<div class='classTable wide'> ##### The Ranger | Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | |:---:|:---:|:---|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:|:---:| | 1st | +2 | Natural Explorer, Honed Skills, Favored Enemy | - | — | — | — | — | — | | 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting | 2 | — | — | — | — | | 3rd | +2 | Ranger Archetype | 3 | — | — | — | — | | 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | — | — | — | — | | 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | | 6th | +3 | Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer Improvement | 4 | 2 | — | — | — | | 7th | +3 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | | 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Ambush Setter | 4 | 3 | — | — | — | | 9th | +4 | ─ | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — | | 10th | +4 | Natural Explorer Improvement, Nature's Veil | 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. Feral Senses | 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 | Foe Slayer | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | | 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | | 20th | +6 | Worldly Protector | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | </div> <div style='margin-top:-10px'></div> ## Class Features <div style='margin-top:-6px'></div> As a ranger, you gain the following class features <div style='margin-top:-7px'></div> #### 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 <div style='margin-top:-3px'></div> #### Proficiencies ___ - **Armor:** Light armor, medium armor, shields - **Weapons:** Simple weapons, martial weapons - **Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity - **Skills:** Survival. In addition, choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, and Stealth. <div style='margin-top:-5px'></div> #### 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 shortswords or *(b)* two simple melee weapons - *(a)* a dungeoneer's pack or *(b)* an explorer's pack - A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows ### Natural Explorer You are skilled at navigating the wilderness and living off the land. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for the the Survival skill if you are proficient in that skill, otherwise you gain proficiency in the survival skill. In addition, you are particularly familiar with one type of natural environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, grassland, forest/jungle, mountain/hill, swamp or the Underdark/cavern. You gain these benefits corresponding to your favored terrain: * You have advantage to Intelligence and Wisdom checks related to your favored terrain. * You ignore non-magical difficult terrain related to your favored terrain. * You have advantage on initiative rolls * On your first turn during combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against creatures that have not yet acted. In addition, you gain the following benefits when traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain: \pagebreak * Difficult terrain doesn't slow your group’s travel. * 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. You choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th level. ### Honed Skills Starting at 1st level, your years spent in your favored terrain have given you unique survival skills. You gain a unique skill based on your favored terrain, increases to a one of you movement speeds does not affect your other movement speeds: **Arctic.** When you roll hit die as part of a short rest, you can treat a roll of less than your Constitution modifier as equal to it (minimum of 1) . You have advantage on saving throws to resist being pushed by battering winds, magical or otherwise. **Coast.** You gain a swimming speed equal to your walking speed and can hold your breath for an additional 10 minutes. If you already have a swimming speed, it increases by 10 feet. **Desert.** You can go twice as long without water before suffering exhaustion. You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws against visual illusions. **Grassland.** Your walking speed increases by 10 feet. **Forest/Jungle.** You gain proficiency with the Herbalism kit. In addition, your proficiency bonus is doubled for this tool as long as its not being doubled by another effect. **Mountain/Hill.** You gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed. You also ignore the first 30 feet of a fall when determining any damage from falling, unless you are incapacitated. If you already have a climbing speed, it increases by 10 feet. **Swamp.** You have advantage on Constitution saving throws against contracting diseases or becoming poisoned. **Underdark/Cavern.** You gain blindsight with a range of 5 feet. If you would gain blindsight through another source, you add the range of this blindsight to that source. > Only your favored terrain at level 1 gives you a unique skill. By your DMs discretion, enough time spent in one of your favored terrains along with appropriate skill checks, you may gain the unique skill of that terrain. <div style='margin-top:30px'></div> ### Favored Enemy Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain types of enemies. Choose 2 types of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, instead of choosing a type, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies. * You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. * When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all, otherwise you learn one language of your choice. * Once per turn, per creature, when you hit one of your favored enemies and deal damage to it, you can increase that damage by 1d4. This feature’s extra damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d6 at 6th level and to 1d8 at 14th level. You choose two additional favored enemies, as well as one associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures. ### 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 +I 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, much as a druid does. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and chapter 11 for the ranger spell list. #### Spell Slots The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell *animal friendship* and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast *animal friendship* using either slot. #### Preparing and Casting Spells The Ranger 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. \pagebreak 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 planning 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. <div style='margin-top:10px'></div> <font face='scalysans' size='2'> <center> **Spell Save DC** </font> = <font face='scalysans' size='2'> 8 + your proficiency bonus + </center> <div style='margin-top:-8px'></div> <center> your Wisdom modifier </center> <div style='margin-top:2px'></div> <center> **Spell attack modifier** </font> = <font face='scalysans' size='2'> your proficiency bonus + </center> <div style='margin-top:-8px'></div> <center> your Wisdom modifier </center> </font> #### Ritual Casting You can cast a ranger spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you have the spell prepared. #### Spellcasting Focus You can use a druidic focus as a spellcasting focus for your ranger spells. A druidic focus might be a sprig of mistletoe or holly, a wand or rod made of yew or another special wood, a staff drawn whole from a living tree, or an object incorporating feathers, fur, bones, and teeth from sacred animals. ### Ranger Archetype At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate: Hunter, Beastmaster, Horizon Walker, Monster Slayer, Gloomstalker, Fey Wanderer, Swarmkeeper and Drakewarden. Two of which are detailed at the end of the class description and the rest in Xanathar's Guide to Everything, Tasha's Cauldron of Everything and Fizban's Treasury of Dragons. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level. ### Primal Awareness You can focus your awareness through the interconnections of nature: you learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class if you don’t already know them, as shown in the Primal Awareness Spells table. These spells don't count against the number of ranger spells you know. Primal Awareness Spells | Ranger Level | Feature | | :-----------:|:-------| | 3rd | *speak with animals* | | 5th | *beast sense* | | 9th | *speak with plants* | | 13th | *locate creature* | | 17th | *commune with nature* | You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot. Once you cast a spell in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest. ### Ability Score Improvements 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. ### Ambush Setter Starting at 8th level, you can use either the Dash or Hide action as a bonus action on your turn and you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail. ### Nature's Veil Starting at 10th level, you can draw on the powers of nature to hide yourself from view briefly. As a bonus action, you can magically become invisible, along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, until the start of your next turn. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. <!-- ### Hide in Plain Sight Starting at 10th level, you can remain perfectly still for long periods of time to set up ambushes. When you attempt to hide on your turn, you can opt to not move or take any actions on that turn. If you avoid moving, taking actions and reactions, you gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks while hiding. You lose this benefit if you move, take an action, take a reaction, either voluntarily or because of some external effect. You are still automatically detected if any effect or action causes you to no longer be hidden. You can also go prone and stand up without breaking cover, as long it would not cause you to no longer be hidden. If you are still hidden on your next turn, you can move without losing this benefit. !--> ### Feral Senses 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. You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened. ### Foe Slayer At 18th level, you become an unparalleled hunter. Once on each of your turns, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll or the damage roll of an attack you make. You can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but before any effects of the roll are applied. ### Worldly Protector At 20th level, your travels across the land have given you experience, insight and knowledge of all types of terrain. Your Natural Explorer abilities now apply to all terrains. \pagebreak ## Tashas Optional Rules Tashas Cauldron of Everything provides various replacement features. The Primal Awareness and Nature's Veil features are two such features that I made standard in this rework of the Ranger class because the features they replaced were not good and these are are better then any features I could come up with in a similar vein. When I original made this rework, Tashas had not yet come out. When it did, I wanted the other optional feature replacements, Favored Foe and Deft Explorer, to be compatible with this rework. While Favored Foe works well enough, Deft Explorer presents a problem. Natural Explorer ties into the new 1st-level feature I created, Honed Skills, and the new 20th-level feature, Worldly Protector. Replacing it with Deft Explorer is not compatible with these features. So if a player decides that they would refer using Deft Explorer, apply the following changes: ***Honed Skills.*** This feature is removed. ***Worldly Protector.*** Replace the effects with the following: * Choose two of your skill proficiencies, your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen skills. * Your walking speed increases by 5 feet. * When you use your Tireless feature, you roll 2d6 instead of 1d8. \columnbreak ## Two-Weapon Fighting changes The following are possible changes to the Two-Weapon Fighting rules if the current way isn't satisfactory, along with changes to fighting styles, feats and spells that would be impacted by the changes: <div style='margin-top:10px'></div> ### Two-Weapon Fighting rules When you take the Attack action and attack with a melee weapon that you're holding in one hand, you can use a bonus action to attack with a different melee weapon that you're holding in the other hand. You don't add your ability modifier to the damage of an attack **with your off-hand**, unless that modifier is negative. **If you can make more the one attack using the attack action, such as with the Extra Attack class feature, you can use either hand to make the attack as long as both weapons are used by the end of the attack action.** **To benefit from Two-Weapon Fighting, you must either:** ___ **1. be wielding two Light melee weapons.** ___ **2. be wielding one one-handed melee weapon in one hand and either a club, dagger, light hammer, sickle or any other one-handed melee weapon that deals 1d4 damage in the other hand.** ___ If either weapon has the thrown property, you can throw the weapon, instead of making a melee attack with it. <div style='margin-top:10px'></div> ### Two-Weapon Fighting - Fighting style changes When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack **and you can draw or stow two one-handed weapons when you would normally be able to draw or stow only one. In addition, you no longer use your bonus action for your off-hand attack, instead you may use your off-hand attack as part of the attack action once per turn.** <div style='margin-top:10px'></div> ### Spell changes - Hunter's Mark, Hex If these rules are used, the extra damage caused by the Hunter's Mark and Hex spells only apply once per turn. <div style='margin-top:10px'></div> ### Dual Wielder - feat changes ***Prerequisite: 6th level*** You master fighting with two weapons, gaining the following benefits: * You gain a +1 bonus to AC while you are wielding a separate melee weapon in each hand. * You can use two-weapon fighting even when the one-handed melee weapons you are wielding aren't light. * **While engaged in two weapon fighting and you miss with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack with the opposite hand. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus. You regain all uses when you complete a short or long rest.** <!-- Full page stain --> <img src='https://www.gmbinder.com/images/JH5NQVm.png' style='position:absolute; top:0px; left:0px; width:816px' /> \pagebreak ## Ranger Archetypes ### 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 Magic Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Hunter Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you and is always prepared but doesn't count towards your prepared spells. | Ranger <br>Level | Feature | | :-----------:|:-------| | 3rd | *faerie fire* | | 5th | *find steed* | | 9th | *glyph of warding* | | 13th | *hallucinatory terrain* | | 17th | *mislead* | #### Hunters Instincts At 3rd level your time spent in the world has given you keen insights into the natural world. You gain proficiency with the Nature skill if you don't already have it, otherwise your proficiency bonus is doubled when using the Nature skill as long its not being doubled by another ability. #### 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 ld8 damage if it's below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn. ***Giant Killer.*** When a **creature that is a size larger then you** 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. \columnbreak #### Defensive Tactics At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. ***Escape the Horde.*** **You can take the disengage action as a bonus action. Also,** opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage. ***Multiattack Defense.*** When a creature **attacks you, whether is hits or misses, you gain a bonus to your AC equal to your proficiency bonus** 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, **charmed and stunned.** #### Multiattack 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 **20** 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.*** You can use your action to make **two melee attacks** against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, **with separate attack rolls** for each target. #### Superior Hunter's Defense At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. ***Evasion.*** You can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity 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 an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you and you can redirect the other half of the damage to one creature (other than the attacker) that you can see within 5 feet of yourself.** \pagebreak ### Beastmaster The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the world. United in focus, beast and ranger work as one to fight the monstrous foes that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike. Emulating the Beast Master archetype means committing yourself to this ideal, working in partnership with an animal as its companion and friend. #### Beastmaster's Magic Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Beastmaster Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you and is always prepared but doesn't count towards your prepared spells. | Ranger <br>Level | Feature | | :-----------:|:-------| | 3rd | *find familiar* * | | 5th | *warding bond* | | 9th | *catnap* | | 13th | *faithful hound* | | 17th | *awaken* | *Is Fey #### Animal Whisperer At 3rd level You have an innate ability to communicate with beasts, and they recognize you as a kindred spirit. You gain proficiency with the Animal Handling skill if you don't already have it, otherwise your proficiency bonus is doubled when using the Animal Handling skill as long its not being doubled by another ability. #### Animal Companion At 3rd level, you learn to use your magic to create a powerful bond with a creature of the natural world. Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower and that isn't a swarm of beasts. If you already have an beast NPC that is friendly to you that fits the criteria and that you want to bond with. Otherwise you can spend 1 hour of work to call forth an animal from the wilderness to serve as your faithful companion. Work with your DM to see what beasts may be available in the area. At the end of the hour, your animal companion appears and gains all the benefits of your Companion’s Bond feature. You can have only one animal companion at a time. If your animal companion is ever slain, the magical bond you share allows you to return it to life. If the beast has died within the last hour, you can use your action to touch it and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The beast returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored. If the beast has been dead for more then an hour, or you do not have access to any part of it's body, you can spend 1 hour and a spell slot of 1st level or higher to call forth your companion’s spirit and use your magic to create a new body for it. At the end of a long rest, you can choose to gain a new animal companion. If so, your current companion leaves you and your Companions Bond feature transfers to the new companion. At level 3, total damage done from your companions attacks do half the amount they would normally do and the DC of any abilities that would cause a saving throw, such as a Wolfs bite attack, is set to 10. If your class levels are 5 or higher, your companions damage is no longer halved and any possible DC becomes whatever number is appropriate for it. > Lowering the damage and DC is done for balancing the companion at early levels, but feel free to come up with a reason as to why your companion isn't as powerful as others of it's kind. For example, perhaps it is not fully grown yet or was incapacitated due to an injury for a substantial amount of time and must be trained to regain the wild instincts it has lost. #### Companion's Bond Your animal companion gains the following abilities and game statistics, some determined in part by your level: * The animal companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one. * The companion adds your proficiency bonus in addition to where it normally applies its proficiency bonus, apply it also to the beasts AC and damage rolls. When your proficiency bonus increases, apply the changes to the following areas: AC, attack and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. * Your companion has an amount of hit dice (d8's) equal to your ranger level instead of the hit dice it originally had. Your companion regains all lost hit points after it finishes a long rest and can spend Hit Dice during a short rest. Its hit point maximum equals either the amount listed in its stat block or 5 + five times your ranger level, whichever is higher. When your companion is reduced to 0 hit points, it must roll death saving throws instead of dying outright unless the damage taken reduced it to a negative amount larger the its hit point total. * When using your Natural Explorer feature (if you have this feature), you and your animal companion can both move stealthily at a normal pace. <!-- * Your animal companion gains the benefits of your Favored Enemy feature. !--> * Your companion becomes proficient in all saving throws. * Any spell you cast that requires your companions Intelligence score to be within a certain range (like the Beast Bond spell) ignores this restriction. \pagebreak <!-- * 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 unless its description specifies otherwise. !--> * In combat, the beast acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. You can also sacrifice one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to command the beast 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. Your companion shares your alignment, and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The ranger who travels with me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life.” ##### d6 Trait 1 I'm dauntless in the face of adversity. 2 Threaten my friends, threaten me. 3 I stay on alert so others can rest. 4 People see an animal and underestimate me. I use that to my advantage. 5 I have a knack for showing up in the nick of time. 6 I put my friends’ needs before my own in all things. ##### d6 Flaw 1 If there’s food left unattended, I’ll eat it. 2 I growl at strangers, and all people except my ranger are strangers to me. 3 Any time is a good time for a belly rub. 4 I’m deathly afraid of water. 5 My idea of hello is a flurry of licks to the face. 6 I jump on creatures to tell them how much I love them. ### Exceptional Training At 7th level, while your companion can see you, it has advantage on all saving throws. 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, your beast companion can use the Multiattack action if it has one, otherwise it can make two attacks when you command it to use the Attack action. ### Shared Spells Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you. \columnbreak ## CR 0 and 1/8 companions When choosing a beast companion, it's recommended to pick a companion thats CR 1/4 or 1/2. <div style='margin-top:25px'></div> <div class='descriptive'> **CR 1/8:** Most CR 1/8 beasts are substantially weaker even with the boosts the Beastmaster subclass gives. If you do want to use a CR 1/8 beast, you may apply the following to them: They gain one Ability Score Improvement but can't raise an ability score past 16 and the damage die they use for their physical attacks is increased by one. For example, a Flying Snake would do 1d4 damage with its bite instead of 1 damage ( the poison damage it does is unaffected) and a Giant Rats bite attack would do 1d6 damage instead of 1d4. **CR 0:** CR 0 monsters are incredibly weak even with the boosts the Beastmaster subclass gives. If you do want to use a CR 0 monster perhaps a higher CR beast can fulfill what you're looking for. For example, instead of a Weasel companion, take a Giant Weasel. Also some lower CR beasts can be reskined using higher CR beasts. For example, instead of using the Hyena and Jackal stat blocks, you could use the Wolf stat block as all 3 have similar abilities and skills. </div> \pagebreak ### Drakewarden #### Drakewarden's Magic Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown on the Drakewarden Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you and is always prepared but doesn't count towards your prepared spells. | Ranger <br>Level | Feature | | :-----------:|:-------| | 3rd | *chromatic orb* | | 5th | *see invisibility* | | 9th | *fear* | | 13th | *elemental bane* | | 17th | *skill empowerment* | <!-- \pagebreak ## Xanathar Subclasses ### Monster Slayer #### Monster Lore at 3rd level your studies of various legends and your experience with monstrous foes has given you a keen insight on the doings of all sorts of creatures. You gain proficiency with the History skill if you don't already have it, otherwise you gain proficiency in a skill of your choice. Your proficiency bonus is doubled when using the History skill as long its not being doubled by another ability. ### Horizon Walker #### Planar Study at 3rd level your studies and experiences with the planar portals and the magic that operates them have given you great insight on the workings of reality . You gain proficiency with the Arcana skill if you don't already have it, otherwise you gain proficiency in a skill of your choice. Your proficiency bonus is doubled when using the Arcana skill as long its not being doubled by another ability. ### Gloom Stalker #### One with the Shadows at 3rd level you have become an unparalleled ambusher. You gain proficiency with the Stealth skill if you don't already have it, otherwise you gain proficiency in a skill of your choice. Your proficiency bonus is doubled when using the Stealth skill as long its not being doubled by another ability. \columnbreak ## Tasha Subclasses ### Fey Wanderer #### Otherworldly Glamour When you choose a proficiency between Deception, Performance, or Persuasion. Your proficiency bonus is also doubled when using the chosen skill as long its not being doubled by another ability. ### Swarmkeeper #### Unnerving Swarm at 3rd level your swarm unsettles those around you. You gain proficiency with the Intimidation skill if you don't already have it, otherwise you gain proficiency in a skill of your choice. Your proficiency bonus is doubled when using the Intimidation skill as long its not being doubled by another ability. !--> \pagebreak ## Design notes Thank you for taking the time to go through my version of the ranger class, I haven't been a player that long and this is the first homebrew I've made so I hope its to your liking! I tried to mix both the PHB ranger and Revised Ranger (RR) since i though that RR was a little too over tuned in a couple areas. Here’s my reasoning for the different changes and add-ons in this ranger revision: ### Proficiencies I automatically gave the ranger survival with expertise in order to help make it better at tracking and exploring then a rogue or bard with expertise. I originally gave Nature along with Survival but I felt that didn't really work with the flavor of the Xanathar subclasses( and the Beastmaster too, sure Nature works but Animal Handling makes way more sense) so instead I gave each each subclass in Xanathars and Tahsas expertise in the skill I thought most suited them. ### Natural Explorer, Favored Enemy and Favored Terrain They are essentially the classes core abilities, and while I love them for the customization you can give to your ranger, they were useless unless you're in that specific terrain or fighting that specific enemy. For favored Enemy I took the PHB version and added the RR bonus to damage but changed the damage from to match your wisdom modifier. Since the PHB gives 3 favored enemies instead of the 2 RR gives you, I figured it would be better the spread out the damage increase a bit instead of a +2 then a +4 at level 6. Other than that, I couldn't find another way to improve it without completely rewriting how it worked or removing it all together. For natural explorer, I think RR was going in the right direction, but all those effects all time was a bit strong in my opinion. So instead I re added the Favored terrain system with RR version and even added a couple new terrains to the list. For natural explorer I removed the auto-win mechanics that made you avoid rolling for results. ### Honed Skills I saw some other ranger builds incorporate a special ability based on your favored terrain. I thought that it added an early level uniqueness to the ranger without having to ask the DM what terrains are going to be featured or the DM having to rewrite the campaign to include more of the rangers favored terrain. I still kept the combat abilities for favored terrain since it makes sense, its the terrain you've honed your skills in, thus you should kick butt in it. I also kept the ability to gain more favored terrains as you level up but for only the Combat abilities, not the unique skills. I'm not sure if I want to keep this but I liked the original Favored Terrain systems concept and I still want to apply it if I can. If the campaign changes location fairly often then the additional favored terrains might not be a problem. \columnbreak ### Fighting style I added Great Weapon Fighting. I don't really see why they didn't give it to the Ranger in the first place. A Ranger can just let go of one hand to cast so it no issue. Protection on the other hand COULD be tricky since Rangers need a free hand to use a component pouch but I'm adding it anyway sine its possible to avoid the issue by stowing or dropping your weapon. ### Two-Weapon Fighting changes I added custom rules for two-weapon fighting, as the original rules are notoriously bad for Rangers. These changes should balance it out. However this brought up another potential issue: Hunters Mark. If you cast hunters mark and get all your attacks the you will be doing a massive amount of damage per turn. With the regular Two-weapon style you cant get the bonus attack on the same turn you cast, so you need to wait a turn to get your full amount of attacks. And if the target died you use your bonus action again to reapply the spell. With new rules you get all your attacks and you can cast and reapply Hunters Mark every turn. My solution to this is to limit Hunters Marks damage to 1d6 per turn. ### Spellcasting I made the ranger a prepared spellcaster like the paladin. I get that they wanted the two classes to be different since they were the only 2 half casters.... but preparing spells is so much better then spells known when your dealing with such a limited number of spell slots and spell options. I'm on the fence about letting the ranger use a spell focus, since I think the idea is that their spellcasting (at least some of it) is not suppose to actually be spell-like. For example, animal friendship were the material component is food.... your feeding the beast to make it like you. Or alarm... your tying string to a bell and putting it around your camp. so a focus I'm not sure. That being said ritual casting seems to make more sense to me at the moment. So I added it. ### Favored Enemy I merged Favored enemy with the Favored Foe optional feature from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything. The feature always needed extra damage, and I included that you can take 2 favored enemies to increase the likelihood that you will run into one of them. So now it does the Favored Foe damage once per turn per creature. This way we get the best of both worlds: The flavor of Favored Enemy and a little extra damage to make it prelavant in combat. \pagebreak ### Ambush Setter Basically I merged Vanish and Fleet Of Foot from RR into one and moved it to 8th level. I felt Vanish should be something you got earlier then 14th level. I removed Lands Stride since my buffed Natural Explorer grants a similar effect to your favored terrain, thus lands stride becomes redundant. ### Feral senses Same issue as Vanish, it’s a cool ability but how many games get to 18th level? So I put it at 14th were Vanish was. ### Foe slayer Good ability but terrible capstone, so I moved it down to 18th level. ### Worldly Protector I'll admit, I'm no game designer and I had no idea what to put for 20th level, I knew that Foe slayer definitely wasn’t good enough. Granted, making every terrain favored is what RR gets at level 1 but as I said, I believed that was too strong for level 1. Not all Capstones have to be like the paladin or Druid but I think this is good enough. ## Subclasses ### Subclass spells For the Hunter, Beastmaster and Drakewarden subclasses, I gave them bonus spells like the Xanathar subclasses. I tried to follow the idea they had: Thematic spells to the subclass that weren't already on the ranger spell list. ##### Hunter Hunter was easy enough, I chose spells thematic with hunting in some way. Faerie fire to let you have an easier time hitting enemies, find steed for a mount since historically a lot of hunting was on horse back, glyph of warding to lay a trap, hallucinatory terrain and mislead to confuse your prey. ##### Beastmaster The Beastmasters spells I'm not 100% on, I was trying to go for spells that would be good support for the companion. Unfortunately, most of the spells that affect beasts are already on the ranger spell list so I figured these worked in the sense that the Beastmaster would work with and protect its companion as well leaning into the name even harder: Find familiar is another companion though mostly not suited to combat, faithful hound is an animal spirit guarding you so it felt thematic, awaken so you can chat with you animal companion and warding bond and catnap that can be used to provide support for your companion or even your other party members. \columnbreak ##### Drakewarden For Drakewarden it was difficult because it was already a powerful subclass and many of the features it has are already spell-like, thats probably why it wasnt given an expanded spells known list like the Xanathar subclasses. However it felt like instead of a subclass with a bunch of extra spells, the spells were mostly reskined on a drake companion so your technically missing out on subclass features. So I picked spells that were thematic but not too powerful: Chromatic orb would be situational at best, see invisibility because dragons have blindsight, fear because of dragons frightful presence, elemental bane to make elemental damage better and skill empowerment.... because there was no thematic 5th-level spell and this one was generic enough to work. ### Beastmaster Now for this one I picked and chose effects I liked from both PHB and RR. For the companion itself I borrowed and tweaked a little from the Artificers Iron defender and Homunculus and later the Primal Companion from Tashas Cauldron of Everything. While I think RRs beast conclave was better than beastmaster, I had a problem with how the companion essentially became a second character instead of a partner to your ranger. Now you can have it move for free and it attacks when you do at level 3 ad 4 s you don't have to choose whether you or your beast can have an action until you get a extra attack. And since it takes the dodge action when given no command, it has better survivability, specially if you really need someone to flank or the rogue needs that extra body to sneak attack. Originally I had it use a bonus action to command it, but with the rangers two attacks (and both potentially getting hunters mark damage), it fighting your other bonus action spells and abilities, and that some beasts can do a lot of damage/ have abilities to cause saving throws, I realized that a bonus action really doesn't work here. Looking back, the PHB was on the right track with using one of your attack to command the beast, problem was levels 3 and 4 were you only had 1 attack. so either you or your companion do nothing each turn. ### Making the Beast companion weak at first This is done for balancing the the companion at early levels, as the beastmaster essentially gains an "Extra Attack" feature in the form of the companion at level 3. To reduce the massive amount of potential damage, the companion itself will be weaker until level 5. At level 5 the beast will be back to normal and will use one of the rangers extra attacks to use its attack action from now on. This method is the only way I could find were neither the ranger nor the companion has the sacrifice their turn in order to let the other have an action for levels 3 and 4. \pagebreak ### Hunter When the OneDnD playtest for the Expert classes came out and I saw how badly they treated the Hunter subclass, I decided to buff the other actions to make them more viable, rather then WOTC current trend of removing options and not replacing them with anything else. ##### Hunters Prey Each option seems to have been intended for 3 different scenarios: Colossus Slayer if the party is fighting one big enemy but it can be used on smaller enemies; Horde Breaker if your dealing with lots of smaller enemies clumped together; and giant killer is for.... fighting creatures larger then you. Which is weirdly specific. ___ **Colossus Slayer.** The problem was that Colossus Slayer was just generically good no matter what. it could be used on 1 big enemy or used on regular small enemies. Chances are someone was going to damage the enemies before the rangers turn, otherwise the ranger has extra attack or duel wielding. So the odds of not being able to use it are very low. And it was guaranteed extra damage if you hit with one attack. I'm considering lowering the damage dice. ___ **Horde Breaker.** People swear by this ability but it seems to specific in cases. If you were dealing with one big enemy, it does nothing. With a horde of enemies, they need to be standing next to each other already, and any intelligent enemy wont group up especially if they see a wizard chucking fireballs. So I tried to fix it by letting you use a reaction to move half your movement to another enemy. Still useless against a single boss monster but it other cases, it lets you reposition. this was met with backlash, saying it was good already since ranged builds could use it So I left it alone. I still think its a semi-trap for melee rangers. ___ **Giant Killer.** This one I'm not sure and considered removing anyway or merging it with Horde Breaker in some way. I made it work on anything larger then you so small creatures get more use out of it. ##### Defensive Tactics Similar concepts to the previous one: Escape the Horde for a lot of enemies; Multiattack Defense for one big enemy; Steel Will... because dragons cause fear? Similar to Giant killer in that its way to specific. ___ **Escape the Horde.** Might as well just give the ranger the ability to disengage. Kept disadvantage on opportunity attacks for cases where you have to use your bonus action on something else. ___ **Multiattack Defense.** The problem is you need to be hit first then the creature needs to decided to keep attacking you. Making it activate whether it hits you or not makes it more usable. ___ **Steel Will.** Adding advantage to more conditions will let this feature come up more often. \columnbreak ##### Multiattack **Volley.** Unchanged. A ranged ranger is often only going to do two attacks so this ability lets them target any enemy in essentially a 20 foot radius. Large enough to get a bunch of spread out enemies. And since the ranger is far away, they have more protection then a melee ranger. ___ **Whirlwind Attack.** At this level a ranger will have two attacks (three with dual wielding). Meaning you need to be next to 3 or 4 enemies to get any value. One solution was to increase the range to 10 or 15 feet from you but that makes movement weird, giving you a 20 foot radius like volley, then allowing you move a square. A simpler idea was just to keep the original but let you attack each target twice. That way you only need two enemies next to you to get more value then just attacking like normal. ##### Superior Hunter's Defense **Evasion.** Unchanged. Great ability sine Dex saves are the most common save type. ___ **Stand Against the Tide.** OneDnD combined this with Uncanny dodge and I think that actually was a good idea. The original was a neat ability but between Evasion and Uncanny Dodge, there was no contest. So I just used the combined one. I may have to buff evasion now though.