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Finally I find a video where the creator actually legitimately understands the core of the ranger class and why it's so cool. Awesome work dude, you earned this sub
I made a houserule for favored terrain, that it’s like an attunement, you can switch as long as you're willing to spend time learning the terrain, if you want it to go quicker you can do a skill challange.
I do the same with favoured enemy as well, the time I have them spend on switching reflects them preparing the proper monster hunting equipment and research looking into potions runes and traps to best understand and damage their targets
I think Natural Explorer basically should have allowed you to adapt to your surroundings, granting you the benefits for traveling in ALL terrains. It's not called Favored Terrain, so idk why they decided to make it that. Also, Favored Enemy/Foe should have just been Hunters Mark (WIS mod × LR)
Aragorn does several things that I think count as spells: When he calms the horse in Edoras, when he whispers words while healing Frodo after Weathertop, and when he heals Éowyn in the houses of healing after the battle of Pelennor Fields. While these things may or may not be spells lore-wise, in terms of PnP RPG mechanics they function as if they are spells.
Another type of Ranger is the Army Rangers. My musket-wielding Ranger-Fighter was basically a spec ops sniper, using Menacing Attack and Knight of the Sword constantly to control the enemy. If you apply Frightened at a distance you are severely locking down an enemy, effectively turning a massive radius around you into a space they can’t enter:
I always appriciate good ranger rep. This was such a fun informative guide. I have played 3 rangers across 3 camapigns and they all played very differently and filled in different roles. One was a swarmkeeper sharpshooter ranged menace who was the partys main damage dealer with the extra damage dice form her swarm and hunters mark/favored foe. Another is a melee focused fey wanderer ranger who is very hit and run and assists in social situations. And my favorite to play is a monster slayer ranger in our arena campaign where the ranger aspect is that he studies the other teams, he goes to their matches, watches, learns and writes down tactics and utilises it in the teams own matches and this ranger is HARD to stop, he is built around mobility, can both hit ranged well but also run in to put pressure on enemy casters with melee attacks, we gave him a healers kit to as he cant be stopped by most terrain to get through the arena to stabilise downed party members or get them up with cure wounds. I get to do a little of everything and do it well and it is very fun and satisfying.
Thanks for creating these ultra specific videos that Very long form. they are not gonna do well on the TH-cam algorithm, but it is so helpful to the community! Thank you for your tireless work❤
The ranger only had issues early on and required bandages because players AND DMs both ignore the exploration pillar. Its not just the DMs fault. Players hate encumberance. Players hate tracking rations and water, or arrows and spell components. They see it as too hardcore And worse yet, WotC themselves hates exploration! They create class features and even backgrounds that turn off the exploration pillar. You can choose a background and basically never become lost. You can take Goodberry and never have to worry about food. The Rangers survival traits don't make it fun for them, they just turn off that aspect of the game. Modern D&D really hates travel and survival, it does everything it can to avoid making rules for it.
The editing is so clean and the vocals are clear. This quality and complete coverage of exactly what is stated in the title is why I always come back to Enter the Dungeon. Inspirational at the worst and changing the way I DM at best. Incredible stuff. 10/10
I am extremely excited to see your "Why you should play" the ranger subclass videos. Excellent video. I am a veteran DM and player and I agree with most of what you've said here. I am a long time Ranger player, and it was the first thing I chose to play when I started playing 5e. Its only gotten better since and I sincerely hope more players give it a shot and have DMs who want to empower them to get the most out of the class.
Watched this video when I first started playing and learned a lot. Coming back to it now after I’ve been playing a Ranger for a while and I’m still picking things up. Thanks for the guide man.
Thank you so much for creating this. Rangers are my favorite class in dungeons and dragons. They are so underrated. Now when my players say they are bad, instead of going on a massive rant, I can send them this video that you created.
Worth noting that using Druidic Warrior, you can get Magic Stone which counts as a Weapon Attack if hurled with a sling. This means you can get a Wisdom-based Ranger that fights at range. The only finicky part however is that you need to have your stones on your person before entering combat. The Ammunition property on the Sling will mean you will equip the stones as part of the attack, but if you pick them up from the ground, then you can only pick up one per round due to how object interaction works. Not sure if the 2024 ruleset fixes that since I'm unsure if the Magic Stones themselves count as weapons that can be drawn or stowed which can now be done as part of every attack in the attack action. But feats like Sharpshooter now actually works better for it then it did in 2014 when only the power attack worked.
I love that you love the ranger and understand it’s name doesn’t refer to ranged weapons. I will say though, more melee or strength-based options like hand axes and shillelagh are more powerful than I think you’re giving them credit, especially with a 1-level dip into fighter for heavy armor and an extra fighting style. However, more importantly, I personally like using the flavor of a Ranger’s spellcasting for so much more variety. A Horizon Walker could easily cast spells with the same vibe as an eldritch knight. A Gloomstalker could be like a shadow sorcerer or warlock with a sword. A Drakewarden could cast spells like a sorcerer, and their companion could even be reflavored as an elemental. We have paladins which are meant to be a mix of fighter and cleric. Rangers have the potential to be that for a variety of other kinds of spellcasting, not just Druidic. While I like the concept of rangers casting spells being like an artificer one that they’re all realistic natural effects, I still see Ranger as the best way to play an arcane spellblade, and the fact that the flavor of their magic can be so varied alongside their experienced wilderness survival skills makes them so versatile and interesting in their flavor to me. Because of this, I let both warlocks and rangers at my tables use intelligence as their spellcasting ability instead of the default if they so choose. Rangers could totally gain their magic through their study of the monsters they hunt and of the wilderness; nature is an intelligence skill after all.
I personally love the Swarmkeeper subclass. I agree it does kind of fall off a bit in the higher levels, but the roleplaying potential is so good. They did a good job with the swarmkeeper spells as well, really making it easy to lean into the flavor. Simply explaining what all your spells or abilities look like is probably one of the best parts of playing a swarmkeeper.
I love swarmkeeper. Its very thematic as a front line ranger that can bang, and flit away to go rescue a downed ally. I had crossbow expert and stood on the front line using it to nail enemies while backing away without disengaging to hold the line. Soo much fun.
Honestly this is my go to class for alot of the reasons tou mentioned. The jack of all trades + the more roleplay and exploration elements is something i vibe with in fantasy. And i had to chuckle when you said run from a DM who is scared to make the ranger to strong. If thats someone's fear id hate to see their thoughts on full casters. One race i would also add to the ranger list is lizardfolk. Both thematically but also through mechanics it's built for that survivor rule. Edit: two multiclass builds I've found as a ranger that worked well were: Life cleric fey wanderer. You add some face skills, some damage, some charm, and you boost your healing support. Ive found it works very well if you want to not be a front liner. In the opposite direction rune knight horizon Walker backs a massive hit behind it, especially if you're buzzing around the field.
I think you're one of the few people who recommended the Firbolg as a race for rangers. I agree and been saying it for years. In fact after reading Bigsby: Glory of the Giants, I was reimagining the Fey Wanderer (arguably my favorite ranger subclass) as a Primeval Warden or or a learned scholar of the saga of Diancastra. The theme I believe fits so well with each other. One day I hope to play it. Lastly the feats that you cooked up with were really good. You definitely know what you're talking about in keeping it good without getting to broken territory. Thanks for those.
I like Ranger, but I almost never take Favored Foe. It is pretty good on Low Levels, but thr fact that is is only on thr first attack falls of really quickly, not even tslking about concentration. Hunter's Mark works on every damage instance, as well as giving you advantage on tracking at finding the marked target.
eh, its a free thing to do and just some bonus damage, if you look at the rangers spell list theres a lot of way better concentration spells out there than hunters mark. favoured foe also works in tandem with stuff like planar warrior and monster slayers bonus action making for some simple first turn big hits without going gloomstalker.
Depending on party makeup, I actually like having the ranger in the rear at the start of combat, then move after things get going move to where needed to be, this is to make sure that noone flanks or attacks from the rear.
Great review very insightful the only thing I would mention is using druidic warrior to gain shillelagh this allows you too focus of wisdom making subclasses with spell attack much more viable as well as summon spells that rely on it also pairs really nicely with polarm master.
Thanks a lot for this guide, you made a great job! I play the Ranger since forever in every edition, and I think It needs some love and respect... A small note: Shillelagh and Thorn Whip are interesting options for Druidic Warrior (Even Control Flames to shut down little fires if you are a Gloom Stalker). You forgot Ashardalon's Stride for 3rd lv spells: when It comes to Ranger, mobility Is king!
I play rangers as a strong preference so I play them pretty often. Depending on the party composition, my first two spells are usually Zephyr Strike and Entangle (from the expanded spell list for this one). Zephyr strike being to hit better and harder, and Entangle to use tactically. Even if someone manages to escape the saving throw, they are still wading through difficult terrain over a decent sized area. In choke points, this can be amazing at battlefield control. What’s more, it’s a strength based saving throw, so it’s good against a few troublesome early dex enemies which are the best to narrow down and keep the numbers down for. That’s why I prefer to choose these two spells for my first ones, though the rest chosen for first level will depend a huge deal on which subclass I’m playing and what the party battle and rp style are. This will be the moment I may or may not choose cure wounds and/or goodberry. Absorb elements may also see some moments at this point, again, campaign dependent. However, the first second level spell I choose is consistently pass without a trace. Don’t leave home without it if you play a ranger and have access to it. It is exceptionally valuable, especially for the less stealthy in your party, and will shine with dex builds. So take it. Now if one takes Druidic warriors, sure, take guidance, it’s very valuable, but me personally? I like also taking either primal savagery or shillelagh to cover close quarter combat. But let me get into fighting style, since I have switched to that. Druidic warrior can be valuable, though I find myself more using that with only certain subclasses. Archery is always one of the most valuable of the styles, but I will say it’s no small thing to take two weapon. It isn’t the most valuable of the lot, but I have certainly found value in it when I am in a small party where no one is the frontliner. Because of their hit die, rangers are among the few who can take a hit for a dex class and can be valuable at temporary taking on the role of frontlining in the early levels (it is not a good long term option). For this, I find two weapon fighting can be valuable. I have had to use this tactic to compensate for the close quarters and maximizing damage at those early levels. Like I said though, not a good long term solution. Ranger is still better played as an archer still, picking off high value targets and/or bearing down and whittling down their hp. All in all, rangers are highly customizable and I deeply appreciate that. It does take knowing what you are doing with them, but they are great for tactical minded players who like setting up battlefield control methods to the advantage of their party. I also love playing these classes as, what I call, battlefield medics. They are usually pretty good getting across a field and bouncing around, finding valuable places to tuck themselves into tactically, keep distance until they need to close in, but also, they can heal. What’s more, skills like medicine, nature, and survival are accessible to them which can make them good healing potion makers and stabilizers of those who go down. To play this way, focus on prep outside battle situations, like making potions and antitoxins in your spare time. But, another method I use, especially with the feywanderer subclass, is one I call “the diplomat.” Basically the access to many languages, more than most classes and backgrounds, without feats or certain races, means being able to speak with more races and become a middleman between them. With the feywanderer ability, this aspect of the class can shine in a rare way by being a translator and negotiator and arbitrating between groups. This, combined with access to the insight skill, means being able to be difficult to keep secrets from. Of course, this part is highly dependent on how your table and dm has the games run. And of course, how good you might be at double talking and wheedling information out of an npc or group of npcs. But yeah, this is how I have played rangers so far and I don’t think of myself as remotely done with my exploration of what can be done with the mechanics of this class just yet. It’s been a lot of fun figuring it out though.
Another way to think of rangers is apothecary or chemist. They can make or prepare things for future use. Think things like synthesized drugs to temporarily increase function or reduce pain. Like coca leaves, white willow bark, mushrooms, etc… These tonics can give a rage symptom, a haste symptom, a damage or fear resistance, and other things that have been used for millennia. Also think things like using your spell slots before rest for things that are long lasting like good berry. Turning good berry into a liquid or paste for a healing potion with your nature/medicine skill if you know you’re going into some shit or you might be. Using a local magician to prepare with you glyph of warding so you can buff yourself and friends the following day before jumping through a portal or teleporting into a battle situation.
I played my first ranger back in 2017, and I instantly fell in love with the class for its versatility. Even before TCoE ranger was pretty good at DPR and Support, despite its terrible class features. Thanks for talking about my favorite class and debunking it as "the worst class in 5e." Also, I agree that Conjure Animals is a cool spell, but God do I hate it. It bogs down combat, which can take a while, and it depends on whether your GM lets you pick the CR and statblocks or just the CR.
Im playing in a campaign as a ranger and i love it, the ability to handle any situation, healing, trap disarming, lockpicks, stealth, survival the only time i need my party is during combat other than that i usually take the lead
Here is a little bonus after the video: Swarmkeeper says that it can have swarm of basically anything you can think of. So with the correct "lineage" you can have any character you want for your roleplaying! The sky is the limit!
I also suggest War Domain Cleric as a decent multiclass option for Ranger. With gloomstalker, on turn 1, you can get 4 attacks and create an amazing ambush style of combat as early as level 6 with Sharpshooter.
swarm keeper ranger is actually one of my favorites and pairs best with the circle of the stars druid. you can use the swarm to move enemies into moonbeam or through spike growth. you gain flight. just a great pairing
So nice to see the Ranger get the love they deserve. Are they the damage powerhouse of a party? Probably not, but the fact that they are so versatile is a strength, not a weakness. I started playing in my first campaign a few months ago, in a party of mostly newbies - and I chose a Ranger because they could fill any gaps the party needed. But all I could find online in terms of advice for how to play one effectively was basically like "be a Gloom Stalker with sharpshooter". As though all that matters in the game is damage output. (For the record, I went Fey Wanderer instead and am playing as a spoiled city noble instead of a loner).
Congrats for your amazing content and your attention to detail and realistic conception that makes fantasy the purest form of art! Just subbed to your channel, just at the mere mention of Logen. A stupid excuse for someone to sub at your fabulous channel, but subbed, nonetheless!
Agreed, I'm going to do the same because of the Logen reference. I'm still not entirely sure that Logen is a Ranger (the Bloody-Nine obviously is a Barb), but this video has got me rethinking one of my favorite characters of recent years. Well done Mr. Enter.
I played a Hunter Ranger a while back with the Colossus Slayer, Amazing fun. DM had some updates to do for encounters. Very strong damage in longer fights.
I have played two Wisdom based Rangers so far, and I used Druidic Warrior for both, specifically for Shillelagh. It's so much better on a Ranger than it ever was on a Druid.
Druidic warrior ranger (5) using sharpshooter, with a 2 lv druid (stars) dip and a 2 lv fighter dip is so good. 5 cantrips (you get guidance for free and the get 2 from DW and 2 from being a Druid), from fighter you can take archery, get action surge and 2nd wind. Esp if you're a gloom stalker ranger, you're going to give your DM nightmares with an average of 130 damage per opening turn, and 42 on average for every other turn. Plus you can be an extremely competant medic through those druid spells, and even make ome ranged magic attacks through Starry form: Archer and Guiding Bolt if the target has resistances to nonmagical attacks
ב"ה In my party there is a hunter ranger that after 5 ranger level started going swashbuckler rogue (he use two weapon fighting). In addition to the high damage they deal, their spell slots go mostly on cure wounds and aid as a secondary healer in the party when party members go down. He also know the spell enhance ability, that really help in important skill checks.
You need to have another look at Favoured Foe. It only applies to one attack per round and can not be transferred, unlike Hunter's Mark which applies to all attacks (which can be up to three, four with OA) and it can be reapplied to a other target without using another spell slot. Also, FF it doesnt use a bonus action as you seem to think in your MBA section.
Ranger is my favorite of the Half-casters. And pretty far up there. I just really like their spell list and some of their features. Ranger has always been pretty good with some rather bad features. I'll probably play one again at some point. I didn't know that about landstrider. So I'll absolutely be abusing that!
Guidance blows mega chunks since it uses your action for a tiny boost to a single action on your next turn. If it were a BA, it'd have value. Better to just take Archery for the constant +2 to your chance to hit with ranged weapons if you're going to play ranged. Better constant DPR overall. Wisdom is also a critical Ability score for Gloom Stalker Rangers. It's important to point out the aspects of Nature's Veil with Rules as Written as well. It functions like Greater Invisibility in that attacks made while temporarily invisible via Nature's Veil will NOT cancel the invisibility. It's a great way to use a bonus action to guarantee some attacks with advantage for those must-hit moments against a BBEG or in order to escape a crappy situation where you're surrounded and need to get away from multiple enemies without losing your attacks for the round. In that regard, Nature's Veil nearly always out-performs HIPS. Hunter's Mark is great until better concentration spells come into play. Favored Foe cannot be moved between targets and has limited uses. Hunter's Mark (if you're not rocking crossbow expert as a variant human/custom lineage goofball) has validity as a spell in situations where you're crawling a dungeon with a LOT of enemies between rests. Once you unlock CBE Bonus attacks, Hunter's mark loses a little bit of its edge. Once you've got other concentration spells at your disposal, HM loses almost all value as it can't be stacked with those great spells like Conjure Animals and Spike Growth. Lightning Arrow should be noted that ALL creatures take splash damage, so be careful about shooting the dude your party tank and rogue are both attacking. Flame Arrow stacks an extra 1d6 damage on 12 attacks, allowing for more accurate delivery of damage versus a single strike with splash damage that potentially hits allies as well. 100% situational, and heavily dependent on play style.
Bro. You're one of the only DnD TH-camrs recommending the Kenku for Ranger. I'm playing one in my current campaign and loving the flexibility of the character, mimicry (gave my character a pretty strong backstory), and the overall flexibility of the racials.
I have been playing Rangers forever. A two level dip in fighter is always good, but if you don’t use CHA as a dump stat…. 3 levels in warlock pact of the chain…. If your DM is cool, reskin the imp or pseudo dragon into something else interesting. When I run ranger I take skilled feat as a freebie if offered so I can skill monkey because I almost exclusively use deft explorer and the character is kind of like Indiana Jones. Another good spell is sleep. It’s one I take with Fey Touched.
My first Ranger PC. We thought Primeval Awareness really showed the number and location of the creatures. It was an awesome campaign because our party always knew where to find the bad guys.
Hey this guide really help me make a great character for my. I have been struggling with a warlock character and wanted to know if you could do a guide for that class too?
Didn't consider the Ranger class until my Kensei Monk seemed fated to multiclass into one. I look forward to seeing if I pull this off. For context: I already have 5 levels in Monk and the character's childhood friend was kidnapped by a Night Hag that's been constantly toying with and deceiving the party. Suffice to say, everyone's tired of it and my character is determined to put an efficient end to it.
To me the ranger is the parties jack of all trades, they are the professional adventurer with knowledge of the world and the horrors that inhabit and they specialise then in hunting or taming those horrors
Also man I can think of tonnes of dnd rangers in media from Aragorn to faramir, geralt of rivia, van helsing , the mandalorian, Trevor Belmont, hector from the tangled cartoon, or every ranger in the rangers apprentice series, or what about the og Robin Hood, people say he’s just a longbow fighter but the dude lives out in the wilderness for years, that and most else about him screams ranger, hagrid with his many magical pets, knowledge of the forbidden forest and crossbow skills Is a prime ranger, kraven the hunter who has hunted every known beast and turned to heroes, he uses all manner of traps clothing based on the beasts he killed and many more weapons taken from those he’s hunted, or how about Ncr Rangers from fallout or all the hunters in bloodborne, Atreus in god of war not just because of his bow but his spirit summoning his magic his shapeshifting, hellboy as a monster hunter expert definitely has some ranger (though some barbarian too) the nights watch from game of thrones benjen and Jon snow especially make for excellent rangers Rangers can be many things too ... Professional monster hunters (Geralt/ Belmont/ Hellsing/ bloodborne hunters) Bounty hunters (mando)- hunting specific targets in the world Outlaws (Robin Hood) - looking out for your own survival Knights (faramir, tangled guy, halt) -serving your kingdom behind enemy lines or a specific area of said kingdom Druids chosen warrior - going out on a mission of spiritual importance (Aragorn) The village hunter - collecting food and protecting your settlement Cowboys/sheriffs- enforcing the law of the wilds within your home turf Pirates/sailors/airship captains- wandering the world in your mighty vessel The runaway- running away from home and stumbling into a fantasy world The Hermit- living and surviving in pure isolation The monster- some hunt them others become them Beast master - some hunt them others tame and protect them (hiccup/eragon )
If you want the best example for a ranger in dungeons& dragons, read the novels they produced for grayhawk the character called the justicar hands down best example of a ranger you will ever see his animal companions a little cool too. Not what you would expect
I'm surprised there was no mention of the Shillelagh cantrip as a good choice for Druidic Warrior. It's great if you wanna focus primarily on your Wisdom for better spellcasting ability. It's great for making you more Single-Ability-Dependent. If you wanna be a spellcasting focused Ranger, pick up Guidance and Shillelagh with Druidic Warrior. Focus on Wisdom as your primary ability, Constitution as your secondary ability, and Dexterity as your tertiary with at least a 14 to maximize your medium armor AC.
Love rangers have always played them. Never once have I taken the archery combat feature. Always took dual fighting. Maybe I should play an archery based ranger once
Thoughts on the Greenmage wizard/ranger from Solasta? It kind of got me thinking of making a wizard/ranger or ranger/wizard see how effective that would be just for the lols of it.
Lets get some monster rankings and lore vidoes. Tbh I have no friends, so I don't play DnD, but I really enjoy the world and listening to the lore while working or going to bed, lol... I know, kinda creepy that a grown man falls asleep to your voice, but hey, it works.
The campaign i played glossed over, or cured with magic everything i set my ranger up to do. I even made lists of edible and poisonous plants and fungi that are found in comparable places in the real world before the campaign started, never got to use them.
I have a question to the more experienced players and/or DMs - what do you think about giving the rangers both original and Tasha’s traits? Since all of the original traits are niche, they won’t be used all that often and make them a beast whilst in the favored terrain (AS THEY SHOULD BE) or while fighting their favored foe (AS THEY SHOULD). All the while they have their Tasha’s trait to fall back on, so that they are not handicapped if the story is not tilted towards Ranger’s favored foes/terrains at the moment.
Favored Foe is probably my only real issue with the Ranger at this point. Everything else from the new features I'm okay with, but Favored Foe is still incredibly underwhelming because of its reliance on concentration, and the fact it only deals extra damage on one attack per turn. My solution is to either remove the need for concentration, or allow Favored Foe to work on each attack. Personally, I've played in a game where the DM allowed it to no longer require concentration, and while it did make for a decently high DPR when stacked together with Hunter's Mark, it overall wasn't anything too ridiculous or broken.
House rule in my games since 5e launched: Rangers are spells memorized, not spells known/selected. I immediately tossed out spells known - it makes zero sense for someone who basically uses druidic/divine/natural magic to help handle whatever challenges they face that day to be unable to swap spells on a long rest as needed, especially when many spells that are more utility would never be taken otherwise. It really fits the theme of a ranger better. I have no idea why WotC or anyone else would think ranger spells should be limited to only KNOWN spells, with possible changes only happening once per level.
I think you missed what I (and highlight I) think Is the best multiclass with a ranger. The sorcerer pairs insanely well with the ranger toolkit with 5 or more ranger levels any sorcerer level boosts you to another whole level, the funny thing any subclass of both works Just fine. With 5 ranger level you get 2nd level spells that are really good and coupled with metamagic you are really hard to stop. Subtle and quick spell are insane, you can cast any spell from sorcerer and ranger as a bonus action and than Attack twice or cast spells while bound, hidden or during a social encounter. Really After 5 levels of ranger, Gloomstalker Fey Speaker and Swarmkeeper are the best options and 4 sorcerer levels (any subclass but clock work and divine soul seems best)you are a force to be reckoned with. Yeah you are much more MAD but with a 13 wis and 14 char and a wise spell selection you don't really lose too much from your spells since shield, mirror image, Shadow Blade, Spike growth do not depend on High spellcasting. Quicken and subtle spells paired with the ranger class are a match made in heaven
Does land's stride really work with plant growth? RAW, it isn't difficult terrain at all but maybe Sage Advice has cleared this up? It does feel like RAI it could work, but then again plant growth is "double difficult terrain" so land's stride maybe shouldn't cover it? Could go either way
I take acception to conjure barrage being a 3rd level spell i can't use while only rangers can and only when they are 9th level. Doesn't that make it a 9th level spell?
I am currently playing through an Eberron Campaign as a Drakewarden, and my party composition is nearly all offensive casters. So, my role in the group is a bit of mixed bag of everything, any tips?
Fun fact, Ranger has almost nothing to do with archery in its original definition. Ranger translates to someone who strides over great distances. A wanderer
The only part of the rangers that I think could be better is the choice of melee weapons. I'd like my ranger to use a Longsword with DEX or something like that. But sadly if you're going to use a melee ranger Rapier is your best choice...
Im running a strength ranger build for my next char. Hes a half orc hunter ranger who uses a longsword, and his main used spell is searing smite. With all the little damage bonuses you get from stuff like hunters mark, favored foe, and the smite, you can damage THE FUCK out of single targets.
Do you like this video series and want to see more? Right now over on my Patreon we're voting for the next class in the series. Those in the Adventurer tier and up can vote for what they want to see next. Check it out here: patreon.com/EntertheDungeon
Finally I find a video where the creator actually legitimately understands the core of the ranger class and why it's so cool. Awesome work dude, you earned this sub
I made a houserule for favored terrain, that it’s like an attunement, you can switch as long as you're willing to spend time learning the terrain, if you want it to go quicker you can do a skill challange.
I do the same with favoured enemy as well, the time I have them spend on switching reflects them preparing the proper monster hunting equipment and research looking into potions runes and traps to best understand and damage their targets
I think Natural Explorer basically should have allowed you to adapt to your surroundings, granting you the benefits for traveling in ALL terrains. It's not called Favored Terrain, so idk why they decided to make it that.
Also, Favored Enemy/Foe should have just been Hunters Mark (WIS mod × LR)
i made a houserule called rewrite the entire god damn ranger class
Aragorn does several things that I think count as spells: When he calms the horse in Edoras, when he whispers words while healing Frodo after Weathertop, and when he heals Éowyn in the houses of healing after the battle of Pelennor Fields.
While these things may or may not be spells lore-wise, in terms of PnP RPG mechanics they function as if they are spells.
Another type of Ranger is the Army Rangers. My musket-wielding Ranger-Fighter was basically a spec ops sniper, using Menacing Attack and Knight of the Sword constantly to control the enemy. If you apply Frightened at a distance you are severely locking down an enemy, effectively turning a massive radius around you into a space they can’t enter:
As someone who loves playing a Ranger I love this video. I think I’ve watched/listened to it ten times in the last 2 months.
I always appriciate good ranger rep. This was such a fun informative guide.
I have played 3 rangers across 3 camapigns and they all played very differently and filled in different roles. One was a swarmkeeper sharpshooter ranged menace who was the partys main damage dealer with the extra damage dice form her swarm and hunters mark/favored foe. Another is a melee focused fey wanderer ranger who is very hit and run and assists in social situations.
And my favorite to play is a monster slayer ranger in our arena campaign where the ranger aspect is that he studies the other teams, he goes to their matches, watches, learns and writes down tactics and utilises it in the teams own matches and this ranger is HARD to stop, he is built around mobility, can both hit ranged well but also run in to put pressure on enemy casters with melee attacks, we gave him a healers kit to as he cant be stopped by most terrain to get through the arena to stabilise downed party members or get them up with cure wounds. I get to do a little of everything and do it well and it is very fun and satisfying.
Very versatile and honestly a fun use class. I find them pretty good overall
7:00 my heart hurts when you didn’t mention the shileligh cantrip when talking about Druidic warrior but otherwise love the guide 👍
Hurt*
Thanks for creating these ultra specific videos that Very long form. they are not gonna do well on the TH-cam algorithm, but it is so helpful to the community! Thank you for your tireless work❤
So glad to see more long-form content from you. Looking forward to seeing what's up next.
The ranger only had issues early on and required bandages because players AND DMs both ignore the exploration pillar. Its not just the DMs fault. Players hate encumberance. Players hate tracking rations and water, or arrows and spell components. They see it as too hardcore
And worse yet, WotC themselves hates exploration! They create class features and even backgrounds that turn off the exploration pillar. You can choose a background and basically never become lost. You can take Goodberry and never have to worry about food. The Rangers survival traits don't make it fun for them, they just turn off that aspect of the game.
Modern D&D really hates travel and survival, it does everything it can to avoid making rules for it.
The editing is so clean and the vocals are clear. This quality and complete coverage of exactly what is stated in the title is why I always come back to Enter the Dungeon. Inspirational at the worst and changing the way I DM at best. Incredible stuff. 10/10
I am extremely excited to see your "Why you should play" the ranger subclass videos. Excellent video.
I am a veteran DM and player and I agree with most of what you've said here. I am a long time Ranger player, and it was the first thing I chose to play when I started playing 5e. Its only gotten better since and I sincerely hope more players give it a shot and have DMs who want to empower them to get the most out of the class.
Awesome video as usual! Love the section calling out Bad DMing as a core issue with some of the Rangers shortcomings. Excellent guide. 👌
Watched this video when I first started playing and learned a lot. Coming back to it now after I’ve been playing a Ranger for a while and I’m still picking things up. Thanks for the guide man.
Thank you so much for creating this. Rangers are my favorite class in dungeons and dragons. They are so underrated. Now when my players say they are bad, instead of going on a massive rant, I can send them this video that you created.
Worth noting that using Druidic Warrior, you can get Magic Stone which counts as a Weapon Attack if hurled with a sling. This means you can get a Wisdom-based Ranger that fights at range.
The only finicky part however is that you need to have your stones on your person before entering combat. The Ammunition property on the Sling will mean you will equip the stones as part of the attack, but if you pick them up from the ground, then you can only pick up one per round due to how object interaction works.
Not sure if the 2024 ruleset fixes that since I'm unsure if the Magic Stones themselves count as weapons that can be drawn or stowed which can now be done as part of every attack in the attack action. But feats like Sharpshooter now actually works better for it then it did in 2014 when only the power attack worked.
I love that you love the ranger and understand it’s name doesn’t refer to ranged weapons. I will say though, more melee or strength-based options like hand axes and shillelagh are more powerful than I think you’re giving them credit, especially with a 1-level dip into fighter for heavy armor and an extra fighting style.
However, more importantly, I personally like using the flavor of a Ranger’s spellcasting for so much more variety. A Horizon Walker could easily cast spells with the same vibe as an eldritch knight. A Gloomstalker could be like a shadow sorcerer or warlock with a sword. A Drakewarden could cast spells like a sorcerer, and their companion could even be reflavored as an elemental.
We have paladins which are meant to be a mix of fighter and cleric. Rangers have the potential to be that for a variety of other kinds of spellcasting, not just Druidic. While I like the concept of rangers casting spells being like an artificer one that they’re all realistic natural effects, I still see Ranger as the best way to play an arcane spellblade, and the fact that the flavor of their magic can be so varied alongside their experienced wilderness survival skills makes them so versatile and interesting in their flavor to me.
Because of this, I let both warlocks and rangers at my tables use intelligence as their spellcasting ability instead of the default if they so choose. Rangers could totally gain their magic through their study of the monsters they hunt and of the wilderness; nature is an intelligence skill after all.
I personally love the Swarmkeeper subclass. I agree it does kind of fall off a bit in the higher levels, but the roleplaying potential is so good. They did a good job with the swarmkeeper spells as well, really making it easy to lean into the flavor. Simply explaining what all your spells or abilities look like is probably one of the best parts of playing a swarmkeeper.
I love swarmkeeper. Its very thematic as a front line ranger that can bang, and flit away to go rescue a downed ally. I had crossbow expert and stood on the front line using it to nail enemies while backing away without disengaging to hold the line. Soo much fun.
Honestly this is my go to class for alot of the reasons tou mentioned. The jack of all trades + the more roleplay and exploration elements is something i vibe with in fantasy.
And i had to chuckle when you said run from a DM who is scared to make the ranger to strong. If thats someone's fear id hate to see their thoughts on full casters.
One race i would also add to the ranger list is lizardfolk. Both thematically but also through mechanics it's built for that survivor rule.
Edit: two multiclass builds I've found as a ranger that worked well were:
Life cleric fey wanderer. You add some face skills, some damage, some charm, and you boost your healing support. Ive found it works very well if you want to not be a front liner.
In the opposite direction rune knight horizon Walker backs a massive hit behind it, especially if you're buzzing around the field.
I think you're one of the few people who recommended the Firbolg as a race for rangers. I agree and been saying it for years. In fact after reading Bigsby: Glory of the Giants, I was reimagining the Fey Wanderer (arguably my favorite ranger subclass) as a Primeval Warden or or a learned scholar of the saga of Diancastra. The theme I believe fits so well with each other. One day I hope to play it.
Lastly the feats that you cooked up with were really good. You definitely know what you're talking about in keeping it good without getting to broken territory. Thanks for those.
I like Ranger, but I almost never take Favored Foe. It is pretty good on Low Levels, but thr fact that is is only on thr first attack falls of really quickly, not even tslking about concentration. Hunter's Mark works on every damage instance, as well as giving you advantage on tracking at finding the marked target.
i like to take the "2 humanoids" option for favored enemy on top of deft explorer, for 4 extra languages right at ranger 1 :)
eh, its a free thing to do and just some bonus damage, if you look at the rangers spell list theres a lot of way better concentration spells out there than hunters mark. favoured foe also works in tandem with stuff like planar warrior and monster slayers bonus action making for some simple first turn big hits without going gloomstalker.
Depending on party makeup, I actually like having the ranger in the rear at the start of combat, then move after things get going move to where needed to be, this is to make sure that noone flanks or attacks from the rear.
echo knight also makes great range if you regularly fight on really open battlefields due to how much area it can cover
Great review very insightful the only thing I would mention is using druidic warrior to gain shillelagh this allows you too focus of wisdom making subclasses with spell attack much more viable as well as summon spells that rely on it also pairs really nicely with polarm master.
Thanks a lot for this guide, you made a great job!
I play the Ranger since forever in every edition, and I think It needs some love and respect...
A small note: Shillelagh and Thorn Whip are interesting options for Druidic Warrior (Even Control Flames to shut down little fires if you are a Gloom Stalker). You forgot Ashardalon's Stride for 3rd lv spells: when It comes to Ranger, mobility Is king!
I play rangers as a strong preference so I play them pretty often.
Depending on the party composition, my first two spells are usually Zephyr Strike and Entangle (from the expanded spell list for this one). Zephyr strike being to hit better and harder, and Entangle to use tactically. Even if someone manages to escape the saving throw, they are still wading through difficult terrain over a decent sized area. In choke points, this can be amazing at battlefield control. What’s more, it’s a strength based saving throw, so it’s good against a few troublesome early dex enemies which are the best to narrow down and keep the numbers down for. That’s why I prefer to choose these two spells for my first ones, though the rest chosen for first level will depend a huge deal on which subclass I’m playing and what the party battle and rp style are. This will be the moment I may or may not choose cure wounds and/or goodberry. Absorb elements may also see some moments at this point, again, campaign dependent. However, the first second level spell I choose is consistently pass without a trace. Don’t leave home without it if you play a ranger and have access to it. It is exceptionally valuable, especially for the less stealthy in your party, and will shine with dex builds. So take it. Now if one takes Druidic warriors, sure, take guidance, it’s very valuable, but me personally? I like also taking either primal savagery or shillelagh to cover close quarter combat.
But let me get into fighting style, since I have switched to that. Druidic warrior can be valuable, though I find myself more using that with only certain subclasses. Archery is always one of the most valuable of the styles, but I will say it’s no small thing to take two weapon. It isn’t the most valuable of the lot, but I have certainly found value in it when I am in a small party where no one is the frontliner. Because of their hit die, rangers are among the few who can take a hit for a dex class and can be valuable at temporary taking on the role of frontlining in the early levels (it is not a good long term option). For this, I find two weapon fighting can be valuable. I have had to use this tactic to compensate for the close quarters and maximizing damage at those early levels. Like I said though, not a good long term solution. Ranger is still better played as an archer still, picking off high value targets and/or bearing down and whittling down their hp.
All in all, rangers are highly customizable and I deeply appreciate that. It does take knowing what you are doing with them, but they are great for tactical minded players who like setting up battlefield control methods to the advantage of their party. I also love playing these classes as, what I call, battlefield medics. They are usually pretty good getting across a field and bouncing around, finding valuable places to tuck themselves into tactically, keep distance until they need to close in, but also, they can heal. What’s more, skills like medicine, nature, and survival are accessible to them which can make them good healing potion makers and stabilizers of those who go down. To play this way, focus on prep outside battle situations, like making potions and antitoxins in your spare time. But, another method I use, especially with the feywanderer subclass, is one I call “the diplomat.” Basically the access to many languages, more than most classes and backgrounds, without feats or certain races, means being able to speak with more races and become a middleman between them. With the feywanderer ability, this aspect of the class can shine in a rare way by being a translator and negotiator and arbitrating between groups. This, combined with access to the insight skill, means being able to be difficult to keep secrets from. Of course, this part is highly dependent on how your table and dm has the games run. And of course, how good you might be at double talking and wheedling information out of an npc or group of npcs.
But yeah, this is how I have played rangers so far and I don’t think of myself as remotely done with my exploration of what can be done with the mechanics of this class just yet. It’s been a lot of fun figuring it out though.
Another way to think of rangers is apothecary or chemist. They can make or prepare things for future use. Think things like synthesized drugs to temporarily increase function or reduce pain. Like coca leaves, white willow bark, mushrooms, etc… These tonics can give a rage symptom, a haste symptom, a damage or fear resistance, and other things that have been used for millennia. Also think things like using your spell slots before rest for things that are long lasting like good berry. Turning good berry into a liquid or paste for a healing potion with your nature/medicine skill if you know you’re going into some shit or you might be. Using a local magician to prepare with you glyph of warding so you can buff yourself and friends the following day before jumping through a portal or teleporting into a battle situation.
I played my first ranger back in 2017, and I instantly fell in love with the class for its versatility. Even before TCoE ranger was pretty good at DPR and Support, despite its terrible class features.
Thanks for talking about my favorite class and debunking it as "the worst class in 5e." Also, I agree that Conjure Animals is a cool spell, but God do I hate it. It bogs down combat, which can take a while, and it depends on whether your GM lets you pick the CR and statblocks or just the CR.
Great content thank you. My first time playing DnD and have gone a Bugbear ranger, he is so much fun.
Im playing in a campaign as a ranger and i love it, the ability to handle any situation, healing, trap disarming, lockpicks, stealth, survival the only time i need my party is during combat other than that i usually take the lead
Here is a little bonus after the video:
Swarmkeeper says that it can have swarm of basically anything you can think of. So with the correct "lineage" you can have any character you want for your roleplaying!
The sky is the limit!
Love the video, love the class. They need more love. And what a great way to end 2023.
I also suggest War Domain Cleric as a decent multiclass option for Ranger. With gloomstalker, on turn 1, you can get 4 attacks and create an amazing ambush style of combat as early as level 6 with Sharpshooter.
I adore these guides man they’re so educational and entertaining. Keep it up and you’ll get the recognition you deserve.
swarm keeper ranger is actually one of my favorites and pairs best with the circle of the stars druid. you can use the swarm to move enemies into moonbeam or through spike growth. you gain flight. just a great pairing
So nice to see the Ranger get the love they deserve. Are they the damage powerhouse of a party? Probably not, but the fact that they are so versatile is a strength, not a weakness. I started playing in my first campaign a few months ago, in a party of mostly newbies - and I chose a Ranger because they could fill any gaps the party needed. But all I could find online in terms of advice for how to play one effectively was basically like "be a Gloom Stalker with sharpshooter". As though all that matters in the game is damage output. (For the record, I went Fey Wanderer instead and am playing as a spoiled city noble instead of a loner).
Great vid mate, as always !
Quick note tho, regarding that dip into Trickery domain, afaik, Blessing of the trickster doesn't work on yourself !
Congrats for your amazing content and your attention to detail and realistic conception that makes fantasy the purest form of art! Just subbed to your channel, just at the mere mention of Logen. A stupid excuse for someone to sub at your fabulous channel, but subbed, nonetheless!
Agreed, I'm going to do the same because of the Logen reference. I'm still not entirely sure that Logen is a Ranger (the Bloody-Nine obviously is a Barb), but this video has got me rethinking one of my favorite characters of recent years. Well done Mr. Enter.
I played a Hunter Ranger a while back with the Colossus Slayer, Amazing fun. DM had some updates to do for encounters. Very strong damage in longer fights.
I have played two Wisdom based Rangers so far, and I used Druidic Warrior for both, specifically for Shillelagh. It's so much better on a Ranger than it ever was on a Druid.
Well thanks. Now I've gone from thinking Randers were pretty cool to really wanting to play one.
Rope Trick is nice also. BTW this is a good series to show what a Ranger can be. Ranger’s Apprentice: The Royal Ranger Series,
John Flanagan
I wish i found this guide sooner now ima make my ranger better. Also reborn ranger really cool flavor if you tie it in with nature
Druidic warrior ranger (5) using sharpshooter, with a 2 lv druid (stars) dip and a 2 lv fighter dip is so good. 5 cantrips (you get guidance for free and the get 2 from DW and 2 from being a Druid), from fighter you can take archery, get action surge and 2nd wind. Esp if you're a gloom stalker ranger, you're going to give your DM nightmares with an average of 130 damage per opening turn, and 42 on average for every other turn. Plus you can be an extremely competant medic through those druid spells, and even make ome ranged magic attacks through Starry form: Archer and Guiding Bolt if the target has resistances to nonmagical attacks
27:15 list of (Additional) Rangers: Aragorn, Rambo, Robin Hood, Walker Texas Ranger, Lone Wolf Mcquade, Sly Marbo WH40k, (btw it's spelled Jon Snow).
Indiana Jones
Aloy is dead on a ranger. As far as multi class goes, I tend to go for Rogue Scout. So damn good.
Edit: Absolutely fantastic video!
Another Banger Video. Thanks DM.
ב"ה
In my party there is a hunter ranger that after 5 ranger level started going swashbuckler rogue (he use two weapon fighting). In addition to the high damage they deal, their spell slots go mostly on cure wounds and aid as a secondary healer in the party when party members go down. He also know the spell enhance ability, that really help in important skill checks.
happy holidays my guy
Another reason to take hide in plain sight is if in your campaign there is alot of enemies that see invisibility
Love the idea of the ranger not casting but using nature tricks as a concept.
You need to have another look at Favoured Foe. It only applies to one attack per round and can not be transferred, unlike Hunter's Mark which applies to all attacks (which can be up to three, four with OA) and it can be reapplied to a other target without using another spell slot.
Also, FF it doesnt use a bonus action as you seem to think in your MBA section.
With Deft Explorer I took expertise in Athletics. It seemed a logical choice as Roving makes me the party's designated climber/swimmer.
Ma boi really hit us with the DRIST
Hope you'll make a guide like this for monks
Ranger is my favorite of the Half-casters. And pretty far up there. I just really like their spell list and some of their features. Ranger has always been pretty good with some rather bad features.
I'll probably play one again at some point. I didn't know that about landstrider. So I'll absolutely be abusing that!
you're videos are always great
Thank you for the guide!
Guidance blows mega chunks since it uses your action for a tiny boost to a single action on your next turn. If it were a BA, it'd have value. Better to just take Archery for the constant +2 to your chance to hit with ranged weapons if you're going to play ranged. Better constant DPR overall.
Wisdom is also a critical Ability score for Gloom Stalker Rangers.
It's important to point out the aspects of Nature's Veil with Rules as Written as well. It functions like Greater Invisibility in that attacks made while temporarily invisible via Nature's Veil will NOT cancel the invisibility. It's a great way to use a bonus action to guarantee some attacks with advantage for those must-hit moments against a BBEG or in order to escape a crappy situation where you're surrounded and need to get away from multiple enemies without losing your attacks for the round. In that regard, Nature's Veil nearly always out-performs HIPS.
Hunter's Mark is great until better concentration spells come into play. Favored Foe cannot be moved between targets and has limited uses. Hunter's Mark (if you're not rocking crossbow expert as a variant human/custom lineage goofball) has validity as a spell in situations where you're crawling a dungeon with a LOT of enemies between rests. Once you unlock CBE Bonus attacks, Hunter's mark loses a little bit of its edge. Once you've got other concentration spells at your disposal, HM loses almost all value as it can't be stacked with those great spells like Conjure Animals and Spike Growth.
Lightning Arrow should be noted that ALL creatures take splash damage, so be careful about shooting the dude your party tank and rogue are both attacking. Flame Arrow stacks an extra 1d6 damage on 12 attacks, allowing for more accurate delivery of damage versus a single strike with splash damage that potentially hits allies as well. 100% situational, and heavily dependent on play style.
Bro. You're one of the only DnD TH-camrs recommending the Kenku for Ranger. I'm playing one in my current campaign and loving the flexibility of the character, mimicry (gave my character a pretty strong backstory), and the overall flexibility of the racials.
Blind fighting is a good choice for a ranger finding themselves underground a lot. (dungeons/underdark)
I have been playing Rangers forever. A two level dip in fighter is always good, but if you don’t use CHA as a dump stat…. 3 levels in warlock pact of the chain…. If your DM is cool, reskin the imp or pseudo dragon into something else interesting.
When I run ranger I take skilled feat as a freebie if offered so I can skill monkey because I almost exclusively use deft explorer and the character is kind of like Indiana Jones.
Another good spell is sleep. It’s one I take with Fey Touched.
My first Ranger PC. We thought Primeval Awareness really showed the number and location of the creatures. It was an awesome campaign because our party always knew where to find the bad guys.
Hey this guide really help me make a great character for my. I have been struggling with a warlock character and wanted to know if you could do a guide for that class too?
Didn't consider the Ranger class until my Kensei Monk seemed fated to multiclass into one. I look forward to seeing if I pull this off.
For context: I already have 5 levels in Monk and the character's childhood friend was kidnapped by a Night Hag that's been constantly toying with and deceiving the party. Suffice to say, everyone's tired of it and my character is determined to put an efficient end to it.
To me the ranger is the parties jack of all trades, they are the professional adventurer with knowledge of the world and the horrors that inhabit and they specialise then in hunting or taming those horrors
Also man I can think of tonnes of dnd rangers in media from Aragorn to faramir, geralt of rivia, van helsing , the mandalorian, Trevor Belmont, hector from the tangled cartoon, or every ranger in the rangers apprentice series, or what about the og Robin Hood, people say he’s just a longbow fighter but the dude lives out in the wilderness for years, that and most else about him screams ranger, hagrid with his many magical pets, knowledge of the forbidden forest and crossbow skills Is a prime ranger, kraven the hunter who has hunted every known beast and turned to heroes, he uses all manner of traps clothing based on the beasts he killed and many more weapons taken from those he’s hunted, or how about Ncr Rangers from fallout or all the hunters in bloodborne, Atreus in god of war not just because of his bow but his spirit summoning his magic his shapeshifting, hellboy as a monster hunter expert definitely has some ranger (though some barbarian too) the nights watch from game of thrones benjen and Jon snow especially make for excellent rangers
Rangers can be many things too ...
Professional monster hunters (Geralt/ Belmont/ Hellsing/ bloodborne hunters)
Bounty hunters (mando)- hunting specific targets in the world
Outlaws (Robin Hood) - looking out for your own survival
Knights (faramir, tangled guy, halt) -serving your kingdom behind enemy lines or a specific area of said kingdom
Druids chosen warrior - going out on a mission of spiritual importance (Aragorn)
The village hunter - collecting food and protecting your settlement
Cowboys/sheriffs- enforcing the law of the wilds within your home turf
Pirates/sailors/airship captains- wandering the world in your mighty vessel
The runaway- running away from home and stumbling into a fantasy world
The Hermit- living and surviving in pure isolation
The monster- some hunt them others become them
Beast master - some hunt them others tame and protect them (hiccup/eragon )
If you want the best example for a ranger in dungeons& dragons, read the novels they produced for grayhawk the character called the justicar hands down best example of a ranger you will ever see his animal companions a little cool too. Not what you would expect
I'm surprised there was no mention of the Shillelagh cantrip as a good choice for Druidic Warrior. It's great if you wanna focus primarily on your Wisdom for better spellcasting ability. It's great for making you more Single-Ability-Dependent.
If you wanna be a spellcasting focused Ranger, pick up Guidance and Shillelagh with Druidic Warrior. Focus on Wisdom as your primary ability, Constitution as your secondary ability, and Dexterity as your tertiary with at least a 14 to maximize your medium armor AC.
Love rangers have always played them. Never once have I taken the archery combat feature. Always took dual fighting. Maybe I should play an archery based ranger once
Thank you for the video!
I'm playing a ranger and the talk about how to portray spellcasting has me so inspired.
Rearely do we remember about one of the most amazing of Rangers, mostly because he is strength based- its Minsc from Baldur's Gate series.
Thoughts on the Greenmage wizard/ranger from Solasta?
It kind of got me thinking of making a wizard/ranger or ranger/wizard see how effective that would be just for the lols of it.
Where does one find these... optional features? Using DND beyond app
Lets get some monster rankings and lore vidoes. Tbh I have no friends, so I don't play DnD, but I really enjoy the world and listening to the lore while working or going to bed, lol... I know, kinda creepy that a grown man falls asleep to your voice, but hey, it works.
what an amazing video... made me try ranger
The campaign i played glossed over, or cured with magic everything i set my ranger up to do. I even made lists of edible and poisonous plants and fungi that are found in comparable places in the real world before the campaign started, never got to use them.
What do you think of your aragorn ranger being a silent caster subclass?
I also like shifter race for the ranger
I have a question to the more experienced players and/or DMs - what do you think about giving the rangers both original and Tasha’s traits?
Since all of the original traits are niche, they won’t be used all that often and make them a beast whilst in the favored terrain (AS THEY SHOULD BE) or while fighting their favored foe (AS THEY SHOULD). All the while they have their Tasha’s trait to fall back on, so that they are not handicapped if the story is not tilted towards Ranger’s favored foes/terrains at the moment.
Love this videos man
If your ranger focus on spells multiclassing with land druid is great
Favored Foe is probably my only real issue with the Ranger at this point. Everything else from the new features I'm okay with, but Favored Foe is still incredibly underwhelming because of its reliance on concentration, and the fact it only deals extra damage on one attack per turn.
My solution is to either remove the need for concentration, or allow Favored Foe to work on each attack. Personally, I've played in a game where the DM allowed it to no longer require concentration, and while it did make for a decently high DPR when stacked together with Hunter's Mark, it overall wasn't anything too ridiculous or broken.
House rule in my games since 5e launched: Rangers are spells memorized, not spells known/selected. I immediately tossed out spells known - it makes zero sense for someone who basically uses druidic/divine/natural magic to help handle whatever challenges they face that day to be unable to swap spells on a long rest as needed, especially when many spells that are more utility would never be taken otherwise. It really fits the theme of a ranger better. I have no idea why WotC or anyone else would think ranger spells should be limited to only KNOWN spells, with possible changes only happening once per level.
I think you missed what I (and highlight I) think Is the best multiclass with a ranger. The sorcerer pairs insanely well with the ranger toolkit with 5 or more ranger levels any sorcerer level boosts you to another whole level, the funny thing any subclass of both works Just fine. With 5 ranger level you get 2nd level spells that are really good and coupled with metamagic you are really hard to stop. Subtle and quick spell are insane, you can cast any spell from sorcerer and ranger as a bonus action and than Attack twice or cast spells while bound, hidden or during a social encounter. Really After 5 levels of ranger, Gloomstalker Fey Speaker and Swarmkeeper are the best options and 4 sorcerer levels (any subclass but clock work and divine soul seems best)you are a force to be reckoned with. Yeah you are much more MAD but with a 13 wis and 14 char and a wise spell selection you don't really lose too much from your spells since shield, mirror image, Shadow Blade, Spike growth do not depend on High spellcasting. Quicken and subtle spells paired with the ranger class are a match made in heaven
First! Lets see how you tackle the guide!
No Absorb Elements spell mention?
Does land's stride really work with plant growth? RAW, it isn't difficult terrain at all but maybe Sage Advice has cleared this up? It does feel like RAI it could work, but then again plant growth is "double difficult terrain" so land's stride maybe shouldn't cover it? Could go either way
Didn't Gimli also keep up with Legolas to a similar extent as Aragorn?
I take acception to conjure barrage being a 3rd level spell i can't use while only rangers can and only when they are 9th level. Doesn't that make it a 9th level spell?
what about the ranger architypes?
Do you know where I can find a pdf for this I'm playing a ranger but the player's handbook for DnD 5e is out of date.
Pretty decent vid. Cheers! ❤
I am currently playing through an Eberron Campaign as a Drakewarden, and my party composition is nearly all offensive casters. So, my role in the group is a bit of mixed bag of everything, any tips?
Fun fact, Ranger has almost nothing to do with archery in its original definition. Ranger translates to someone who strides over great distances. A wanderer
Does anyone know what anime the clips in this video are from?
The only part of the rangers that I think could be better is the choice of melee weapons. I'd like my ranger to use a Longsword with DEX or something like that. But sadly if you're going to use a melee ranger Rapier is your best choice...
Im running a strength ranger build for my next char. Hes a half orc hunter ranger who uses a longsword, and his main used spell is searing smite. With all the little damage bonuses you get from stuff like hunters mark, favored foe, and the smite, you can damage THE FUCK out of single targets.