5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2

THE RANGER

Standing on a hilltop, surveying the wasteland before him, a man picks at his nails with his blade, collecting valuable red clay and flicking it into a bowl. He sits in his magic circle, spits into the bowl of necessary herbs, minerals, and hair, and begins chanting in a forgotten tongue. The spell he weaves reveals the location of his quarry: the Great White Bear. He gathers his weapons and sets forth to slay the beast. Deep in the troglodyte caverns, a half-elf strides silent as a ghost with blade in hand. She smells something foul, crouches, and smears her fingers through what can only be animal scat. She smells it, eyes it with vision long-adapted to these dark tunnels, and a deep growl in the dark confirms her suspicions. The troglodytes have tamed a manticore. A half-orc stands atop the highest branches of a tree, surveying the vastness of the forest before him. It would take him three weeks to traverse on foot, and would be fraught with untold perils. He brings his middle finger and thumb to his mouth, and lets out an ululating whistle. With a rush of wind and a cry that echoes in the canyon, an eagle the size of a grizzly bear swoops down and snatches him out of the tree. He uses her specialized harness to climb onto her back, where he whispers their destination into her ear. In the lands less traveled—the deep, dark, and mysterious places of the world where the bravest men and women yet quake in their boots—you will find rangers. They traverse the unexplored and live amongst the strange and frightening, and yet they survive against all odds. For they are masters of the wild and weird.

Hardy Survivalists

Masters of terrain and the wilderness, rangers are the most skilled survivalists that can be found. They live their lives apart from the civilized world and often eschew its greater courtesies. This gives them a great understanding of the dangerous world outside the walls of one’s home. Whether it’s the ratways of a city or the ravines of a wasteland, rangers know who to trust, what to do, where to travel, when it’s safe, and why the monsters want to eat you.

Wild Warriors

Whether formally trained by a cabal of rangers at the edges of society, personally tutored by a veteran huntsman, or self-taught in the dark places of the world, rangers are skilled combatants. Rather than perfect technique, however, a ranger’s true skill lies in tenacity and mobility. Whether they wield a pair of blades, a bow and arrow, or a nine-foot boar spear, it is a ranger’s mastery over terrain and skirmishing tactics that makes them a deadly foe.

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5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2

Creating a Ranger

When you create your ranger, it is important to consider how they came into this life. One does not normally choose to spend their life away from what the rest of civilization calls home. Perhaps, for your ranger, the warm feather bed and the bitter tavern ale are reminders of a life she wants to forget. Or maybe she hears the call of civilization, but was banished from it long ago and cannot partake of its succulence, much as she might desire it. Or maybe you were never a part of that world. You were born into a band of rangers, druids and barbarians whose lives have always been controlled by the whims of the wild. A ranger’s origin often informs much of their outlook on life. THE RANGER Level Class Feature 1 Fighting Style, Natural Explorer 2 Healing Poultice, Skirmisher (1d6) 3 Path of the Ranger 4 Ability Score Improvement 5 Extra Attack 6 Adrenaline Surge, Strider

Class Features

As a ranger, you gain the following class features.

Hit Points Hit Dice: 2d4 per ranger level. Hit Points at 1st level: 8 + your Constitution modifier. Hit Points at Higher Levels: 2d4 (or 5) + your Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st.

Proficiencies Armor: Light armor, shields. Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons. Tools: Herbalism Kit. Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity or Constitution. Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Equipment You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background.     

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Leather armor (a) two short swords or (b) one simple or martial melee weapon (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows An herbalism kit

5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2 Fighting Style At 1st level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.     





Ambush. During the first round of combat, you gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage rolls, a +2 bonus to Armor Class, and your movement speed increases by 10 feet. Archery. You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. Defense. While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC. Dueling. When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 to damage rolls with that weapon. Great Weapon Fighting. When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll, even if the new roll is a 1 or a 2. The weapon must have the two-handed or versatile property for you to gain this benefit. Protection. When a creature you can see attacks a target other than you that is within 5 feet of you, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the attack roll. You must be wielding a shield. Two-Weapon Fighting. When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Natural Explorer You are prone to spending time in the uncivilized and unsettled places of the world, and are adept at surviving in such locales. You know the best paths, the best ways to find food, and how to track the wild and weird. You can spend 1 hour exploring and adapting to a particular terrain from the following list: Arctic, Aquatic, Desert, Forest, Grassland, Mountain, Swamp, Underground, or Urban. This exploration can be done as part of normal overland travel. As long as you remain adapted to that terrain, you gain the following benefits as long as you remain within it.      

Difficult terrain does not slow your group’s travel. Your group cannot become lost except by magical means. Even when engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger. If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would. While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the area.

You can only adapt to a single terrain at a time. Taking an hour to explore and adapt to a new terrain causes you to lose these benefits in all other terrains.

Healing Poultices At 2nd level, as long as you possess an herbalism kit, you can use it to create mystical healing poultices from flora in the surrounding area. You can spend 1 hour exploring and working with your herbalism kit to create a number of poultices equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1). A poultice takes 1 minute to apply, and can be applied to an injured living creature (so long as it has a

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5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2 discernable anatomy). At the end of that minute, the creature heals a number of hit points equal to 2d4 + your ranger level. This healing increases by 1d4 at 5th level, and every 4 levels thereafter (to a maximum of 6d4 at 17th level. Once a creature has benefited from a healing poultice, they cannot benefit from another until they complete a long rest. Healing poultices must be used right away, else the combination of herbs and natural magic loses its efficacy. Therefore, a healing poultice loses all effect after 24 hours.

Skirmisher Starting at 2nd level, you become more effective in combat as long as you remain mobile. If you move at least 10 feet before making a weapon attack, your attack deals an additional 1d6 damage. Each creature you attack can only be affected by this damage once per round. If you attack two different creatures in a round, however, you do not need to move an additional 10 feet between attacks. This damage increases to 2d6 at 11th level, and 3d6 at 20th level.

Path of the Ranger At 3rd level, you select one of three ranger paths: the Hood, the Hunter, or the Seeker. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level.

Ability Score Increase When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Adrenaline Surge At 6th level, you are capable of pulling from your reserves in order to heal yourself in the midst of combat. As a bonus action, you may spend and roll any number of hit dice and recover hit points normally, as if you had taken a short rest. You must complete a short or long rest before you can do this again.

Strider Starting at 6th level, your movement speed increases by 10 feet. In addition, moving through nonmagical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement such as those created by the entangle spell.

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5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2

Ranger Paths

Rangers normally dedicate themselves to one of three ideals: that of the Hunter, the Beast Master, or the Hood.

Hunter

Hunters are skilled at tracking and slaying foes, as well as empowering their allies to do the same. They are highly versatile, changing up their tactics on the fly in order to adapt to any situation.

Called Shot At 3rd level, you are able to aim your attacks in order to disable your foes. When you hit with a weapon attack, you can choose to aim it at a creature’s head, arms, or legs. The creature then makes a Strength saving throw (DC 8 + your Proficiency Bonus + your Dexterity or Wisdom modifier, whichever is higher) or suffers the appropriate penalty.  Head. The creature has disadvantage on all attacks, ability checks, and saving throws until the end of your next turn.  Arms. The creature drops a single held item of your choice. It lands 1d6 x 5 feet away from the creature in a direction of your choice.  Legs. The creature’s speed is halved until the end of your next turn. You must complete a short or long rest before you can make another called shot. At 11th level, you can make two called shots before you need to rest.

Favored Enemy Starting at 3rd level, you can mark a single creature as your favored enemy as a bonus action. You deal additional damage equal to your Proficiency bonus when you hit your quarry with a weapon attack. You also have advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) and Wisdom (Survival) checks made to find or track it. If your favored enemy drops to 0 hit points, you may use a bonus action on your turn to mark a new creature as your enemy. If you go more than 1 minute without an active favored enemy, this feature’s effects end. You cannot mark another creature as your favored enemy until you complete a short or long rest. At 7th level, you can select a number of allies equal to 2 + your Wisdom modifier when you mark a creature as your favored enemy. Those allies deal an additional +2 damage when they hit your favored enemy with a weapon attack. This damage increases to +3 at 15th level. At 11th level, you may have up to two active favored enemies at a time. Each enemy requires its own bonus action to mark.

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5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2

Hood

For some rangers, combat is unnecessary, and stealth is the more desirable option. These rangers are masters of maneuvering through combat without being seen, and striking when one least expects it.

Skirmisher’s Stealth Starting at 3rd level, through trickery, distraction, or perhaps something more supernatural, you can maneuver out in the open without being noticed. As long as you begin your turn hidden from enemies, you may activate this ability as a bonus action. For the rest of your turn, creatures do not notice or detect you unless you attack, cast a spell, or otherwise make yourself known. If you are not hidden at the end of your turn, then creatures can notice and detect you normally.

Savvy Survivalist At 3rd level, you gain proficiency in two additional skills or tool sets. At 15th level, You gain proficiency with another two skills or tool sets.

Seeker

Seekers are spellcasters and spiritualists, using magic to enhance their already-competent fighting ability, as well as using it to aid with exploration and stealth. They are extremely in-tune with nature, and are capable of reading their surroundings and listening to the whispers of the world itself.

Spellcasting When you reach 3rd level, you augment your skills with the ability to cast spells using the Ranger spell list. SEEKER SPELLCASTING Spell Slots. The Seeker Spellcasting table shows Spells Spell Slots Level st how many spell slots you have to cast your spells Known 1 2nd 3rd 4th st of 1 level and higher. To cast one of these spells, 3 2 2 ---you must expend a spell slot of the spell’s level or 4 3 3 ---higher. You regain all expended spell slots when 5 3 3 ---you finish a long rest. 6 4 3 ---Spells Known of 1st level and Higher. You know two 1st level spells of your choice from the Ranger spell list. The spells known column of the Seeker Spellcasting table shows when you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots. Spellcasting Ability. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your wizard spells, since you learn them through communing with nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your

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5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2 spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Intelligence modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a wizard spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one. Spell Save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. Spell Attack Modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. Ritual Casting. You can cast a ranger spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag and you know the spell.

Spirit Guide At 3rd level, you gain a spirit guide that can advise you, protect you, and aid you in battle. The spirit is normally invisible and intangible, but can transform into tiny woodland creatures such as birds and squirrels. It communicates telepathically with you alone, and acts as if it had average intelligence. So long as you remain conscious and do not wear medium or heavy armor, you can replace your Dexterity modifier with your Wisdom modifier when calculating your Armor class. In addition, you can command your spirit guide can inhabit the wood of a club, quarterstaff, or similarly-sized stick as an action in order to turn it into a deadly magical weapon. It transforms into either a shillelagh or spirit bow at your leisure, and gains the following benefits. You are considered proficient with both of these weapons. Shillelagh. As a shillelagh, the weapon is one-handed and deals 1d8 bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage (your choice when you make the attack). All damage it deals counts as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity. Instead of Strength, you may add your Wisdom modifier to attack and damage rolls with the weapon. Spirit Bow. As a spirit bow, the weapon is two-handed, has a range of 150/600 feet, and deals 1d8 piercing damage. It does not require ammunition, instead conjuring spiritual arrows when you draw the bowstring (this ammunition can be used for spells which require the use of ammunition, such as Cordon of Arrows). All damage the spirit bow deals counts as magical for the purposes of overcoming resistance and immunity. Instead of Dexterity, you may add your Wisdom modifier to attack and damage rolls with the weapon. The spirit continues to inhabit the weapon until you recall it (a bonus action) or fall unconscious. At 7th level, it only requires a bonus action to command your spirit to inhabit a piece of wood.

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5E RANGER CLASS ALPHA PLAYTEST v2.2 OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. 1. 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COPYRIGHT NOTICE Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. System Reference Document 5.0 Copyright 2016, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Mike Mearls, Jeremy Crawford, Chris Perkins, Rodney Thompson, Peter Lee, James Wyatt, Robert J. Schwalb, Bruce R. Cordell, Chris Sims, and Steve Townshend, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. END OF LICENSE

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