Ranger Archetype: Nomad
Nomads are adaptive, resilient, and completely attuned to the lands and seas they travel.
Constantly on the move, Nomads are fond of travel, discovery and exploration, and their intrinsic connection to the earth enables them to use terrain to gain an edge over their enemies or bypass obstacles.
Calling on the shared knowledge of past explorers, travelers and pilgrims, nomads can also look to supplement their own wisdom with the experiences of distant lives and long forgotten journeys.
Nomadic Magic
You learn additional spells at the Ranger levels indicated in the Nomad Spells table.
These spells counts as ranger spells for you, but don't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Nomad Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | Expeditious Retreat |
| 5th | Misty Step |
| 9th | Haste |
| 13th | Conjure Minor Elementals |
| 17th | Transmute Rock |
Nomads might've travelled for years prior to adventuring, perhaps in search of long forgotten knowledge, distant relatives or lost loved ones, a deeper understanding of themselves, or simply for the thrill of waking up in a different place each day.
Alternatively, they may be about to embark on a journey through adventuring, and their prior training and natural harmony with the earth have made them predisposed to adopting a nomadic lifestyle.
Whatever the case, all Nomads have a special affinity with the terrain that they travel, and share a desire to uncover its secrets to aid themselves ad their companions.
Born Traveller
Starting at 3rd level, your natural grit, stamina and love of the open road has made you adept at undertaking arduous expeditions. You gain the following benefits:
- You gain proficiency in Vehicles (Land) and Vehicles (Sea). If you already had one of these proficiencies, you can add twice your proficiency bonus to any ability check you make using it.
- You count as one size larger when determining your carrying capacity and the weight you can push, drag, or lift
- You have advantage on saving throws vs Exhaustion made for travelling more than 8 hours in a day.
- You ignore the penalty to passive perception when travelling at a fast pace.
Additionally, when you finish a long rest, you can choose a number of creatures up to your Wisdom modifier to extend the last two benefits to until you next finish a long rest.
Memories of A Thousand Steps
Starting at 3rd level, you can call on the shared experiences of those who have travelled the world before you, connecting yourself to a natural environment they have explored.
When you finish a long rest, choose two types of terrain from among those listed below. Until you next take a long rest, you are mystically connected to it, gaining the benefits associated with it, regardless of the terrain you are currently on.
Additionally, when you reach 11th level, you can deepen your connection with a type of terrain, gaining additional benefits for a short period as shown below. After you deepen you connection to a given type of terrain, you cannot do so again until you complete a long rest.
Terrene Connections
Arctic
You know the Fostbite cantrip and the Armor of Agathys spell.
Additionally, you do not suffer the effects of extreme cold as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Deepen. As an action, you can deepen your connection to this terrain to cast the Sleet Storm spell without expending a spell slot.
Coast
You know the Shape Water cantrip, and can hold your breath underwater for up to one hour.
Additionally, you gain a swimming speed equal to twice your walking speed.
Deepen. As an action, you can deepen your connection to this terrain to cast the Tidal Wave spell without expending a spell slot.
When cast this way, the wave can be up to 20 feet wide rather than 10 feet.
Desert
Once per turn when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can deal an extra 1d6 fire damage to the target.
Additionally, you do not suffer the effects of extreme heat as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide.
Deepen. As a bonus action, you can deepen your connection to this terrain to hurl scalding hot sand at a creature you can see within 15 feet of you, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw against your spell save DC.
On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 fire damage and is blinded until the start of your next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and is not blinded.
You can repeat this bonus action on subsequent turns for the next minute.
Forest
You have advantage on stealth checks to hide or move silently through natural foliage, and can cast the Speak with Animals spell at will.
Deepen. When you roll initiative, you can deepen your connection to this terrain to gain advantage on the roll.
Additionally, for the next minute, you can cast the Thorn Whip cantrip as a bonus action on each of your turns.
Grassland
Your walking speed increases by 10 feet, and you gain advantage on Wisdom (Animal Handling) and Wisdom (Insight) checks.
Deepen. As an action, you can deepen your connection with this terrain to conjure a howling vortex of leaves, grass and nettles. The vortex is a 10 foot radius, 40 foot high cylinder, centered on a point on the ground you can see within 120 feet of you, and lasts for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).
When a creature starts its turn within the area of the vortex, it must make a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it takes 4d6 slashing damage and has disadvantage on it's next attack roll. On a successful save, it takes half as much damage with no additional effects.
On subsequent turns, you can use your bonus action to move the vortex up to 30 feet in any direction along the ground.
Mountain
You know the Mold Earth cantrip, and have advantage on saving throws against being moved against your will or knocked prone.
Additionally, you do not suffer the effects of high altitude as described in the Dungeon Master's Guide
Deepen. As a bonus action, you can deepen your connection to this terrain to increase your fortitude.
For the next minute, you gain temporary hit points equal to 1d8 plus your Wisdom modifier at the start of each of your turns and have advantage on Constitution saving throws.
Swamp
You have advantage on saving throws against being poisoned, and you have resistance against Poison damage.
Deepen. As an action, you can deepen your connection to this terrain to cast the Stinking Cloud spell without expending a spell slot.
Underdark
You know the Faerie Fire spell, have advantage on saving throws against being Frightened, and gain darkvision out to a range of 120 feet.
Deepen. As an action, you can deepen your connection with this terrain to cast the Fear spell without expending a spell slot.
Nomadic Soul
Starting at 15th level, you are totally attuned to the natural world around you, and your capacity for knowledge from the shared experience of past travellers increases.
You can now choose three types of terrain to form a mystical connection to as a part of your Memories of a Thousand Steps feature when you finish a long rest.
Additionally, while you are on a terrain type that you are currently connected to, you gain tremorsense out to a range of 30 feet, gain a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier, and cannot be surprised while conscious.
Wilderness Guide
Starting at 7th level, your mastery of all terrain types makes you adept at navigating them, helping guide your party's travels by finding safe passage, food and places to rest.
While travelling in a terrain type that you are connected with, you gain the following benefits:
- Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
- Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
- Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
- If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
- 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.
Additionally, when you use your Born Traveller feature to grant benefits to other creatures, choose one of the terrain types you are connected to.
While travelling on that terrain type, creatures benefitting from your Born Traveller feature also gain any benefits from your connection to that terrain type, apart from those you would gain by deepening your connection.
Image Credits
- Roving Clans Step-02 A by A-u-R-e-L
- Murasa Ranger by Eric Deschamps
- Dead End By mplumb
- Borderland Explorer by Lucas Graciano
- Worldknit by Adam Paquette
- 116 by Su Jian
Subclass Inspiration
- Nomad Ranger Archetype from Laserllama's Ranger Archetypes
- Nomad Archetype for Rangers by SemanticAvenger
- Desert Themed Subclasses by u/Natural-Stomach on Reddit