I would argue that the Scout Rogue makes a better Assassin than the Assassin, and that the Ranger is a waaaay better scout, but... As to everything else:
1. The reliance on Hunter's Mark is a holdover from earlier editions. They can't seem to let go of the Favored Enemy concept, even though it wasn't even a particularly well-liked class feature in the first place. That said, if you ask me, there's not THAT much reliance on it (outside the Winter Walker subclass), just a little too much time spent on it.
2. Rangers can't have Dex and Wisdom as their save proficiencies, because Dex and Wisdom are both considered "good" saves. Dex, Con and Wis affect most of the meaningful saves players make in-game (dodging spells, resisting poisons and maintaining concentration, resisting mind control and fear respectively), while Str, Int, and Cha affect rarer or less important saves (Resisting being pushed/grappled, identifying illusions, resisting possession respectively). Each class has one "good" and one "bad" save, and Str is the Ranger's "bad" save, largely because it's more thematic than Int or Cha.
3. I don't know how these things are connected, but all spellcasting classes now get spellcasting at level one, so that's just keeping pace with the meta.
4. Level 3 is the level you get your subclass and subclass abilities. No class gains meaningful class abilities at level 3. Semi-exception is Paladin, who gets Channel Divinity, but only because their subclass features are powered by it; standalone, it's a nothingburger class feature. Martial classes get their class-defining abilities at level 1, usually a Fighting Style Feat and something else small at level 2, subclasses at level 3, ASI at level 4, and double-attack at level 5. Level 6 is the earliest they COULD get Roving, unless you think it should replace Favored Enemy or Deft Explorer.
5. You can just re-flavor the class however you want.
6. While the Doom Stalker was inarguably the most effective combat subclass for the 2014 Ranger, it made a nearly unplayable class into a subpar class with a playable subclass. It was also incredibly front-loaded - almost all your abilities were first-round-only, meaning you'd get one round feeling like a kickass asskicker, then you'd just kinda... be a guy. Compared to the rest of the 2024 subclasses (and most of the legacy onces) for other classes, it's subpar at best. Giving the subclass longevity makes it worthwhile, especially as 2024 made a concerted effort to make combat last longer.
I think the strongest argument against the Ranger is the developer's fixation on the concept of a Favored Enemy. Most people I knew who played Rangers in 2e and 3e did it because they liked the idea of a tracker with a bow and/or two swords who was druid-lite, and dreamed of replacing Favored Enemy with more of that. Just about every loved variant of the class was one where they traded Favored Enemy for other abilities, like ranged/dual wielding abilities or shapeshifting. I don't know why they keep coming back to that particular well.
I think of the Ranger as a skirmisher in combat, striking with ranged attacks or hit & run melee attacks. I think of them as having knowledge & skills that focus on environments & creatures.
Let's give them a 10 ft movement boost at level 1. Spellcasting and Weapon Mastery.
At Level 2, give them a Fighting Style AND 2 Druid Cantrips. To represent the skirmisher style of combat, new feature called Skirmisher: make Opportunity Attacks against them have Disadvantage, as long as they are wearing Light or Medium Armor.
Level 3, Subclass. New Feature: Wild Awareness. As a Bonus Action, you become aware of any Beasts, Fey, or Monstrosities within 60 ft for one minute. You know their location and numbers, even if they would be otherwise obscured or invisible. Walls, floors, and other natural obstacles do not affect this ability. You can use this feature twice per short rest, and you gain a 3rd use per short rest at level 11, and at level 11, the creature types you can sense expands to include Dragons, Giants, and Elementals. At Level 18, it improves once again, and becomes Feral Awareness.
Level 4, ASI.
Level 5, Extra Attack. And Roving. 10 more feet of movement. Swim & Climb speeds. Movement is not reduced by non-magical difficult terrain.
Level 6. Frontier Knowledge. You and any allies within 15 feet gain a bonus to skill checks that you have proficiency with equal to your Wisdom Modifier. If the skill affected already uses your Wisdom modifier, you add your Wisdom modifier twice. (Your allies need not be proficient with the skill. For example, if your Ranger has proficiency with Stealth, then you and any allies within 10 ft would add your Wisdom modifier. This ability is why Expertise is gone. Let the Rogue and Bard have Expertise.) If you or an ally make a skill check with a skill you are not proficient in, this feature does not apply.
Level 7, Subclass Feature. Level 8, ASI.
Level 9, Improved Skirmisher. If you make a melee attack against an enemy, you can Disengage as a Free Action. If an enemy makes a ranged attack or ranged spell attack against you, you can use your Reaction to make a single ranged attack against them.
Level 10, Tireless. Except make the Temp hp a Bonus Action. Keep the short rest Exhaustion level reduction. Add another 10 ft of movement speed.
Level 11, Subclass feature. Level 12, ASI.
Level 13, Elemental Hunter. Your Strikes now have the power of the elements. After any short or long rest, choose from Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder Damage. Your weapon attacks or unarmed strikes now do 1d8 additional damage of the chosen type. You also have resistance to the chosen type of damage.
Level 14, Nature's Veil. I think this is a good feature.
Level 15, subclass feature. Level 16, ASI.
Level 17. You can share your Frontier Knowledge with allies up to 30 feet away. Gain 10 more feet of movement.
Level 18. Feral Awareness. Your Wild Awareness gains a 4th use per short or long rest, and it works for all creature types.
Level 19, Epic Boon.
Level 20. Epic Skirmisher. Wisdom modifier times per long rest, you can use your Action to make an attack every time you move 10 ft.
A Ranger that has no Hunter's Mark features, and no Favored Enemy features (although, I'll admit, Wild Awareness functions like a kind of Favored Enemy. But I took more inspiration for it from the Paladin's Divine Sense.) Anyway. This Ranger focuses on movement, skills, and being aware of creatures. Along with the Ranger's spells, I think this could be a class that has a unique feel to it mechanically. You have a character with a final movement speed of (at least) 70 feet, including Swim, Climb, and Difficult Terrain. They have protection from Opportunity Attacks, so they can strike & move. They can counter ranged attacks, and can protect themselves against area effects. They have a unique boost to their skill set, which they can also use to boost their allies' skills. And, they have the ability to be aware of certain creatures thst are nearby, even if they are hidden or invisible. Capstone is moving and attacking, many times. Movement. Awareness. Skills. Hit & Run skirmisher combat.
Beast Master: Change their level 11 Bestial Fury ability. Instead of tying it to Hunter's Mark- or giving them any extra damage at all- give players the opportunity to "train" their Primal Companion to have some skill or traits of some of the beasts. Grapple with a bite. Knock prone with a pounce or trip. Essentially.... Weapon Masteries, but for the Companion. Add the spell list: Ranger 3- Speak with Animals, R5- Summon Beast, R9- Conjure Animals, R13- Dominate Beast, R17- Awaken.
Fey Wanderer & Gloom Stalker are fine.
Hunter. Change level 3 Hunter's Lore to simply use a Bonus Action to learn resistances, etc. There's no need, then, for it to be tied to casting Hunter's Mark. Level 3 Hunter's Prey: eliminate the short or long rest requirement. Just let players choose each turn. Level 7 Defensive Tactics: Multiattack Defense- change it to last until the start of your next turn. Escape Harm: (replaces Escape the Horde): Advantage on Saves vs spells and effects that affect an area. Level 11, Superior Hunters Prey: change the d8 for a d12. Level 15- good as is. Hunter Spell List: R3: Hunter's Mark, R5- Invisibility, R9- Lightning Bolt, R13- Locate Creature R17- Hold Monster
I would argue that the Scout Rogue makes a better Assassin than the Assassin, and that the Ranger is a waaaay better scout, but... As to everything else:
1. The reliance on Hunter's Mark is a holdover from earlier editions. They can't seem to let go of the Favored Enemy concept, even though it wasn't even a particularly well-liked class feature in the first place. That said, if you ask me, there's not THAT much reliance on it (outside the Winter Walker subclass), just a little too much time spent on it.
So, you agree that there's too much focus on Hunter's Mark. Got it.
2. Rangers can't have Dex and Wisdom as their save proficiencies, because Dex and Wisdom are both considered "good" saves. Dex, Con and Wis affect most of the meaningful saves players make in-game (dodging spells, resisting poisons and maintaining concentration, resisting mind control and fear respectively), while Str, Int, and Cha affect rarer or less important saves (Resisting being pushed/grappled, identifying illusions, resisting possession respectively). Each class has one "good" and one "bad" save, and Str is the Ranger's "bad" save, largely because it's more thematic than Int or Cha.
As one of the people who thinks that one of the issues with the Ranger is a lack of uniqueness, wouldn't it be a shame if one of the unique parts of being one would be two 'good' Saves? I don't see this as breaking the game at all, but rather something that should be done more often. Why should ANY class HAVE to have a 'good' and a 'bad' Save?
3. I don't know how these things are connected, but all spellcasting classes now get spellcasting at level one, so that's just keeping pace with the meta.
Fair enough.
4. Level 3 is the level you get your subclass and subclass abilities. No class gains meaningful class abilities at level 3. Semi-exception is Paladin, who gets Channel Divinity, but only because their subclass features are powered by it; standalone, it's a nothingburger class feature. Martial classes get their class-defining abilities at level 1, usually a Fighting Style Feat and something else small at level 2, subclasses at level 3, ASI at level 4, and double-attack at level 5. Level 6 is the earliest they COULD get Roving, unless you think it should replace Favored Enemy or Deft Explorer.
Why not put Roving in with the Level 3 Subclass choice? Hell, why not put it in Level 2? Fighters get Action Surge at this point, arguably one of THE defining traits of that Class. Why not make Roving one of the defining traits for Rangers and gain it earlier?
5. You can just re-flavor the class however you want. Another fair point.
6. While the Doom Stalker was inarguably the most effective combat subclass for the 2014 Ranger, it made a nearly unplayable class into a subpar class with a playable subclass. It was also incredibly front-loaded - almost all your abilities were first-round-only, meaning you'd get one round feeling like a kickass asskicker, then you'd just kinda... be a guy. Compared to the rest of the 2024 subclasses (and most of the legacy onces) for other classes, it's subpar at best. Giving the subclass longevity makes it worthwhile, especially as 2024 made a concerted effort to make combat last longer.
I think you're understating the Umbral Sight ability. If the Ranger is in dim light or darkness and the only way the enemy can see them is with Darkvision, then they are INVISIBLE. That makes virtually every attack roll with Advantage. Casters can't see you to target you for spells. 'Just a guy?' Really?
I think the strongest argument against the Ranger is the developer's fixation on the concept of a Favored Enemy. Most people I knew who played Rangers in 2e and 3e did it because they liked the idea of a tracker with a bow and/or two swords who was druid-lite, and dreamed of replacing Favored Enemy with more of that. Just about every loved variant of the class was one where they traded Favored Enemy for other abilities, like ranged/dual wielding abilities or shapeshifting. I don't know why they keep coming back to that particular well.
Maybe because they're out of ideas or too afraid to try new things? IDK.
The Ranger 24 is an acceptable class for most players that are not highly invested in level 13+ play. The class has acceptable DPR up to level 12 and relatively standard class features up to that point-spellcasting, ASI, and fighter-style feats. Hunter's Mark is actually somewhat effective up to this point and the burst spells like Hail of Thorns and Conjure Barrage allow for some AoE damage that many half-casters can't provide. The wheels start to fall off as you get higher because the Hunter's Mark still requires Concentration even though you can't get it broken by damage. Obviously the level 20 feature is garbage. As the lead designer of the book I hold JC responsible for allowing that garbage to be printed. If that's the effort he was putting in to D&D at the end of his tenure I'm glad he's gone. Errata it now and focus on developing strong non-Concentration level 4 and 5 spells for the Ranger with upcoming supplements and the class will be fun to play even in tier 3 and 4.
1. I disagree that there's too much focus on Hunter's Mark. I think there shouldn't be any focus on Hunter's Mark. But then, you would need a different feature to center the class around. Not sure what it is, but it seems like they could put their heads together and come up with something.
2. ALL classes have one bad and one good stat. It's a balance issue, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Same as my point in 3, the meta is the meta. If you want to fuss with the meta, it should be a class feature, much like how the Monk eventually gets proficiency in ALL saving throws. That said, there's nothing wrong with identifying Rangers as Druid-fighters, and giving them Strength and Dex saves. Keeps them from getting pushed around too much and gives them Dex as their save. I'll be honest, I would've preferred if their saves were Wisdom and Strength, as this feels more Rangery than Strength and Dex.
4. Honestly? Roving isn't a terrible idea for a central class feature. Build the ranger around movement and adaptability. I never understood why Monks get to functionally double their move speed, and Rangers (RANGErs!) barely get anything. That said, you'd have to sell it to the people who think the whole purpose of a character class is to deal as much damage as possible.
6. Re-read Umbral Sight. The ability (in both 2024 and 2014) specifically says that, while you are in total darkness, you are invisible to enemies who rely on darkvision to see you. Since, while in total darkness, you are already invisible to enemies who rely on regular vision to see you, and you are not invisible to enemies who rely on blindsight, tremorsense, or other senses to detect you, it's a marginal ability that is specifically useful largely for either ranged attackers or for scouting, and largely only in deep caves and the like, where you can find an area of total darkness to hide. The 2014 Gloom Stalker, after the first round, was largely just a guy. The choice to buff the ability was necessary to keep up with other classes that were getting HUGE power increases and, IMO, it only barely keeps up in 2024.
I think there's a couple oldheads in the design team that are afraid they're going to anger the other oldheads in the community if they change the characters too much. And, as a result, they piss off everyone else.
Make Hunter's Mark a Ranger only feature separate from the spell like it was in Tasha's.
Make it concentration free, but only does 1d4 at first level. You get 2 free uses at Level 1. Those you replenish 2 uses with a Short Rest. You get 3 free uses at "Ranger Level 5" not total Level 5. At Ranger Level 9 you get 4 uses. At Ranger Level 13 you get 5 uses. At Ranger Level 17 you get six uses. Each use lasts 1 hour. In addition to the bonus damage you get advantage and your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to track the marked target. So you could potentially mark a target and track it back to a lair or a bigger target so it is not just combat only. It is free to move as part of an attack action after the original target dies. You can burn a Spell Slot to restore a use. Level 1 slot gets 1 use, Level 2 gets two uses.
At Ranger Level 5 the damage goes to 1d6, at Ranger Level 9 the damage goes to 1d8, at Ranger Level 13 it goes to 1d10, at Ranger Level 17 it goes to 2d6. At Ranger Level 9, the targets attacks you with Disadvantage. At Ranger Level 13 you get Advantage on all attacks. At Ranger Level 17 any ally of yours attacks the target with Advantage.
Under this set up, there is motivation to play straight Ranger and less motivation for other classes to dip.
Then the only issue becomes the lackluster capstone that Ranger has. I'm leaning towards something like the Barbarian and the Rogue has in that the Ranger adds 4 to the ability scores of Dexterity and Wisdom to a maximum of 25. That should have massive effects across all aspects of play for a Ranger.
Anyhow that is my thoughts... that and around $5 might get you a cup of coffee.
I would enjoy the Ranger having a bit more invested in a roving-like feature. I personally almost never use Hunter's Mark - rather I cast Zephyr Strike and zip around the battlefield wherever I want. It's much more interesting than the extra damage.
I like @AnzioFaro's homebrew of applying Hunter's Mark to a favored enemy automatically. That starts to feel beneficial and thematic.
I am prepared to die on the hill that we should kill Hunter's Mark altogether. Just nix the spell and make the Ranger good without Favored Enemy. Literally nobody ever went, "oh, that Strider dude? SUPER good at fighting one Orc at a time" or "Drizz't Do'Urden? Famous for taking a second to point out a specific guy before he started wailing on him."
I don't understand how some of the most iconic heroes in the fantasy cannon obviously identify as rangers, and we can't get this right. Every example of a Ranger I can think of has three things in common: perfect situational awareness, effortless travel, and absolute mastery over their weapon of choice. If I ran down the entire list of every skill possessed by Robin Hood, Aragorn, Legolas, Drizz't, John Wick and Jason Bourne for chrissakes, the words "is very good at killing one specific guy before taking a second to move on to the next very specific guy" would not be anywhere on that list. WHY IS THE WHOLE CLASS BUILT AROUND THIS STUPID SPELL?
So I went to the bookshelf to look through my old worn-out copies of previous editions of the Player's Handbook. The AD&D PH, published in 1978, still listed the Ranger as a variant of the Fighter. Hunter's Mark did not yet exist. It was not a class mechanic, it was not a spell, it was not a thing. Instead, whenever the Ranger hits a "giant-class creature" with a weapon attack, the Ranger adds their class level to the damage roll. That's a potentially huge boost as levels advance, but back then we played hard and our characters died young. And it only applied against a handful of specific creatures, and you didn't get to choose which ones.
Fast forward to 3.5e in 2003 and there's still no mention of Hunter's Mark. Instead, the Ranger gets to choose certain creatures as their Favored Enemies. Sure, they get a +2 bonus on certain skill checks involving those creatures, but they also get a +2 bonus to their damage rolls on weapon attacks against their Favored Enemies. Plus, at every 5th level you could choose another Favored Enemy, and your damage bonuses against one of your Favored Enemies increased by 2. So at level 10 you'd have 3 Favored Enemies and your damage bonuses against them would be either +4 +4 +2 or +6 +2 +2. At level 20 you would have 5 Favored Enemies with the potential of up to +10 on your damage rolls against one, if you took just +2 against the other 4. Or you could spread out the damage a bit with +6 +4 +4 +2 +2 or even +4 +4 +4 +4 +2.
So back before Hunter's Mark was a spell, the germ of the idea started as part of the Favored Enemy class feature. And personally, I think that's where it should have stayed! A Ranger chooses certain Favored Enemies, and each time you hit one with a weapon attack you do an additional 1d6 damage automatically. (I just think the +1d6 is easier math to manage than adding a bunch of +2's over and over). Maybe at certain higher levels that should increase to 1d8 or even 1d10 eventually. There's certainly a valid argument to be made for that.
But, in the end, the rules say what the rules say, and nothing we say here will change that. But likewise, we are each free to adjudicate the matter how we each see fit at our own tables, and neither Hasbro nor WotC can change that. So that's it. This is a game about imagination. We're allowed to change rules as we see fit. So do that. There's really nothing left to debate, is there?
Favored enemy was always a bad idea for a class feature, on the basis that it was too situational to be good for many tables. At the same time, the idea of a character that is hyper-focused to be good at hunting and eradicating a particular enemy is a very compelling one. Goblin Slayer is an anime, and a manga before that. Van Richten is based off of the idea of a monster hunter in the classic sense - someone who hunts evil monsters through guile and expertise.
Favored Enemy and Hunter's Mark are just the remnants of an idea that should have never been made into a class.
So my idea here, broadly, is to keep movement, adaptation, and environmental and weapon mastery as mainstays of the Ranger class, but put Favored Enemy and Hunter's Mark as features of the Hunter Subclass for Ranger, which is supposed to embody the idea of a specific-monster hunter anyway. Choosing Giant Hunter (or Giant Killer) is a fairly classic fairy tale concept, and one that would work remarkably well for a Giant-specific campaign. If your campaign is in the Underdark, choosing Aberration and Monstrosity would be pretty great. I wouldn't know how to design abilities that would be awesome but not broken would work there. Presumably Hunter's Mark would lose the damage bonus entirely and just allow you to track and get save bonuses against that creature's attacks, and also let you intuit things about the specific creature you put it on, on top of whatever else you're getting from your specialization.
However, the main damage features have to be on the basic Ranger chassis, not on the Subclass; the main problem with the 2024 Ranger specifically is that no damage features are present on the main class in tiers 2 and 3, which stalls the damage output severely and that makes them feel lacking in the battle pillar of the game.
My proposal here is simple.
Put it on the spell list. It's a super easy fix, presuming that you're committed to killing Hunter's Mark. I don't mean make one spell like Hunter's Mark or even a bunch of spells like Hunter's Mark. I mean a whole bunch of spells like Ensnaring Strike. It'd be like the Smite group of spells for the Paladin, but we put in two groups - one for archers, and one for TWF Rangers, because those two styles are the most iconic. Presumably, Duelist Rangers can go into the Hunter subclass, pick up some specialist damage there, and still be viable.
The format for them would be like the current Magic Weapon - spells that enhance the Ranger's weaponry as a bonus action, which may or may not last for 10 minutes to an hour, but which do not require concentration. These could be spells that add rider effects on attacks, or that enhance one attack to be incredibly powerful. On the one hand, it would be like Weapon Mastery but more powerful, and on the other hand, it would be a lot more similar to Hail of Thorns - except Hail of Thorns sucks, so better than that.
As example of an effect like that would be something like this:
Withering Blade (Ranger)
Level 2
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (two weapons which must each cost more than 1 CP)
Duration: one hour
You enchant yourself with the weakening power of winter. When you hit one creature with a weapon, that creature has Disadvantage on all attacks until the start of your next turn. Its speed is also reduced by 10 until this spell ends. When you hit one creature with two weapons in the same turn, you can add 3d6 damage to the damage roll of one of those attacks, dealing the same damage type as the attack.
Arrow of Slaying (Ranger)
Level 4
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (one ammunition worth at least 10 gp, or one magic ammunition)
You enchant one arrow with the ability to bring death to a specific type of creature. You specify the type of creature your ammunition is meant to slay when you cast the spell. If a creature belonging to the type you specify takes damage from your ammunition, the creature must make a Con save or take an extra 6d10 damage piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Something like that. TWF spells are focused on conditions and deal a bit of extra damage if the enemy is easy to hit. Ranged weapon attack spells are all about big damage or insta-wins.
I would argue that the Scout Rogue makes a better Assassin than the Assassin, and that the Ranger is a waaaay better scout, but... As to everything else:
1. The reliance on Hunter's Mark is a holdover from earlier editions. They can't seem to let go of the Favored Enemy concept, even though it wasn't even a particularly well-liked class feature in the first place. That said, if you ask me, there's not THAT much reliance on it (outside the Winter Walker subclass), just a little too much time spent on it.
2. Rangers can't have Dex and Wisdom as their save proficiencies, because Dex and Wisdom are both considered "good" saves. Dex, Con and Wis affect most of the meaningful saves players make in-game (dodging spells, resisting poisons and maintaining concentration, resisting mind control and fear respectively), while Str, Int, and Cha affect rarer or less important saves (Resisting being pushed/grappled, identifying illusions, resisting possession respectively). Each class has one "good" and one "bad" save, and Str is the Ranger's "bad" save, largely because it's more thematic than Int or Cha.
3. I don't know how these things are connected, but all spellcasting classes now get spellcasting at level one, so that's just keeping pace with the meta.
4. Level 3 is the level you get your subclass and subclass abilities. No class gains meaningful class abilities at level 3. Semi-exception is Paladin, who gets Channel Divinity, but only because their subclass features are powered by it; standalone, it's a nothingburger class feature. Martial classes get their class-defining abilities at level 1, usually a Fighting Style Feat and something else small at level 2, subclasses at level 3, ASI at level 4, and double-attack at level 5. Level 6 is the earliest they COULD get Roving, unless you think it should replace Favored Enemy or Deft Explorer.
5. You can just re-flavor the class however you want.
6. While the Doom Stalker was inarguably the most effective combat subclass for the 2014 Ranger, it made a nearly unplayable class into a subpar class with a playable subclass. It was also incredibly front-loaded - almost all your abilities were first-round-only, meaning you'd get one round feeling like a kickass asskicker, then you'd just kinda... be a guy. Compared to the rest of the 2024 subclasses (and most of the legacy onces) for other classes, it's subpar at best. Giving the subclass longevity makes it worthwhile, especially as 2024 made a concerted effort to make combat last longer.
I think the strongest argument against the Ranger is the developer's fixation on the concept of a Favored Enemy. Most people I knew who played Rangers in 2e and 3e did it because they liked the idea of a tracker with a bow and/or two swords who was druid-lite, and dreamed of replacing Favored Enemy with more of that. Just about every loved variant of the class was one where they traded Favored Enemy for other abilities, like ranged/dual wielding abilities or shapeshifting. I don't know why they keep coming back to that particular well.
I think of the Ranger as a skirmisher in combat, striking with ranged attacks or hit & run melee attacks. I think of them as having knowledge & skills that focus on environments & creatures.
Let's give them a 10 ft movement boost at level 1. Spellcasting and Weapon Mastery.
At Level 2, give them a Fighting Style AND 2 Druid Cantrips. To represent the skirmisher style of combat, new feature called Skirmisher: make Opportunity Attacks against them have Disadvantage, as long as they are wearing Light or Medium Armor.
Level 3, Subclass. New Feature: Wild Awareness. As a Bonus Action, you become aware of any Beasts, Fey, or Monstrosities within 60 ft for one minute. You know their location and numbers, even if they would be otherwise obscured or invisible. Walls, floors, and other natural obstacles do not affect this ability. You can use this feature twice per short rest, and you gain a 3rd use per short rest at level 11, and at level 11, the creature types you can sense expands to include Dragons, Giants, and Elementals. At Level 18, it improves once again, and becomes Feral Awareness.
Level 4, ASI.
Level 5, Extra Attack. And Roving. 10 more feet of movement. Swim & Climb speeds. Movement is not reduced by non-magical difficult terrain.
Level 6. Frontier Knowledge. You and any allies within 15 feet gain a bonus to skill checks that you have proficiency with equal to your Wisdom Modifier. If the skill affected already uses your Wisdom modifier, you add your Wisdom modifier twice. (Your allies need not be proficient with the skill. For example, if your Ranger has proficiency with Stealth, then you and any allies within 10 ft would add your Wisdom modifier. This ability is why Expertise is gone. Let the Rogue and Bard have Expertise.) If you or an ally make a skill check with a skill you are not proficient in, this feature does not apply.
Level 7, Subclass Feature. Level 8, ASI.
Level 9, Improved Skirmisher. If you make a melee attack against an enemy, you can Disengage as a Free Action. If an enemy makes a ranged attack or ranged spell attack against you, you can use your Reaction to make a single ranged attack against them.
Level 10, Tireless. Except make the Temp hp a Bonus Action. Keep the short rest Exhaustion level reduction. Add another 10 ft of movement speed.
Level 11, Subclass feature. Level 12, ASI.
Level 13, Elemental Hunter. Your Strikes now have the power of the elements. After any short or long rest, choose from Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, Poison, or Thunder Damage. Your weapon attacks or unarmed strikes now do 1d8 additional damage of the chosen type. You also have resistance to the chosen type of damage.
Level 14, Nature's Veil. I think this is a good feature.
Level 15, subclass feature. Level 16, ASI.
Level 17. You can share your Frontier Knowledge with allies up to 30 feet away. Gain 10 more feet of movement.
Level 18. Feral Awareness. Your Wild Awareness gains a 4th use per short or long rest, and it works for all creature types.
Level 19, Epic Boon.
Level 20. Epic Skirmisher. Wisdom modifier times per long rest, you can use your Action to make an attack every time you move 10 ft.
A Ranger that has no Hunter's Mark features, and no Favored Enemy features (although, I'll admit, Wild Awareness functions like a kind of Favored Enemy. But I took more inspiration for it from the Paladin's Divine Sense.) Anyway. This Ranger focuses on movement, skills, and being aware of creatures. Along with the Ranger's spells, I think this could be a class that has a unique feel to it mechanically. You have a character with a final movement speed of (at least) 70 feet, including Swim, Climb, and Difficult Terrain. They have protection from Opportunity Attacks, so they can strike & move. They can counter ranged attacks, and can protect themselves against area effects. They have a unique boost to their skill set, which they can also use to boost their allies' skills. And, they have the ability to be aware of certain creatures thst are nearby, even if they are hidden or invisible. Capstone is moving and attacking, many times. Movement. Awareness. Skills. Hit & Run skirmisher combat.
Beast Master: Change their level 11 Bestial Fury ability. Instead of tying it to Hunter's Mark- or giving them any extra damage at all- give players the opportunity to "train" their Primal Companion to have some skill or traits of some of the beasts. Grapple with a bite. Knock prone with a pounce or trip. Essentially.... Weapon Masteries, but for the Companion. Add the spell list: Ranger 3- Speak with Animals, R5- Summon Beast, R9- Conjure Animals, R13- Dominate Beast, R17- Awaken.
Fey Wanderer & Gloom Stalker are fine.
Hunter. Change level 3 Hunter's Lore to simply use a Bonus Action to learn resistances, etc. There's no need, then, for it to be tied to casting Hunter's Mark. Level 3 Hunter's Prey: eliminate the short or long rest requirement. Just let players choose each turn. Level 7 Defensive Tactics: Multiattack Defense- change it to last until the start of your next turn. Escape Harm: (replaces Escape the Horde): Advantage on Saves vs spells and effects that affect an area. Level 11, Superior Hunters Prey: change the d8 for a d12. Level 15- good as is. Hunter Spell List: R3: Hunter's Mark, R5- Invisibility, R9- Lightning Bolt, R13- Locate Creature R17- Hold Monster
The Ranger 24 is an acceptable class for most players that are not highly invested in level 13+ play. The class has acceptable DPR up to level 12 and relatively standard class features up to that point-spellcasting, ASI, and fighter-style feats. Hunter's Mark is actually somewhat effective up to this point and the burst spells like Hail of Thorns and Conjure Barrage allow for some AoE damage that many half-casters can't provide. The wheels start to fall off as you get higher because the Hunter's Mark still requires Concentration even though you can't get it broken by damage. Obviously the level 20 feature is garbage. As the lead designer of the book I hold JC responsible for allowing that garbage to be printed. If that's the effort he was putting in to D&D at the end of his tenure I'm glad he's gone. Errata it now and focus on developing strong non-Concentration level 4 and 5 spells for the Ranger with upcoming supplements and the class will be fun to play even in tier 3 and 4.
1. I disagree that there's too much focus on Hunter's Mark. I think there shouldn't be any focus on Hunter's Mark. But then, you would need a different feature to center the class around. Not sure what it is, but it seems like they could put their heads together and come up with something.
2. ALL classes have one bad and one good stat. It's a balance issue, and I don't think there's anything wrong with it. Same as my point in 3, the meta is the meta. If you want to fuss with the meta, it should be a class feature, much like how the Monk eventually gets proficiency in ALL saving throws. That said, there's nothing wrong with identifying Rangers as Druid-fighters, and giving them Strength and Dex saves. Keeps them from getting pushed around too much and gives them Dex as their save. I'll be honest, I would've preferred if their saves were Wisdom and Strength, as this feels more Rangery than Strength and Dex.
4. Honestly? Roving isn't a terrible idea for a central class feature. Build the ranger around movement and adaptability. I never understood why Monks get to functionally double their move speed, and Rangers (RANGErs!) barely get anything. That said, you'd have to sell it to the people who think the whole purpose of a character class is to deal as much damage as possible.
6. Re-read Umbral Sight. The ability (in both 2024 and 2014) specifically says that, while you are in total darkness, you are invisible to enemies who rely on darkvision to see you. Since, while in total darkness, you are already invisible to enemies who rely on regular vision to see you, and you are not invisible to enemies who rely on blindsight, tremorsense, or other senses to detect you, it's a marginal ability that is specifically useful largely for either ranged attackers or for scouting, and largely only in deep caves and the like, where you can find an area of total darkness to hide. The 2014 Gloom Stalker, after the first round, was largely just a guy. The choice to buff the ability was necessary to keep up with other classes that were getting HUGE power increases and, IMO, it only barely keeps up in 2024.
I think there's a couple oldheads in the design team that are afraid they're going to anger the other oldheads in the community if they change the characters too much. And, as a result, they piss off everyone else.
My thoughts on the Ranger...
Make Hunter's Mark a Ranger only feature separate from the spell like it was in Tasha's.
Make it concentration free, but only does 1d4 at first level. You get 2 free uses at Level 1. Those you replenish 2 uses with a Short Rest. You get 3 free uses at "Ranger Level 5" not total Level 5. At Ranger Level 9 you get 4 uses. At Ranger Level 13 you get 5 uses. At Ranger Level 17 you get six uses. Each use lasts 1 hour. In addition to the bonus damage you get advantage and your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to track the marked target. So you could potentially mark a target and track it back to a lair or a bigger target so it is not just combat only. It is free to move as part of an attack action after the original target dies. You can burn a Spell Slot to restore a use. Level 1 slot gets 1 use, Level 2 gets two uses.
At Ranger Level 5 the damage goes to 1d6, at Ranger Level 9 the damage goes to 1d8, at Ranger Level 13 it goes to 1d10, at Ranger Level 17 it goes to 2d6. At Ranger Level 9, the targets attacks you with Disadvantage. At Ranger Level 13 you get Advantage on all attacks. At Ranger Level 17 any ally of yours attacks the target with Advantage.
Under this set up, there is motivation to play straight Ranger and less motivation for other classes to dip.
Then the only issue becomes the lackluster capstone that Ranger has. I'm leaning towards something like the Barbarian and the Rogue has in that the Ranger adds 4 to the ability scores of Dexterity and Wisdom to a maximum of 25. That should have massive effects across all aspects of play for a Ranger.
Anyhow that is my thoughts... that and around $5 might get you a cup of coffee.
I would enjoy the Ranger having a bit more invested in a roving-like feature. I personally almost never use Hunter's Mark - rather I cast Zephyr Strike and zip around the battlefield wherever I want. It's much more interesting than the extra damage.
I like @AnzioFaro's homebrew of applying Hunter's Mark to a favored enemy automatically. That starts to feel beneficial and thematic.
I am prepared to die on the hill that we should kill Hunter's Mark altogether. Just nix the spell and make the Ranger good without Favored Enemy. Literally nobody ever went, "oh, that Strider dude? SUPER good at fighting one Orc at a time" or "Drizz't Do'Urden? Famous for taking a second to point out a specific guy before he started wailing on him."
I don't understand how some of the most iconic heroes in the fantasy cannon obviously identify as rangers, and we can't get this right. Every example of a Ranger I can think of has three things in common: perfect situational awareness, effortless travel, and absolute mastery over their weapon of choice. If I ran down the entire list of every skill possessed by Robin Hood, Aragorn, Legolas, Drizz't, John Wick and Jason Bourne for chrissakes, the words "is very good at killing one specific guy before taking a second to move on to the next very specific guy" would not be anywhere on that list. WHY IS THE WHOLE CLASS BUILT AROUND THIS STUPID SPELL?
So I went to the bookshelf to look through my old worn-out copies of previous editions of the Player's Handbook. The AD&D PH, published in 1978, still listed the Ranger as a variant of the Fighter. Hunter's Mark did not yet exist. It was not a class mechanic, it was not a spell, it was not a thing. Instead, whenever the Ranger hits a "giant-class creature" with a weapon attack, the Ranger adds their class level to the damage roll. That's a potentially huge boost as levels advance, but back then we played hard and our characters died young. And it only applied against a handful of specific creatures, and you didn't get to choose which ones.
Fast forward to 3.5e in 2003 and there's still no mention of Hunter's Mark. Instead, the Ranger gets to choose certain creatures as their Favored Enemies. Sure, they get a +2 bonus on certain skill checks involving those creatures, but they also get a +2 bonus to their damage rolls on weapon attacks against their Favored Enemies. Plus, at every 5th level you could choose another Favored Enemy, and your damage bonuses against one of your Favored Enemies increased by 2. So at level 10 you'd have 3 Favored Enemies and your damage bonuses against them would be either +4 +4 +2 or +6 +2 +2. At level 20 you would have 5 Favored Enemies with the potential of up to +10 on your damage rolls against one, if you took just +2 against the other 4. Or you could spread out the damage a bit with +6 +4 +4 +2 +2 or even +4 +4 +4 +4 +2.
So back before Hunter's Mark was a spell, the germ of the idea started as part of the Favored Enemy class feature. And personally, I think that's where it should have stayed! A Ranger chooses certain Favored Enemies, and each time you hit one with a weapon attack you do an additional 1d6 damage automatically. (I just think the +1d6 is easier math to manage than adding a bunch of +2's over and over). Maybe at certain higher levels that should increase to 1d8 or even 1d10 eventually. There's certainly a valid argument to be made for that.
But, in the end, the rules say what the rules say, and nothing we say here will change that. But likewise, we are each free to adjudicate the matter how we each see fit at our own tables, and neither Hasbro nor WotC can change that. So that's it. This is a game about imagination. We're allowed to change rules as we see fit. So do that. There's really nothing left to debate, is there?
Anzio Faro. Protector Aasimar light cleric. Lvl 18.
Viktor Gavriil. White dragonborn grave cleric. Lvl 20.
Ikram Sahir ibn-Malik al-Sayyid Ra'ad. Brass dragonborn draconic sorcerer Lvl 9. Fire elemental devil.
Wrangler of cats.
Favored enemy was always a bad idea for a class feature, on the basis that it was too situational to be good for many tables. At the same time, the idea of a character that is hyper-focused to be good at hunting and eradicating a particular enemy is a very compelling one. Goblin Slayer is an anime, and a manga before that. Van Richten is based off of the idea of a monster hunter in the classic sense - someone who hunts evil monsters through guile and expertise.
Favored Enemy and Hunter's Mark are just the remnants of an idea that should have never been made into a class.
So my idea here, broadly, is to keep movement, adaptation, and environmental and weapon mastery as mainstays of the Ranger class, but put Favored Enemy and Hunter's Mark as features of the Hunter Subclass for Ranger, which is supposed to embody the idea of a specific-monster hunter anyway. Choosing Giant Hunter (or Giant Killer) is a fairly classic fairy tale concept, and one that would work remarkably well for a Giant-specific campaign. If your campaign is in the Underdark, choosing Aberration and Monstrosity would be pretty great. I wouldn't know how to design abilities that would be awesome but not broken would work there. Presumably Hunter's Mark would lose the damage bonus entirely and just allow you to track and get save bonuses against that creature's attacks, and also let you intuit things about the specific creature you put it on, on top of whatever else you're getting from your specialization.
However, the main damage features have to be on the basic Ranger chassis, not on the Subclass; the main problem with the 2024 Ranger specifically is that no damage features are present on the main class in tiers 2 and 3, which stalls the damage output severely and that makes them feel lacking in the battle pillar of the game.
My proposal here is simple.
Put it on the spell list. It's a super easy fix, presuming that you're committed to killing Hunter's Mark. I don't mean make one spell like Hunter's Mark or even a bunch of spells like Hunter's Mark. I mean a whole bunch of spells like Ensnaring Strike. It'd be like the Smite group of spells for the Paladin, but we put in two groups - one for archers, and one for TWF Rangers, because those two styles are the most iconic. Presumably, Duelist Rangers can go into the Hunter subclass, pick up some specialist damage there, and still be viable.
The format for them would be like the current Magic Weapon - spells that enhance the Ranger's weaponry as a bonus action, which may or may not last for 10 minutes to an hour, but which do not require concentration. These could be spells that add rider effects on attacks, or that enhance one attack to be incredibly powerful. On the one hand, it would be like Weapon Mastery but more powerful, and on the other hand, it would be a lot more similar to Hail of Thorns - except Hail of Thorns sucks, so better than that.
As example of an effect like that would be something like this:
Withering Blade (Ranger)
Level 2
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (two weapons which must each cost more than 1 CP)
Duration: one hour
You enchant yourself with the weakening power of winter. When you hit one creature with a weapon, that creature has Disadvantage on all attacks until the start of your next turn. Its speed is also reduced by 10 until this spell ends. When you hit one creature with two weapons in the same turn, you can add 3d6 damage to the damage roll of one of those attacks, dealing the same damage type as the attack.
Arrow of Slaying (Ranger)
Level 4
Casting Time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (one ammunition worth at least 10 gp, or one magic ammunition)
You enchant one arrow with the ability to bring death to a specific type of creature. You specify the type of creature your ammunition is meant to slay when you cast the spell. If a creature belonging to the type you specify takes damage from your ammunition, the creature must make a Con save or take an extra 6d10 damage piercing damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Something like that. TWF spells are focused on conditions and deal a bit of extra damage if the enemy is easy to hit. Ranged weapon attack spells are all about big damage or insta-wins.