 | ─ | ─ |─ | ─ | | 4th | 3 | ─ | ─ |─ | ─ | | 5th | 4 | 2 | ─ |─ | ─ | | 6th | 4 | 2 | ─ |─ | ─ | | 7th | 4 | 3 | ─ |─ | ─ | | 8th | 4 | 3 | ─ |─ | ─ | | 9th | 4 | 3 | 2 |─ | ─ | | 10th | 4 | 3 | 2 |─ | ─ | | 11th | 4 | 3 | 3 |─ | ─ | | 12th | 4 | 3 | 3 |─ | ─ | | 13th | 4 | 3 | 3 |1 | ─ | | 14th | 4 | 3 | 3 |1 | ─ | | 15th | 4 | 3 | 3 |2 | ─ | | 16th | 4 | 3 | 3 |2 | ─ | | 17th | 4 | 3 | 3 |3 | 1 | | 18th | 4 | 3 | 3 |3 | 1 | | 19th | 4 | 3 | 3 |3 | 2 | | 20th | 4 | 3 | 3 |3 | 2 | </div> #### Land's Stride Starting at 7th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such as those created by the *entangle* spell. #### Natural Attunement When you reach 11th level, you gain proficiency in the Nature and Survival skills if you don't already have it. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses either of those proficiencies. In addition, as an action you can attune yourself to a particular climate or terrain found in nature. You gain the following benefits based on the climate or terrain type you choose. These benefits last until you choose a new climate or terrain, or you end the effect as a bonus action. \pagebreakNum ##### Arctic You gain resistance to cold damage. ##### Coast You gain a swim speed equal to your speed. ##### Desert You gain resistance to fire damage. ##### Forest If you are proficient in Perception, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses it and when determining your passive Perception. ##### Grassland Your speed increases by 10 feet. ##### Mountain You gain a climb speed equal to your speed. ##### Swamp You gain resistance to poison damage and are immune to disease. ##### Underdark If you do not have darkvision, you gain it with a range of 30 feet. If you have darkvision, you instead gain blindsight with a range of 5 feet. #### Nature's Reckoning At 15th level, when you hit a creature marked by your Hunter's Mark with a weapon attack, you can change the damage type you inflict to any of the following: fire, cold, lightning, acid, or poison.