The Ranger (revised)
This revision to the ranger removes the spellcasting feature of the class. Instead, this ranger receives the Hunter's Strike feature, which allows the ranger to deal extra damage to targets belonging to its Known Quarry (a modification of "Favored Enemy"). "Natural Explorer" is replaced by Favored Terrain, and "Primeval Awareness" is replaced by Hunter's Watch and Hunter's Vigilance. The class receives expertise in two skills through the Canny feature (taken from Tasha's Cauldron of Everything). Many of the new features, such as Hunter's Strike and Hunter's Defenses are linked to the ranger's Known Quarry feature, so the class includes a mechanic to learn additional known quarry beyond those granted purely through level advancement. Likewise, while the ranger receives a set number of favored terrains through level advancement, they can also acquire additional ones through a specified mechanic.
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 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) scale mail or (b) leather armor
- (a) two shortswords or (b) simple melee weapons
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
Known Quarry
By close observation, you learn how various types of creatures behave and function, enabling you to fight them more effectively. You must record your observations about creatures you’ve encountered in a bestiary, which might be a written journal, a collection of sketches, or even tattoos on your body. At 1st level when you begin this class, choose one type of creatures you have experience with in your adventuring background as your Known Quarry: 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) as known quarry.
The Ranger
| Level | Prof. Bonus | Hunter's Strike | Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | 1d4 | Known Quarry, Hunter's Strike |
| 2nd | +2 | 1d4 | Fighting Style, Canny |
| 3rd | +2 | 2d4 | Ranger Archetype, Hunter's Watch |
| 4th | +2 | 2d4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | 3d4 | Extra Attack |
| 6th | +3 | 3d4 | Favored Terrain, Hunter's Precision, Known Quarry improvement |
| 7th | +3 | 4d4 | Ranger Archetype feature |
| 8th | +3 | 4d4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 9th | +4 | 5d4 | ─ |
| 10th | +4 | 5d4 | Hunter's Vigilance, Favored Terrain improvement |
| 11th | +4 | 6d4 | Ranger Archetype feature |
| 12th | +4 | 6d4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | 7d4 | ─ |
| 14th | +5 | 7d4 | Hunter's Defenses, Known Quarry improvement |
| 15th | +5 | 8d4 | Ranger Archetype feature |
| 16th | +5 | 8d4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | 9d4 | ─ |
| 18th | +6 | 9d4 | Feral Senses, Favored Terrain improvement |
| 19th | +6 | 10d4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | 10d4 | Foe Slayer |
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your Known Quarry, as well as advantage on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your Known Quarry, if they speak one at all. You can understand the language when you hear it spoken, and you can speak it yourself, but you do not learn how to read or write it.
You choose one additional Known Quarry, as well as an associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.
You can also add other creature types to your list of Known Quarry either by defeating at least 10 creatures of that type with a CR of 1 or higher or at least 5 creatures of that type of CR 5 or higher. You must then spend at least 1 hour compiling or studying your notes about these creatures, after which you can add that creature type to your Known Quarry list.
Hunter’s Strike
When you take this class at 1st level, you learn how to strike with deadly intent at enemies you've studied. Once per turn, when you hit a creature that is one of your Known Quarry with a weapon attack and you don’t have disadvantage on the roll, you can deal an extra 1d4 damage of the weapon’s damage type. The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Hunter’s Strike column of the Ranger Table.
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.
Blind Fighting
You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.
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.
Thrown Weapon Fighting
You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon. In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Canny
At 2nd level, choose 2 of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen skill. You also gain 1 tool proficiency or 1 language of your choice.
Hunter’s Watch
Beginning at 3rd level, you learn to enter a state of heightened vigilance, using your bonus action on your turn to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute, you can sense whenever any of your Known Quarry are within 300 feet of you, and you cannot be surprised by such creatures while your Hunter’s Watch is active and you are conscious. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ exact location or number. You can activate Hunter’s Watch a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1), after which you must complete a long rest before using this feature again.
Ranger Archetype
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Favored Terrain
Beginning at 6th level, you become particularly familiar with one type of natural environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose two types of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark. While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:
- Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
- As long as members of your group are within 30 feet of you, they can choose to use your Stealth bonus, instead of their own, when making Stealth checks.
- Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
- When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
- While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.
You choose additional favored terrain types at 10th and 18th level. These must be terrain types you have traveled in at least once. Additionally, when you are in unfamiliar terrain, you can make a DC 15 survival check at the end of each day. Once you’ve made five successful checks in that terrain, you can treat it as your favored terrain.
Hunter’s Precision
At 6th level, you become adept at breaking through the defenses of creatures you have studied. When you hit one of your Known Quarry with a weapon attack, your hit ignores any damage resistances that the target possesses.
Hunter’s Vigilance
Beginning at 10th level, when you activate your Hunter’s watch, it lasts for 10 minutes instead of 1, and while your Hunter’s Watch is active, you gain the following additional benefits:
- You can use your bonus action on your turn to make one weapon attack, or to take the Dash or Hide action.
- You gain advantage on the following checks: Perception, Stealth, and Survival.
- If any of your Known Quarry are within 300 feet of you, you know their general direction.
Hunter’s Defenses
At 14th level, your knowledge of your Known Quarry lets you better defend yourself against them. Choose one of your ability scores. When one of your Known Quarry forces you to make a saving throw associated with that ability, you have advantage on the roll.
Additionally, when you take damage from one of your Known Quarry that you can see, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Feral Senses
At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can’t see. When you attack a creature you can’t see, your inability to see it doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.
You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 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 can make a deadly strike against your enemies. When you hit one of your Known Quarry with a weapon attack, you can choose to make the hit an automatic critical hit. You cannot use this ability again until you’ve completed a long rest.