For those who are Ranger lovers like me, and have canvased though the UA to see what it's becoming what are your thoughts about what they've done??? Do you think it will still be changed in the final print from what the last UA on them detailed and if so what do you hope changes?
For instance I LOVE how now at level one we get 2 spell slots but I HATE that they decided that rangers can't have cantrips after they first applied it to the testing. I'm currently about to start a campaign and the DM allows a starting feat, and I took magic initiate JUST TO GET THEM. While I love they are buffing it a bit more, cantrips would have been a HUGE save I think to making the class more desirable.
I'm also kind of split about how they had Expertise, and then changed it to Deft Explorer. On one hand having the ability to fine tune certain skills, on the other, at 1st and 9th level I now have more available terrain areas but only a couple skills total for expert. I feel like that will only be really relevant depending on the campaign settings and building the character you make.
(Please be kind, no one class is better than another and all are amazing to play)
They said they are combining the things that scored the best from both playtests. My initial guess is Expertise scored better than Deft Explorer.
This next part is conjecture based on what they did with the paladin but I can see it applying to the Ranger.
Spellcasting moves to level 1
You can replace your fighting style with Druid cantrips
Hopes: I hope they somehow get access to the Find Familiar spell and have a list of beast familiars much like the Druid can summon a fey familiar so not just the beast master ranger has an animal companion.
Considering how little wotc talked about rangers, I Honestly I didn't think wotc understood the "fantasy" of ranger isn't the same as a wizards or fighters or rogues. Many players go for "power" fantasy but ranger players often want "exploration" and world building. This often goes hand in hand with low "suspension of disbelief".
Frankly the only one I can say I saw treat ranger playstyles well was Dan Dillon.
A "ghost" pet is tool but a physical one is a second player character.
Exploration as a fantasy also means having a sense of freedom. (Such as choosing a bonus activities traveling) resource management is one method of ensuring choice. Choosing to spend time collecting or crafting consumables such as poison or health potions can really reinforce the expert feeling via preparing for emergencies.
Either way the burden of satisfying a exploration fantasy shouldn't be left to the dm or adventure design. Building it into the player options could makeit self-service and less of a "wild west" of table situations.
For those who are Ranger lovers like me, and have canvased though the UA to see what it's becoming what are your thoughts about what they've done??? Do you think it will still be changed in the final print from what the last UA on them detailed and if so what do you hope changes?
For instance I LOVE how now at level one we get 2 spell slots but I HATE that they decided that rangers can't have cantrips after they first applied it to the testing. I'm currently about to start a campaign and the DM allows a starting feat, and I took magic initiate JUST TO GET THEM. While I love they are buffing it a bit more, cantrips would have been a HUGE save I think to making the class more desirable.
I'm also kind of split about how they had Expertise, and then changed it to Deft Explorer. On one hand having the ability to fine tune certain skills, on the other, at 1st and 9th level I now have more available terrain areas but only a couple skills total for expert. I feel like that will only be really relevant depending on the campaign settings and building the character you make.
(Please be kind, no one class is better than another and all are amazing to play)
They said they are combining the things that scored the best from both playtests. My initial guess is Expertise scored better than Deft Explorer.
This next part is conjecture based on what they did with the paladin but I can see it applying to the Ranger.
Spellcasting moves to level 1
You can replace your fighting style with Druid cantrips
Hopes: I hope they somehow get access to the Find Familiar spell and have a list of beast familiars much like the Druid can summon a fey familiar so not just the beast master ranger has an animal companion.
Considering how little wotc talked about rangers, I Honestly I didn't think wotc understood the "fantasy" of ranger isn't the same as a wizards or fighters or rogues. Many players go for "power" fantasy but ranger players often want "exploration" and world building. This often goes hand in hand with low "suspension of disbelief".
Frankly the only one I can say I saw treat ranger playstyles well was Dan Dillon.
A "ghost" pet is tool but a physical one is a second player character.
Exploration as a fantasy also means having a sense of freedom. (Such as choosing a bonus activities traveling) resource management is one method of ensuring choice. Choosing to spend time collecting or crafting consumables such as poison or health potions can really reinforce the expert feeling via preparing for emergencies.
Either way the burden of satisfying a exploration fantasy shouldn't be left to the dm or adventure design. Building it into the player options could makeit self-service and less of a "wild west" of table situations.