Ranger Class Changes in D&D 2024

We discuss all the changes to the Ranger class as well as spell and feat changes to get the big picture on how Rangers are looking in 2024.

TIME STAMPS

00:00 - Intro
01:01 - Class Overview
06:38 - Weapon Masteries
07:25 - Favored Enemy
11:29 - Natural Explorer
12:35 - Roving
13:18 - Feats
20:41 - Spells
22:22 - Subclasses
24:24 - Final Thoughts

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[DnDDeepDive]

“Err on the side of positivity” is both my new favorite Kelly quote and also solid life advice. I’m making a T-shirt.

[hamc]

Minor note, fey wanderer damage is once per round per target, so if you get past the first enemy the second one takes it too, particularly good for hordes

[gaberielpendragon]

Hunter's Mark should have been made a class feature instead of a spell. Much like other classes that apply their effects when you hit an enemy with an attack. Starting with a low amount of damage per hit and scaling with hunter level, or something along those lines. This also would let them do more fun and unique things with it like giving extra effects like Rogue's sneak attack. If anything, it makes more sense for Hunter than it does for Rogue. Or set them up to be the ranged smite class with nature themed smite attacks based around hunter's mark.
Ranger definitely needed more time to cook.

[emulationemperor]

I think around level 11 or 13, the ranger should be able to either get a concentration free hunter's mark, or be able to apply it as part of their attack. Like the new paladin's vow of emnity.

[neileddy]

My issue is Rangers were slowly lifted to where they were with Tasha's. They still didn't have a strong theme, but they at least worked as a class, and you didn't feel like a worse archer fighter. However, the ranger class still was severely limited in bonus action economy and concentration. They have now given a "theme" to the ranger that is built around hunters mark. However they didn't give it enough scaling for me to really want to use it throughout, so I am again, like in 2014, left feeling like I am missing class features. Also, if I do choose to utilize HM, I am switching it every turn because most enemies that are focused fired do not last more than a round. So now the stress on BAs and Concentration is more stressed than ever. Further, with all of the many many new and easy ways to knock someone prone you will frequently have disadvantage. Unfortunately, without DM intercession, I think Ranger feels like a trap. I think, at minimum, removing HM concentration after level 6 is required, possibly also increasing damage scaling. Of all the classes, I think Ranger was done the most dirty.

[thomasbozzo]

Postitive Critique as requested:
I feel like getting the free casts of Hunter's Mark is a decent change because even though it still requires concentration, there's much less of a penalty in dropping Hunter's Mark to cast a different spell requiring concentration. And now you can freely use other spells without having to even consider saving a spell slot or two for casts of hunter's mark. You can have Hunter's Mark up, drop concentration to cast Zephyr Strike using a spell slot then cast Hunter's Mark the next turn without using a spell slot. It's not perfect but it does add flexibility with casting different spells.

If you cast spike growth and then all the enemies get passed it or spread out to the point where it's no longer needed, you can drop concetration and switch to a free cast of Hunter's Mark until a better opportunity for a spell comes up. It gives you a little extra damage at any point as a fallback option, which is a nice change.

[xiongray]

Swapping Spells over a Long Rest was the best buff, instead of at level up. They got a good variety of Rituals.

[Merilirem]

Hunters mark will be one of the most homebrewed part of anything in this edition.

[TheRedVelvetScare]

Rangers in D&D suffer from identity crisis for two reasons.

1st is that no one in 10 years of this edition really designed things for exploration. 5e exploration is one survival check and that's it.

2nd issue is that everyone has a different idea, and no version of 5e Ranger has fulfilled it. I've played a Ranger for 7 years, in one campaign, and my DM is very intentional about including survival and exploration because we all enjoy it. But even then we tweaked the hell out of the Ranger.

Rangers in D&D use magic, that's just the way it is. When you stop trying to think of Aragorn or Drizzt, and just think of what a magical druidic/nature magic warrior is, you are still unsatisfied with the 5e Ranger. Most spells are concentration or archery themed, they don't hit hard, move the best, control the battlefield well, or excel anywhere.

I love their ability to contribute here and there, but that's me, I don't need the spotlight. If they are a fighter who has become entangled in nature magic, their class and subclass should reflect that.

[jeffm]

I'm playing a Fey Wanderer ranger in a 1-20 campaign where we're currently level 19 (I did multiclass into Rune Knight fighter after level 13). My biggest issue is that almost every ranger spell worth casting is concentration. Same as paladin spells. But they at least removed concentration from the smite spells.

[greevar]

I don't like any class being inextricably tied to a specific spell that becomes its entire identity. It has been my thought that Rangers are wilderness survivalists, guides, and explorers who serve as the buffer between civilization and the wild. They are the quintessential roving warriors who study nature and exploit it to survive the wilderness and combat threats to civilization. When I think of a ranger, I think of a hybrid of a Witcher and a Druid. They're trained in nature, animals, monsters, martial combat, and primal magics.

[johnshearer]

I love that rangers now have access to all the fighting styles. This opens up strength based builds. I could see hunter with the great weapons master feat using a cleave weapon along with the horde breaker trait to get four attacks with a potential fifth bonus action attack with a critical hit or kill.

[SmoketySmke]

Rangers as imagined in DnD exist on a spectrum with fighter at one end and druid at the other. The problem isn't that different people have different ideas on where the Ranger sits on that spectrum, it's that its on that spectrum at all, rather than possessing a unique mechanical identity of it's own.

[hillary]

"Just cover the Overview" - 38 minutes long video :p
Like it :)

[thundyrcat]

I just can't wait till you guys start making class guides and stuff! This is so exciting!

[anastasiyaivanova]

14:44 ah, I guess now we know whom Colby of D4 fame was so mysteriously referring to earlier in his paladin video :D

[jacobcochran]

Shout out to hunters mark for still requiring concentration, so people still don’t want to play ranger.

[roronoa]

I feel too many comments I've seen about the 2024 ranger are conflating "I don't like this class" with "this class is weak". Any class with access to heavy weapons and spellcasting as a baseline can not be a weak class, period. The new spellcasting rules means that casting hunter's mark without using a slot means you can cast a spell with your action, your bonus action clog is all but non-existent now due to the nick property and beastmaster being able to give up one of those nick attacks to have their beast attack if they need to reapply hunter's mark. I think people also forget that levels 9, 13, and 17 also give you brand new spell levels as the MAIN feature, and the hunter's mark perks are just a bonus. There's a reason full spellcasters get less class features compared to the martial classes, new spell levels ARE a class feature, they just don't show up on the chart. Personally, I think rogue is in a much shakier spot than the current iteration of the ranger, absolutely the worst class in the game if we're talking mechanics. If you don't like hunter's mark, that's fine, but saying that ranger is a bad class because you personally don't like the spell is just disingenuous. The class is good.

[redeyejedi]

It seem like every class or subclass received a feature or spell update that took away concentration for one of their spells or abilities and the ranger got boned.

[AnaseSkyrider]

It's crazy how much the PF2e Ranger accomplishes everything you want. The core is your Hunt Prey, which provides bonuses to tracking and searching as well as your range on ranged attacks. You get Survival by default, with core actions and exploration abilities that make you do all the things that being a survivalist is good at, with class/skill/general feats to build on that even more. Your subclass builds on your Hunt Prey, whether you are the Flurry for multiattacking with a bow or two weapons (both are supported), the Precision do deal extra damage once per turn, or the other one that isn't very good but like helps with learning creature stat blocks and increasing your AC against your prey and stuff.

If you want spellcasting, you take Warden feats to get some focus spells. If you want an animal companion, you take companion feats. If you want to be an urban ranger, adjust your stats and take certain skill feats. Bow ranger, dual wield ranger, and great weapon ranger are all viable and strong.