From the aurora-lit tundra of Icewind Dale to the snow-capped Spine of the World, the harsh conditions of winter mean you’re either the hunter or the hunted. Those who learn to master the cold—to track prey through whiteout gales, strike like biting cold, and leave only drifting snow in their wake—can gain a name that strikes fear and respect in equal measure in all those that hear it: Winter Walker.

In Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn, you’ll find the Winter Walker Ranger subclass, a frigid scourge of monsters the Realms over.

Let’s dive into this relentless new Ranger subclass and explore a character build that’s ready to play tonight!

• Winter Walker Ranger Features
• Korr Snowmantle, Winter Walker (Build)
• Snow on the Wind

Wield Winter Winds Your Way

The character we feature in this article is an example of the type of hero you can build with the Winter Walker Ranger subclass and other options from the new Forgotten Realms books.

When the time comes to set off on an adventure, the character you create is entirely up to you—but one thing is for sure, the land of Faerûn will learn of your legend soon enough!

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Winter Walker Ranger Features

JONATHAN KUO

Winter Walkers are hardened explorers and hunters who can thrive in some of the Forgotten Realms’ harshest environments. These frostbitten Rangers wield the chill of winter as both weapon and armor to hunt monsters, protect the weak, and survive the wilderness.

Level 3: Frigid Explorer

This subclass feature sets up the foundation of the Winter Walker subclass. It helps you channel the cold into a deadly weapon and embrace it to survive:

CHRIS RALLIS

• Biting Cold. Damage from your weapon attacks, Ranger spells, and Ranger features ignores Resistance to Cold damage, letting your frosty powers stay potent against cold-hardened targets.
• Frost Resistance. You have Resistance to Cold damage—a welcome durability boost for any campaign, though especially useful when exploring cold environments.
• Polar Strikes. When you hit with a weapon attack, deal an extra 1d4 Cold damage. A target can take this damage only once per turn, but you can deal this damage to other creatures during the turn if you have multiple attacks available. This is especially effective if you can find ways to net Reaction-based attacks, like through Opportunity Attacks.

Level 3: Hunter’s Rime

Whenever you cast Hunter’s Mark, you gain Temporary Hit Points equal to 1d10 + your Ranger level, making this damage-boosting utility spell into an excellent defensive boost. In addition, while a creature is marked by your Hunter’s Mark, it can’t take the Disengage action.

This combos particularly well with the Polar Strikes benefit from the Frigid Explorer feature. If your target can’t Disengage safely, you’ll likely be netting more Opportunity Attacks if it attempts to retreat from your wrath.

Level 3: Winter Walker Spells

The subclass adds always-prepared options that lean into control, Cold damage, and area-of-effect:

Control and Curb Curses. Hold Person can potentially lock down Humanoids with the Paralyzed condition, giving you the opportunity for deadly strikes with Advantage that are automatically Critical Hits if they land. Remove Curse helps you shake any dastardly curse you or your party manage to pick up while exploring the Realms.

Area Freeze. Ice Knife gives you a ranged attack that explodes to deal Cold damage in a small area; Ice Storm and Cone of Cold give you late-game area-of-effect spells that deal massive damage and benefit from Biting Cold ignoring Resistance to Cold damage.

Level 7: Fortifying Soul

As a Magic action, you can choose a number of targets you can see equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one) to regain 1d10 + your Ranger level Hit Points and gain Advantage on saving throws to avoid or end the Frightened condition for 1 hour. Use it to top up your party’s Hit Points during combat or pre-boss battle to blunt Frightened-inducing attacks.

This can only be used once until you finish a Long Rest, so choose your timing wisely.

Level 11: Chilling Retribution

When a creature hits you with an attack roll, you can use your Reaction to force a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, the attacker is Stunned until the end of your next turn and has a Speed of 0 while Stunned.

This is an incredibly useful defensive counter, especially against targets with Multiattack, as it can freeze them in their tracks. Plus, you and your party get Advantage on your attacks against them until the end of your next turn. It also prevents the creature from taking a Bonus Action or Reaction, and ends their Concentration!

Seeing as the saving throw DC and the number of uses scale off your Wisdom modifier, this is an important area to invest your resources.

Level 15: Frozen Haunt

When you cast Hunter’s Mark, you can assume a ghostly, snowy form. While the form lasts—for the duration of your Hunter’s Mark—you gain the following benefits:

• Frozen Soul. You have Immunity to Cold damage. When you first become the haunt and at the start of each of your turns, each nearby creature of your choice takes 2d4 Cold damage. This is consistent damage that doesn’t require any action economy and is made better by the fact that your Cold damage ignores Resistance. It also combines well with your Hunter’s Rime feature, because if one of the creatures trapped in your Emanation is targeted by your Hunter’s Mark, it can’t take the Disengage action.
• Partially Incorporeal. You have Immunity to the Grappled, Prone, and Restrained conditions. You can move through creatures and objects as if they were Difficult Terrain, though you take damage if you end your turn inside. This allows you to ignore potent rider effects that are tied to enemy attacks. It’s also an excellent exploration tool that can allow you to walk through walls!

Whether you activate this during your first turn in combat or wait until you’re surrounded by enemies, keep in mind that you need to maintain Concentration on Hunter’s Mark to keep this feature active. Taking damage can’t break your Concentration on Hunter’s Mark at this point, thanks to the Ranger’s level 13 Relentless Hunter ability, but you can still lose your Concentration in other ways.

Korr Snowmantle, Winter Walker (Build)

ALEJANDRO PACHECO

This build embraces the cold to create a relentless hunter. Our frost goliath can navigate blizzards as easily as she can carve through her foes with twin blades. Korr uses agility, her mastery over the frigid cold, and unyielding resilience to dominate battlefields, locking her prey down before finishing them with rapid strikes.

Playstyle Priorities

Tag and Drag. Start off combat with Hunter’s Mark, gain Temporary Hit Points from Hunter’s Rime, and close the distance quickly. Our target can’t Disengage, so once they’re marked, they’re ours to finish.

Reliable Damage. Dual-wielding Scimitars and investing in Two-Weapon Fighting can help trigger Polar Strikes and the extra damage from Hunter’s Mark more consistently. Using the Scimitar’s Nick mastery property means our Bonus Action will remain free to cast or transfer Hunter’s Mark as often as needed.

Eviscerate With Ice. When enemies group up, we’ll switch to our area-of-effect spells like Ice Knife, Ice Storm, and Cone of Cold to deal massive damage. Thanks to Biting Cold, our attacks and spells ignore Resistance to Cold damage.

Toughen Up. This build will invest primarily in Dexterity and Wisdom for offensive and spellcasting potency. We can use the Temporary Hit Points and healing granted by Hunter’s Rime and Fortifying Soul, respectively, to stay in the fight.

Snow on the Wind

POLAR ENGINE

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Build Information

Origin and Ability Scores

Ranger (Winter Walker) Build Guide

Carve Your Legend in the Ice

Your epic adventure awaits in Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn, where you'll find everything you need to forge your own Winter Walker Ranger worthy of legendary tales. With 8 subclasses, 18 backgrounds, 34 feats, 19 spells, and more, your next hero’s story is just waiting to be written!

Mike Bernier is the Content Marketing Manager for D&D Beyond, where he helps bring the worlds of Dungeons & Dragons to life. When he isn’t adventuring across the multiverse in search of his next great story, Mike can be found gaming, hiking with his partner, or cooking something delicious while his dog waits for him to drop a bite.