The Versatile Ranger
A rework of the Ranger class for the fifth
editon of Dungeons and Dragons
The Ranger
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Favored Foe | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Deft Explorer, Favored Foe | 1d4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Versatile Tracker | 1d4 | 2 | — | — | — | — |
| 3rd | +2 | Expertise, Ranger Conclave | 1d4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Martial Versatility | 1d4 | 3 | — | — | — | — |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 1d4 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 6th | +3 | Deft Explorer Improvement | 1d6 | 4 | 2 | — | — | — |
| 7th | +3 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score and Versatile Tracker Improvements | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | — | — | — |
| 9th | +4 | Expertise | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 10th | +4 | Deft Explorer Improvement, Nature's Veil, Tireless | 1d6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | — | — |
| 11th | +4 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 1d8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | — | — |
| 13th | +5 | ─ | 1d8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 14th | +5 | Versatile Tracker Improvement, Vanish | 1d8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | — |
| 15th | +5 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 1d8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score and Deft Explorer Improvements | 1d10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | — |
| 17th | +6 | ─ | 1d10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Feral Senses | 1d10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 1d10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Foe Slayer | 1d10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 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: None
- Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
- Skills: Choose three 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) a melee weapon or (b) a shield
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- (a) a longbow or (b) a shortbow
- a one-handed melee weapon and a quiver of 20 arrows
Deft Explorer
Also at 1st level, you are particularly familiar with one type of environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one of the following options. You can't choose the same favored terrain option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
- Arctic. You gain resistance to cold damage and you ignore difficult terrain made of snow or similiar materials.
- Coast. Swimming no longer costs you extra movement and you have advantage on Strength (Athletics) checks to swim in difficult circumstances.
- Desert. You gain resistance to fire damage and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws against exhaustion caused by the lack of water.
- Forest. Climbing no longer costs you extra movement and when you roll for the amount of food found when foraging, you can roll twice and take the better result.
- Grassland. Your walking speed is increased by 10 feet and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws against exhaustion caused by forced/long march.
- Mountain. You are acclimated to high altitude including elevations above 20 000 feet and when you fall, you can use your reaction to reduce the falling damage by an amount equal to four times your ranger level.
- Planar. Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, necrotic, poison, psychic, radiant and thunder. Whenever you finish a long rest, you can replace your chosen damage type with a different one from the list.
- Swamp. You can hold your breath for 10 minutes and you ignore liquid difficult terrain.
- Underground. You gain resistance to poison damage and darkvision out to a range of 30 feet. If you already have darkvision, its range increases by 30 feet.
- Urban. You can learn new languages in half the normal number of days and you can take the Dash action as a bonus action on each of your turns.
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. Additonally, while traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:
- 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.
You choose additional favored terrain types at 6th, 10th and 16th level.
Favored Foe
Beginning at 1st level, when you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored foe for 1 minute or until mark a different creature as your prey.
The first time on each of your turns that you hit your favored foe and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you increase that damage by 1d4. Creatures affected by your hunter's mark spell cannot recieve the extra damage from this feature.
You can use this feature to mark a creature as your favored foe a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
This feature's extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Favored Foe column of the Ranger table.
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.
Blind Fighting.
You have blind sight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
Defense.
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Druidic Warrior.
You learn two cantrips of your choice from the Druid spell list. They count as ranger spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the Druid spell list.
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.
Great Weapon Fighting
When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit.
Thrown Weapon Fighting.
You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Two-Weapon Fighting.
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Unarmed Fighting.
Your unarmed strikes can deal bludgeoning damage equal to 1d6 + your Strength modifier on a hit. If you aren't wielding any weapons or a shield when you make the attack roll, the d6 becomes a d8. At the start of each of your turns, you can deal 1d4 bludgeoning damage to one creature grappled by you.
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.
Preparing and Casting Spells
The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your ranger 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 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 animal friendship, you can cast it using a 1st-level or a 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.
You can change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of ranger spells requires time spent in meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.
Additional Ranger Spells
3rd Level
- dispel magic
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
Spell attack modifier
Spellcasting Focus
You can use a druidic focus as a spellcasting focus for your ranger spells.
Versatile Tracker
Beginning at 2nd level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy.
Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies.
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
Additionally, your favored enemies always count as being marked by your Favored Foe feature.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can change one (or both races, if you chose humanoids) of your favored enemies for a different one from the list.
You also learn to speak, read, and write 2 additional languages of your choice.
You choose one additional favored enemy at 8th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.
Expertise
At 3rd level, choose one of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen proficiency.
At 9th level, you can choose another skill proficiency to gain this benefit.
Ranger Conclave
At 3rd level, you choose to emulate the ideals and training of a ranger conclave. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
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.
Martial Versatility
Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can do one of the following, representing a change in focus as you travel and and use your matial training:
- Replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to rangers.
- Replace a favored terrain option with another favored terrain option.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Nature's Veil
Beginning 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.
Tireless
Also at 10th level, you gain the ability to give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point) as an action. You can use this action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, your exhaustion level, if any, is decreased by 1.
Vanish
Starting at 14th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can't be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
Feral Senses
At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you strike with perfect accuracy. Your attack rolls against creatures within 30 feet of you cannot have disadvantage.
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 deafened.
Foe Slayer
At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. You can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack rolls you make against your favored foes and you add the bonus damage of your Favored Foe Feature each time you hit your favored foe, instead of just the first time on your turn.
Ranger Conclaves
Hunter Conclave
Hunter Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you gain an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Hunter Spells table. Once you gain a Hunter spell, you always have it prepared and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
If you have a Hunter spell that doesn't appear on the ranger spell list, the spell is nonetheless a ranger spell for you.
Hunter Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | hunter's mark |
| 5th | blindness/deafness |
| 9th | slow |
| 13th | locte creature |
| 17th | hold monster |
Hunter’s Prey
At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace your chosen feature with a different one.
- Colossus Slayer. Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
- Giant Killer. When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.
- Horde Breaker. Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.
- Vigilant Tracker. You can cast the hunter's mark spell once without expending a spell slot and regain the abity to do so when you finish a short or long rest. Additionally, cratures affected by your hunter's mark spell can recieve the extra damage from your Favored Foe feature, despite the feature's rules.
Defensive Tactics
At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace your chosen feature with a different one.
- Escape the Horde. Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
- Multiattack Defense. When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
- Steel Will. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.
Multiattack
At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace your chosen feature with a different one.
- 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. You can use your action to make melee attacks against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target.
Superior Hunter’s Defense
At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice. Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace your chosen feature with a different one.
- Evasion. When you are subjected to an effect, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell, that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on a saving throw, and only half damage if you fail
- Stand Against the Tide. When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice within range of the attack.
- Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.
Beast Master Conclave
Beast Master Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you gain an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Beast Master Spells table. Once you gain a Beast Master spell, you always have it prepared and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you have a Beast Master spell that doesn't appear on the ranger spell list, the spell is nonetheless a ranger spell for you.
Beast Master Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | beast bond |
| 5th | warding bond |
| 9th | haste |
| 13th | death ward |
| 17th | awaken |
Animal 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 Large and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Your companion uses its stat block with the following changes.
-
It uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, the animal companion also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and to its damage rolls.
-
Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or five times your ranger level + your Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher. It has a number of hit dice equal to your ranger level, rather than its normal number of hit dice.
-
It becomes proficient with all saving throws and one skill of your choice from the following list: Acrobatics, Athletics, Intimidation, Perception, Performance, Stealth.
-
It loses the Multiattack action if it has one.
In combat, the beast shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn 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. If you are incapacitated, the beast can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.
If it has died, you can revive it as an action, provided you are within 5 feet of it and you expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The animal companion returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.
Beast's Defense
At 7th level, while your companion can see you, it has advantage on all saving throws.
Bestial Fury
Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks.