A lot of people still have issues with the ranger class. Speaking personally, I have some issues with the PHB version of the class. Many others do not, and I respect you. I am not launching this thread as a place for debate as to whether the PHB ranger is fairly or unfairly maligned, whether it is better or worse or any other rabbit hole. (Plenty of other places for those 3am debates!).
I think Tasha's goes some way to address some of the weaknesses many see in the PHB version. My humble opinion is that it still needs a bit more help. Here, I am seeking the community's feedback on my attempt at crafting of feat that would appeal to those who think Tasha's missed the mark with the final version of Favored Foe, and who would like to lean their rangers a little more into front line martial prowess and away from being a poor man's druid who is heavily reliant on spells which drop the moment a concentration saving throw is missed.
I realise WoTC has not yet offered us class-specific feats, but we do have racial feats so IMO why not a selection that are class-focussed? In the drafting of this ranger's only feat, I was inspired by the paladin's smite and the battlemaster's superiority dice (as was I believe Mike Mearls a few years ago when he proposed some alternate class features ahead of the release of TCoE).
One thing I like about the feat as drafted is that it is powered off spell slots, ergo it is naturally limited by the ranger's level and should not result in any imbalance. If you consume your spell slots on these martial powers that is zero sum so it reduces your pool of lightning arrows or whatever else you might select. But, as it is a 'fire and forget' ability much like paladin's smite, it will therefore not interfere with concentration, and ultimately, can therefore allow a ranger to better explore her spell list rather than always feeling locked onto hunter's mark with every new combat encounter. I've purposely limited the power to a d6 per spell slot used, so as not to step on toes of the paladin's nova ability. (Mind you the author's of the paladin class did not seem to have the same consideration when it comes to ranger, noting how the paladin is a prepared caster and poor ranger locked into known spells, but that is another story.)
I would be grateful to hear y'alls take on this and welcome suggested improvements. For ease of feedback I include a couple of polls associated with this thread.
Martial Ranger (pre-requisite: the ability to cast ranger spells)
You gain the ability to use your tactical acumen and physical prowess to unlock of martial skill. You may use your ranger spell slots to fuel martial exploits, including Heart of the Bear, Lion's Claw, and Wolf's Lunge:
Heart of the Bear. You focus your mind and grit your teeth, pushing aside pain and drawing on wellsprings of energy that blot out the pain of your wounds. You can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to receive 1d6 temporary hit points per level of the spell slot expended.
Lion's Claw. You take careful aim at your foe's head or other sensitive point, unleashing a brutal attack that knocks the target senseless. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal additional damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's normal damage. The extra damage is 1d6 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st. The target of the attack must also make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus your Wisdom modifier). If it fails, its speed is reduced to 0. At the end of each of its turns, it can make a Constitution saving throw to end this effect.
Wolf's Lunge. You strike with overwhelming strength and accuracy, battering aside your foe's defenses to deliver a deadly strike. When you make an attack, you can expend a spell slot and roll 2d6 + an additional 1d6 per level of the spell expended above 1st, up to a maximum of 5d8. If the attack misses, you learn the target's AC and can use the result of up to two dice of your choice as a bonus to your attack roll, possibly turning the miss into a hit. Any remaining dice are used as a bonus to your weapon's damage roll.
All of these in one feat? That's massively OP. Lion's Claw alone is several times stronger than a paladin's smite, for starters: smiting requires a melee weapon attack, whereas you're allowing any weapon attack. Smiting also doesn't have a rider like your CON save. Heart of the Bear is going to contribute to the ongoing 'too many bonus actions' issue -- I'd rather take Magic Initiate (Cleric) and get Guidance, an attack cantrip, and Aid if I wanted a way to up my HP. Wolf's Lunge might work as its own feat, but it'd still need reworking -- being allowed to choose which dice to add as a bonus to the AC doesn't meld with any existing rules, neither inspiration nor superiority dice nor other existing features let you do this. And being allowed to know an opponent's exact AC is also out of line with the existing features I can think of for fighters.
A Ranger is not a Fighter. You want these features, you probably don't want to be playing a ranger.
As written it might very well be OP, but you don't make a very good argument for it being so. For one, while the Con save to Lion's Claw does add something over and above Paladin's smite, keep in mind that Paladin's smite is d8 damage, buffs at higher level with Improved Smite, is radiant damage (far less resistance to be encountered there) and Pali smite gets buffed further if against undead. So with respect your argument falls flat.
Furthermore, you argue against yourself by saying that you'd rather have Magic Initiate (Cleric) for the attack cantrip, Guidance and Aid, immediately after you wring your hands about the Con save. So which is it? Over powered? Or not as good as Magic Initiate (which using simple logic of the Associative Principle implies that Magic Initiate itself is OP in your books)?
Before you accuse me of being defensive, let me say, I'm really not. I am very much open to the idea that the draft one of the feat IS in fact OP, and I welcome feedback. It's just that your argument is full of holes and does not really hold up.
A ranger is not a fighter. Correct. But neither is a Barbarian. Nor is a Paladin. But they are all martial classes and there is no reason other than convention that states that a ranger MUST rely on casting spells to be effective. AD&D and 2e and LOTR and most other fictional rangers (Hell, even Drizz't himself) don't really present the class as spell caster-y. I'm just trying to hack out a pathway for those of us who who would like something a little different from their rangers.
As written it might very well be OP, but you don't make a very good argument for it being so. For one, while the Con save to Lion's Claw does add something over and above Paladin's smite, keep in mind that Paladin's smite is d8 damage, buffs at higher level with Improved Smite, is radiant damage (far less resistance to be encountered there) and Pali smite gets buffed further if against undead. So with respect your argument falls flat.
When I said it was OP, I mainly meant giving all of those things in one feat. 1d6 vs 1d8 is a difference of 1 damage on average, which isn't enough of a difference to be a point of argument. For the rest, I'm talking about the amount of things you can do with one aspect of a feat that has multiple aspects. The closest you get to a feat that does something like this is Martial Adept, and you only learn two maneuvers, and none of the maneuvers do as many things as any one of your exploits.
(I'm also not a fan, generally, of the recent trend at WotC for creating feats that give away unique class features, like the Metamagic Adept, so creating a feat that replicates a Paladin's relatively unique nova ability feels similarly unfair to Paladins, who I find tend to only shine in combat.)
Furthermore, you argue against yourself by saying that you'd rather have Magic Initiate (Cleric) for the attack cantrip, Guidance and Aid, immediately after you wring your hands about the Con save. So which is it? Over powered? Or not as good as Magic Initiate (which using simple logic of the Associative Principle implies that Magic Initiate itself is OP in your books)?
I really have no idea what you're saying here, especially in terms of me 'wringing my hands.' My point about Heart of the Bear was a separate point than the OP point, which was about the feat granting access to all of these options, as I said. I'd rather have a definite 5 hit points and an increased total HP per level than an average 4 temp HP per level (also yes, right now you can only cast the 1st level spell once, so if you want to play by 5e RAW you could do this same thing using Artificer Initiate, but the One D&D rules indicate this would work without issue in those new rules).
My own ranger that I'm currently playing rarely relies on spells at all, given that as a ranged fighter with Sharpshooter they're usually well out of range for most of their non-Self spells to be of use. And I'm one of the top two damage dealers in our party, as well as an effective tracker and investigator. The closest I get to using magic most of the time is Nature's Veil for advantage, which works at range or in melee.
Again, my main point is you have too many options in one feat. If you want to keep them all this powerful, you need to break them up into multiple feats. Or possibly multiple magic items, since there are 'requires attunement by a ranger' items, where WotC doesn't have class-specific feats.
A lot of people still have issues with the ranger class. Speaking personally, I have some issues with the PHB version of the class. Many others do not, and I respect you. I am not launching this thread as a place for debate as to whether the PHB ranger is fairly or unfairly maligned, whether it is better or worse or any other rabbit hole. (Plenty of other places for those 3am debates!).
I think Tasha's goes some way to address some of the weaknesses many see in the PHB version. My humble opinion is that it still needs a bit more help. Here, I am seeking the community's feedback on my attempt at crafting of feat that would appeal to those who think Tasha's missed the mark with the final version of Favored Foe, and who would like to lean their rangers a little more into front line martial prowess and away from being a poor man's druid who is heavily reliant on spells which drop the moment a concentration saving throw is missed.
I realise WoTC has not yet offered us class-specific feats, but we do have racial feats so IMO why not a selection that are class-focussed? In the drafting of this ranger's only feat, I was inspired by the paladin's smite and the battlemaster's superiority dice (as was I believe Mike Mearls a few years ago when he proposed some alternate class features ahead of the release of TCoE).
One thing I like about the feat as drafted is that it is powered off spell slots, ergo it is naturally limited by the ranger's level and should not result in any imbalance. If you consume your spell slots on these martial powers that is zero sum so it reduces your pool of lightning arrows or whatever else you might select. But, as it is a 'fire and forget' ability much like paladin's smite, it will therefore not interfere with concentration, and ultimately, can therefore allow a ranger to better explore her spell list rather than always feeling locked onto hunter's mark with every new combat encounter. I've purposely limited the power to a d6 per spell slot used, so as not to step on toes of the paladin's nova ability. (Mind you the author's of the paladin class did not seem to have the same consideration when it comes to ranger, noting how the paladin is a prepared caster and poor ranger locked into known spells, but that is another story.)
I would be grateful to hear y'alls take on this and welcome suggested improvements. For ease of feedback I include a couple of polls associated with this thread.
Martial Ranger (pre-requisite: the ability to cast ranger spells)
You gain the ability to use your tactical acumen and physical prowess to unlock of martial skill. You may use your ranger spell slots to fuel martial exploits,
including Heart of the Bear, Lion's Claw, and Wolf's Lunge:
Heart of the Bear. You focus your mind and grit your teeth, pushing aside pain and drawing on wellsprings of energy that blot out the pain of your wounds. You can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to receive 1d6 temporary hit points per level of the spell slot expended.
Lion's Claw. You take careful aim at your foe's head or other sensitive point, unleashing a brutal attack that knocks the target senseless. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend one spell slot to deal additional damage to the target, in addition to the weapon's normal damage. The extra damage is 1d6 for a 1st-level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level
higher than 1st. The target of the attack must also make a Constitution saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus your Wisdom modifier). If it fails, its speed is reduced to 0. At the end of each of its turns, it can make a Constitution saving throw to end this effect.
Wolf's Lunge. You strike with overwhelming strength and accuracy, battering aside your foe's defenses to deliver a deadly strike. When you make an attack, you can expend a spell slot and roll 2d6 + an additional 1d6 per level of the spell expended above 1st, up to a maximum of 5d8. If the attack misses, you learn the target's AC and can use the result of up to two dice of your choice as a bonus to your attack roll, possibly turning the miss into a hit. Any remaining dice are used as a bonus to your weapon's damage roll.
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Don't be Lawful Evil
All of these in one feat? That's massively OP. Lion's Claw alone is several times stronger than a paladin's smite, for starters: smiting requires a melee weapon attack, whereas you're allowing any weapon attack. Smiting also doesn't have a rider like your CON save. Heart of the Bear is going to contribute to the ongoing 'too many bonus actions' issue -- I'd rather take Magic Initiate (Cleric) and get Guidance, an attack cantrip, and Aid if I wanted a way to up my HP. Wolf's Lunge might work as its own feat, but it'd still need reworking -- being allowed to choose which dice to add as a bonus to the AC doesn't meld with any existing rules, neither inspiration nor superiority dice nor other existing features let you do this. And being allowed to know an opponent's exact AC is also out of line with the existing features I can think of for fighters.
A Ranger is not a Fighter. You want these features, you probably don't want to be playing a ranger.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
As written it might very well be OP, but you don't make a very good argument for it being so. For one, while the Con save to Lion's Claw does add something over and above Paladin's smite, keep in mind that Paladin's smite is d8 damage, buffs at higher level with Improved Smite, is radiant damage (far less resistance to be encountered there) and Pali smite gets buffed further if against undead. So with respect your argument falls flat.
Furthermore, you argue against yourself by saying that you'd rather have Magic Initiate (Cleric) for the attack cantrip, Guidance and Aid, immediately after you wring your hands about the Con save. So which is it? Over powered? Or not as good as Magic Initiate (which using simple logic of the Associative Principle implies that Magic Initiate itself is OP in your books)?
Before you accuse me of being defensive, let me say, I'm really not. I am very much open to the idea that the draft one of the feat IS in fact OP, and I welcome feedback. It's just that your argument is full of holes and does not really hold up.
A ranger is not a fighter. Correct. But neither is a Barbarian. Nor is a Paladin. But they are all martial classes and there is no reason other than convention that states that a ranger MUST rely on casting spells to be effective. AD&D and 2e and LOTR and most other fictional rangers (Hell, even Drizz't himself) don't really present the class as spell caster-y. I'm just trying to hack out a pathway for those of us who who would like something a little different from their rangers.
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Don't be Lawful Evil
When I said it was OP, I mainly meant giving all of those things in one feat. 1d6 vs 1d8 is a difference of 1 damage on average, which isn't enough of a difference to be a point of argument. For the rest, I'm talking about the amount of things you can do with one aspect of a feat that has multiple aspects. The closest you get to a feat that does something like this is Martial Adept, and you only learn two maneuvers, and none of the maneuvers do as many things as any one of your exploits.
(I'm also not a fan, generally, of the recent trend at WotC for creating feats that give away unique class features, like the Metamagic Adept, so creating a feat that replicates a Paladin's relatively unique nova ability feels similarly unfair to Paladins, who I find tend to only shine in combat.)
I really have no idea what you're saying here, especially in terms of me 'wringing my hands.' My point about Heart of the Bear was a separate point than the OP point, which was about the feat granting access to all of these options, as I said. I'd rather have a definite 5 hit points and an increased total HP per level than an average 4 temp HP per level (also yes, right now you can only cast the 1st level spell once, so if you want to play by 5e RAW you could do this same thing using Artificer Initiate, but the One D&D rules indicate this would work without issue in those new rules).
My own ranger that I'm currently playing rarely relies on spells at all, given that as a ranged fighter with Sharpshooter they're usually well out of range for most of their non-Self spells to be of use. And I'm one of the top two damage dealers in our party, as well as an effective tracker and investigator. The closest I get to using magic most of the time is Nature's Veil for advantage, which works at range or in melee.
Again, my main point is you have too many options in one feat. If you want to keep them all this powerful, you need to break them up into multiple feats. Or possibly multiple magic items, since there are 'requires attunement by a ranger' items, where WotC doesn't have class-specific feats.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
Actually I think wotc is leaning away from the racial feats and rather just creating feats.
They also are leaning into simplicity over complexity. That feat is too "big" for one feat. Pocket mouse is right. I think.