*commune with nature, tree stride* |
##### Spells?!
The spells system in D&D 5e is solid and I love it. Some spells might need a little tweaking, but the system allows for easy creations yourself. However, the PHB ranger is a half caster with little spells known. Combined with being underwhelming in combat there are some spells you would never pick. Combined with my decision that ranger spells are awesome, but taking away the spellcasting feature makes it possible to creatively design new fitting features, a decision was made. Having boosted combat so far and less the exploration side, ritual casting was the perfect option. I ended up removing all combat related spells and settled with infinite casting outside combat of spells which belong to the ranger skill set and affinity with the wilderness. All these spells could have been made into features (this was done in my first version), but this made really extensive features with mechanics that are already captured by spells.
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### Ranger Specialization
At 3rd level, your tireless precision and experience are combined in a specialized way of hunting. Choose a specialization: [Trapper](https://www.gmbinder.com/share/-M80ss7W-JBVdyi2Fsp4), or one from another source.
Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
##### Ranger ...
The subclasses of the ranger were not rewritten, while I really like and understand their flavor. To reflect rangers specializing themselves in a certain style of living and fighting, 'Specialization' was chosen over 'Archetypes' or 'Conclaves'.
### Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 14th, 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.
##### 1 more
Removing spellcasting created a lot of room to introduce new features, but you can also take it to far. Cleansing Touch a paladin feature at level 14 was implemented before, but has been replaced with an extra ASI. This opens up the possibility to distinct your ranger from others at the later levels. You could pick up some extra Wisdom to grant extra use of both the Primeval Awareness and the Vital Strike feature and increase your Wisdom skills along the way. Or, it is possible to pick a feature (if your DM allows). All in all, a great way to give some extra freedom to the player.
### Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
##### The Usual
It is a feature all martial classes, except rogue, get at this level.
### Hunter's Agility
When you reach 6th level, you can use the Dash action as a bonus action on your turn and you gain advantage on initiative rolls.
##### Sweet and Simple
Combining part of the seventh level benefit or barbarians with the need of extra maneuverability. The first levels are loaded enough already, therefore this level is perfect to resemble the swiftness of rangers when they are on the hunt.
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### Tireless Hunter
Starting at 9th level, you can use a bonus action, instead of an action, to focus on a creature with Ranger's Instinct.
Additionally, you gain the following benefits against a creature you focus on:
- Your ranged weapon attacks against the creature ignore half cover and three-quarters cover.
- The creature cannot make opportunity attacks against you.
- You have advantage on Intelligence checks to recall information about the creature.
##### Improvements
Features that are build upon is a valuable way of structuring your class. This feature resembles more ease when hunting both long and short ranged and the knowledge that a ranger has gathered during its time as an adventurer. Also, you can now make Wisdom (Perception) and (Survival) checks as a bonus action if you intend to focus on new quarry. If your DM allows, these checks could be used as a bonus action for other situation as well.
### Ranger's Teachings
Starting at 10th level, you have learned how to move around unseen and how to cope with difficult terrain. When you make a Dexterity (Stealth) check, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are proficient and you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail. Also, you are not affected by non-magical difficult terrain.
Additionally, you use your knowledge to guide your allies. While within fifteen feet of you, friendly creatures can use your Dexterity (Stealth) bonus when making a Dexterity (Stealth) check to move stealthily and they are not affected by non-magical difficult terrain. You must be conscious to grant these benefits.
##### Teamsport
D&D is played with a party, therefore it is nice to gain a feature which grants other party members a benefit as well, especially since spellcasting is not included. As a result, 'Pass Without a Trace' is not included either, which has been a signature spell for rangers. Resembling the paladin's auras, a benefit for both sneaking and traversing wilderness like terrain is granted.
Why no hiding as a bonus action?
In my experience, it does not make sense for a hunter to hide during the moment it fights its quarry. It takes it out as quickly as possible after a successful ambush. Therefore, no hiding as a bonus action (mostly use in combat), but double proficiency bonus in stealth (a general boost to prepare an ambush or approach your quarry).
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### Natural Tenacity
By 13th level, your body has acquired great resilience. You gain proficiency in Constitution saving throws.
Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against poison and have resistance to poison damage.
##### Sweet and Simple
Again, this is heavily based on [this]( https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/modifying-classes) content and other variations have been around ever since. It could have been a Homemade Brews improvement, but it is not.
### Ghost Hunter
By the time you reach 18th level, your hunters senses have become so honed that you gain a +5 bonus to your passive Wisdom (Perception) score.
Additionally, provided that you are not blinded or deafened, creatures do not gain advantage on their attack roles against you as result of your inability to see them and when you attack a creature you can’t see, your inability to see it doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.
##### Spooky
This used to be Feral Senses, now it is more general and stronger. For as far as I know, you can RAW already sense a creature that is not visible and not hidden either. Therefore, the aura is replaced to make this feature work both ways. On top of that you can now make sure you find hidden creatures, to start hunting them down. Note that hidden creatures also don't gain advantage, which is something I might want to change to prevent overlap with the alert feature (taking into account only PHB content). Combine this feature with the Alert or Observant feature and your DM will wonder why his attempts to assassinate you keep failing.
> ##### Unseen Attackers and Targets
> "Combatants often try to escape their foes' notice by hiding, casting the invisibility spell, or lurking in darkness.
>
> When you attack a target that you can't see, you have disadvantage on the attack roll. This is true whether you're guessing the target's location or you're targeting a creature you can hear but not see. If the target isn't in the location you targeted, you automatically miss, but the GM typically just says that the attack missed, not whether you guessed the target's location correctly.
>
> When a creature can't see you, you have advantage on attack rolls against it. If you are hidden–both unseen and unheard–when you make an attack, you give away your location when the attack hits or misses."
>
> ([Player's Handbook](https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook), 2014, page 194-195)
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##### A Gentle Push
Just making sure to get the gray cells in motion. If you and the target can't see each other, normally advantage and disadvantage cancel each other. However, this feature allows you to shoot with advantage instead, bring the smoke!
### Ultimate Hunter
At 20th level, you can open your hunter's instinct as a bonus action to hunt all your enemies at once.
When you target a creature you focus on for an attack, you can instead target all creatures you focus on and perceive within 60 feet of you. Make a normal weapon attack roll which does not benefit from any advantage or disadvantage, and use that to determine which creatures you hit, rolling damage for all of them at once. Any benefits that would apply for your initial attack or damage applies for this special attack as well and are then considered used.
This ultimate hunter state lasts for one minute, or until you are incapacitated. Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you complete a long rest.
##### The Spark
This is where the revising started. Just the fun of making something this cool kept the process going. It builds on the level 1, 2, 9 and 18 features and is finally including some multiple target mechanic to conclude this class.
It used to be a state between rests combined with unlimited and multiple targeting only when in this state. However, as Ranger's Instinct changed this feature altered as well. Comparing this feature with paladin, lasting only 1 minute (length of a boss fight) seems suitable enough. Have fun rolling critical hits against all your foes at once!
## Ranger Specializations
Your way of hunting is defined by your chosen methods. Officially released specializations can be found in the [Player's Handbook](https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook) and [Xanathar's Guide To Everything](https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/xanathars-guide-everything). Alternatives for the Player's Handbook archetypes were presented as the [Revised Ranger]( https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/unearthed-arcana-ranger-revised). You can also check [this helpful overview](https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD5CommunityRanger/wiki/index) of homebrew rangers, of which many include new subclasses.
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Ranger was my favorite from the start when we played a few games of 3.5e. Although, I have enjoyed playing other classes as well, the memories of the [Ranger's Apprentice](http://www.worldofjohnflanagan.com/rangers-apprentice/) and Aragorn had me always return to playing ranger. However, the ranger class has been known for specializing a bit to much, which causes the ranger from the [Player's Handbook](https://dnd.wizards.com/products/tabletop-games/rpg-products/rpg_playershandbook) to feel underwhelming. And so my journey began.
Disclaimer: This class has not yet been play tested and therefore the features are not considered balanced to their respective levels.
Cover Art: [Pinterest](https://nl.pinterest.com/pin/108438303502714507/)
When you're hyped to give it a try, discuss the possibility with your Dungeon Master.
[WWW.GMBINDER.COM](https://www.gmbinder.com)
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##### Inspiration along my journey
Before this journey started I had used [this thread]( https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?374666-Not-All-Who-Wander-are-Lost-A-Ranger-s-Guide) from EvilAnagram, already countless of times. Also, I have had the possibility to try out the [Revised Ranger]( https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/unearthed-arcana-ranger-revised).
As a start, I read the previous editions and the pathfinder hunter. Together with my interest of creating [a ranger without spells]( https://dnd.wizards.com/articles/unearthed-arcana/modifying-classes) and the help of some [insightful critique]( https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/fsd4ac/why_the_ranger_doesnt_work/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share) most of the groundwork was created.
To get the details straight I compared my approach with the many good ideas already published using [GM Binder Search](https://www.gmbinder.com/search) and another great platform which shows acknowledged ranger homebrew can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD5CommunityRanger/wiki/index).
On a final note my friends have expressed their honest opinion, which I have taken into consideration to further improve the class.
*For alternative features to play a ranger without spell casting, check [this](https://thinkdm.org/hfh/revised-ranger-2018/) out.*