Scorched Earth Conclave

The Scorched Earth rangers emerged from the crucible of the Great Continental War, a devastating conflict that engulfed the realm for years. These rangers were forged in the nightmarish conditions of trench warfare, where conventional tactics failed and survival demanded increasingly desperate measures.

 

Originally scouts and skirmishers, they evolved into specialists in area denial and psychological warfare. They learned to harness toxic alchemical concoctions reminiscent of mustard gas, create impassable terrains of barbed vine, and employ walls of flames to corner enemies.

 

The Scorched Earth doctrine was born from a bitter defensive campaign where retreating forces destroyed everything in their wake to deny resources to the advancing enemy. These rangers perfected this tactic, leaving nothing but devastation behind them.

 

 

 

Level 3: Scorched Earth Policy

You have mastered the art of lawless warfare, granting you the following benefits.

● Scorched Earth: When you cast a ranger spell that has an area of effect, you can use your bonus action (which you can use immediately after casting the spell) to scorch the magic. Each creature in the area takes fire damage equal to your proficiency bonus, and the area becomes difficult terrain for creatures other than you until the end of your next turn. If the spell is still active, you can use your bonus action on subsequent turns to keep the magic scorched. Starting at 11th level, when you use this bonus action, you can cast hunter’s mark as part of the same bonus action.

 

● Toxic Munitions: Once per turn, when you hit a creature with a weapon attack that uses ammunition, you can infuse your ammunition with caustic chemicals. The target takes an extra 1d4 acid damage and must succeed on a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier) or be poisoned until the end of your next turn. If the target is in your scorched earth, it has disadvantage on the saving throw.

 

Level 3: Scorched Earth Spells

When you reach a ranger level specified in the Scorched Earth Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Spells as Weapons of War:

As a Scorched Earth ranger, you can flavor your spells to reflect trench warfare techniques and weapons, enhancing the military theme. Here are some suggestions for the spells in your arsenal:

• Miasma of Death: Mustard gas
• Spike Growth: Rolling out razor-sharp barbed wire
• Fireball: A mortar round
• Wall of Fire: A flame fougasse or burning fuel
• Cloudkill: An artillery shell of chlorine gas

Remember, these are purely aesthetic changes and don’t alter the mechanics of the spells.

 

Scorched Earth Spells

RANGER LEVEL	SPELLS
3	https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/3004130-miasma-of-death
5	spike growth
9	fireball
13	wall of fire
17	cloudkill

Level 7: War Machine

You gain resistance to fire damage and your choice of acid or thunder damage (choose one when you gain this feature).

Additionally, you have advantage on saving throws against the frightened and poisoned conditions.

Furthermore, your attacks and spells deal double damage against objects and structures.

 

Level 11: Shell Shock

Shell Shock

When you deal damage to creatures with an area of effect spell that deals fire, poison, or thunder damage, you can force each affected creature to make a Wisdom saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier).

On a failure, a target is stunned until the end of your next turn. Humanoids have disadvantage on this saving throw.

Once you use this feature, you can’t do so again until you finish a short or long rest, unless you expend a spell slot of 3rd level or higher (no action required) to restore your use of it.

 

Level 15: Indiscriminate Barrage

You can cast each spell from your Scorched Earth Spell list once at their lowest level without expending a slot, provided you have spell slots of the appropriate level to cast the spell.

 

In addition, whenever you cast a spell from that list, you can double its radius (or double the length of the line for wall of fire). If you do so, you can move into or out of the area of the spell without being affected by its magic.