The Ranger: The Treantmonk Variant
Rough and wild looking, a human stalks alone through the shadows of trees, hunting the orcs he knows are planning a raid on a nearby farm. Clutching a shortsword in each hand, he 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 dragon like the cold of its breath, she sends one arrow after another to find the gaps between the dragon’s thick scales.
Holding his hand high, a half-elf whistles to the hawk that circles high above him, calling the bird back to his side. Whispering instructions in Elvish, he points to the owlbear he’s been tracking and sends the hawk to distract the creature while he readies his bow.
Far from the bustle of cities and towns, past the hedges that shelter the most distant farms from the terrors of the wild, amid the dense-packed trees of trackless forests and across wide and empty plains, rangers keep their unending watch.
Link: The Breakdown of this variant on YouTube
The Ranger
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Ranger Archetype, Primeval Awareness | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer Improvements | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Master Trapper | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | - | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Natural Explorer Improvement, Vanish | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | - | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Favored Enemy Improvement, Hide in Plain Sight | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | - | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Feral Senses | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Foe Slayer | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
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: Herbalism Kit
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose four from 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) two simple melee weapons or (b) One martial weapon and a shield
- (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 20 bolts
Stalker's Quarry
Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience in studying, and then hunting a chosen quarry.
Choose a type of quarry: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead.
Alternatively, you can select one race of humanoid (such as gnolls or orcs) as a quarry. If you spend at least 1 minute observing a creature type outside combat or 1 minute studying the tracks of that creature type, or you defeat a creature type in combat, you may switch your quarry selection to that new creature type. Once you change your quarry you may not do so again until you have taken a long rest.
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect them, Dexterity (Stealth) checks to hide from them and Charisma (Deception) or Charisma (Intimidate) when interacting with your favored enemy.
At 6th level, any initiative rolls made for combat fighting your favored enemy are made with advantage. At 14th level, any attacks against your favored enemy score a critical on a 19 or 20.
Natural Explorer
You are particularly adept when traveling in natural terrains and able to adapt to these terrains quickly. Choose one type of focused terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark.
When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in. When you complete a long rest in a terrain that is not your focused terrain, you may switch your focused terrain at that time.
While traveling for an hour or more in your focused terrain, you gain the following benefits:
- 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.
At level 6 your movement cannot be slowed by difficult terrain in your focused terrain, at level 10 you cannot be surprised in your focused terrain
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 any bonus action attacks.
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 chapter 11 for the ranger spell list.
The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your ranger 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.
Preparing and Casting Spells
You prepare the list of ranger spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the ranger spell list. 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 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 cure wounds, 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 ranger spells requires time spent in quiet contemplation and preparation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
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 DC for a 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
Ranger Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate: Hunter or Beast Master, both detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Primeval Awareness
Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, beasts, dragons, elementals, fey, giants, monstrosities, oozes or plants. This feature also reveals specifics about the creatures detected including quantity, direction, distance and size. The Ranger also knows the exact type of creature if it is a favored enemy.
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.
Master Trapper
Starting at 8th level, you become an expert at setting particularly effective traps. The traps you can set are:
Falling Net
Mechanical trap
This trap uses a trip wire to release a net suspended from the ceiling or the eaves of a tree.
The trip wire is 3 inches off the ground and stretches between two columns or trees. The net is hidden by cobwebs or foliage. The DC to spot the trip wire and net is equal to the result of a Dexterity (stealth) check made by you when the trap is set.
A successful Dexterity check using thieves' tools (equal to your spell DC) breaks the trip wire harmlessly. A character without thieves' tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers.
When the trap is triggered, the net is released, covering a 10-foot-square area. Those in the area are trapped under the net and restrained, and those that fail a Strength saving throw (equal to your spell DC) are also knocked prone. A creature can use its action to make a Strength check (equal to your spell DC), freeing itself or another creature within its reach on a success. The net has AC 10 and 20 hit points. Dealing 5 slashing damage to the net (AC 10) destroys a 5-foot-square section of it, freeing any creature trapped in that section.
This trap requires 10 minutes to set and requires you possess a net.
Poison Gas Trap
Mechanical trap
This trap is activated when a pressure plate against a physical or natural structure is touched, releasing a cloud of poison from a nearby container. The container can be made of an oil treated cloth or leather pouch.
The DC to spot the pressure plate and container is equal to the result of a Dexterity (stealth) check made by you when the trap is set. A spell or other effect that can sense the presence of poison will also detect the trap.
You determine at the time of setting the trap how much pressure will activate the trap, causing the container to release a 30-foot diameter sphere cloud of poison gas. Each creature in the cloud must make a Constitution saving throw (equal to your spell DC), taking 22 (4d10) poison damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
A successful Dexterity check using thieves' tools (equal to your spell DC) removes the pressure plate without activating it. A character without thieves' tools can attempt this check with disadvantage using any edged weapon or edged tool. On a failed check, the trap triggers.
This trap requires 1 hour to set and requires you to possess the poison.
The poison can be crafted by you using a herbalism kit. Make a Wisdom (Herbalism tool kit) ability check when you have at least one hour in an area covered by foliage or other plant life to collect the ingredients and fashion the poison gas. If you do not have a herbalism kit, you may attempt the Wisdom check without your proficiency bonus.
The DC for crafting the poison is 20. If this check is failed, you fail to craft the poison at the end of the hour, the check may be made again if you spend another hour crafting the poison. If the check is failed by 6 or more, you take the damage from the poison using the saving throw and DC set above.
Pit Trap
Mechanical trap
You can camouflage an already existing pit of up to 20' square to create a trap. Typically you use either branches and leaves (if in natural terrain), or cloth with wire supports.
The DC to spot the covering over the pit is equal to the result of a Dexterity (stealth) check made by you when the trap is set. Anyone stepping on the covering falls through and pulls the covering down into the pit, taking damage based on the pit's depth (usually 10 feet, but some pits are deeper).
This trap requires 10 minutes to set over an already existing pit.
Spiked Pit.
You make a pit trap even more deadly with sharpened wooden or iron spikes at the bottom. A creature falling into the pit takes 11 (2d10) piercing damage from the spikes, in addition to any falling damage.
This trap requires 60 minutes to set in an already existing pit and requires you to be able to access the bottom of the pit. Once the Spiked pit is set, it can be covered like a regular pit trap.
Vanish
Starting at 10th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you and anyone who you choose who is travelling with you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
Hide In Plain Sight
Starting at 14th level, You can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage.
Once you are camouflaged in this way, you may hide from a creature that can see you if you are in a lightly obscured area. If you take a long rest, the camouflage must be replaced.
Feral Senses
At 18th level, your senses have reached a preternatural level. You gain Blindsight to a range of 30 feet.
Foe Slayer
At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. Any time you hit a favored enemy with a weapon attack, add two damage dice.
Ranger Archetypes
The ideal of the ranger has two classic expressions: the Hunter and the Beast Master.
Hunter
Emulating the Hunter archetype means accepting your place as a bulwark between civilization and the terrors of the wilderness. As you walk the Hunter’s path, you learn specialized techniques for fighting the threats you face, from rampaging ogres and hordes of orcs to towering giants and terrifying dragons.
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 deal an additional 1d8 damage with weapon attacks against that creature on your next turn.
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. Your movement does not provoke attacks of opportunity.
Multiattack Defense. Whenever you are attacked, whether the attack hits or misses, all subsequent attacks against you until the beginning of your next turn are made with disadvantage.
Steel Will. You are immune to the frightened condition.
Multi attack
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.
Whirlwind Attack. When attacking with a melee weapon, you may make an additional weapon attack when you use the Attack Action as long as each attack is against a different enemy. If you have the Two Weapon Fighting style, you may also make an additional attack with your other weapon as part of your bonus action as long as all attacks from either weapon are against different enemies.
Superior Hunter’s Defense
At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Spell Evasion. You have advantage on Saving Throws vs Spells, if it’s a spell that allows you to make a saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Stand Against the Tide. When you are adjacent to more than one enemy, you have resistance to the damage of those enemies.
Superior Dodge. When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make the enemy reroll the attack with disadvantage.
Beast Master
The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the wild. United in focus, beast and ranger fight the monsters that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike.
Ranger's Companion
At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you.
Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower (appendix D presents statistics for the hawk, mastiff, and panther as examples). The Riding Horse may also be selected as the ranger's companion.
Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it or you are proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in its stat block or five times your ranger level, whichever is higher.
Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points. In addition the ranger can tend to the creature during a long or short rest, in which case the ranger may spend their own hit dice on behalf of the creature. These hit dice are rolled using the rangers die type (d10) plus the Con modifier of the creature.
If you attempt to control the actions of the beast, it obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative.
On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move and you can verbally command it to take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action (no action required by you).
If you use your action, you can command it to take the attack action, it will continue to attack the same target without an action by you until that target dies or falls unconscious.
If you don't issue a command, the DM determines the action of the beast, if any. Once you have the Extra Attack feature, and you take the Attack Action, you may give up one attack to command the creature to take the Attack Action.
If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself. The beast never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack.
The beast can move stealthily at a normal pace in your favored terrain.
If the beast dies, you can obtain a new companion by spending 1 hour magically bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you and that meets the requirements.
Exceptional Training
Beginning at 7th level, you can verbally command the creature to take the Help or Hide Action (no action required by you). If you command the creature to take the Attack Action, and it has the multiattack action, it can take that action.
Whenever your companion is subjected to an effect, such as a green dragon’s poison breath or a lightning bolt spell, that allows you to make a saving throw to take only half damage, your companion instead takes no damage if they succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if they fail.
In addition, the beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Bestial Fury
Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make an additional attack. If the creature has the multiattack action, you choose which attack it repeats.