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The Ranger Renewed v3.5

A new take on the Ranger Class from the Player's Handbook

The Ranger Renewed

The Ranger
Level Proficiency Bonus Features Spells Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +2 Survival Instincts, Deft Explorer
2nd +2 Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Hunter's Mark 3 2
3rd +2 Ranger Conclave, Survivor's Cunning 4 3
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 4 3
5th +3 Extra Attack 5 4 2
6th +3 Deft Explorer Improvements, Skirmisher Tactics 5 4 2
7th +3 Ranger Conclave feature 6 4 3
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement 6 4 3
9th +4 7 4 3 2
10th +4 Deft Explorer Improvements 7 4 3 2
11th +4 Ranger Conclave feature 8 4 3 3
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement 8 4 3 3
13th +5 9 4 3 3 1
14th +5 Heightened Senses 9 4 3 3 1
15th +5 Ranger Conclave feature 10 4 3 3 2
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 10 4 3 3 2
17th +6 11 4 3 3 3 1
18th +6 Feral Senses 11 4 3 3 3 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 12 4 3 3 3 2
20th +6 Foe Slayer 12 4 3 3 3 2

Class Features

As a Ranger, you gain the following class features

Hit Points


  • Hit Dice: 1d10 per Ranger level
  • Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st

Proficiencies


  • Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
  • Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
  • Tools: None

  • Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
  • Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

  • (a) scalemail or (b) leather armor
  • (a) two shortswords or (b) two simple melee weapons
  • (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
  • A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows

Survival Instincts

At 1st level, you learned how to survive in natural enviroments being able to find food and shelter with ease. You gain the following benefits:

  • Whenever you make a Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence (Nature) check, you add an additional bonus equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1) to the result.

  • While tracking other creatures, you also learn the exact number, sizes, and how long ago the creatures passed through the area.

  • You have advantage on Constitution checks or saving throws made to resist exhaustion effects. Additionally, whenever you finish a long rest, your exhaustion level decreases by 2 instead of 1.

Deft Explorer

Starting at 1st level, you are able to develop special abilities that aid you in your travels. Choose one of the following benefits, and then choose another one at 6th and 10th level. You can't take each benefit more than once.

Canny

Choose one skill you're proficient with: you can add double your proficiency bonus to ability checks using that skill. In addition, thanks to your extensive wandering, you are able to speak, read, and write two languages of your choice.

Roving

Your walking speed increases by 5ft., and you gain a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to 25ft.

Tireless

As an action, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1) until your next short or long rest. You can use this special action once per short rest.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

  • Archery: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

  • Defense: While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

  • Dueling: When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

  • Two-Weapon Fighting: When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Spellcasting

By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does.

Spell Slots

The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher.

To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest. For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Animal Friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Animal Friendship using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know three 1st-level spells of your choice from the ranger spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Ranger table shows when you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Ritual Casting

You can cast a ranger spell you know as a ritual, if that spell has the ritual tag.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ranger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus +

your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus +

your Wisdom modifier

Hunter's Mark

At 2nd level, you learn to draw from the powers of nature to easily track your prey and strike its weak spots. You know the Hunter’s Mark spell, and it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.


Additionally, you can cast the spell using this feature without spending a spell slot, but its duration is reduced to 1 minute. When casting the spell in this manner, you can concentrate on its effects alongside other ranger spells that require concentration. You can use this feature for a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier and you regain all spent uses of this feature at the end of a long rest.

Ranger Conclaves

When you reach 3rd level, you choose a Conclave that you strive to emulate. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.

Survivor's Cunning

Starting at 3rd level, you become able to craft simple items made with materials like wood, hide, stone and bone. During a Short or Long rest you can take one hour to craft any of the following items, provided you have materials to work with:

  • 2d4 Improvised arrows or crossbow bolts
  • 1d4 javelins
  • A spear or a shortbow
  • A primitive tool such as a stone axe
  • Improvised cold weather clothes (made of animal fur)

This is considered a light activity for you, and while you work you remain alert to danger. To use this trait you need a blade such as a dagger or appropriate artisan's tools.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two Ability Scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can Attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on Your Turn.

Skirmisher Tactics

Beginning at 6th level, you are swift to maneuver the battlefield while attacking your enemies in one fell swoop. When you use the Dash or Disengage action, you can make up to one weapon attack during your turn as part of the same action.

Heightened Senses

By 14th level, your sharp instincts allows you to react swiftly when when attacked. You have advantage on initiative rolls, and hidden creatures don’t have advantage on attack rolls against you, as long as you aren't blinded or deafened.

Feral Senses

At 18th level, your inability to see doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls. You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 60 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened.

Foe Slayer

At 20th level, you act decisively to take down your foes. When you attack a creature marked by your Hunter's Mark spell, you can make one additional weapon attack against it.

Hunter Conclave

Emulating the Hunter archetype means accepting your place as a bulwark between civilization and the terrors of the wilderness. As you walk the Hunter's path, you learn specialized techniques for fighting the threats from rampaging ogres to hordes of orcs, towering giants and terrifying dragons.

Hunter's Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the following table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.

Ranger Level Spell
3rd Disguise Self
5th See Invisibility
9th Meld Into Stone
13th Arcane Eye
17th Hold Monster

Deadly Mark

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, your weapon attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20 against creatures marked by your Hunter's Mark spell.

Hunter's Prey

At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice:

  • Colossus Slayer Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.
  • Giant Killer When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.
  • Horde Breaker Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.

Defensive Tactics

At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice:

  • Escape the Horde Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.
  • Multiattack Defense When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.
  • Steel Will You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Multiattack

At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice:

  • Volley You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target
  • Whirlwind Attack You can use your action to make melee attacks against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target.

Superior Hunter's Defense

At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

  • Evasion When you are subjected to an effect, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell, that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on a saving throw, and only half damage if you fail
  • Stand Against the Tide When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice.
  • Uncanny Dodge When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.

Beast Conclave

Rangers of the Beast Conclave embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the world. Emulating the Beast Master archetype means working in partnership with an animal as its companion and together become a formidable team.

Beast Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the following table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

Ranger Level Spell
3rd Feather Fall
5th Enlarge/Reduce
9th Conjure animals
13th Polymorph
17th Commune with Nature

Animal Companion

Beginning at 3rd level, you establish a powerful link with a beast through your magic, and it becomes your faithful animal companion. Choose its stat block at the end of this section between the following options: Beast of the Land, Beast of the Sea, or Beast of the Sky. These use your proficiency bonus (PB) and Wisdom modifier in several places. You also determine the kind of animal the beast is, choosing a kind appropriate for the stat block.


Your companion is friendly to you and your allies, It understands your speech, and you can intuit basic concepts and statements as long as you can see or hear it. In combat, your companion shares your initiative count, but takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on it's own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take the action in its stat block or the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide or Search action. You can also sacrifice one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to command the beast to take the Attack action. If you are incapacitated, the beast can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.


When you regain hitpoints spending one or more Hit Dice at the end of a short rest, your companion regains the same amount of hitpoints. If your animal companion is reduced to zero hit points in combat, the beast rolls death saving throws as a player character normally would. If your companion dies, you can obtain a new companion by magically bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you at the end of a long rest. If you already have a companion from this feature, your current companion leaves you.

Feral Speech

At 3rd level you have gained an innate ability to communicate with beasts, and they recognize you as a kindred spirit.

Through sounds and gestures, you can communicate simple ideas to a beast as an action, and can you read its basic mood and intent. You learn its emotional state, whether it is affected by magic of any sort, its short-term needs (such as food or safety), actions you can take (if any) to persuade it to not attack, and you gain advantage on Animal Handling checks when trying to calm the animal's emotional state.


You can question animals about events in the area within the past day, gaining information about creatures that have passed, weather, and other circumstances. Animals might be able to perform other tasks on your behalf, at the DM’s discretion. You cannot use this ability against creatures that you have attacked within the past 10 minutes.

Supernatural Beast

By the time you reach 7th level, the bond you share with your companion strengthens through your magic. When you cast a ranger spell that targets you, you can also affect your animal companion with the spell if it is within 30ft. of you. Additionally, Your companion's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.

Feral Presence

Beginning at 11th level, you can use your action to awaken primal fear on a creature. Choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your ranger spell DC, or become frightened by you for 1 minute. If your animal companion is within 5ft of the target, the creature has disadvantage on its saving throw and it is afraid of your companion as well.

This effect ends if the creature ends its turn out of line of sight or more than 60 feet away from you. If the creature succeeds on its saving throw, you can't use this feature again on that creature for 24 hours. Once you use this feature, you must wait until you finish a short rest before using it again.

Sharp Instincts

At 15th level, whenever an attacker that your companion can see hits it with an attack, it can use its reaction to halve the attack’s damage against it.



Beast of the Land

Medium beast, same alignment as Ranger


  • Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 5 + your wisdom modifier + five times your ranger level
  • Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0)

  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages understands the languages you speak
  • Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus

Charge. If the beast moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a maul attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone.

Primal Bond. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the beast makes.


Actions

Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 2 + PB slashing damage.



Beast of the Sky

Small beast, same alignment as Ranger


  • Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 4 + your wisdom modifier + four times your ranger level
  • Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
6 (-2) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0)

  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages understands the languages you speak
  • Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus

Flyby. The beast doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy’s reach.

Primal Bond. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the beast makes.


Actions

Shred. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 + PB slashing damage.



Beast of the Sea

Medium beast, same alignment as Ranger


  • Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 5 + your wisdom modifier + five times your ranger level
  • Speed 5 ft., swim 60 ft.

STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
14 (+2) 14 (+2) 15 (+2) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 11 (+0)

  • Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12
  • Languages understands the languages you speak
  • Challenge — Proficiency Bonus (PB) equals your bonus

Amphibious. The beast can breathe both air and water.

Primal Bond. You can add your proficiency bonus to any ability check or saving throw that the beast makes.


Actions

Binding Strike. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 2 + PB piercing damage or bludgeoning damage (your choice), and the target is grappled (escape DC equals your spell save DC). Until this grapple ends, the beast can’t use this attack on another target.

Appendix A: Modified Ranger Spell List

1st Level
  • Absorb Elements
  • Alarm
  • Animal Friendship
  • Beast Bond
  • Cure Wounds
  • Detect Magic
  • Detect Poison and Disease
  • Ensnaring Strike
  • Entangle
  • Fog Cloud
  • Goodberry
  • Hail of Thorns
  • Healing Word
  • Hide in plain sight
  • Hunter’s Mark
  • Jump
  • Longstrider
  • Primeval Awareness
  • Searing smite
  • Snare
  • Speak with Animals
  • Vanish
  • Vine Shot
  • Zephyr Strike
2nd Level
  • Aid
  • Animal Messenger
  • Barkskin
  • Beast Sense
  • Cordon Of Arrows
  • Darkvision
  • Enhance Ability
  • Find Traps
  • Gust of wind
  • Healing Spirit
  • Lesser Restoration
  • Locate Animals or Plants
  • Locate Object
  • Magic weapon
  • Pass Without Trace
  • Protection from Poison
  • Silence
  • Spike Growth
  • Warding bond
3rd Level
  • Blinding smite
  • Conjure Animals
  • Conjure Barrage
  • Daylight
  • Flame Arrows
  • Lightning Arrow
  • Meld into stone
  • Nondetection
  • Plant Growth
  • Protection from Energy
  • Revivify
  • Speak with Plants
  • Tongues
  • Water Breathing
  • Water Walk
  • Wind Wall
4th Level
  • Conjure Woodland Beings
  • Death ward
  • Dominate beast
  • Freedom of Movement
  • Grasping Vine
  • Guardian of Nature
  • Locate Creature
  • Stoneskin
5th Level
  • Awaken
  • Commune with Nature
  • Conjure Volley
  • Greater restoration
  • Steel Wind Strike
  • Swift Quiver
  • Tree Stride
  • Wrath of Nature

Appendix B: New Spells

Hide in Plain sight

1st level illusion (ritual)


  • Casting Time: 1 minute
  • Range: self
  • Components: V, S, M (natural materials, such as fresh mud, dirt, plants, or soot)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

While casting this spell, select a vertical surface to imitate: your clothes and skin will be masked by a thin veil that greatly resembles said surface. While camouflaged in this way, you can't be detected by scent and you gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks while moving close to the surface matching your camouflage. You can remain hidden this way without need of further stealth checks. If during your turn you move more than half your speed, or use an action other than Hide or Search, you lose your camouflage and the spell ends.

Primeval Awareness

1st-level Divination (ritual)


  • Casting Time: 1 Minute
  • Range: 5 miles
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Choose one type of creature: beasts, fey, humanoids, giants, plants, undead, or monstrosities. You expand your senses pouring your own spirit through the land, allowing you to learn the exact number, general direction and distance of all the creatures of the selected type within 200 feet of you.

Vanish

1st level Illusion


  • Casting Time: 1 bonus action
  • Range: self
  • Components: V
  • Duration: Concentration, 1 round

You magically fade away and become invisible, alongside any equipment you are wearing or carrying, until the start of your next turn. The spell ends prematurely if you attack a creature or cast another spell.

Vine Shot

1st level transmutation


  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 50 feet
  • Components: V, M (an arrow, bolt, or throwing weapon)
  • Duration: 10 minutes

As part of the action used to cast this spell, you shoot or throw a sharp type of ammunition or throwing weapon towards a surface you can see within 50 feet of you. When the projectile hits the surface it sticks to it and a 50 feet vine sprouts from it. Additionally, you can direct the vine to firmly grasp any surface adjacent to you at the point of casting the spell. The vine has the same properties of a silken rope, and can't be removed from the projectile that created it (though it can be cut or burnt). It can also hold up to 300 pounds of weight at any given time, and grants advantage on Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) checks to creatures that climb it.

When the spell ends the vine immediately disappears, and the projectile or throwing weapon used releases from the surface it stuck to.

Credits:

Thanks to the D&D Ranger community subreddit for their extensive rework list

And in particular, these reworks:

And my D&D group for putting up with all my questions, ideas, revisions and messages asking "what do you think of this ability?"


Art Credits (in order of appearance)
 

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