Thematically, it's channeling the essence of nature to cast magic.
Mechanically, they're half casters, so they gain new spell slot levels at half the rate of regular casters (wizards, sorcerers, etc) at cap out at 5th level spell slots.
A bunch of their magic is nature based, like a druid. They borrow a few tools from paladins (spells that trigger on your next attack) and Hunter's Mark is their staple damage booster.
They sure do! Rangers are spellcasters in 5th edition D&D. Much of what makes them mechanically fun and powerful is actually hidden away in their spells. Give these (my personal recommendations) spells (all from the Player's Handbook) a look over...
Level 1 Spells: Ensnaring Strike, Fog Cloud, Goodberry, Hail of Thorns, Hunter's Mark, and Speak with Animals.
Level 2 Spells: Beast Sense, Dark Vision, Lessor Restoration, Locate Animals or Plants, Locate Object, Pass Without Trace, and Spike Growth.
Level 3 Spells: Conjure Animals, Lightning Arrow, Plant Growth, and Water Breathing.
Level 4 Spells: Conjure Woodland Beings, and Locate Creature.
Level 5 Spells: Conjure Volley, Swift Quiver, and Tree Stride.
Rangers have a limited numbers of known spells and can only swap them out at a level up so coordinate with the other party members who can cast spells to reduce redundancies within the party. Don't forget to "upcast" your spells as well. The ways rangers "get by" with only known spells and so few of them is through good use of concentration (keeping one spell slot working longer like with hunter's mark and conjure animals) and through upcasting spells already known for a bigger or more powerful effect (like hail of thorns and fog cloud). Hail of Thorns is alright with a level 1 spell slot but it is really good with a level 3 spell slot if you are hitting 2 or more creatures. Rangers can't be an all around spell caster (that's more of the druids job) as they don't have enough spells known and enough spell slots, so think about what kind of ranger you want to be and personalize them through their spells. Are they mainly a damage dealer? Do they interact with animals (speaking, sensing through them, and conjuring them)? Are they a hunter/tracker? Are they an expert at stealth and urban warfare? Are they a healer and protector? Two rangers can play very differently through these selections.
I would rather approach this question from a different angle. Do rangers use "MAGIC"? How would you build a Ranger who doesn't appear to use magic. This would exclude spells with obviously magical effects (Examples: Ensnaring strike, healing spirit, lightning arrow), and class abilities with obviously magical effects (Horizon Walker, Fey Wanderer). I think with careful selection of specific spells and specific subclass you will make a Ranger who is mostly natural.
Spells: 1st Hunter's mark, Zephyr Strike, Animal Friendship, Jump, Longstrider, SNARE is perfect, Speak with Animals 2nd Animal Messenger?, its a really magical list and from there on it gets harder. Good luck here.
For subclass you will want something like Monster Slayer, Beast Master, Hunter, and Gloom Stalker. Its pretty easy to make these amagical at early levels, but as you go up and get access to more spells they will definitely feel like spells and it will be hard to reskin with role playing.
I would recommend multiclassing with the Scout Rogue to help make it feel natural.
For second level spells that aren't obviously magical... Darkvision, Beast Sense, Most of the divination spells like find trap though some are more useful than others. Nondetection is one that likely isn't entirely obviously magical type of magic for 3rd level.
All that being said I've got a different thought and question. I rarely see Guardian of Nature make many people's spell lists. Is it because it's from Xanathar's so it's still relatively new? Is it because it's 4th level so it's not picked up early enough for others to really consider as viable in general? Is there something fatally bad about it that I'm missing? I mean I'm aware it is concentration but Rangers are very full of concentration spells at all levels.
I typically use only the Player's Handbook for references and suggestions. I don't assume everyone has or wants to use any optional rules. BUT! The ranger gets some great spells in both optional books, both Xanathar's and Tasha's.
In XGE they get Absorb Elements, Zephyr Strike, Healing Spirit, Guardian of Nature, Steel Wind Strike, and Wrath of Nature. All amazing!!!
I typically use only the Player's Handbook for references and suggestions. I don't assume everyone has or wants to use any optional rules. BUT! The ranger gets some great spells in both optional books, both Xanathar's and Tasha's.
In XGE they get Absorb Elements, Zephyr Strike, Healing Spirit, Guardian of Nature, Steel Wind Strike, and Wrath of Nature. All amazing!!!
Fair enough and an understandable rule. I hadn't thought of it that way. I was just curious and I'd felt like I'd heard of other spells from it in other places or threads.
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Basically, do rangers use magic, (working on character.)
Mythology Master
Yes, they use magic.
Thematically, it's channeling the essence of nature to cast magic.
Mechanically, they're half casters, so they gain new spell slot levels at half the rate of regular casters (wizards, sorcerers, etc) at cap out at 5th level spell slots.
A bunch of their magic is nature based, like a druid. They borrow a few tools from paladins (spells that trigger on your next attack) and Hunter's Mark is their staple damage booster.
They sure do! Rangers are spellcasters in 5th edition D&D. Much of what makes them mechanically fun and powerful is actually hidden away in their spells. Give these (my personal recommendations) spells (all from the Player's Handbook) a look over...
Level 1 Spells: Ensnaring Strike, Fog Cloud, Goodberry, Hail of Thorns, Hunter's Mark, and Speak with Animals.
Level 2 Spells: Beast Sense, Dark Vision, Lessor Restoration, Locate Animals or Plants, Locate Object, Pass Without Trace, and Spike Growth.
Level 3 Spells: Conjure Animals, Lightning Arrow, Plant Growth, and Water Breathing.
Level 4 Spells: Conjure Woodland Beings, and Locate Creature.
Level 5 Spells: Conjure Volley, Swift Quiver, and Tree Stride.
Rangers have a limited numbers of known spells and can only swap them out at a level up so coordinate with the other party members who can cast spells to reduce redundancies within the party. Don't forget to "upcast" your spells as well. The ways rangers "get by" with only known spells and so few of them is through good use of concentration (keeping one spell slot working longer like with hunter's mark and conjure animals) and through upcasting spells already known for a bigger or more powerful effect (like hail of thorns and fog cloud). Hail of Thorns is alright with a level 1 spell slot but it is really good with a level 3 spell slot if you are hitting 2 or more creatures. Rangers can't be an all around spell caster (that's more of the druids job) as they don't have enough spells known and enough spell slots, so think about what kind of ranger you want to be and personalize them through their spells. Are they mainly a damage dealer? Do they interact with animals (speaking, sensing through them, and conjuring them)? Are they a hunter/tracker? Are they an expert at stealth and urban warfare? Are they a healer and protector? Two rangers can play very differently through these selections.
Ranger Class in the Player's Handbook
Ranger Spells in the Player's Handbook (level 1)
I would rather approach this question from a different angle. Do rangers use "MAGIC"? How would you build a Ranger who doesn't appear to use magic. This would exclude spells with obviously magical effects (Examples: Ensnaring strike, healing spirit, lightning arrow), and class abilities with obviously magical effects (Horizon Walker, Fey Wanderer). I think with careful selection of specific spells and specific subclass you will make a Ranger who is mostly natural.
Spells: 1st Hunter's mark, Zephyr Strike, Animal Friendship, Jump, Longstrider, SNARE is perfect, Speak with Animals
2nd Animal Messenger?, its a really magical list and from there on it gets harder. Good luck here.
For subclass you will want something like Monster Slayer, Beast Master, Hunter, and Gloom Stalker. Its pretty easy to make these amagical at early levels, but as you go up and get access to more spells they will definitely feel like spells and it will be hard to reskin with role playing.
I would recommend multiclassing with the Scout Rogue to help make it feel natural.
For second level spells that aren't obviously magical... Darkvision, Beast Sense, Most of the divination spells like find trap though some are more useful than others. Nondetection is one that likely isn't entirely obviously magical type of magic for 3rd level.
All that being said I've got a different thought and question. I rarely see Guardian of Nature make many people's spell lists. Is it because it's from Xanathar's so it's still relatively new? Is it because it's 4th level so it's not picked up early enough for others to really consider as viable in general? Is there something fatally bad about it that I'm missing? I mean I'm aware it is concentration but Rangers are very full of concentration spells at all levels.
I typically use only the Player's Handbook for references and suggestions. I don't assume everyone has or wants to use any optional rules. BUT! The ranger gets some great spells in both optional books, both Xanathar's and Tasha's.
In XGE they get Absorb Elements, Zephyr Strike, Healing Spirit, Guardian of Nature, Steel Wind Strike, and Wrath of Nature. All amazing!!!
Fair enough and an understandable rule. I hadn't thought of it that way. I was just curious and I'd felt like I'd heard of other spells from it in other places or threads.