IMHO... Favored Foe should work as duration 1 minute. No concentration. Uses regenerate on short rest. yes it would stack with lots. But its a small amount of damage. With this, each use would cover 10 rounds of combat. This gives the Ranger at least one fallback...
And for Favored Enemy, have the ranger meditate at morning, as part of daily prep, on what favored enemies they are going to prep for, recollect info on. And only allow that change after a long rest. To make it more interesting, have the ranger keep a journal of creatures they have fought, or researched. A field journal or log book Which they study and review as they prep for that day. One could even have the player actually keep a journal of what the character fought.
Hunters Mark is fun and useful. My 2nd level ranger used it on the last of a band of goblins, hit him with an arrow and we let the little F-ker run away, using Hunters Mark to follow him back to their lair and finding the good loot! That said I have HM and FF because Ranger resources are few and far between. Cant hurt to have the extra damage available in a tight fight.
I can only presume that Favored Foe is all or nothing when it comes to its similarity to a spell and how it should be treated regarding concentration. Jeremy Crawford has tweeted that effects that require concentration and spells with concentration cannot be used in tandem with one another (I believe he was referring to an ability of the Trickery Cleric). When it comes to using them at the same time, I'm going to take a RAW approach here;
There's actually no part of the player's handbook that claims that you can't concentrate on 2 spells at once. There are 3 criteria for losing concentration on a spell; 1. Casting another spell that requires concentration
2. Failing a concentration check
3. Gaining the 'Incapacitated' condition.
That's the only thing the book says in regard to concentration. So hypothetically, if you could get yourself to a point where you are concentrating on more than one spell without violating any of these 3 criteria, you could focus on multiple spells at once. This being said, you could hypothetically cast Hunter's Mark (or some other concentration spell) and then use Favored Foe. The Use of Favored Foe, since it is not a spell, does not violate the criteria.
As always however, ask your DM. I think the intention here was as Crawford stated for you to not use it in tandem with concentration spells and I feel most DM's will follow suit with that.
Just thought of an adjustment to my thoughts on Favored Enemy.
Allow the ranger to observe the creatures they want to sue FE against, for 1 full minute (not long enough for you, make it 5 or 10 minutes). Thus preventing observation in combat but makes it a pre-combat prep research activity. While observing them the ranger is watching how they move, where are their weaknesses, how best to attack them, etc. At the end of the time required, that creature is an FE till they change it. The number of creatures the ranger can have as an FE at the same time is determined by the FE ability as per ranger level.
In lieu of watching them, perhaps research the creatures in a library, or talk to local experts that know the creatures well. Perhaps other rangers that work that area and know those creatures.
This would take the ability and add role play interaction opportunity for the player to run their character in while making FE more flexible but still kept to certain limits.
Here's how the Ranger's "Favored Enemy" works in my campaign, and I think it works pretty well. The Ranger's supposed to know things about monsters, and this gets you there without the player picking "Orcs" and then there not being any Orcs in the campaign. (I realize this cannibalizes the 3rd level ability of the Monster Slayer - they get to pick one of the 3rd level Hunter choices instead):
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 1st level, you gain the ability to peer at a creature and magically analyze how best to hurt it. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You immediately learn whether the creature has any damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities and what they are. If the creature is hidden from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities.
Additionally, the first time each turn that you hit the analyzed creature with a weapon attack, it takes an extra 1d6 damage from the weapon.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
The problems with favored enemy are really twofold. First you simply don’t get enough. You get 4 (or 5 if you take humanoids) out of 14 possibilities. Simply increasing the numbers would solve a lot of problems - 3 at L1 ( 4 if you take humanoids) , 3 at level 6 and 3 more at L14 would give you the majority of the foe groups at high level and unless you just stepped into a new world you should have an idea of which are the best ones to choose for that world. The second problem is that it gives advantage on tracking and knowledge rolls.That wasn’t a problem until the rogue scout came along. It gave you the equivalent of a +4 on top of your roll + stat bonus + PB which was the best you could do at the time. ( say a + 12 to the roll at tier 4) then the scout rogue came along with expertise in nature and survival giving them a +14 to the roll at tier 4 (2x+6 +2) making them the best woodsman. The UA2 ranger by and large solved this by giving the ranger 4 expertises that could be used for nature and survival keeping them at least equal. The UA6 ranger walks this back which is one of reasons I don’t like it. These are also the problems with natural explorer - only get expertise with the selected terrains and you get too few terrains. Solution? Start with the UA2 ranger take expertise in nature and survival (second problem solved and natural explorer less needed). Favored enemy - now you add the advantage on tracking and knowledge rolls (+16 now) and when fighting a favored enemy you get +1d4 damage on 1 hit/round. Deft Explorer - drop the additional expertise and replace it with the extra benefits of natural explorer.
One situational advantage that Favored Foe has over Hunter's Mark is that HM requires you see the target, but FF just requires you to hit the target to mark it. Thus one can do FF damage even while suffering from the blinded condition.
Also, FF has no range limitation, so a longbow attack that hits at extreme range like 600 feet can trigger FF.
IMHO... Favored Foe should work as duration 1 minute. No concentration. Uses regenerate on short rest. yes it would stack with lots. But its a small amount of damage. With this, each use would cover 10 rounds of combat. This gives the Ranger at least one fallback...
And for Favored Enemy, have the ranger meditate at morning, as part of daily prep, on what favored enemies they are going to prep for, recollect info on. And only allow that change after a long rest. To make it more interesting, have the ranger keep a journal of creatures they have fought, or researched. A field journal or log book Which they study and review as they prep for that day. One could even have the player actually keep a journal of what the character fought.
Just my 5 cents worth...
[_B^)
Hunters Mark is fun and useful. My 2nd level ranger used it on the last of a band of goblins, hit him with an arrow and we let the little F-ker run away, using Hunters Mark to follow him back to their lair and finding the good loot! That said I have HM and FF because Ranger resources are few and far between. Cant hurt to have the extra damage available in a tight fight.
Little late to the party but I'll bite.
I can only presume that Favored Foe is all or nothing when it comes to its similarity to a spell and how it should be treated regarding concentration.
Jeremy Crawford has tweeted that effects that require concentration and spells with concentration cannot be used in tandem with one another (I believe he was referring to an ability of the Trickery Cleric). When it comes to using them at the same time, I'm going to take a RAW approach here;
There's actually no part of the player's handbook that claims that you can't concentrate on 2 spells at once. There are 3 criteria for losing concentration on a spell;
1. Casting another spell that requires concentration
2. Failing a concentration check
3. Gaining the 'Incapacitated' condition.
That's the only thing the book says in regard to concentration. So hypothetically, if you could get yourself to a point where you are concentrating on more than one spell without violating any of these 3 criteria, you could focus on multiple spells at once. This being said, you could hypothetically cast Hunter's Mark (or some other concentration spell) and then use Favored Foe. The Use of Favored Foe, since it is not a spell, does not violate the criteria.
As always however, ask your DM. I think the intention here was as Crawford stated for you to not use it in tandem with concentration spells and I feel most DM's will follow suit with that.
Jordan Dunn
Just thought of an adjustment to my thoughts on Favored Enemy.
Allow the ranger to observe the creatures they want to sue FE against, for 1 full minute (not long enough for you, make it 5 or 10 minutes). Thus preventing observation in combat but makes it a pre-combat prep research activity. While observing them the ranger is watching how they move, where are their weaknesses, how best to attack them, etc. At the end of the time required, that creature is an FE till they change it. The number of creatures the ranger can have as an FE at the same time is determined by the FE ability as per ranger level.
In lieu of watching them, perhaps research the creatures in a library, or talk to local experts that know the creatures well. Perhaps other rangers that work that area and know those creatures.
This would take the ability and add role play interaction opportunity for the player to run their character in while making FE more flexible but still kept to certain limits.
Here's how the Ranger's "Favored Enemy" works in my campaign, and I think it works pretty well. The Ranger's supposed to know things about monsters, and this gets you there without the player picking "Orcs" and then there not being any Orcs in the campaign. (I realize this cannibalizes the 3rd level ability of the Monster Slayer - they get to pick one of the 3rd level Hunter choices instead):
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 1st level, you gain the ability to peer at a creature and magically analyze how best to hurt it. As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You immediately learn whether the creature has any damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities and what they are. If the creature is hidden from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities.
Additionally, the first time each turn that you hit the analyzed creature with a weapon attack, it takes an extra 1d6 damage from the weapon.
You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.
Nice adaptation.
The problems with favored enemy are really twofold. First you simply don’t get enough. You get 4 (or 5 if you take humanoids) out of 14 possibilities. Simply increasing the numbers would solve a lot of problems - 3 at L1 ( 4 if you take humanoids) , 3 at level 6 and 3 more at L14 would give you the majority of the foe groups at high level and unless you just stepped into a new world you should have an idea of which are the best ones to choose for that world. The second problem is that it gives advantage on tracking and knowledge rolls.That wasn’t a problem until the rogue scout came along. It gave you the equivalent of a +4 on top of your roll + stat bonus + PB which was the best you could do at the time. ( say a + 12 to the roll at tier 4) then the scout rogue came along with expertise in nature and survival giving them a +14 to the roll at tier 4 (2x+6 +2) making them the best woodsman. The UA2 ranger by and large solved this by giving the ranger 4 expertises that could be used for nature and survival keeping them at least equal. The UA6 ranger walks this back which is one of reasons I don’t like it. These are also the problems with natural explorer - only get expertise with the selected terrains and you get too few terrains.
Solution? Start with the UA2 ranger take expertise in nature and survival (second problem solved and natural explorer less needed).
Favored enemy - now you add the advantage on tracking and knowledge rolls (+16 now) and when fighting a favored enemy you get +1d4 damage on 1 hit/round.
Deft Explorer - drop the additional expertise and replace it with the extra benefits of natural explorer.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
One situational advantage that Favored Foe has over Hunter's Mark is that HM requires you see the target, but FF just requires you to hit the target to mark it. Thus one can do FF damage even while suffering from the blinded condition.
Also, FF has no range limitation, so a longbow attack that hits at extreme range like 600 feet can trigger FF.