Today, we’re going to take a Closer Look at the wilderness hunter, tracker, and ranged specialist, the Ranger Job Class

The Ranger is a master of the wilderness with great survivability, tenacity, and intuition. They are master’s the hunt and martial protectors. As Paladin are to their deities, Rangers of the Champions of the natural realm.

Rangers as a Job Class present some game mechanic challenges as character classes have become more generalized. While rich in flavour, Rangers were lacking in enough unique mechanical achievement. As such they’ve been revised many times. Consequently, we actually have two Job Class variants that you need to choose between at Level 1. That is the traditional yet revised Ranger, martial plus a wielder of arcane magic [VS.] An alternative Low Magic version of the ranger that channels some magical effects through a spirit beast. (This is similar to how a Paladin or Warlock channels its patron’s magic except that you have even less control over it than a paladin or warlock)

Furthermore, the ranger needs to choose their SubClass, the Ranger Conclave for the regular ranger, and their spirit animal for the Low Magic Ranger (which we’ll call a “Seeker”).

Stats

Finesse is typically the most important stat for Rangers. It affects your ranged attacks plus any finesse melee weapons you need. For the traditional Ranger as a Half-Caster, your Control Stat will also be important for SpellCasting.

Weapons

Rangers are most well known for their use of the Long Bow and you get one with your initial equipment. You also get two shortswords or two other simple melee weapons. Rangers may be the original dual-wielding class; You can weird a shortsword in each hand as lightweight finessable weapons.

Rangers have the Martial training to use pretty much any standard (Simple or Martial) weapon you’d find readily available from the local militia.

Armour and Hit Die

The traditional Ranger (“Ranger”) has a d10 Hit Die as well as proficiency in Light Armour, Medium Armour, and Shields.

The low magic Ranger (“Seeker”) has a 2d6 Hit Die but only has proficiency in Light Armour and Shields.

Your initial equipment is either [Light] Leather Armour (AC11+FinesseMod) or [Medium] Scale Mail (AC14+FinesseModMax2) but the scale mail will give you disadvantage on stealth and the low magic ranger does not have proficiency with Medium Armour making it a bad fit for low magic Rangers

More Standard Issue Gear

There’s not a lot of standard gear when it comes to Rangers. They got the bow, 2 shortswords, and armour.

Beyond that they also get either a Dungeoneer’s Pack or an Explorer’s Pack.

The Low Magic Ranger also gets an Herbalism Kit because they won’t be able to use Cure Wound spells like the Traditional Ranger.

Basic Features of the Ranger

“Ranger” vs. “Seeker”

For the best of this document to make it easier, we will call the revised version of the traditional Ranger class “Ranger” with it’s main subclasses “Hunter” “Beast” and “Deep Stalker“. We will refer to the Low Magic variant of the Ranger class as “Seeker” (even though the 3 variants of that class are Guardian, Seeker, and Stalker)

Rangers and Seekers are also proficient in either Physical or Finesse Saving Throws [Saving Throws are your reactions to certain types of things – Physical: Poison, Eating nasty food, ODing on cheap alchohol, being shoved, being grappled, arm wrestling, etc / Finesse: Dodging area effects like fireballs and traps / Mental: Psychic attacks on your mind, gruelling cramming before a big test / Control: Resisting a lot of Magical Effects].

More Skills

Rangers and Seekers are proficient in 2 of Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Seekers are also proficient with the Herbalism Kit.

How do I get better?

All characters as they level up gain more features and improvements. All characters start with a “Proficiency Bonus” of 2 that gets added to anything you are proficient in. This proficiency bonus increases by one at Character Levels 5, 9, 13, and 17 regardless of your job class(es).

At Ranger/Seeker Class Levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 19 (not Character Level) the character gets to Upgrade! This incidentally is the standard amount, one less upgrade than the Rogue and 2 less upgrades than the Fighter. When you upgrade, you either get 2 Stat upgrade points OR you gain a “Feat” — Special new bonuses, abilities, boosts, etc.

All Rangers/Seekers gain a number of other features as they level up Ranger/Seeker Class Levels. This means that if you Level Up in other Job Classes, then they don’t count to you gaining these features.

Favoured Prey

This is hallmark ability flavour for the Ranger/Seeker.

You hone your skills into being especially effective against one type of foe from: Beasts, Fey, Humanoids, Monstrosities, & Undead.

You are adept at handling this type and have a lot of experience tracking, studying, hunting, understanding them and perhaps talking to them.

You gain +2 to your weapons attack damage rolls against them.
You have advantage on Survival checks to track them as well as Mental checks to recall information about them (Nature, Arcana, History, etc as appropriate)

In your pursuits of these creatures, you also pick up a language useful in your hunt. This is usually the language that the creature speaks but it could be another useful language)

Natural Explorer

This is another hallmark ability flavour for the Ranger/Seeker.

You are very experienced with the wilderness allowing you to move swiftly and easily through it tracking your prey.

[Previously, you’d have to choose exactly which type of terrain but that’s been updates. You can only choose “urban” either rather a generic “Wilderness” which works well anyways since most of the world is some type of wilderness.

General Boosts:

• You can navigate “difficult terrain” without slowing you down
• Rangers: You have Advantage on Initiative Rolls
• Rangers: On your first turn of combat, you have advantage on attack roles against any creature that has not yet acted

Wilderness Boosts

• When you travel as a group, your group can travel through wilderness without slowing down due to difficult terrain
• Your group doesn’t get lost (unless magically lost)
• You can do other things like foraging, navigating, tracking and you remain alert to danger
• If you are travelling alone, you can move stealthily at full pace
• Foraging yields twice as much food as normal
• Tracking creatures through wilderness, you learn their exact number, sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area (DM may determine how effective this is situationally)

Fighting Style

At Ranger/Seeker Level 2, you adopt your fighting specialization.  (Note you can only adopt a specific fighting style once ever). Popular fighting styles for Rangers/Seekers are marked with [!].

• Archery[!]: You gain ATK+2 [+2 to your attack roll determining whether you hit your target ] to your ranged weapons attacks.
• Defence[!]: AC+1 when wearing armour.
• Dueling[!]: DMG+2 to your melee weapon attack when you ONLY wield 1 weapon. This is usually best for people who use a Shield.
• Great Weapon Fighting: When your 2-Handed Melee Weapon Attack Damage roll is 1 or 2, you can reroll damage but you have to use the new value.
• Protection: Use your reaction to use your Shield to impose Disadvantage on an Attack Roll (of an attack you can see) against a target (not you) within 5 feet of you.
• Two-Weapon Fighting[!]: Add your Modifier (Phy or Fin depending on the weapon) to your off-hand weapon attack (Otherwise, only your Main Hand weapon gets that Modifier Bonus)
• Close Combat Shooter[!]: When you make a ranged attack within 5ft of a hostile creature, you normally provoke an opportunity attack or have disadvantage on your attack. With this fighting style, you do not have disadvantage on your attack and your ranged attack ignores half cover and 3/4 cover against targets within 30ft. Also, you get a +1 Bonus to attack rolls against ranged targets.
• Tunnel Fighter: as a bonus action, you can enter a defensive stance until your next turn. You can make opportunity attacks without using your reaction (this means that you can make as many opportunity attacks as you want which is great for confined spaces where you foes get bottlenecked). You can use your reaction to make a melee attack against creatures that move more than 5ft within your reach (but don’t exit your reach to provoke an opportunity attack) This is extremely effective when combined with the Polearm Master Feat that lets you make opportunity attacks when foes enter your reach with specific weapons that mostly have a 10ft reach. You’d be able to make a lot of opportunity attacks from a distance. This is a favoured technique if you are being a lot of use of Battlefield Control strategies as a team.

Primeval Awareness

From Ranger/Seeker Level 3, your knowledge of Ranger lore develops into a link with the beasts and land around you.

Communicate

The beasts recognize you as a kindred spirit and you can communicate with them to a limited extent [ You can convey through sounds and gestures things like an action you want them to do, etc. You can read from them their emotional state, if they’re inflicted by something, their short-term needs such as food or safety, as well as what actions you might be able to take in order to persuade them not to attack you.

Of course if you attacked them within the last 10 minutes this won’t work as they’re still upset with you and your party.

Sense

By spending 1 uninterrupted minute of concentration, you can get a sense of if your favoured enemies are nearby within 5 miles / 8km. You can a sense of possibly which creatures are there in your favoured created type as well as their numbers, general distances, and general direction. (This isn’t exactly an exact science but is still very useful intel)

Greater Favoured Prey

From Ranger/Seeker Level 6, you can dead on even deadlier prey. Choose to hone your skills against one of: Abberations, Celestials, Constructs, Dragons, Elementals, Fiends, or Giants

You gain the same abilities against this new type of prey as the received at Level 1 including another language to help you in your pursuit, however, you also get a few more things against this greater threat.

You gain +4 to your attack rolls against this greater prey. Also, you have advantage on saving throws against the spells and abilities that greater prey throws at you.

Fleet of Foot

R/S Level 8, you can use the Dash action as a Bonus Action during your turn.

Hide in Plain Sight

R/S Level 10, hide yourself and prepare to ambush. This allows you to stay perfectly still for a long time in wait as you hunt your foes.

When you hide, you can choose to not move that turn. If you don’t move, creatures trying to spot you have a -10 penalty to their Perception checks. Of course if you move or fall prone, etc. your no longer hidden.

[ Note: This has been changed. In the non-revised Ranger, this took 1 minute to camouflage yourself giving you a big boost to your stealth if you didn’t move ]

Vanish

From R/S Level 14, you can use the Hide action as a Bonus Action (Seekers can already do this because of Skirmisher’s Stealth so this is a much smaller improvement for them). Also, you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means (unless you choose to leave a trail). This automatic ability is like the Level 2 Abjuration Spell: “Pass without Trade” except you don’t have to cast it and it doesn’t require concentration.

Feral Senses

From R/S Level 18, you have preternaturally heightened senses to fight what you can’t see. You no longer have disadvantage on attack rolls against things you can’t see such as invisible or hiding creatures. You are aware of the location of any invisible (but not “hidden”) creature within 30ft as long as you are not blinded or deafened (Since this ability combines your seeing, hearing, smell, and primal sense together to detect creatures)

Foe Slayer

You’ve reach the pinacle of the Ranger world. Once a turn, you can use all the wisdom and experience you’ve accumalated to add your Control Modifier to either your Attack Roll or Damage  roll (You can choose to use this ability after you roll something but before you hear about the results of the roll or before effects are applied)

The Seeker

The Seeker is a Low Magic variant of the Ranger. At Level 1, you will need to choose between the regular Ranger and the Seeker Variant

Ambuscade

At Seeker Level 1 You gain the Ambuscade Ability: Strike hard and strike first. When you roll initiative, you get a special action before the first round begins. You can either make 1 single attack, use the Hide action, or become not surprised. You cannot however move nor use magic nor use things like healing potions. Also, if your weapon is not already drawn, you might not be able to attack — situationally dependent on your DM

Skirmisher’s Stealth

From Seeker Level 2, you combine speed and stealth and are hard to pin down. You can often stay hidden even after making actions that’d normally reveal your presence such as attacking. You choose ONG target that you always remain hidden from. Also, at the end of your turn, you can fully rehide yourself with a successful stealth check as a Bonus Action

[ Key points: Choose 1 specific enemy you remain hidden from. Other enemies can still “see” you if they see you. You are making a great effort focused on the 1 specific creature as your prey.

Second Key point: Use Hide as a bonus action at the end of each turn but it still requires a stealth roll just like the actual “Hide” action.

Third point: This helps you skulk around without drawing attention to yourself ]

Combat Superiority

From Seeker Level 2, you learn maneuvres fueled by Superiority Dice. This is similar to the Fighter/BattleMaster’s manoeuvres except you have less dice and smaller valued dice.

When you gain new levels of Combat Superiority at Levels 5, 9, 13, and 17, you can replace an old maneuvre while you’re at it.

Superiority Dice

You have 4 d8 uses of your Sup.Die but regain them after a short rest. You gain an additional die at Level 9 and 17.

Saving DC

Your Save DC for maneuvres that use is it DC 8 + Proficiency Bonus + [ either Physical Modifier or Finesse Modifier ]

Manoeuvres

• Commander’s Strike: When you go to Attack, forgo one of your attacks and use up your bonus action to direct one of your party who can hear you to strike that foe. Your ally can immediately use their reaction to make 1 weapon attack adding your Sup.Die roll to your ally’s attack.
• Disarming Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try to disarm your foe (drop 1 item/weapon it’s holding). Physical Save vs. your attack’s Damage Roll + Sup.Dice roll
• Distracting Strike: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to distract your foe. Add your Sup.Die roll to your damage you deal in this attack. The next time someone other than you attacks that foe before your next turn, they will get Advantage on their Attack Roll.
• Evasive Footwork: When moving, use your Sup.Die and add its roll to your AC while you’re moving. This is probably most useful when you expect to get attack by an Attack of Opportunity (When you move out of a hostile creature’s melee attack range, they are able to attack you)
• Feinting Attack: Use your Sup.Die and your Bonus Action to make a Feint against a creature within 5ft. You have advantage on your next attack roll against that creature and if it hits, you add your Sup.Die roll to your damage roll.
• Goading Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try to Goad your foe into attacking you. Add your Sup.Die roll to your attack roll. Your foe has to Save vs. Control or will have Disadvantage on attacking anyone but you until the end of your next turn.
• Lunging Attack: When you Melee weapon attack on your turn, you can use a Sup.Die to increase your reach by 5ft. If you hit, add your Sup.Die roll to your damage.
• Manoeuvring Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to manoeuvre an ally who can see or hear you into a better position. Add your Sup.Die to your damage. Your ally can use their reaction to move half its speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.
• Menacing Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try to frighten your target. Add Sup.Die roll to your damage and foe Saves vs. Control or become frightened of your until the end of your next turn
• Parry: When you get damaged by someone’s melee attack, use your reaction and a Sup.Die to reduce the damage by your Sup.Die roll + Finesse Modifier
• Precision Attack: Use a Sup.Die to add its roll to your weapon attack roll (before you hear the effects of your attempt to attack)
• Pushing Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use a Sup.Die to try to push back the target. Sup.Die roll is added to your damage and foe saves vs. Physical or gets pushed back up to 15′
• Rally: Use your Bonus Action and Sup.Die to bolster the fighting resolve of your ally who can see or hear you. Target gains Sup.Die + Control Modifier Temp HP
• Riposte: When a creature’s melee attack against you misses, you can use your reaction and a Sup.Die to make a melee weapon counterattack. If it hits, add SupDie roll to damage.
• Sweeping Attack: When  your melee weapon attack hits, use a Sup.Die to try to damage another creature within 5ft of the first target. It’s one single attack that you are swinging wide so you use your original attack roll and same attack damage type but the damage will be your Sup.Die roll.
• Trip Attack: When your weapon attack hits, use your Sup.Die to try and knock down the target. Target saves vs. Physical or gets knocked Prone (Prone is when you are on the ground face down. Prone creatures are in a bad position especially against melee attacks but please keep in mind that it also makes them harder to hit with ranged attacks)

Poultices

Are you even making use of that Herbalism Kit? You can make first aid, poison antidotes if you have the poison to work from, etc. But, here’s another ability to increase your survivability out there.

From Seeker Level 3, you can spend 1 hour gathering herbs and preparing herbal poultices. You can create Control Modifier Number of them at that time which is also the maximum number of them that you can carry. Very importantly, this can be done during your Long Rest. HOWEVER, the poultices will only last for 24 hours before losing their potency.

If you spend 1 minute to use the poultice, you can heal a creature for [RoundUp(SeekerLevel/2)]d6 HP per poultice (a 2nd poultice does need another 1 minute however)

Spirit Companion

As your link with the natural world gets stronger that link becomes a bond. You are contacted by a spirit of nature to make a bond with a spirit animal. Unlike the Ranger/Beast Conclave, this animal is spirit based and spends most of its time as an ethereal entity that usually no one can see.

You can summon your Spirit Animal at will to come in its ethereal form. In order to summon it into the real material plane, you need to perform a summoning ritual. This ritual takes 1 minute requiring “concentration”. Like a spell requiring concentration, if you take damage while summoning, you need to roll a Physical Save or you lose too much focus and the ritual fails.

You can summon your spirit animal into material plane only once until a long rest (failed summons don’t count). If your spirit if in the material plane and you are knocked on conscious, it will continue to act, fight, etc. But if you die, it will immediately return back to it’s own plane. If the spirit animal in the material plane is slain, it will disappear until you take a long rest.

You spirit animals acts during your turn after you’ve finished your Action. It will use your Control Modifier as its Attack Bonus. It will your Control Spell Stat Spell Atk Bonus for Attack Spells and your Control Spell Stat Spell DC for Spells it casts. It has the higher of either Half of Your Hit Points or the Amount of Hit Points that type of non-spirit Beast would normally have.

You can telepathically communicate with it faster than the speed of thought but in the end it makes up it’s own mind about what to do.

As a bonus action you can make requests of it to attack, do some kind of spell, or give you some sort of boon.

As a Seeker, you are tapped into a powerful source of natural Primal Magic but you are not fully in control of it. Instead through your Spirit Companion and yourself the mystical forces are channeled. This is very different from regular Rangers who are in control of their Magic.

[ It’s highly recommended that you discuss what your Spirit Animal is going to be with your DM and discuss what kinds of abilities you would like it to have. Your Seeker level is going to have a big impact on how well you can channel the Primal Magic energy as well as how deep your connection to the Spirit Companion is which could have a big impact how what your Spirit is willing to do and capable of doing (without hurting you) ]

Your Spirit Companion will get some sort of Boost at Level 7, 11, and 15. This is highly dependent on what kind of animal you choose to be your spirit companion.

The default choices are Brown Bear, Giant Eagle, and Dire Wolf but are not limited to that.

[ Note: written above it says that your Spirit Companion will be gone until a long rest if slain. This means that even its ethereal form will be gone and you will not be able to get its help ]

Ranger Archetype: Hunter Conclave

Members of the Hunter Conclave specialize in weapons to protect civilization from the terrors of the wilderness and protect nature from the horrors of civilization.

Ranger’s Arcane Spellcasting

From Ranger Level 2, you start to come into your own as a being of the wilderness and come to realize the Primal and Arcane magical forces present all around you. As you tap into these forces, you learn to wield Arcane Magic of your own.

You learn 2 Ranger spells to start with and have 2x Level 1 Spell Slots to start with. As you gain Ranger levels, you learn more spells and get access to more + more powerful spell slots.

Your spell slots are replenished during a long rest.

Every time you level up as a Ranger, you can replace one of your spells with another Ranger spell in addition to other new spells you might learn from levelling up.

Your Spell Casting Stat is CONTROL.
Your Spell Save DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Control Modifier
Your Spell Atk Bonus = Proficiency Bonus + Control Modifier

Hunter’s Prey

From Ranger Level 3 when you choose your Conclave, you are trained by your conclave’s teaching to  gain one of these specialized skills:

• Colossus Slayer: You wear town you foe. Your weapons attack deals an extra 1d8 damage if the foe is not at Max HP. You can apply this bonus once a turn.
• Giant Killer: When a larger creature within 5ft hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to make a counter attack as long as you can see.
• Horde Breaker: Your weapon attack can be used to make an additional attack with the same weapon against another creature within 5ft of the first creature (as long as it’s in range and you can see it — This is often flavoured like swipe attacks, you make a big attack against two foes except unlike those swipe attacks, you roll both attack and damage rolls separately)

Colossus Slayer is the most popular choice here for a Damage Dealer although the other two choices have their uses.

Extra Attack

From Hunter Level 5, you can make two attacks instead of one during your Attack action. (You can move in between the two attacks)

Defensive Tactics

From Hunter Level 7, your conclave’s teachings have gained you valuable defensive skills to increase your survivability. You learn one of :

• Escape the Horde: Opportunity Attacks against you have Disadvantage
• MultiAttack Defense: When you get hit by an Attack, you get an AC+4 bonus against subsequent attacks from that creature for the rest of the turn. ( A lot of creatures attack more than ones in their Attack action. It won’t help you with the first hit, but will help you not get hit multiple times )
• Steel Will: Advantage on Save vs. Being Frightened

MultiAttack

From Hunter Level 11, you get a Hunter AoE attack to attack many targets in the same area. Choose the one that fits whether you are predominantly a melee attacker or ranged attacker.

• Volley: As an Action, make a Ranged Attack to a point within range. You can hit as many targets within 10ft of that point that are visible to you and in range. You can choose exactly which targets you want to attack. Make sure you have enough ammo to hit them all and make separate attack and damage rolls for each one.
• Whirlwind Attack: As an action, make a Melee Attack to any number of visible targets within 5ft. Roll attack and damage for each one.

Superior Hunter’s Defence

From Hunter Level 15, you have further bolstered your defensive skills. Gain one of the following:

• Evasion: Effects that make you Save vs. Finesse to get Full Damage vs. Half Damage are greatly improved so that you are Saving to get Half Damage vs. NO Damage (to dodge completely)
• Stand Against the Tide: When a hostile creature’s melee weapons attack misses you, you can force them to repeat the same attack against some other target you choose (other than attacking itself). This is like redirecting the attack but the attack roll has to be re-rolled.
• Uncanny Dodge: When you get hit by an attack, use your reaction to half the damage.

These all have their uses but Evasion is the most popular largely because of massive AoE spells and Dragon Breath attacks that can do a done of damage.

Ranger Archetype / Deep Stalker Conclave

As you journey down into the shadowy depths of the earth, you will find entire “Underdark” kingdoms. If you thought that the Underdark were only in Feurun, then you were mistaken. From many lands, the Underdark has spread and with it untold threats and horros. The Deep Stalker Conclave strives to uncover and defeat those threats before they can reach the surface.

Ranger’s Arcane Spellcasting

From Ranger Level 2, you start to come into your own as a being of the wilderness and come to realize the Primal and Arcane magical forces present all around you. As you tap into these forces, you learn to wield Arcane Magic of your own.

You learn 2 Ranger spells to start with and have 2x Level 1 Spell Slots to start with. As you gain Ranger levels, you learn more spells and get access to more + more powerful spell slots.

Your spell slots are replenished during a long rest.

Every time you level up as a Ranger, you can replace one of your spells with another Ranger spell in addition to other new spells you might learn from levelling up.

Your Spell Casting Stat is CONTROL.
Your Spell Save DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Control Modifier
Your Spell Atk Bonus = Proficiency Bonus + Control Modifier

Underdark Scout

From Deep Stalker Level 3, you are a master of ambushes. On your first turn during combat, you get a +10 bonus to your speed. If you use use your Attack Action in that first round, you can do an extra attack. (If you have Extra Attack at Level 5, this WILL stack giving you 3 instead of 2 attacks)

With skills for fighting in the Underdark, you have attuned your skills to make it difficult for them to rely on their Darkvision to find you. Creatures with Darkvision gain no Darkvision benefit when attempting to detect you in dark and dim conditions.

If you are able to “Hide” from the creature (according to the DM’s discretion), they have absolutely NO benefit from their Darkvision.

Deep Stalker Magic

Your conclave has put your on a path to not only increase your combat ability in the dark as well as your spell selection to be more effective.

From Deep Stalker Level 3, you gain Darkvision up to 90 feet. If you already have Darkvision, its range is increased by 30 feet!

Also From Deep Stalker Level 3, you gain a series of additional spells to aid your path into the darkness. You gain these spells at specific Deep Stalker Levels. They still use Spell Slots to cast but they don’t count towards the total number of spells you can learn.

• DS Level 3: Disguise Self
• DS Level 5: Rope Trick
• DS Level 9: Glyph of Warding
• DS Level 13: Greater Invisibility
• DS Level 17: Seeming

Extra Attack

From DS Level 5, you can make two attacks instead of one during your Attack action. (You can move in between the two attacks and it stacks with Underdark Scout that you can use on your first turn)

Iron Mind

From DS Level 7, you gain proficiency in Control Saving Throws [Saving Throws are your reactions to certain types of things – Physical: Poison, Eating nasty food, ODing on cheap alchohol, being shoved, being grappled, arm wrestling, etc / Finesse: Dodging area effects like fireballs and traps / Mental: Psychic attacks on your mind, gruelling cramming before a big test / Control: Resisting a lot of Magical Effects].

Stalker’s Flurry

From DS Level 11, once a turn, if you miss an attack, you can try to make one more attack.

Stalker’s Dodge

From DS Level 15, when a create attacks you without Advantage, you can use your reaction to impose Disadvantage on their attack roll against you. (You would need to use this before the outcome of the attack roll is determined. This is potentially very valuable but since DMs roll die where you cannot see the rolls, you’ll have to pick when to use this. (not abuse it) )

Ranger Archetype / Beast Conclave

You feel more at home in the wilderness than in a big city and animals of the wilderness are you kin. You link with nature becomes a bond and you develop an even greater bond with a beast, strengthened through magic.

For the sake of having an easier noun to use, Rangers that subscribe to this Ranger Conclave will be called “Beastmasters” in this informational post but not to be mixed up to previous notions of what a beast master class used to be [ Beast Master had a lowest level of satisfaction and is a major reason why they’ve been trying for years to overhaul the Ranger class again.  We’re using the overhauled, improved, DELUXE version of this archetype! Also a key difference between this and the Seeker is that here you use your arcane magic to make the bond where the Seeker’s Spirit Companion seeks out the Seeker’s to form the bond — that an this Beast is corporeal while a Seeker’s is predominantly ethereal. ]

Ranger’s Arcane Spellcasting

From Ranger Level 2, you start to come into your own as a being of the wilderness and come to realize the Primal and Arcane magical forces present all around you. As you tap into these forces, you learn to wield Arcane Magic of your own.

You learn 2 Ranger spells to start with and have 2x Level 1 Spell Slots to start with. As you gain Ranger levels, you learn more spells and get access to more + more powerful spell slots.

Your spell slots are replenished during a long rest.

Every time you level up as a Ranger, you can replace one of your spells with another Ranger spell in addition to other new spells you might learn from levelling up.

Your Spell Casting Stat is CONTROL.
Your Spell Save DC = 8 + Proficiency Bonus + Control Modifier
Your Spell Atk Bonus = Proficiency Bonus + Control Modifier

Animal Companion

At Ranger Level 3 when you choose to join the Beast Enclave, you learn a powerful ritual to create a bond with a beast far more powerful than the regular bonds you can create with any animal.

Preparation and the Ritual itself takes 8 hours of work and costs 5000G in rare herbs, foods, and some other supplies. There is an area in the South East corner of Ohte Village where you can do this ritual or you can do it anywhere with enough space in wilderness.

Common animals would be an Ape, Black Bear, Boar, Giant Badger, Giant Weasel, Mule, Panther, or Wolf. If you have a different animal in mind, please discuss it with your DM. Also, some of the above animals might also be unavailable depending on where you are when you conduct the ritual. It’s also possible that you don’t get the animal that you had wanted (situationally discretional up to the DM).

[ Generally, it will be an animal that is “Medium” size or smaller, has at most 15 HP, doesn’t deal more than 8 damage in a single attack, and probably would have a Challenge Rating of 1/4 or less. This is in contrast to the Seeker’s Spirit Companions which can have much higher Challenge Ratings, etc but can only be corporeal for a very short amount of time while the Animal Companion is corporeal all the time and ready to fight alongside you all the time ]

At the end of the 8 hours, your bonded animal will appear with benefits from the bond that regular animals don’t have.

If your animal companion is ever slain, the magical bond will keep its spirit nearby and with 2500G in rare herbs and fine foods, you can spend 8 hours preparing and conducting a ritual to bring it back. You magically reconstruct the body and the spirit will return to it. (Incidentally, unlike the Seeker, you can’t see its spirit without journeying to a different plane of existence).

If you use this ritual to bring a former companion back to life but you’ve already done the ritual to form bond with another animal, the animal will gracefully leave to be replaced by the restored companion with zero animosity, jealously, etc.

Companion’s Bond

The bonded Animal gains benefits from their bond with you. The animal will no longer be able to use any MultiAttack abilities but instead will be more in sync with you and fight alongside you.

The Animal obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature but you decide what you want it to do. If you are incapacitated or absent, the Animal will continue to do what it think you want it to do based on the bond you have with each other.

When you use your Natural Explorer abilities, both you and your animal companion can move together stealthily without lowering your pace.

Your Animal Companion uses YOUR Proficiency Bonus. This means when you level up and your proficiency bonus increases, it will affect the Animal’s AC, Skills, Saving Throws, Attack Bonus, and Damage Rolls.

The Animal has stats and abilities based on your BeastMaster Level and it adds your Proficiency Bonus to it’s AC and Damage Rolls (contrary to how other animals or players work)

The Animal also gains proficiency in 2 skills and gains proficiency in all 4 types of Saving Throws. Each Level you gain after the initial BeastMaster Level 3, the Animal gains another Hit Die and Hit Points.

If you upgrade your stats when you level up, your Animal also gets the stat upgrade. You cannot go beyond 20 but you don’t have to use your points on the same stats as your character.

Your Animal Companion gains the benefits from your Favoured Prey and Greater Favoured Prey abilities.

Your Companion shares your alignment (Neutral Good, Lawful Neutral, etc.)

Your Animal Companion has a personality trait and flaw. It has the Bond “The ranger who travels with me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life”

Personality Trait (Choose one that fits or roll a d6)

1. I’m dauntless in the face of diversity
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.

Flaw (Choose one that fits or roll a d6)

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

Coordinated Attack

From BeastMaster Level 5 (in lieu of multiattack), you and your animal companion form a more potent fighting team. When you use your Attack action on your turn, the Animal can also make a melee attack as a reaction as long as it can see you.

Beast’s Defence

From BeastMaster Level 7, your companion has Advantage on all saving throws (in addition to the proficiency in all throws that it gets for being bonded) as long as it can see you.

Storm of Claws and Fangs

From Beast Master Level 11, you companion can attack all creatures it wants within 5ft as an action. For this flurry of attacks, each attack roll and damage is done separately.

Superior Beast’s Defence

From Beast Master Level 15, your companion can use its reaction to half the damage of an attack it can see [ Your beast will use this for itself or for you. If teammates get along really really well with, then maybe for them too… maybe ]

How do I play a Ranger?

It’s all about Flavour!

Rangers are extremely rich in flavour. Play your character to those flavours and whatever weird social awkwardness someone from the wilderness may have when teaming up with adventurers many of whom are from big cities. You are a natural wilderness tracker, explorer, and hunter. Go with it! Run with it! Pounce with it!

Playing to your character can get your “Inspiration” – that magical force that your DM may bestow on your for awesome roleplaying especially when you make decisions based on what the character would do and not necessarily the “best” choice.

The other thing to keep in mind is that you DO have both a Ranged and Melee weapon and you will need both of them. Ranged is typically the most common but keep in mind that you don’t want to be shooting people while next to them nor shooting anyone while next to someone hostile as it opens you up for attack.

For the Ranged Attacker with a Ranger’s Arcane Magic, HUNTER’S MARK in the quintessential Ranger Spell. Don’t forget to use it! At low levels you do not have many spell slots at all but Hunter’s Mark is usually worth it. You can cast it right before you make an attack but it lasts for an hour! Also, as long as your foe is dead before moving on to the next when, you can move your Hunter’s Mark to your next foe without using up any more spell slots.

Hunter’s Mark can also give you a huge damage boost against your enemy making your the all powerful ranged damage dealer that you should be.

Beyond making the most out of that spell, keep in mind what kind of role you are expecting to play. In general, there are four major roles: (1) Tank, (2) Damage Dealer or Glass Cannon (3) Battlefield Controller (4) Booster/Hinderer.

The Ranger is a martial combatant and a natural Damage Dealer. You’re not actually a glass cannon but a pretty solid one. You should have a decent amount of Hit Point (unless you are comparing yourself to Fighter, Monks, and Barbarians).

You are a Finesse class like the Rogue, so you can really take advantage of Ranged Attacks despite your more than average hit points. But your access to spellcasting despite being a martial also gives you access to the Battlefield Control role or the Boosting/Hindering role. A lot of the Ranger spells will be geared towards those but you also have access to healing spells if you think you’ll need them — Just keep in mind that your spell slot are limited and that you are NOT a wizard.

You are fast and have a lot of initiative in combat so you can really start things off with the bang and a lot of damage to your foes. However, you also have a huge amount of utility outside combat and that is equally as important. A lot of adventuring will take place in wilderness and you ensure that you get where you need to go and you get there in one piece.

Seekers, on the other hand are a little different. Outside of combat, they function very much like regular Rangers although they don’t have to use up spell slots to use their Poultice healing salves because you don’t have any spells slot.

Try to figure what kind of role you want to be but Seekers are more martial than regular Rangers because they can’t cast spells. But they do tend to have Roguish like abilities to hide and take their prey off guard.

Finally, talk with your DM about your Spirit Animal and kinds of things you would like to ask your Spirit Animal to do. In general, you can request all kinds of things from your Spirit Animal and either it will try or you’ll get an “I’m sorry Dave but I can’t do that” — Is it a great opportunity to get very creative and impress your DM. Your Spirit Animal doesn’t have specific magical abilities stats like the Beast Master’s explicitly has so try to be creative and see where the chips land.

Beasts for the Beast Conclave

Here is what the Internet has to say about some of your beast options:

• Panther – Awesome: Pounce is great but this might be less great for archers.
• Wolf – Awesome: Advantage on Attacks is great. Tripping is great but less great for archers.
• Ape – Good: Strong with extended reach and range.
• Black Bear – Good: Strong Tank is great for archers.
• Boar – Good: Charge is a nice bonus to damage. If you were smaller you could ride it.
• Giant Badge – ok: Decent damage but burrow movement is questionable
• Giant Weasel – ok: survivable and durable not very impressive
• Mule – Situational: You can use this as a mount and it can carry stuff.

Ranger Spells not including Dark Stalker ones

Here’s what the Internet has to say about these — I’m not going to include all the spells, just the ones that are highly recommended by the Internet. Also, keep in mind that Rangers are primarily martial combatants you are usually looking to use their magic to augment their combat skills… not become Wizards

• [1] Absorb Elements – Awesome: Reduce elemental damage and dish it backout again plus it’s a reacion
• [1] Beast Bond – Awesome for Beast Masters
• [1] Hunter’s Mark – Awesome: This is the biggest go to spell for Rangers.
• [1] Ensnaring Strike – Good: Solid ability for Battlefield Control and Foe Hindering while it attaches on to your Weapons Attack.
• [1] Hail of Thorns – Good: Magically shoot more arrows… sort of… but good for Crowd Control and more Damage.
• [2] Pass without a Trade – Awesome: Great Stealth spell perhaps the the Best Stealth Spell
• [2] Silence – Good: Hinder enemy spellcasters and help your loud fighter friend in heavy armour get by stealthily without their clank clank clank of amour calling every guard around
• [2] Spike Growth – Good: Good trap
• [3] Conjure Animals – Awesome: Pretty versatile but bear attacks can be vicious
• [3] Lightning Arrow – Awesome: Great damage and spread
• [3] Wind Wall – Awesome: Great for Offence, Defence, and Battlefield Control
• [3] Conjure Barrage – Good: Shoot more arrows than you physically have with good damage over a wide area
• [3] Protection from Energy – Good: Solid
• [4] Conjure Woodland Beings – Awesome but potential for abuse: Have at it!
• [4] Stoneskin – Awesome: No damage, yay
• [5] Conjure Volley – Awesome: Don’t use up your arrows, conjure them for damage and great AoE.
• [5] Swift Quiver – Good: Unlimited arrows are great but it will break your concentration on your Hunter’s Mark so less great.

Feats

The Internet suggests these feats as strongly worth considering: Crossbow Expert, Defensive Duelist, Lucky, Magic Initiate, Mobile, Mounted Combatant, Ritual Caster, Sharpshooter, Shield Master, Skilled. I personally like Sharpshooter for Archers.