Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer Creatures
Frozen Sick
D&D Beyond Basic Rules
Basic Rules (2014)
Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in- Marketplace
Monstrous Compendium Vol. 1: Spelljammer CreaturesFrozen SickD&D Beyond Basic RulesBasic Rules (2014)Sign in to view your library & saved favorites.
Sign in
This Ranger refit is built from the 2024 Player’s Handbook Ranger.
The goal is not to rebuild Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer, or the older terrain-based Ranger. This is a targeted patch for the 2024 class: reduce Hunter’s Mark friction, free up concentration at the right level, clean up Bonus Action congestion, and make Beast Master feel like a true coordinated hunter-and-companion subclass.
The heart of the fix is Ranger’s Quarry: Hunter’s Mark becomes smoother and more class-native. At low levels it still behaves mostly like the spell, but by level 5 a committed Ranger can use it without locking themselves out of their own concentration spell list.
For pets, the refit separates flavor from combat. Any Ranger may have a light noncombat Field Companion for scouting, tracking, watch duty, or roleplay. Beast Master remains the subclass that turns that bond into a real combat partnership.
My intent is not to make the Ranger hit harder just for the sake of damage. It is to make the Ranger feel less taxed, less clogged, and more like the mobile, tactical, relentless hunter the class fantasy promises.
What This Refit Is Trying to Fix
1. Hunter’s Mark should feel like a Ranger feature, not a tax
In the 2024 Ranger, Hunter’s Mark is not just a spell. It is effectively part of the class engine. Several class features depend on it or improve it.
That is fine in theory.
The problem is that it still behaves too much like an ordinary concentration spell. This creates a strange tension where the Ranger’s signature combat identity competes with the Ranger’s own spell list.
A Ranger should be able to use battlefield control, movement magic, terrain spells, and survival magic without feeling like they are turning off their class.
2. The Ranger’s Bonus Action is overcrowded
A 2024 Ranger may want to use their Bonus Action for:
That is too much pressure on one action type.
The fix should not be “give the Ranger more damage.” The fix should be:
3. The pet fantasy should exist, but Beast Master should still matter
A lot of players imagine Rangers with animals: hawks, hounds, wolves, ravens, foxes, hunting cats, snakes, or other wilderness companions.
But not every Ranger should become a full Beast Master.
So this refit separates the fantasy into two layers:
That keeps the Ranger fantasy intact without giving every Ranger a second combatant.
2024 Ranger Refit v0.2
Core Rule: Ranger’s Quarry
This refit keeps Hunter’s Mark as the 2024 Ranger’s core hunting mechanic but changes how the Ranger interacts with it.
Level 1: Ranger’s Quarry
You always have Hunter’s Mark prepared.
When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you may cast Hunter’s Mark on that creature as part of that hit, using one of the free uses granted by your Ranger class.
Until you reach Ranger level 5, this version of Hunter’s Mark still requires concentration.
Design reason:
The Ranger no longer has to spend round one “turning on” the class. The hunt begins when the Ranger lands the shot, blade, thrown weapon, or strike.
Level 5: Unbroken Quarry
When you cast Hunter’s Mark using your Ranger class feature, it no longer requires concentration.
When the marked creature drops to 0 Hit Points, you can move the mark to another creature you can see within range once per turn without using an action.
Design reason:
Level 5 is the right place for this because it prevents easy multiclass abuse. A one-level Ranger dip should not give concentration-free Hunter’s Mark. A committed Ranger, however, should not have their class identity blocking their own spellcasting.
Level 13 Replacement: Relentless Pursuit
This replaces the need for concentration-protection features tied to Hunter’s Mark.
When you hit a creature marked by your Hunter’s Mark, you can move up to 10 feet without provoking Opportunity Attacks from that creature.
When your marked creature drops to 0 Hit Points, you can immediately move up to half your Speed.
Design reason:
This makes the Ranger feel like a mobile hunter. Mark, strike, reposition, pursue, and keep pressure on the battlefield.
Level 20 Replacement: Master of the Hunt
At 20th level, your mastery of the hunt is unmatched.
You can maintain Hunter’s Mark on up to two creatures at once when using your Ranger class feature.
Once on each of your turns, when you miss a creature marked by your Hunter’s Mark, you may turn that miss into a glancing hit. The attack deals no weapon damage, but it still applies your Hunter’s Mark damage and any non-damage rider effects that would normally apply on a hit.
In addition, you always know the direction of a creature marked by your Hunter’s Mark while it is on the same plane of existence as you.
Design reason:
This capstone avoids leaning too heavily on Wisdom-to-hit or Wisdom-to-damage, which is common Ranger design space. Instead, it focuses on what a legendary Ranger should do: keep the quarry marked, stay on the trail, and never fully lose pressure.
Field Companion: Noncombat Ranger Companion
This is the cleaned-up version of the pet fantasy.
Level 2 Optional Feature: Field Companion
At level 2, a Ranger may choose to maintain a trained field companion. This companion can be a hawk, hound, fox, raven, snake, badger, cat, owl, lizard, monkey, fey-touched critter, or another small wilderness creature approved by the DM.
This companion is not a full combat pet.
It can:
It cannot attack unless another feature specifically allows it.
Choose one Field Role:
Design reason:
This preserves the beloved “Ranger with an animal” fantasy without giving every Ranger a second attacker, second turn, or subclass-level pet. The combat companion remains the Beast Master’s territory.
Beast Master Refit
The Beast Master should not feel like the Ranger is constantly choosing between “use my class spell” and “let my animal do something.”
The subclass should feel like:
Not:
Beast Master Level 3: Primal Companion
Use the 2024 Beast Master’s Primal Companion framework as the base.
The companion remains the Beast Master’s combat partner and scales through subclass features.
In addition, choose one Companion Temperament. This is mostly flavor with a light tactical identity.
This does not add a large new rules engine. It gives the player permission to make the companion feel specific, personal, and memorable.
Beast Master Level 3: Paired Quarry
When you take the Attack action against a creature marked by your Hunter’s Mark, your Primal Companion can move up to half its Speed and make one Bestial Strike against that same creature without using your Bonus Action.
This can happen only once on each of your turns.
You may still use your Bonus Action to command the companion normally if you want it to act independently or target a different creature.
Design reason:
This is the core Beast Master fix. If the Ranger and companion are attacking the same marked prey, the action economy should feel coordinated instead of clogged.
Beast Master Level 7: Predator’s Pressure
When your companion hits a creature marked by your Hunter’s Mark, choose one effect:
You can apply only one Predator’s Pressure effect per turn.
Design reason:
The companion adds tactical control instead of just becoming a damage button.
Beast Master Level 11: Shared Hunt
When your Primal Companion attacks a creature marked by your Hunter’s Mark, it can attack twice instead of once.
The first time each turn your companion hits your marked creature, it deals extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Design reason:
This keeps the pet relevant in Tier 3 without copying the Ranger’s entire damage engine.
Beast Master Level 15: Bond of Tooth, Eye, and Instinct
When your Primal Companion takes damage, you can use your Reaction to reduce that damage by an amount equal to your Ranger level + your Wisdom modifier.
When a creature marked by your Hunter’s Mark damages you, your companion can move up to half its Speed toward that creature as part of the same Reaction.
Design reason:
At higher levels, the companion needs survivability and emotional weight. The bond should matter defensively as well as offensively.
What do you think? Would these changes help the 2024 Ranger feel better at the table, especially for Beast Master players, or would this push the class too far?