Like many (everyone?), I feel that the Ranger's favored enemy feature is too weak. However, I also felt the recent UA class option replacement for it was a bit much. So, here's my compromise. I feel like this keeps the flavor of the Ranger choosing favored enemies, while providing some more concrete benefits for doing so. It also limits the potential problems with characters taking a Ranger dip just for the somewhat OP class option favored foe:
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy.
Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies.
You have advantage on Intelligence checks to recall information about your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
Additionally, you have the ability to mark your favored enemies for destruction. You know the hunter's mark spell, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. You can cast it on one of your chosen favored enemies without spending a spell slot and without requiring concentration. When cast in this way, the spell ends once the marked creature is slain.
When you gain the Spellcasting feature at 2nd level, hunter's mark doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all.
You choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.
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Like many (everyone?), I feel that the Ranger's favored enemy feature is too weak. However, I also felt the recent UA class option replacement for it was a bit much. So, here's my compromise. I feel like this keeps the flavor of the Ranger choosing favored enemies, while providing some more concrete benefits for doing so. It also limits the potential problems with characters taking a Ranger dip just for the somewhat OP class option favored foe:
Favored Enemy
Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy.
Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies.
You have advantage on Intelligence checks to recall information about your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
Additionally, you have the ability to mark your favored enemies for destruction. You know the hunter's mark spell, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. You can cast it on one of your chosen favored enemies without spending a spell slot and without requiring concentration. When cast in this way, the spell ends once the marked creature is slain.
When you gain the Spellcasting feature at 2nd level, hunter's mark doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all.
You choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.