Only those who have actually played with it, please. Do you think the feature is good? I know it has up and downsides and wondered what those who have tried it think. How well does it work in general and whether it does better/worse with a specific build? Also, is the fact that it's requiring concentration truly as annoying as it sounds or is it still worth it? Lastly, do you think it is more/less viable at certain levels compared to others?
I have played a Goblin Gloomstalker who did more like a Rogue job, and I was using Favored Foe time to time by levels 1-4 because I had one attack and I was using my bonus action to hide whenever needed. By level 5+, when I got my second attack, I started using more Pass Without Trace or HM and therefore my Concentration slot was occupied. I used FF in small or not dangerous battles.
Hunters Mark really outclass Favored Foe when you get to attack two times (or more), but until there Favored Foe is fine for spell slot economy. Is it top tier ability? Definitely no. Is it bad? Definitely no. It could be better? Definitely YES.
My DM allowed to run the Favored Enemy version of Revised Ranger, adding +2 damage and choosing Humanoids as a whole as enemies and I felt more powerful.
Currently playing a weird gnome gloom stalker. As above from Ir0ns0ul. Favored Foe is particularly useful in short small battles where you don't believe you will be able to refresh your spells between this and the next. I went 5 levels before meeting my originally chosen favored enemy and by that time I had switched to favored foe. I found the concentration thing to not be much of a problem because since it doesn't transfer it is usually only up for a few rounds.
On the front end it is easier to work with compared to Hunter's Mark since it doesn't require a bonus action to turn on and only turns on when you hit. You can turn it on with an attack of opportunity (I am a Polearm Master Str Ranger so this comes up). With PAM it can happen that an enemy walks up I hit it with my reaction and turn on FF. Now I have a fresh enemy to burn it on.
It stretches your spell slots which helps if you get into a grind of a dungeon. My guess is that as you get to higher levels there will be better things to do with your time, but it also is free. I can imagine being at level 15 and not having concentration up and using it for a little more damage just because you can. To me it focuses when I want to use Hunter's Mark, and when I don't.
I want to play a fey wanderer next and was looking into this as well. Since most of the ranger spells come with concentration I felt that the FF is a bit disappointing and on high levels a bad trade-off to Hunters Mark in general. So it seems a little irrelevant. Yess free, but what else would I want to use regularly for my level 1 spell slots later in the game?
An alternative I would allow as a DM and hope my DM will accept is somehow compared to a Paladins Channel Divinity:
No concentration, but you can only use it once per short or long rest.
Since favored foe can be activated on hit it can be used when class features or spells require a bonus action to activate. This is impactful for monster slayer, horizon walker, or two weapon fighters.
foe slayer can also be used on the same turn as another concentration spell, so long as that spell has ended. Examples of this would be with spells like hail of thorns or lightning arrow. You can use your bonus action to activate these spells and start concentrating. Using your attack action with extra attack, you potentially land the first attack with your ranged weapon since you likely have the archery fighting style and set off the spell. The spell takes effect and your concentration ends since the spell is over. You take your second attack and if it lands, you start concentrating again on favored foe to deal more bonus damage.
depending on how your DM views simultaneous rules with Xanathars, the DM may even let you do this on the same first attack hit.
Only those who have actually played with it, please. Do you think the feature is good? I know it has up and downsides and wondered what those who have tried it think. How well does it work in general and whether it does better/worse with a specific build? Also, is the fact that it's requiring concentration truly as annoying as it sounds or is it still worth it? Lastly, do you think it is more/less viable at certain levels compared to others?
Varielky
I have played a Goblin Gloomstalker who did more like a Rogue job, and I was using Favored Foe time to time by levels 1-4 because I had one attack and I was using my bonus action to hide whenever needed. By level 5+, when I got my second attack, I started using more Pass Without Trace or HM and therefore my Concentration slot was occupied. I used FF in small or not dangerous battles.
Hunters Mark really outclass Favored Foe when you get to attack two times (or more), but until there Favored Foe is fine for spell slot economy. Is it top tier ability? Definitely no. Is it bad? Definitely no. It could be better? Definitely YES.
My DM allowed to run the Favored Enemy version of Revised Ranger, adding +2 damage and choosing Humanoids as a whole as enemies and I felt more powerful.
Currently playing a weird gnome gloom stalker. As above from Ir0ns0ul. Favored Foe is particularly useful in short small battles where you don't believe you will be able to refresh your spells between this and the next. I went 5 levels before meeting my originally chosen favored enemy and by that time I had switched to favored foe. I found the concentration thing to not be much of a problem because since it doesn't transfer it is usually only up for a few rounds.
On the front end it is easier to work with compared to Hunter's Mark since it doesn't require a bonus action to turn on and only turns on when you hit. You can turn it on with an attack of opportunity (I am a Polearm Master Str Ranger so this comes up). With PAM it can happen that an enemy walks up I hit it with my reaction and turn on FF. Now I have a fresh enemy to burn it on.
It stretches your spell slots which helps if you get into a grind of a dungeon. My guess is that as you get to higher levels there will be better things to do with your time, but it also is free. I can imagine being at level 15 and not having concentration up and using it for a little more damage just because you can. To me it focuses when I want to use Hunter's Mark, and when I don't.
I want to play a fey wanderer next and was looking into this as well. Since most of the ranger spells come with concentration I felt that the FF is a bit disappointing and on high levels a bad trade-off to Hunters Mark in general. So it seems a little irrelevant. Yess free, but what else would I want to use regularly for my level 1 spell slots later in the game?
An alternative I would allow as a DM and hope my DM will accept is somehow compared to a Paladins Channel Divinity:
No concentration, but you can only use it once per short or long rest.
Since favored foe can be activated on hit it can be used when class features or spells require a bonus action to activate. This is impactful for monster slayer, horizon walker, or two weapon fighters.
foe slayer can also be used on the same turn as another concentration spell, so long as that spell has ended. Examples of this would be with spells like hail of thorns or lightning arrow. You can use your bonus action to activate these spells and start concentrating. Using your attack action with extra attack, you potentially land the first attack with your ranged weapon since you likely have the archery fighting style and set off the spell. The spell takes effect and your concentration ends since the spell is over. You take your second attack and if it lands, you start concentrating again on favored foe to deal more bonus damage.
depending on how your DM views simultaneous rules with Xanathars, the DM may even let you do this on the same first attack hit.
Good point.
I actually thought of trading out HM for Zephyrs Strike for instance. So that would be then...
1. Zephyrs Strike BA
2 Strike (first attack), C ends
3 Second attack (level 5+), free FF, new C