The Ranger
The ranger is a versatile class that specializes in the exploration pillar while retaining strength in the combat pillar. The ranger also has more unique interaction with the social pillar. The class has broad utility through its spellcasting feature. The core ranger from the Player’s Handbook received a number of new features, including some replacement features for its ribbon features in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything by Wizards of the Coast. This material is balanced around the ranger options included in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything and the aforementioned features. It further expands the class with new features, and you will find expansions for the Player’s Handbook subclasses to modernize them with their official peers.
The ranger is the best class because it combines the prowess of a warrior, including its ability to withstand injury, with many druidic spells alongside special ranger spells. The ranger is also very skilled and is usually the best at navigating the wilderness and surviving within it. Many rangers are adept trackers and knowledgeable in the threats within their home turf. If you’re a player looking for a character that is a natural survivor, pathfinder, and capable as a combatant and as a controller, consider creating a ranger.
The ranger class receives new features and subclasses in this section. You gain class features in the Player’s Handbook when you reach certain levels in your class. This section offers additional features you can gain as a ranger. Unlike features in the Player’s Handbook, you don’t gain the features here automatically. Consult with your DM on whether you gain a feature in this section if you meet the requirements. These features can be selected separately from one another; you can use some, all, or none of them.
If you take a feature that replaces another feature, you gain no benefit from the replaced feature and don’t qualify for anything in the game that requires it.
Natural Explorer Options
When you choose a favored terrain, the following terrains are added to your list of options: rustic, sea, underwater, urban.
In addition, when you choose a favored terrain from the Natural Explorer Improvement feature, you can choose one of the inner or outer planes, applying the benefits of the feature when you are in an environment on that plane that is unique to it. Alternately, you can choose supernatural terrain, gaining the benefits of the feature when you are with supernatural environments, such as the area of a haunting or other spiritfont.
Moreover, you can replace one of your favored terrains with a different one available to you when you gain the Natural Explorer Improvement feature.
Fighting Style Options
When you choose a new fighting style, the following styles are added to your list of options.
Sworn Weapon
After finishing a long rest, choose one weapon in which you are proficient. Until you choose a different weapon through this fighting style, when you attack with that weapon, you can use your Strength, Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma modifier (your choice) instead of Strength or Dexterity, for the attack and damage rolls.
Versatile Fighting
When you make an attack with a weapon that has the versatile property with one hand, you have a +2 bonus on attack rolls with it, provided you aren’t holding a second weapon or a shield. When you make an attack with a weapon with the versatile property with two hands, you have a +2 bonus on damage rolls with it.
Primeval Focus
3rd-level ranger feature which replaces the Primeval Awareness feature
As an action, you can focus your awareness on the region around you. For 10 minutes, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. You know the distance to the nearest half mile of the creatures and their general direction, but don’t know how many there are at each distance.
Once you use this feature, you must finish a long rest to use it again unless you expend a spell slot of at least 1st level to use it again.
Whirling Blades
5th-level ranger feature
When you make the extra attack while engaging in two-weapon fighting, you can make it as part of the Attack action, instead of as a bonus action. You can still make this extra attack only once per turn, and you can’t take a bonus action to make another attack this turn.
In addition, while holding a one-handed weapon in each hand, you can take a bonus action to make an attack with one of them during your turn without needing to take the Attack action.
Foe Slayer Variant
20th-level ranger feature, which replaces the Foe Slayer feature
You become the unparalleled hunter of your enemies. Once of each of your turns, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack or damage roll of an attack you make against one of your favored foes from your Favored Enemy feature, one foe marked by your Favored Foe feature, or one foe within your favored terrain from your Natural Explorer feature. You can choose which roll to modify after making your roll, but before the results are known.
Moreover, if you control another creature granted by a class feature or summoned by a spell, you can grant the benefit of this feature to that creature instead of you.
Beast Master
The Beast Master ranger archetype receives the following new features.
Beast Master Magic
3rd-level Beast Master feature
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Beast Master Spells table. Each spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Beast Master Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | heroism |
| 5th | enhance ability |
| 9th | conjure animals |
| 13th | dominate beast |
| 17th | mass cure wounds |
Ranger’s Enhanced Companion
3rd-level Beast Master feature, which requires the Ranger’s Companion feature
Your companion has greater resolve. You add your proficiency bonus to your companion’s Strength and Wisdom saving throws if it doesn’t have saving throw proficiencies. It has a hit point maximum equal to the number listed in its stat block or the value from the Beast Master Companion Hit Points table. It gains a number of HD equal to your ranger level that it can spend to heal itself during a short rest. The size of its HD is indicated on the Beast Master Companion Hit Points table.
You can select any beast of Medium size or smaller, or one which can serve as a mount that is one size larger than a normal member of your race, provided it doesn’t have a flying speed. Regardless, the beast must have a CR no greater than 1/4.
You can command your beast by taking a bonus action. If you mount your companion beast, you can only command it to take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge actions. If the companion acts as an uncontrolled mount, it can move, but will only take the Dodge action.
Your companion gains the benefits of your Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer features. If you take the Favored Foe feature, you can have your beast’s attacks benefit from the feature instead of your own.
Beast Master Companion Hit Points
| Type | Hit Points | HD Size |
|---|---|---|
| No Flying Speed | 5 + 5 times your ranger level | d8 |
| Flying Speed | 4 + 4 times your ranger level | d6 |
Hunter
The Hunter archetype receives the following new feature.
Hunter Magic
3rd-level Hunter feature
You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Hunter Spells table. Each spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Hunter Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | hunter’s mark |
| 5th | blindness/deafness |
| 9th | elemental weapon |
| 13th | blight |
| 17th | hold monster |
Versatile Training
3rd-level Hunter feature
The types of threats encountered are numerous and you know best how to prepare to meet them. When you finish a long rest, you can replace one of the options you chose from the Hunter’s Prey, Defensive Tactics, Multiattack, or Superior Hunter’s Defense features with a different option from the same feature.