As a ranger, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice:1d8 per ranger level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons Tools: None Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
(a) two shortswords or (b) two simple melee weapons
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 1st level, you can prepare to hunt types of enemies. Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select a race of humanoids (such as gnolls or orcs) as favored enemies.
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. When you hide from favored enemies, you can add your proficiency bonus to the Dexterity (Stealth) check or double it if you are already proficient in that skill.
Additionally, you can give yourself advantage on attack rolls against your favorite enemies, and you can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus minus one. You regain expended uses after you finish a short or long rest.
After finishing a long rest, you can change your favored enemies.
You choose one additional favored enemyat 6th and 14th level.
Natural Explorer
Also at 1st level, you can prepare to explore types of terrain. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, urban, dungeon, or the Underdark. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in. Additionally, you have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks to traverse your favored terrain.
You can change your favored terrains after finishing a long rest and choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th level.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Thrown Weapon Fighting. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon.
In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Spellcasting
By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does.
Spell Slots
The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your ranger spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Animal Friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Animal Friendship using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the ranger spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Ranger table shows when you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ranger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Primeval Awareness
Beginning at 3rd level, you can perform a 10 minutes ritual to focus your awareness on the region around you. For a brief second, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.
Ranger Conclave
At 3rd level, you choose to emulate the ideals and training of a ranger conclave. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Land's Stride
Starting at 8th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
In addition, while moving through your favored terrain, your walking speed increases to 40 ft, and you can climb or swim for an additional 10 ft.
Hide in Plain Sight
Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage. Once you are camouflaged in this way, you gain the following benefits:
You can hide in plain sight as long as you are prone.
You gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when hiding within the same material you used to make your camouflage.
If you are taking cover behind the same material you used to make your camouflage, you can impose disadvantage to attack rolls against you.
Your camouflage needs to match the type of terrain you are in. Otherwise, this feature fails.
Feral Senses
At 14th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can't see. When you attack a creature you can't see, your inability to see it doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.
You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened.
Vanish
Starting at 18th level, you can't be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail. Also, magic cannot be detected if you do not desire it.
Once per long rest, you can become invisible for 10 minutes while you concentrate, as if you were concentrating on a concentration spell. You become visible again if you cause damage to a creature.
Foe Slayer
At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. You can add your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one) to attack rolls against your favored enemies.
Ranger's Companion
At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. You must create a backstory for your beast, explaining why it chose to follow you.
Requirements and Stats
Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower (appendix D presents statistics for the hawk, mastiff, and panther as examples). Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, the beast can spend Hit Dice during a short rest.
Communication
The beast understands everything you say. Through signs and sounds, it can communicate simple ideas, such as a yes or no question, or indicate whether something is good or bad. You and your beast have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to analyze each other.
Actions
The beast obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). The beast cannot flank opponents, even in the proper positioning. You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you don’t issue a command, the beast takes the Dodge action.
You can also use your bonus action to command your beast to perform any bonus action, such as interacting with an object.
Attacks
As a part of your attacks, you and your beast can perform a combined strike, in which the beast also attacks the creatures you hit if they are within range, dealing 1d4 damage. The damage type depends on how your beast strikes.
You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Attack action.Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can make one weapon attack yourself when you command the beast to take the Attack action. You can also command your beast to attack as a bonus action if it has a trait that allows it to attack as a bonus action.
Incapacitated or Absent
If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself. The beast never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack.
Companion’s Bond
Your beast is connected to you by a magical bond that protects it from death. It can only die if you die. Whenever it fails on the death saves while you are alive, it remains unconscious for an amount of time equal to a long rest, unable to regain hit points, and wakes up afterward with one hit point. When the beast reaches six levels of exhaustion, it remains unconscious in the same way and for the same time, waking up with one hit point and five levels of exhaustion. If you die, the beast will magically travel to the Spirit World, following your soul in the afterlife.
Exceptional Training
Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn. In addition, the beast’s attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Bestial Fury
Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action. Additionally, the combined strike damage increases to a d6.
Share Spells
Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you.
So it's the same as the original 5e one, but with a couple of meaningless buffs to a couple features and an inexplicably lower hit die? You know, the 5e one was already bad, you didn't have to make it worse.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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yeah, I know. They could both have it, couldn't they? I mean, wildshape just works so wonderfully with a ranger...
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Guys, Favored Enemy gives Ranger stealth expertise, which synergizes well with Pass Without Trace. That and the level 10 feature would make the Ranger roll stealth with expertise, advantage and a +10 bonus.
Advantage on attacks against Favored Enemies has good synergy with spells like Ensnaring Strike, which require a hit or you spend a spell slot for nothing.
Natural Explorer gives you a bunch of expertise at level one just by picking where you are playing. Also, this plus Favored Enemy makes the Ranger roll Survival with advantage and expertise. What is more Rangery than this?
It has flavor, and it works. It is not a really strong class, but it is a good, balanced one, and it fits the Ranger well.
I've been playing with this homebrew class, and it is really fun.
It has flavor, and it works. It is not a really strong class, but it is a good, balanced one, and it fits the Ranger well.
It's not a good, balanced class, though. It simply isn't.
Take the 18th level feature, for example. 18th level! That's one of two of the highest features, not including ASIs. What does it give you?
You cannot be tracked by nonmagical means.
Completely useless. A, you have an entire party of people following you around who can still be tracked by nonmagical means. B, you're level 18. You aren't fighting goblins anymore. Your enemies are going to have magic.
But wait, there's more!
Once per long rest, you can become invisible for 10 minutes while you concentrate, as if you were concentrating on a concentration spell. You become visible again if you cause damage to a creature.
Invisibility. The 2nd level illusion spell. Except in this instance, it lasts a sixth of the duration, can only be used once per long rest, can only affect the person who uses it, and is gotten at 18th level.
If you really want me to, I could go feature by feature to explain why pretty much all of them are like this one way or another.
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Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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You ignored the part where it can deny the detection of magic as well.
It's better than the invisibility spell, because you simply Vanish. Invisible creatures can still be detected by smell, sound, etc, so attacks can still be rolled at a disadvantage and people have an idea where you are.
But because you can not be detected by magic or nonmagic means and you are invisble, you simply vanish. It's broken af.
Also, Invisibility ends if you cast spells or attacks (miss also counts). With these feature you can cast utility spells for days and miss attacks.
I tested it lasting for 1 hour and not having concentration, and people at my group suggested me to nerf that because it was too broken.
BTW I really wanted you to go feature by feature and explain why it sucks, because my goal with this thread is to receive criticism to improve my homebrew :D.
You ignored the part where it can deny the detection of magic as well.
It's better than the invisibility spell, because you simply Vanish. Invisible creatures can still be detected by smell, sound, etc, so attacks can still be rolled at a disadvantage and people have an idea where you are.
But because you can not be detected by magic or nonmagic means and you are invisble, you simply vanish. It's broken af.
First of all, arguing that your feature is "broken af" should probably be an indicator that you should work on it.
Secondly, nothing says you can't be detected. It says you can't be tracked. All this grants is invisibility, and everything you fight at level 18 can see invisible creatures.
If you want the ranger to be truly undetectable, you need to say that more clearly.
Also just in general, it would be helpful to just point out the changes you have made. It's kind of asking a lot to make us read the entire class when much of it is the same.
As a ranger, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice:1d8 per ranger level Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st
Why a d8? A d8 is generally the default for untrained creatures. Every medium monster has d8 hit dice (including humanoids). Farmers have d8. Why would Rangers, wilderness hunters famous for fighting expertly with two weapons (not an easy thing to do), have the same hit dice as untrained humanoids?
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons Tools: None Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
No problems here, I guess.
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
(a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
(a) two shortswords or (b) two simple melee weapons
(a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
Pretty standard stuff.
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 1st level, you can prepare to hunt types of enemies. Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select a race of humanoids (such as gnolls or orcs) as favored enemies.
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. When you hide from favored enemies, you can add your proficiency bonus to the Dexterity (Stealth) check or double it if you are already proficient in that skill.
Additionally, you can give yourself advantage on attack rolls against your favorite enemies, and you can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus minus one. You regain expended uses after you finish a short or long rest.
After finishing a long rest, you can change your favored enemies.
You choose one additional favored enemyat 6th and 14th level.
Tracking doesn't come up a whole lot (at least in my experience), and the other things just don't seem too useful. Plus, a lot of times you don't know what you're hiding from when you're hiding, or you're just not hiding from a specific thing. The advantage isn't horrible, but it's just once per short rest until 5th level.
Natural Explorer
Also at 1st level, you can prepare to explore types of terrain. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, urban, dungeon, or the Underdark. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in. Additionally, you have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks to traverse your favored terrain.
You can change your favored terrains after finishing a long rest and choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th level.
Why is it a choice if you can change it on a long rest?
Anyways, Intelligence and Wisdom checks directly related to terrain don't seem too common. Maybe you're using a broader term for "related," but I digress.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.
Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Thrown Weapon Fighting. You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon.
In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.
Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
Standard stuff. I'd critique the poor synergy that the class has with two-weapon fighting, though.
Spellcasting
By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does.
Spell Slots
The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your ranger spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Animal Friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Animal Friendship using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the ranger spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Ranger table shows when you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ranger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Same ol', same ol'.
Primeval Awareness
Beginning at 3rd level, you can perform a 10 minutes ritual to focus your awareness on the region around you. For a brief second, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.
"Guys, after performing my 10 minute ritual I have determined that there's danger. I can't tell you what kind of danger it is, where it is, or how much of the danger there is, but there's danger. So be careful. But I guess you were already doing that."
Ranger Conclave
At 3rd level, you choose to emulate the ideals and training of a ranger conclave. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Standard stuff.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Standard stuff.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Standard stuff.
Land's Stride
Starting at 8th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
In addition, while moving through your favored terrain, your walking speed increases to 40 ft, and you can climb or swim for an additional 10 ft.
It's unclear what the underlined bit means. Other than that, situational.
Hide in Plain Sight
Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage. Once you are camouflaged in this way, you gain the following benefits:
You can hide in plain sight as long as you are prone.
You gain advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks when hiding within the same material you used to make your camouflage.
If you are taking cover behind the same material you used to make your camouflage, you can impose disadvantage to attack rolls against you.
Your camouflage needs to match the type of terrain you are in. Otherwise, this feature fails.
Being Prone gives you disadvantage on attack rolls, the advantage can't be capitalized much by Rangers on account of the lack of expertise (except when they have Pass without Trace, which does the whole job anyways), and the cover is very situational.
Feral Senses
At 14th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can't see. When you attack a creature you can't see, your inability to see it doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.
You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened.
Meh. Very situational.
Vanish
Starting at 18th level, you can't be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail. Also, magic cannot be detected if you do not desire it.
Once per long rest, you can become invisible for 10 minutes while you concentrate, as if you were concentrating on a concentration spell. You become visible again if you cause damage to a creature.
Already talked about it.
Foe Slayer
At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. You can add your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one) to attack rolls against your favored enemies.
Hard to gauge. Depends on what kinda enemies you're facing, I guess.
Ranger's Companion
At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. You must create a backstory for your beast, explaining why it chose to follow you.
Requirements and Stats
Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower (appendix D presents statistics for the hawk, mastiff, and panther as examples). Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, the beast can spend Hit Dice during a short rest.
Communication
The beast understands everything you say. Through signs and sounds, it can communicate simple ideas, such as a yes or no question, or indicate whether something is good or bad. You and your beast have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to analyze each other.
Actions
The beast obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). The beast cannot flank opponents, even in the proper positioning. You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you don’t issue a command, the beast takes the Dodge action.
You can also use your bonus action to command your beast to perform any bonus action, such as interacting with an object.
Attacks
As a part of your attacks, you and your beast can perform a combined strike, in which the beast also attacks the creatures you hit if they are within range, dealing 1d4 damage. The damage type depends on how your beast strikes.
You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Attack action.Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can make one weapon attack yourself when you command the beast to take the Attack action. You can also command your beast to attack as a bonus action if it has a trait that allows it to attack as a bonus action.
Incapacitated or Absent
If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself. The beast never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack.
Companion’s Bond
Your beast is connected to you by a magical bond that protects it from death. It can only die if you die. Whenever it fails on the death saves while you are alive, it remains unconscious for an amount of time equal to a long rest, unable to regain hit points, and wakes up afterward with one hit point. When the beast reaches six levels of exhaustion, it remains unconscious in the same way and for the same time, waking up with one hit point and five levels of exhaustion. If you die, the beast will magically travel to the Spirit World, following your soul in the afterlife.
Why would you ever waste your attack to get your companion to attack? It'd simply never get used, as evidenced by many people's experiences with the 5e Ranger
Exceptional Training
Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn. In addition, the beast’s attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Who cares what the companion is doing? It's not like it's a valuable unit in combat. Help is an okay option, but it's also granted by find familiar, the 1st level spell.
Bestial Fury
Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action. Additionally, the combined strike damage increases to a d6.
You're still probably not going to use the companion to attack.
Share Spells
Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you.
There aren't a whole lot of spells that this applies to, and a few that would apply that come to mind apply on attacks, which the companion won't be making.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny. Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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Class Features
As a ranger, you gain the following class features.
Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d8 per ranger level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 8 + your Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d8 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st
Proficiencies
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival
Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 1st level, you can prepare to hunt types of enemies. Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select a race of humanoids (such as gnolls or orcs) as favored enemies.
You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them. When you hide from favored enemies, you can add your proficiency bonus to the Dexterity (Stealth) check or double it if you are already proficient in that skill.
Additionally, you can give yourself advantage on attack rolls against your favorite enemies, and you can do so a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus minus one. You regain expended uses after you finish a short or long rest.
After finishing a long rest, you can change your favored enemies.
You choose one additional favored enemy at 6th and 14th level.
Natural Explorer
Also at 1st level, you can prepare to explore types of terrain. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, urban, dungeon, or the Underdark. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in. Additionally, you have advantage on Dexterity (Acrobatics) and Strength (Athletics) checks to traverse your favored terrain.
You can change your favored terrains after finishing a long rest and choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th level.
Fighting Style
At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can't take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Spellcasting
By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does.
Spell Slots
The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your ranger spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell Animal Friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast Animal Friendship using either slot.
Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the ranger spell list.
The Spells Known column of the Ranger table shows when you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.
Spellcasting Ability
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ranger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Primeval Awareness
Beginning at 3rd level, you can perform a 10 minutes ritual to focus your awareness on the region around you. For a brief second, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.
Ranger Conclave
At 3rd level, you choose to emulate the ideals and training of a ranger conclave. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Extra Attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Land's Stride
Starting at 8th level, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
In addition, while moving through your favored terrain, your walking speed increases to 40 ft, and you can climb or swim for an additional 10 ft.
Hide in Plain Sight
Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage. Once you are camouflaged in this way, you gain the following benefits:
Your camouflage needs to match the type of terrain you are in. Otherwise, this feature fails.
Feral Senses
At 14th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can't see. When you attack a creature you can't see, your inability to see it doesn't impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.
You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn't hidden from you and you aren't blinded or deafened.
Vanish
Starting at 18th level, you can't be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail. Also, magic cannot be detected if you do not desire it.
Once per long rest, you can become invisible for 10 minutes while you concentrate, as if you were concentrating on a concentration spell. You become visible again if you cause damage to a creature.
Foe Slayer
At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. You can add your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one) to attack rolls against your favored enemies.
Ranger's Companion
At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. You must create a backstory for your beast, explaining why it chose to follow you.
Requirements and Stats
Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower (appendix D presents statistics for the hawk, mastiff, and panther as examples). Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, the beast can spend Hit Dice during a short rest.
Communication
The beast understands everything you say. Through signs and sounds, it can communicate simple ideas, such as a yes or no question, or indicate whether something is good or bad. You and your beast have advantage on Wisdom (Insight) checks to analyze each other.
Actions
The beast obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). The beast cannot flank opponents, even in the proper positioning. You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you don’t issue a command, the beast takes the Dodge action.
You can also use your bonus action to command your beast to perform any bonus action, such as interacting with an object.
Attacks
As a part of your attacks, you and your beast can perform a combined strike, in which the beast also attacks the creatures you hit if they are within range, dealing 1d4 damage. The damage type depends on how your beast strikes.
You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Attack action. Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can make one weapon attack yourself when you command the beast to take the Attack action. You can also command your beast to attack as a bonus action if it has a trait that allows it to attack as a bonus action.
Incapacitated or Absent
If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself. The beast never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack.
Companion’s Bond
Your beast is connected to you by a magical bond that protects it from death. It can only die if you die. Whenever it fails on the death saves while you are alive, it remains unconscious for an amount of time equal to a long rest, unable to regain hit points, and wakes up afterward with one hit point. When the beast reaches six levels of exhaustion, it remains unconscious in the same way and for the same time, waking up with one hit point and five levels of exhaustion. If you die, the beast will magically travel to the Spirit World, following your soul in the afterlife.
Exceptional Training
Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn. In addition, the beast’s attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Bestial Fury
Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action. Additionally, the combined strike damage increases to a d6.
Share Spells
Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you.
So it's the same as the original 5e one, but with a couple of meaningless buffs to a couple features and an inexplicably lower hit die? You know, the 5e one was already bad, you didn't have to make it worse.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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Rangers should have wildshape.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
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Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
Other people still have Druids, y'know...
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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yeah, I know. They could both have it, couldn't they? I mean, wildshape just works so wonderfully with a ranger...
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
The current version of the One D&D Ranger is way better than this.
But where's the flavor 😭😭
Guys, Favored Enemy gives Ranger stealth expertise, which synergizes well with Pass Without Trace. That and the level 10 feature would make the Ranger roll stealth with expertise, advantage and a +10 bonus.
Advantage on attacks against Favored Enemies has good synergy with spells like Ensnaring Strike, which require a hit or you spend a spell slot for nothing.
Natural Explorer gives you a bunch of expertise at level one just by picking where you are playing. Also, this plus Favored Enemy makes the Ranger roll Survival with advantage and expertise. What is more Rangery than this?
It has flavor, and it works. It is not a really strong class, but it is a good, balanced one, and it fits the Ranger well.
I've been playing with this homebrew class, and it is really fun.
It's not a good, balanced class, though. It simply isn't.
Take the 18th level feature, for example. 18th level! That's one of two of the highest features, not including ASIs. What does it give you?
Completely useless. A, you have an entire party of people following you around who can still be tracked by nonmagical means. B, you're level 18. You aren't fighting goblins anymore. Your enemies are going to have magic.
But wait, there's more!
Invisibility. The 2nd level illusion spell. Except in this instance, it lasts a sixth of the duration, can only be used once per long rest, can only affect the person who uses it, and is gotten at 18th level.
If you really want me to, I could go feature by feature to explain why pretty much all of them are like this one way or another.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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You ignored the part where it can deny the detection of magic as well.
It's better than the invisibility spell, because you simply Vanish. Invisible creatures can still be detected by smell, sound, etc, so attacks can still be rolled at a disadvantage and people have an idea where you are.
But because you can not be detected by magic or nonmagic means and you are invisble, you simply vanish. It's broken af.
Also, Invisibility ends if you cast spells or attacks (miss also counts). With these feature you can cast utility spells for days and miss attacks.
I tested it lasting for 1 hour and not having concentration, and people at my group suggested me to nerf that because it was too broken.
BTW I really wanted you to go feature by feature and explain why it sucks, because my goal with this thread is to receive criticism to improve my homebrew :D.
First of all, arguing that your feature is "broken af" should probably be an indicator that you should work on it.
Secondly, nothing says you can't be detected. It says you can't be tracked. All this grants is invisibility, and everything you fight at level 18 can see invisible creatures.
If you want the ranger to be truly undetectable, you need to say that more clearly.
Also just in general, it would be helpful to just point out the changes you have made. It's kind of asking a lot to make us read the entire class when much of it is the same.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Why a d8? A d8 is generally the default for untrained creatures. Every medium monster has d8 hit dice (including humanoids). Farmers have d8. Why would Rangers, wilderness hunters famous for fighting expertly with two weapons (not an easy thing to do), have the same hit dice as untrained humanoids?
No problems here, I guess.
Pretty standard stuff.
Tracking doesn't come up a whole lot (at least in my experience), and the other things just don't seem too useful. Plus, a lot of times you don't know what you're hiding from when you're hiding, or you're just not hiding from a specific thing. The advantage isn't horrible, but it's just once per short rest until 5th level.
Why is it a choice if you can change it on a long rest?
Anyways, Intelligence and Wisdom checks directly related to terrain don't seem too common. Maybe you're using a broader term for "related," but I digress.
Standard stuff. I'd critique the poor synergy that the class has with two-weapon fighting, though.
Same ol', same ol'.
"Guys, after performing my 10 minute ritual I have determined that there's danger. I can't tell you what kind of danger it is, where it is, or how much of the danger there is, but there's danger. So be careful. But I guess you were already doing that."
Standard stuff.
Standard stuff.
Standard stuff.
It's unclear what the underlined bit means. Other than that, situational.
Being Prone gives you disadvantage on attack rolls, the advantage can't be capitalized much by Rangers on account of the lack of expertise (except when they have Pass without Trace, which does the whole job anyways), and the cover is very situational.
Meh. Very situational.
Already talked about it.
Hard to gauge. Depends on what kinda enemies you're facing, I guess.
Why would you ever waste your attack to get your companion to attack? It'd simply never get used, as evidenced by many people's experiences with the 5e Ranger
Who cares what the companion is doing? It's not like it's a valuable unit in combat. Help is an okay option, but it's also granted by find familiar, the 1st level spell.
You're still probably not going to use the companion to attack.
There aren't a whole lot of spells that this applies to, and a few that would apply that come to mind apply on attacks, which the companion won't be making.
Look at what you've done. You spoiled it. You have nobody to blame but yourself. Go sit and think about your actions.
Don't be mean. Rudeness is a vicious cycle, and it has to stop somewhere. Exceptions for things that are funny.
Go to the current Competition of the Finest 'Brews! It's a cool place where cool people make cool things.
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