Ranger (2024) - Revised Favoured Enemy
Hunter's mark is a poor solution to giving the ranger it's own mechanic as a tracker, as it uses up both the rangers bonus action and concentration, which isn't great for a class that many associate with dual wielding and has a lot of concentration spells. In this change, I have adapted favored foe from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything into a finalized 2024 version. It should be noted that if using this change, hunter's mark should be removed from the ranger and vengeance paladin spell list (vengeance should get hex instead).
Ranger
| Level | Favoured Foe Uses | Features | Favoured Enemy Die |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2 | Favoured Foe | d4 |
| 4th | 3 | - | d4 |
| 6th | 3 | Expert Slayer, Favoured Foe Improvement | d6 |
| 9th | 4 | - | d6 |
| 11th | 4 | Favoured Foe Improvement | d8 |
| 13th | 5 | Relentless Slayer | d8 |
| 17th | 6 | Favoured Foe Improvement | d10 |
| 20th | 6 | Foe Slayer | d10 |
Level 1: Favoured Foe
You are studied in the pursuit of any prey you encounter. 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 enemy until you finish a short or long rest, or until you use it on another creature. You gain the following benefits:
Rangers Focus. Each time that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you increase that damage by 1d4.
Tracker. You have advantage on any roll made to track or otherwise find a creature marked by your favoured foe.
You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy twice, regaining all uses on a long rest, and one use on a short rest. The number of times you can mark creatures increases when you reach certain Ranger Levels, as shown in the Favored Foe column of the Ranger Features table.
This feature's extra damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d6 at 6th level, 1d8 at 11th level and 1d10 at 17th level.
Level 6: Expert Slayer
Your mystical bond to your chosen prey grows stronger. You gain the following benefits:
Enduring Foe. Your Favoured Foe now lasts until dispelled (treated as a spell cast at a level equal to the highest level ranger spell you know), or until you mark another creature.
Mystic Mark. When you have no uses of favoured foe remaining, you can expend a spell slot to regain one use.
Level 13: Relentless Slayer
You learn to bind your body and soul to the hunt. If you can see your favoured foe and it is within 300 feet of you, you can use a bonus action to teleport to an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the creature. Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until a short or long rest, or expend a spell slot of second level or higher to do so again.
20th level: Foe Slayer
Your precision in dispatching prey is unmatched. Once per turn when you hit a creature that is already marked by your Favoured Foe, you can cause one of the following effects:
Executed. The attack deals an additional 2d10 damage, and the creatures AC is reduced by 2 until the start of your next turn.
Silenced. You cast dispel magic on the creature, as a ranger spell without expending a spell slot. In addition the creature must succeed on a Wisdom Saving throw or be unable to cast spells until the start of your next turn.
Debilitated. The creature is blinded or deafened (your choice) until the start of your next turn.
Subclass Errata
Beastmaster Level 11: Bestial Fury
When you command your Primal Companion beast to take the Beast's Strike action, the beast can use it twice.
In addition, the first time each turn it hits a creature under the effect of your Favoured Foe, the beast deals damage equal to your Favoured Foe die.
Hunter Level 3: Hunter's lore
You can call upon the forces of nature to reveal certain strengths and weaknesses of your prey. While a creature is marked by your Favoured Foe, you know whether the creature has any Immunities, Resistances, or Vulnerabilities, and if the creature has any, you know what they are.
Hunter Level 11: Superior Hunter's Prey
You gain the following improvements based on the hunter's prey you have selected.
Colossus Slayer. Any creature that takes bonus damage from this feature takes an additional 1d8 damage of the same type at the start of it's next turn, as it's wounds worsen.
Horde Breaker. Every creature within 5 feet of the original target (including the target itself) takes 1d6 damage of the same type as the weapon.