Dark Ranger

You were a promising ranger until you died. However, some necrotic force has called you back to the realm of the living and invested you with some of it's power. Perhaps you have been called back because some villain must be stopped. Or perhaps the necrotic force simply wants you to keep killing and sending more souls to the underworld. 

Are you enthralled or free? undead looking or mostly intact? Do you maintain all your memories or no? Work with your DM to decide what your rebirth means for your character. Also, warn your DM ahead of time that you intend to take this subclass at level 3. The DM should then work your death into the campaign such that you die and are reborn when you gain your third level and select this subclass.

Hunter's Hex

3rd level Dark Ranger feature

Whenever a ranger feature or ability refers to Hunter's Mark (such as in Favoured Enemy, Relentless Hunter, Precise Hunter, or Foe Slayer) you can read it as Hunter's Mark or Hex.

Deadful Strikes

3rd level Dark Ranger feature

You can augment your weapon strikes with the same undead energy that brought you back from the grave. When you hit a creature with a weapon, you can deal an extra 1d4 Necrotic damage to the target, which can take this extra damage only once per turn. The extra damage increases to 1d6 when you reach Ranger level 11.

Dark Ranger Spells

3rd level Dark Ranger feature

When you reach a Ranger level specified in the Dark Ranger Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared. You also gain access to all spells from the school of necromancy from the Player's Handbook and any other books your DM might allow. 

Dark Ranger Spells

Ranger Level	Spell
3	False Life
5	Blindness/Deafness
9	Animate Dead
13	Death Ward
17	Geas

Darkened Gaze

3rd level Dark Ranger feature

Your eyes are black or gray. They are empty, just like your soul.

You gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision from your race, its range increases by 30 feet.

You also gain the Blind Fighting fighting style. Select it from the dropdown menu of feats below. If you already learned Blind Fighting, you may select a different fighting style instead.

Conduit of Curses

7th level Dark Ranger feature

The necrotic magic that brought you back to life flows through you and your curses.

You gain resistance to necrotic damage.

Whenever you would curse a new creature with your Hex as a Bonus Action after it's previous target dropped to 0 hit points, you may cast a spell you know from the Dark Ranger spells table as a part of the same Bonus Action targeting only the old Hex target, the new Hex target, or yourself.

Champion of the Dead

11th level Dark Ranger feature

Whatever being or magic called you back from the grave has honed your ability to call others back too.

You may cast Animate Dead once per long rest without expending a spell slot.

The first time each turn an undead creature friendly to you would hit a creature under the effect of your Hex, the creature deals extra necrotic damage equal to the bonus damage of that spell.

Death Strike

15th level Dark Ranger feature

You have become as inevitable as death itself.

You critically strike on a 19 or 20 on creatures afflicted by your Hex.

Whenever you critically strike a creature with a CR or level equal to half your ranger level or less (round down) afflicted by your Hex, that creature immediately drops to 0 hp.

Necromancy Spells

You gain access to all spells from the school of necromancy from the Player's Handbook and any other books your DM might allow.