D&D (2024) What type of ranger would your prefer for 2024?

[Vaalingrade]

We should be putting forth good, exciting options to attract new players.

And we should be putting the champion fighter into the compost heap.

 

[CreamCloud0]

And we should be putting the champion fighter into the compost heap.

i'd prefer it's features all just got intergrated into the base class instead.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Those can be a feat. I'd rather Battlemaster be integrated into the fighter where it was meant to be.

 

[Shardstone]

Yeah if the Ranger just had about 20-30 more spells that were really cool, I'd be pretty happy with the class. I'd actually like spells for the Ranger organized like Mystic disciplines, called these Ranger Secretsor something idgaf, and as the Ranger levels up, you get different packages. Lower level packages come with nonmagical stuff too, while higher level packages can come with special items + spells. You can change a wisdom per long rest, because the Ranger should be frequently customized IMO.

That'd give me the feel of a magical warrior who is constantly updating his tactics for the situation at hand, which to me is both a narrative and mechanical fluff that makes the ranger worth having.

And since the Bard isn't limited to one spell list, let the Ranger use packages from any spell list too. Why shouldn't a Ranger be able to learn some hymns and miracles for hunting werewolves loose in the lands? Or learn to use arcane spells in order to deal with a forest demon?

 

[Chaosmancer]

Oh for sure, the mechanical failures are the no. 1 killer. And yeah, Rangers can be cool of course, I don't mean to say they're an inevitable strike-out whenever they appear in a game, even the more underwhelming versions/revisions. Just, yeah. I feel like it can take a more conceited effort than you'd reasonably expect for other classes.

I think Rangers getting a defined corner of the Primal magic sphere, something that is just theirs, not Druid's or Barbarian's, would/will create a better starting point for actionable changes/additions. Not before/instead of any tries at the mechanical stuff necessarily, but. If there's a clearer perception of their deal on the magic side, you can start doing stuff more confidently maybe. Writing new/sprucing up old spells, new lore/flavour write-ups, it could help inform future attempts at their class abilities, etc. Like Bard got in playtest 6, where they associated Bards with "harnessing the words of creation" and so on. I'd like something like that for Ranger. If that makes sense.

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think marking COULD be that, similar to the paladin aura as something uniquely created for that class, but it would need to break out of the current design.

 

[Chaosmancer]

no need to make all subclasses of all classes just the most simple for starting characters.
And that can be in soft-cover shipped together with PHB or some starter adventure for levels 1-4.

I.E:
Artificer, armorer
Barbarian, bear totem
Bard, lore
Cleric, life
Druid, moon
Fighter, champion
Monk, open hand
Paladin, devotion
Ranger, hunter
Rogue, thief
Sorcerer, draconic
Warlock, fiend
Wizard, evoker

So if someone wanted something other than the most simple option made for them... then they still need to consider all 68 options. And your solution involves printing an entire second book to be bound with the PHB or in a starter set?

I think that alone shows how this is not a practicable idea for WoTC

 

[Vaalingrade]

And another thing: if we're going to try to attract players to trying classes, 'healbot sadness forever' cleric is not the way to go. We should especially not encourage the idea that combat healing is a worthwhile use of the action economy.

 

[Horwath]

And another thing: if we're going to try to attract players to trying classes, 'healbot sadness forever' cleric is not the way to go. We should especially not encourage the idea that combat healing is a worthwhile use of the action economy.

That is why Cure wound spell needs to go away and combat healing only should be Healing word.

Healing word.
1st level spell.
Bonus action cast
range: 60ft

heal the target for 10HP
you can split this healing between target and yourself.
If you cast this spell as a part of short rest you can 15HP and split it among any amount of targets.
You can do this only once per short rest.

Upcasting:
for every spell slot above 1st level add 10HP of healing. Or 15HP for short rest.


Life cleric:
your healing spells heal extra 3HP per spell level.

 

[Horwath]

So if someone wanted something other than the most simple option made for them... then they still need to consider all 68 options. And your solution involves printing an entire second book to be bound with the PHB or in a starter set?

I think that alone shows how this is not a practicable idea for WoTC

this would be 2-3 pages per character. for 10 characters. That is not a huge investment.

and it's a starter set, you do not have a choice but what is given to you.

 

[Rocker26a]

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. I think marking COULD be that, similar to the paladin aura as something uniquely created for that class, but it would need to break out of the current design.

Ugh, don't get me started about the prevailing design of the Mark/Favoured Enemy/whatever ability. They're never that interesting, but they're never even that strong either. It may just be that I don't have the mind for balance, but. I hate when any of the main Ranger abilities that we've had are declared overpowered. Like they need to be made once per turn, or concentration, or have the damage die reduced. Hell, even being single target irks me, but that's always been an assumed requirement. For an additional damage die, on a class that can't do anything more with it than anyone else. It's not like they're Fighters with their bucket full of extra attacks and means of getting more.

All that said, I didn't necessarily mean a unique signature ability for Ranger being that jumping off point, I think it should be a given that they have that. I want something on the flavour side that informs what follows. Like with Paladin, yeah the Auras are what's mechanically unique and interesting about them of course, but the main thing is they're walking embodiments of ideology that turn that belief into power, that's what's thematically interesting about them before you even start playing as one or with one.

Like I say, Bard got a nearly 300 word new lore write-up in the last playtest! Their place in the roster, their connection to the weave, it's unique and solid! I want that for Ranger! When you describe what the Ranger is to new players, or when characters talk about their power in-game, I want there to be something else to say besides "they're like not as good Druids but they use swords and stuff".