Record of the Hunt: A Ranger Revision

by Jober7

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Record of the Hunt: Ranger Revision






































Watchers of the Wild

Rough and wild looking, a human stalks alone through the shadows of trees, hunting the orcs he knows are planning a raid on a nearby farm. Clutching a shortsword in each hand, he becomes a whirlwind of steel, cutting down one enemy after another.

After tumbling away from a cone of freezing air, an elf finds her feet and draws back her bow to loose an arrow at the white dragon. Shrugging off the wave of fear that emanates from the dragon like the cold of its breath, she sendsone arrow after another to find the gaps between the dragon’s thick scales.

Holding his hand high, a half-elf whistles to the hawk that circles high above him, calling the bird back to his side. Whispering instructions in Elvish, he points to the owlbear he’s been tracking and sends the hawk to distract the creature while he readies his bow.

Far from the bustle of cities and towns, past the hedges that shelter the most distant farms from the terrors of the wild, amid the dense-packed trees of trackless forests and across wide and empty plains, rangers keep their unending watch.































Deadly Hunters

Warriors of the wilderness, rangers specialize in hunting the monsters that threaten the edges of civilization — humanoid raiders, rampaging beasts and monstrosities, terrible giants, and deadly dragons. They learn to track their quarry as a predator does, moving stealthily through the wilds and hiding themselves in brush and rubble. Rangers focus their combat training on techniques that are particularly useful against their specific favored foes.

Thanks to their familiarity with the wilds, rangers acquire the ability to cast spells that harness nature’s power, much as a druid does. Their spells, like their combat abilities, emphasize speed, stealth, and the hunt. A ranger’s talents and abilities are honed with deadly focus on the grim task of protecting the borderlands.

Independent Adventurers

Though a ranger might make a living as a hunter, a guide, or a tracker, a ranger’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of monsters and humanoid hordes that press in from the wild. In some places, rangers gather in secretive orders or join forces with druidic circles. Many rangers, though, are independent almost to a fault, knowing that, when a dragon or a band of orcs attacks, a ranger might be the first — and possibly the last — line of defense.

This fierce independence makes rangers well suited to adventuring, since they are accustomed to life far from the comforts of a dry bed and a hot bath. Faced with city-bred adventurers who grouse and whine about the hardships of the wild, rangers respond with some mixture of amusement,

The Ranger
Level Proficiency
Bonus
Features 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +2 Hunter's Record, Ranger's Initiative
2nd +2 Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Hunter's Mark 2
3rd +2 Ranger Conclave, Nature's Intuition 3
4th +2 Ability Score Improvement 3
5th +3 Extra Attack 4 2
6th +3 Swift Tracker 4 2
7th +3 Ranger Conclave Feature 4 3
8th +3 Ability Score Improvement, Land's Stride 4 3
9th +4 4 3 2
10th +4 Ambuscade 4 3 2
11th +4 Ranger Conclave Feature 4 3 3
12th +4 Ability Score Improvement, 4 3 3
13th +5 4 3 3 1
14th +5 Expert Ambusher 4 3 3 1
15th +5 Ranger Conclave Feature 4 3 3 2
16th +5 Ability Score Improvement 4 3 3 2
17th +6 4 3 3 3 1
18th +6 Feral Senses 4 3 3 3 1
19th +6 Ability Score Improvement 4 3 3 3 2
20th +6 Foe Slayer 4 3 3 3 2

—Spell Slots by Spell Level—

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 + your Constitution modifier
  • Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your 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 two from Animal Handling, Acrobatics ,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) a wooden shield or (b) any simple weapon
  • (a) a scimitar or (b) any simple melee weapon
  • Leather armor, an explorer's pack, and a druidic focus

Ranger's Initiative

At 1st level, your experience in the wild has made you ready to act whenever danger arises. When you roll for initiative you can chose to gain one of the following bonuses.

  • Before any creature acts, you can move up to half your speed without provoking attacks of opportunity.
  • You gain temporary hit points for 1 minute equal to your Ranger level + your Wisdom Modifier

At 10th level, you gain both benefits instead of choosing one. Once you use this feature, you must finish a short or long rest before you can use it again.

Hunter's Record

At 1st level, as a student of the wild, you keep a record of all the creatures you encounter during your travels, either through memory or by written record.

Choose a type of creature to start with in your record: Aberrations, Beasts, Celestials, Constructs, Dragons, Elementals, Fey, Fiends, Giants, Monstrosities, Oozes, Plants, or Undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of Humanoid (such as Gnolls and Orcs).

Whenever you make an Wisdom (Survival) or Intelligence check related to a creature that is a part of your record, you are considered proficient in the skill. If you are already proficient in the skill you instead add double your Proficiency Bonus to the check, instead of your normal Proficiency Bonus.

This record allows you to better detect and identify the creatures you encounter. As a bonus action you can attempt to discern the the type of a creature you can see. If its creature type is a part of your Hunter's Record, you learn it.

Adding to the Record

Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can add one type of creature, or one race of Humanoid, to your Hunter's Record, provided you have done any of the following:

  • Spend 2 hours observing the type of creature
  • Spend 1 hour conversing or interacting with the type creature
  • Spend 15 minutes dissecting the remains of the creature
  • Participate in slaying or capturing the type of creature

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.

Whirling Blades

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you make the additional attack as part of the Attack action, instead of as a bonus action, and add your ability modifier to the damage of this attack.

Druidic Warrior

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. They count as ranger spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the druid spell list.

Blind Fighting Stlye

You have blindsight with a range of 10 ft while you are not deafened. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn't behind total cover, even if you're blinded or in total darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature in that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

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.

Preparing and Casting Spells

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

You prepare the list of ranger spells that are available for you to cast, choosing from the ranger spell list. When you do so, choose a number of ranger spells equal to your Wisdom modifier + your ranger level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

For example, if you are a 3rd-level ranger, you have four 1st-level and two 2nd-level spell slots. With a Wisdom of 16, your list of prepared spells can include six spells of 1st or 2nd level, in any combination. If you prepare the 1st-level spell cure wounds, you can cast it using a 1st-level or 2nd-level slot. Casting the spell doesn’t remove it from your list of prepared spells.

You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of ranger spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws upon your devotion and 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

Spellcasting Focus

You can use a druidic focus as a Spellcasting Focus for your ranger Spells.

Ranger Spells

The ranger spell list has been expanded, with an updated list at the bottom of the page.

Conclave Spells

Each subclass has a list of associated spells. You gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the conclave description. Once you gain access to a conclave spell, you always have it prepared. Conclave spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day.

Hunter's Mark

Starting at 2nd Level, when you take the Attack action against a creature, you can expend one spell slot to mark the target as your quarry. For 1 hour, or until you mark another creature as your quarry, you deal an extra 1d4 damage to the target whenever you hit it with a weapon attack and you have advantage on any Wisdom (Perception) or Wisdom (Survival) check you make to find or track it.

You can expend higher-level spell slots when you mark the creature, increasing the additional damage to the amount indicated in the table below.

Spell Slot Damage
2nd 1d6
3rd 1d8
Spell Slot Damage
4th 1d10
5th 1d12

Ranger Conclave

At 3rd level, you choose a conclave that you strive to learn from. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.

Nature's Intuition

At 3rd level, your experience in the wild has made you an unsurpassed explorer and survivor. Choose one skill: Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. You gain proficiency in the chosen skill if you don’t already have it, and 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.

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.

Swift Tracker

Beginning at 6th level, your walking speed increases by 10, and you gain a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

Land's Stride

Starting at 8th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement.

You can also pass through plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard, such those created by the spike growth spell.

In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement, such as those created by the entangle spell.

Ambuscade

Beginning at 10th level, you are a master of navigating the natural world, and you act with swift and decisive action. You have advantage on initiative rolls and can take the Dash action as a bonus action.

Expert Ambusher

At 14th level, you are an expert in both setting and reacting to an ambush. You cannot be surprised and if a creature you can see is surprised you can use your Ranger's Initiative without expending a use of it, even if you have no uses remaining.

Feral Senses

At 18th level, your instincts protect you from the underhanded tactics of your enemies. Creatures you can't see or that are hidden from you do not gain advantage on attacks against you.

Additionally, if you are able to hear, you are aware of the location of any creature within 30 feet of you, even if they are hidden.

Foe Slayer

At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies.

When you take the Attack action on your turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If your attack hits, the creature takes an additional 5d10 damage. If this attack reduces the target to 50 hit points or fewer, the target must succeed on a Constitution saving throw against your Spell Save DC. On a failure, the target falls prone and becomes incapacitated. At the end of each of its turns, and each time it takes damage, the target can make another Constitution saving throw. On a success, the effect ends. If the target's creature type is part of your Hunter's Record, it makes the saving throws at disadvantage.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a long rest.

Hunter

Some rangers seek to master weapons to better protect civilization from the terrors of the wilderness. Members of the Hunter conclave learn specialized fighting techniques for use against the most dire threats, from rampaging ogres and hordes of orcs to towering giants and terrifying dragons.

Hunter Magic

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

Hunter Spells
Ranger Level Spells
3rd alarm
5th pass without trace
9th glyph of warding
13th locate creature
17th hold monster

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.

Monster Slayer

You have dedicated yourself to hunting down magical creatures and wielders of grim magic. A monster slayer seeks out vampires, dragons, evil fey, fiends, and other magical threats. Trained in supernatural techniques to overcome such monsters, slayers are experts at unearthing and defeating mighty, mystical foes.

Monster Slayer Magic

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

Monster Slayer Spells
Ranger Level Spells
3rd protection from good and evil
5th zone of truth
9th magic circle
13th banishment
17th hold monster

Hunter's Sense

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to peer at a creature and magically discern how best to hurt it. While a creature is affect by your Hunter's Mark feature you can use your bonus action to learn one of the following: the target creature's immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities and what they are. If the creature is hidden from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities.

Slayer's Prey

Starting at 3rd level, you can focus your ire on one foe, increasing the harm you inflict on it. You can use your Hunter's Mark feature twice without expending a spell slot. When you do so, they are treated as if they expended the highest level spell slot you can use.

You regain all expended uses of this feature when you finish a short or long rest.

Supernatural Defense

At 7th level, you gain extra resilience against your prey’s assaults on your mind and body. Whenever the target of your Hunter's Mark forces you to make a saving throw and whenever you make an ability check to escape or contest that target's grapple, add 1d6 to your roll.

Slayer's Counter

At 11th level, you gain the ability to counterattack when your prey tries to sabotage or escape you. If the target of your Hunter's Mark forces you to make a saving throw or attempts to teleport, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against the quarry. You make this attack immediately before the effect occurs. If the attack hits, your save automatically succeeds or the teleport fails, in addition to the attack’s normal effects.

Magic-User's Nemesis

At 15th level, you gain the ability to shrug off someone else's magic. You have advantage on saving throws against spells.

Furthermore, you have resistance against the damage of spells.

Beast Master

The Beast Master conclave embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the wild. United in focus, beast and ranger fight the monsters that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike.

Beast Master Magic

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

Beast Master Spells
Ranger Level Spells
3rd beast bond
5th find stead
9th conjure animals
13th find greater stead
17th awaken

Primal Beast Companion

Beginning at 3rd level, you can magically summon a primal beast, which draws strength from your bond with nature. The beast is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands. Choose its stat block — Beast of the Land, Beast of the Sea, or Beast of the Sky — which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You also determine the kind of animal the beast is, choosing a kind appropriate for the stat block. Whatever kind you choose, the beast bears primal markings, indicating its mystical origin.

In combat, the beast acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other 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.

If the beast has died within the last hour, you can use your action to touch it and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The beast returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.

When you finish a long rest, you can summon a different primal beast. The new beast appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, and you choose its stat block and appearance. If you already have a beast from this feature, it vanishes when the new beast appears. The beast also vanishes if you die.

Exceptional Training

Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn.

In addition, the beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Bestial Fury

Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks.

Share Spells

Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you.



Beast of the Land

Medium beast


  • Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 5 + five times your ranger level (the beast has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your ranger level)
  • Speed 40 ft., climb 40 ft.

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

  • Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 + PB
  • Languages understands the languages you speak
  • 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, range 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d8 + 2 + PB slashing damage.



Beast of the Sea

Medium beast


  • Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 5 + five times your ranger level (the beast has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your ranger level)
  • Speed 5 ft., swim 60 ft.

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

  • Senses Darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 12 + PB
  • Languages understands the languages you speak
  • 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 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.



Beast of the Sky

Small beast


  • Armor Class 13 + PB (natural armor)
  • Hit Points 4 + four times your ranger level (the beast has a number of Hit Dice [d6s] equal to 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 + PB
  • Languages understands the languages you speak
  • 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, range 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d4 + 3 + PB slashing damage.

{footnote} (@GMBinder | @Reddit)

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
  • Jump
  • Longstrider
  • Searing Smite
  • Snare
  • Speak with Animals
  • Sudden Awakening
  • Wild Cunning
  • Zephyr Strike
2nd Level
  • Aid
  • Animal Messenger
  • Barkskin
  • Beast Sense
  • Cordon of Arrows
  • Darkvision
  • Enhance ability
  • Find Traps
  • Gust of wind
  • Lesser Restoration
  • Locate Animals or Plants
  • Locate Object
  • Magic weapon
  • Pass Without Trace
  • Protection from Poison
  • Silence
  • Spike Growth
  • Summon Beast
  • Warding bond
3rd Level
  • Blinding smite
  • Conjure Animals
  • Conjure Barrage
  • Daylight
  • Elemental Weapon
  • 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
  • Swift Quiver
  • Tree Stride
Credits

Artwork 1 By: Luke Hurwitz
Artwork 2 By: Connor Sheehan
Artwork 3 By: jiaojiefeng
Artwork 4 By: wlop
Artwork 5 By: Lius Lasahido
Page Stains By: Jared Ondricek (/u/flamableconcrete)
Special Thanks: Izzy, Oviun and fantop from Discord of Many Things and Radidactyl for the inspiration.

Made by: Jober7

Subclass Changelist

  • Added Conclave spells to the Hunter and Beastmaster Subclass
  • Beastmaster uses Primal Beast Companion from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
  • Reworked Monster Slayer Ranger to now key off of Hunter's Mark

Spell List Changelist

  • Removed Hunter's Mark from the spell list. It is now a class feature.
 

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