D&D 5e Tweaks & Fixes
Ranger Revised v1.1
By KireExion (a.k.a, u/Kire-Ikasu)
Preface
This document contains homebrew material that has been developed from my own observations as well as common player criticisms and suggested fixes made by various players and dungeon masters alike. However, this material has not been completely play-tested and should be carefully considered before implementing it into your own game. My hopes are simply to address features and traits that are considered lackluster and poorly balanced by the community and help by offering alternatives so that Players will suffer less frustration and gain more enjoyment out of the game.
Use as many or as little of these revisions as you like while keeping the overall balance of your game in mind. The Dungeon Master has final say on whether or not any of this material can be implemented into your game.
Base Class Features
Sources: Player's Handbook & Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
- Favored Foe: Re-written
- Deft Explorer: Unchanged
- Spellcasting: Re-written
- Primal Awareness: Re-written
- Nature's Veil: Relocated
- Vanish: Relocated
- Feral Senses Re-written
- Foe Slayer: Re-written
Favored Foe
(Re-written 1st level feature)
You can call on your bond with nature to mark a creature as your favored enemy for a time.
You know the Hunter's Mark spell, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. When you gain the Spellcasting feature at 2nd level, this spell doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you can prepare.
Additionally, you can cast it without expending a spell slot and without requiring concentration. When you cast the spell this way, the spell's duration becomes 1 minute or until the marked creature reaches 0 hp.
You regain the ability to cast the spell with this trait when you finish a short or long rest.
At 11th level in this class, the damage you deal with Hunter's Mark increases from a d6 to a d8. At 14th level, you can use this feature twice between rests.
Spellcasting
(Re-written 2nd level feature)
At 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does. See chapter 11 of the Player's Handbook for the general rules of spellcasting and the ranger spell list.
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 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. 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.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws on your intimate relationship with 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. See chapter 5, of the Player’s Handbook for a list of things that count as druidic foci.
Prepared Spells vs. Known Spells
As a Spellcaster with prepared spells, the Ranger can ignore the "Spells Known" column of the Ranger table in the Player's Handbook.
Primal Awareness
(Re-written 3rd feature)
At 3rd-level, you can focus your awareness through the interconnections of nature: when you reach certain levels in this class, you can cast the following spells, as shown in the Primal Awareness Spells table. You always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.
| Ranger Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Speak with Animals |
| 5th | Beast Sense |
| 9th | Speak with plants |
| 13th | Locate Creature |
| 17th | Commune with Nature |
Vanish
(14th level feature moved to 10th level)
At 10th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn and you can't be tracked by non-magical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
Nature's Veil
(10th level feature moved to 14th level)
At 14th level, You 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.
Feral Senses
(Re-written 18th level feature)
Starting at 18th level, your enhanced senses allow you to strike with perfect accuracy.
Your attack rolls against creatures within 30 feet of you can not have disadvantage.
Foe Slayer
(Improved 20th level feature)
At 20th level, You have become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies.
When you roll initiative, you immediately regain one use of Favored Foe.
Additionally, once per turn you can add your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) to one attack roll or damage roll you make with a weapon attack against a creature. You can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but before any effects of the roll are applied
Beastmaster
Sources: Player's Handbook & Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
- Beastmaster Magic: Added
- Primal Companion: Unchanged
- Exceptional Training: Re-written
- Beastial Fury: Re-written
- Share Spells: Unchanged
Beastmaster Magic
(Improved 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th level feature)
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Beastmaster Spells table. Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the Ranger spell list, the spell is nonetheless a Ranger spell for you.
| Ranger Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Heroism |
| 5th | Enhance Ability |
| 9th | Protection from Energy |
| 13th | Death Ward |
| 17th | Circle of Power |
Exceptional Training
(Improved 7th level feature)
Starting at 7th level, the bond between you and your primal beast has grown, granting you the following benefits:
-
Your primal beast has advantage on saving throws while it is within 60 feet of you and can see you.
-
The attacks of your primal beast count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Beastial Fury
(Re-written 11th level feature)
Beginning at 11th level, your primal beast grows ever more fearsome in combat.
When you command your primal beast to use their Attack action it can make two attacks, instead of one.
Magical Bond
(15th level "Share Spells" feature)
The bond between you and your primal beast has been perfected, allowing you to share magical effects.
Upon reaching 15th level, when you cast a spell that targets yourself, you can choose for the spell to affect both yourself and your primal beast, as long as it is within 30 feet of you.
Fey Wanderer
Sources: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
- Dreadful Strikes: Variant added
Optional: Dreadful Strikes
(Variant 3rd level feature)
You can augment your weapon strikes with mind-scarring magic, drawn from the gloomy hollows of the Feywild.
When you hit a target of your Favored Foe or Hunter's Mark with a weapon attack, you can deal psychic damage to the target instead of the weapon's normal damage type.
Additionally, the target takes a d4 penalty to the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn. You can only apply this penalty once per turn.
At 11th level, the d4 increases to a d6
Favored Foe/Hunter's Mark vs. Subclass damage features
The Ranger class, even with the Tasha's Cauldron revisions, often muddies the class's playstyle with once per turn damage features gained from subclasses that can be stacked with hunter's mark or favored foe. While this does help the Ranger's damage output, players have found switching back and forth from different kinds and amounts of dice between attacks to be confusing. To help streamline these features, you can consider using these optional extra damage revisions that will focus the source of the ranger's extra damage output on Favored Foe/Hunter's mark instead of arbitrarily adding dice to one attack.
Hunter
Sources: Player's Handbook.
- Hunter Magic: Added
- Hunter's Prey: Variant added
- Defensive Tactics: Re-written
- Multi-attack: Unchanged
- Superior Hunter's Defense: Unchanged
Hunter Magic
(Improved 3rd, 5th, 9th, 13th, 17th level feature)
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Hunter Spells table. Once you gain access to one of these spells, you always have it prepared, and it doesn't count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain access to a spell that doesn't appear on the Ranger spell list, the spell is nonetheless a Ranger spell for you.
| Ranger Level | Spells |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Ensnaring Strike |
| 5th | Blindness/Deafness |
| 9th | Slow |
| 13th | Confusion |
| 17th | Hold Monster |
Optional: Hunter's Prey
(Variant 3rd level feature)
Colossus Slayer. Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature that is below its hit point maximum with a weapon attack, you can re-roll any damage die you roll as a part of the attack and choose either result.
Defensive Tactics
(Improved 7th level feature)
At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.
Escape the Horde. Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage and you can pass through an enemy's space as if it were an ally.
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 charmed or frightened.
Horizon Walker
Sources: Xanather's Guide to Everything.
- Planar Warrior: Variant added
Optional: Planar Warrior
(Variant 3rd level feature)
At 3rd level, you learn to draw on the energy of the multiverse to augment your attacks. When you hit a target of your Favored Foe or Hunter's mark with a weapon attack, you can make all damage you deal with that attack become force damage.
Gloom Stalker
Sources: Xanather's Guide to Everything.
- Dread Ambusher: Variant added
Optional: Dread Ambusher
(Variant 3rd level feature)
At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier.
At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action.
Monster Slayer
Sources: Xanather's Guide to Everything.
- Slayer's Prey: Variant added
- Supernatural: Variant added
- Slayer's Counter: Variant added
Optional: Slayer's Prey
(Variant 3rd level feature)
Starting at 3rd level, you can focus your ire on your foe, bypassing it's defenses. Your weapon attacks ignore resistances and immunities to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing and slashing damage.
Additionally, once per turn when you hit a target of your Favored Foe or Hunter's Mark with a weapon attack, it loses one of it's resistances of your choice until the start of your next turn.
Optional: Supernatural Defense
(Variant 7th level feature)
At 7th level, you gain extra resilience against your prey's assaults on your mind and body.
Whenever the target of your Favored Foe or 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.
Optional: Slayer's Counter
(Variant 15th level feature)
At 15th level, you gain the ability to counterattack when your prey tries to sabotage you.
If the target of your Favored Foe or 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.
Swarmkeeper
Sources: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything.
- Swarmkeeper Magic: Unchanged
- Gathered Swarm: Unchanged
- Writhing Tide: Improved
- Mighty Swarm: Unchanged
- Swarming Dispersal: Unchanged
Optional: Gathered Swarm
(Variant 3rd level feature)
A swarm of intangible nature spirits has bonded itself to you and can assist you in battle. While you're alive, the swarm remains in your space, crawling on you or flying and skittering around you within your space. You determine its appearance.
Once on each of your turns, you can cause the swarm to assist you in one of the following ways, immediately after you hit a creature with an attack:
- The attack's target takes a 1d4 penalty on the next attack roll it makes before the start of your next turn.
- The attack's target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be moved by the swarm up to 15 feet horizontally in a direction of your choice.
- You are moved by the swarm 5 feet horizontally in a direction of your choice.
Writhing Tide
(Improved 7th level feature)
At 7th level, You can condense part of your swarm into a focused mass that lifts you up. As a bonus action, you gain a flying speed of 20 feet and can hover. This effect lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated.
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.
Optional: Mighty Swarm
(Improved 11th level feature)
At 11th level, your Gathered Swarm grows mightier in the following ways:
- The attack penalty of Gathered Swarm increases to 1d6.
- If a creature fails its saving throw against being moved by Gathered Swarm, you can also cause the swarm to knock the creature prone.
- When you are moved by Gathered Swarm, it gives you half cover until the start of your next turn.
Credits
- Inspired by and adapted from Alternative Ranger by /u/laserllama.
- Made with GM Binder