I am running a maritime heavy campaign, and one of the players wants to do a ranger that has a specialty for underwater terrain. He will be an amphibious species, so movement and water breathing are taken care of.
I have never run a ranger before in 5e. Any ideas on abilities or attributes that might be appropriate?
Are you wanting to create a subclass from scratch or use an existing subclass which can be themed around an underwater ranger?
If the latter, then (off the top of my head):
- Gloomstalker: The ranger is adept at exploring the sunless deeps of the ocean;
- Swarmkeeper: He is accompanied by a shoal of fey spirits that appear as brightly coloured fish or those bizarre and beautiful beasties found in the midnight zone (and look like a Far Realm incursion);
- Beastmaster (Tasha’s Cauldron options): can summon a Beast of the Sea as a Primal Companion.
And on the flip side, if you want to engage with building this class from scratch, you really need to be thinking about the third level options from the conclave and whether the conclave gives access to additional spells--if so, which ones.
If you're looking for a pattern, then largely speaking, the ranger conclaves that get companions don't get extra spells and conversely the ones that don't get companions gain extra spells. All ranger conclaves gain some extra damage ability at 3rd level, which they need to fit their role as strikers. Sometimes the extra damage comes from a companion and sometimes the extra damage comes from a special ability like the Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambusher feature. Extra spells help rangers fill niches that martial prowess alone won't achieve--so Horizon Walkers and Slayers gain protection from evil and good so they can contribute to solving magic based problems. Companions help rangers be in two places at once and so they can contribute more, although not, perhaps, in more different situations.
For an underwater ranger conclave called the pearl diver, you could go either route. With an aquatic companion and a special ability to more adeptly explore underwater areas, your ranger could be a canny hero who recalls Jason Momoa's Aquaman, or with an ability to deal extra damage--perhaps when the enemy is partially or fully submerged--and additional spells, your ranger could be a fearsome combatant who recalls Tenoch Huerta's Namor.
I am running a maritime heavy campaign, and one of the players wants to do a ranger that has a specialty for underwater terrain. He will be an amphibious species, so movement and water breathing are taken care of.
I have never run a ranger before in 5e. Any ideas on abilities or attributes that might be appropriate?
He is starting at fifth level
Are you wanting to create a subclass from scratch or use an existing subclass which can be themed around an underwater ranger?
If the latter, then (off the top of my head):
- Gloomstalker: The ranger is adept at exploring the sunless deeps of the ocean;
- Swarmkeeper: He is accompanied by a shoal of fey spirits that appear as brightly coloured fish or those bizarre and beautiful beasties found in the midnight zone (and look like a Far Realm incursion);
- Beastmaster (Tasha’s Cauldron options): can summon a Beast of the Sea as a Primal Companion.
Hope these ideas help.
And on the flip side, if you want to engage with building this class from scratch, you really need to be thinking about the third level options from the conclave and whether the conclave gives access to additional spells--if so, which ones.
If you're looking for a pattern, then largely speaking, the ranger conclaves that get companions don't get extra spells and conversely the ones that don't get companions gain extra spells. All ranger conclaves gain some extra damage ability at 3rd level, which they need to fit their role as strikers. Sometimes the extra damage comes from a companion and sometimes the extra damage comes from a special ability like the Gloom Stalker's Dread Ambusher feature. Extra spells help rangers fill niches that martial prowess alone won't achieve--so Horizon Walkers and Slayers gain protection from evil and good so they can contribute to solving magic based problems. Companions help rangers be in two places at once and so they can contribute more, although not, perhaps, in more different situations.
For an underwater ranger conclave called the pearl diver, you could go either route. With an aquatic companion and a special ability to more adeptly explore underwater areas, your ranger could be a canny hero who recalls Jason Momoa's Aquaman, or with an ability to deal extra damage--perhaps when the enemy is partially or fully submerged--and additional spells, your ranger could be a fearsome combatant who recalls Tenoch Huerta's Namor.
Make sure to add a magical harpoon skill.
Ain’t nuttiness Berta than sum good ole jambalaya