The following is a revision of the 5e ranger class, meant to address their lack of damage scaling and improve or replace abilities that were too weak or too situational. Existing 5e subclasses will all work mechanically with this form of the ranger class. Click here for a summary of changes.
- Progression Table
- Ability Scores
- Multiclassing
- Class Features by Level
- 1: Fighting Style and Natural Tracker
- 2: Mark for Death, Plan the Hunt and Ranger Spellcasting
- 3: Primeval Awareness and Ranger Conclave
- 4: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 5: Mark for Death Improvement and Extra Attack
- 6: Ranger Conclave
- 7: Ranger’s Mobility
- 8: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 9: Mark for Death Improvement
- 10: Iron Resilience
- 11: Ranger Conclave
- 12: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 13: Mark for Death Improvement
- 14: Ranger Conclave
- 15: Tireless
- 16: Ability Score Improvement and Feat
- 17: Mark for Death Improvement and Precise Hunter
- 18: Blindsight
- 19: Superior Ability
- 20: Unrelenting Focus
Progression Table
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Spells Prepared | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Fighting Style, Natural Tracker | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2nd | +2 | Mark for Death (1d4), Plan the Hunt, Spellcasting, Expertise | 3 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 3rd | +2 | Primeval Awareness, Ranger Conclave | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 4 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack, Mark for Death (1d6) | 5 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – |
| 6th | +3 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 6 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – |
| 7th | +3 | Ranger’s Mobility | 7 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 7 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – |
| 9th | +4 | Mark for Death (1d8) | 8 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| 10th | +4 | Iron Resilience | 9 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| 11th | +4 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – |
| 13th | +5 | Mark for Death (1d10) | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – |
| 14th | +5 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – |
| 15th | +5 | Tireless | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement, Feat | 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 17th | +6 | Mark for Death (1d12), Precise Hunter | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 18th | +6 | Blindsight | 13 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Superior Ability | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Unrelenting Focus | 14 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Level 1 Rangers
When you create a level 1 ranger, follow these steps to add the following to your character:
Ability Scores
You can take one of these recommended ability score arrays, or you can roll or assign them yourself. You can switch any two ability scores, but you do not add any further bonuses (they’re already included).
Strength: 10 Dexterity:16 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 10 Wisdom: 16 Charisma: 8
Strength: 16 Dexterity:14 Constitution: 14 Intelligence: 9 Wisdom: 14 Charisma: 8
Feat
You gain a level 1 feat of your choice. You can choose from the feats available to all classes or choose a level 1 class-specific feat, if there is one available.
Hit Points
At First Level: 10 + Constitution Modifier
At Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution Modifier
Hit Dice: 1d10 per ranger level
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Two tools or vehicles of your choice
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
Skill Proficiencies: Survival, and three of: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Engineering, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth
Languages: one of your choice
Items
- scale armor -OR- padded armor
- two shortswords or scimitars -OR- two Simple Melee Weapons -OR- one Martial Melee Weapon
- a longbow and 20 arrows -OR- any martial ranged weapon and 20 pieces of ammunition
- two sets of tools, which you gained proficiency with as part of the ranger class
- a backpack containing: 1 bedroll, 5 rations, 1 rope, 1 tinderbox, 5 torches, 1 waterskin containing 5 pints of water
Multiclass Characters
Instead of leveling up in your original class, you can take a ranger level when you level up. When you do, you gain only a portion of what first level rangers gain.
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Multiclassing Ability Score Requirements
Taking levels in several classes requires exceptional ability. You must meet the multiclassing ability score requirements for both your original class and the class you are multiclassing into.
For rangers you must have:
- Either Strength: 14 or Dexterity: 14
- Wisdom: 14
Hit Points
Per Level: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution Modifier
Hit Dice: 1d10 per ranger level
Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor, Medium Armor
Weapons: Simple Weapons, Martial Weapons
Tools: Two tools or vehicles of your choice
Skill Proficiencies: two of: Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, Survival (one of which must be survival if you don’t have it)
Languages: one of your choice
Class Features
Class features here are sorted by level. When you reach a level as indicated by the icons on the left, you gain all feature or feature improvements listed between the red lines. For example, at first level rangers gain the Fighting Style and Natural Tracker abilities.
Fighting Style
You adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take the same Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.
Archery
You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged and thrown weapons.
Defense
While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to Armor Class.
Mounted Combat
When you are mounted on a creature, you fight as one. You gain the following benefits, unless you are incapacitated:
- The mount cannot take damage.
- All attacks against the mount target the rider instead, using the rider’s Armor Class.
- If the mount would otherwise take damage from something that doesn’t target the rider, the rider takes the damage instead.
- The mount can otherwise be affected by terrain, spells, and abilities normally.
- See Mounts for general mounted rules.
Protection
Reaction – 1 Ally (5 ft.)
When a creature hits one of your allies with an attack and that ally is within 5 ft. of you, you can force the attacker to reroll the attack, targeting you instead. You must be holding a shield or melee weapon to use this ability.
Single Weapon Fighting
When you are wielding a single one or two-handed melee weapon and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.
Two-Weapon Fighting
When you make an attack with an off-hand weapon, you do not suffer disadvantage on the attack roll. As normal, your off-hand weapon must be Light.
Natural Tracker
You’ve become very good at navigating your environment and tracking other creatures.
- Moving through difficult terrain (like a crowd, thick foliage, waist deep water, or a web spell) costs you no extra movement.
If your table uses overland travel rules or survival rules, you gain the following benefits as well.
- Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s overland travel with you to lead them.
- Even when you are engaged in another activity (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
Mark for Death
Bonus Action – Self – 1 Minute – 2/Long Rest*
You enter a state of heightened focus during combat where you focus on one target.
While using this ability, you can mark a creature you can see when you take the Attack action. You deal an extra 1d4* damage with your weapons when you hit a marked target with a weapon attack. This damage is of the same type as your weapon. You can shift your mark to a new target every time you take the Attack action. You can only have one marked target at a time. If you kill your marked target (or knock them unconscious), you won’t be able to deal this extra damage until your next turn.
This ability ends early if you become incapacitated.
*Your Mark for Death die changes from a d4 to larger dice and you get more uses of this ability when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Ranger Progression Table.
This ability is meant to replace the hunter’s mark spell. You cannot benefit from the hunter’s mark spell while using this ability.
Plan the Hunt
You focus on thoughts of your enemies, trying to clear your head for when you finally catch up with your foes.
During a Short Rest – Self – 1/Long Rest
You regain half of your uses of Mark for Death.
Ranger Spellcasting
You gain the ability to cast spells that call on the powers of nature or natural instinct. You use wisdom as your spellcasting ability for ranger spells, since your magic draws upon your attunement to nature and heightened senses.
Rangers are prepared spellcasters. The Ranger Progression Table shows how many spell slots you have, as well as how many spells you have prepared. You can search the list of ranger spells here or see full spell descriptions here.
Druidic Focuses
You can use a druidic focus or component pouch as a spellcasting focus.
Skill Expertise
Choose any two skills with which you have proficiency. You gain expertise (add double your proficiency bonus) with the chosen skills.
Primeval Awareness
Bonus Action – Self – 1st Level (Divination) – 1 Hour
You focus your awareness on the region around you. You choose a single creature you know, a single creature you are tracking, or choose to look for the closest of a type of creature (such as human or red dragon). If the creature is within 250 ft. per level of the spell slot you expended, you immediately become aware of the fastest path to find the creature. You also know which way the creature is moving, if applicable.
Even if the creature is too far to learn its exact position, or the creature is protected from divination, you gain advantage on all survival and perception checks to locate the creature for 1 hour.
This ability can take many forms. You could track your target by scent like a dog, follow tracks too subtle for others to notice, or enter a trance where spirits guide you along a path.
Primeval Awareness is a spell, and like with other spells, you are limited to expending one spell slot per turn.
Ranger Conclave
You choose a ranger conclave, which represents the specialized training and skills you develop that make you different from other rangers. Your conclave gives you new abilities at this level and at levels 6, 11, and 14, also listed below.
Beastmaster
Beastmasters enter combat with a steadfast animal companion at their side. This companion is partially tied to their life force and obeys their every command. This animal companion might be an animal they already met, it might be one who follows their call out from the wilderness, and it might be a
Beastmaster Extra Prepared Spells
When you reach certain levels as a ranger, you gain the ability to cast higher level spells. When you do, you learn these additional spells. They do not count against the number of ranger spells have prepared.
| Ranger Level | Extra Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Speak with Animals |
| 5 | Animal Messenger |
| 9 | Phantom Steed |
| 13 | Faithful Hound |
| 17 | Awaken |
Beastmaster: Animal Companion
You become magically bonded to an animal companion. Choose a beast with a CR of ¼ or lower. This beast will level up when you level up, and will be your companion until you die or until you decide to change to a new beast during a level up. If you change to a new companion, your old companion reverts to its original statistics.
- The chosen companion loses its multiattack feature if it has one, as well as any other feature that could give it more damage than 1d8 + its ability modifier on a given turn.
- The companion’s attack now deals 1d8 + its strength or dexterity modifier damage (whichever is higher), or 1d6 + its strength or dexterity modifier if the creature can fly.
- Your companion’s armor class is equal to 10 + your proficiency bonus if it isn’t already higher.
- Your companion’s proficiency bonus is equal to yours.
- Your companion gains proficiency in wisdom saving throws.
- If not already higher, your companion’s hit points equal 5 + your companion’s constitution modifier, multiplied by your ranger level, or 4 + your companion’s constitution modifier if it can fly.
- Your companion understands all languages you do.
- You can see through each other’s eyes and communicate with each other telepathically when you are within 1000 ft. of each other.
- When you and your companion take a short rest together and you expend hit dice to regain hit points, your companion regains the same number of hit points.
Your companion acts on its own initiative in combat, but you control it. Your companion dies if it reaches 0 hit points. When gain a level in the ranger class, your companion gains hit points, and when your proficiency bonus increases, so does your companion’s.
Beastmaster: Raise Companion
You learn this 1st level spell, which doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know. You can use this spell without expending a spell slot at the end of a short rest.
1 Minute – 1st Level (Necromancy) – VS
- You revive your companion if it was dead.
- Your companion regains all hit points and teleports to you.
Hunter
Hunters specialize in hunting creatures that pose a threat to civilization or the wild. They hone their fighting skills and reflexes beyond the limits of most rangers. Hunters are exceptionally agile fighters who exemplified the peak of physical ability for a ranger. Some hunters also specialize in
Hunter: Hunter’s Prey
You select one of the following options, which represents the approach you take in hunting your enemies.
Scent of Blood
You focus on killing your prey when they are wounded.
Once Per Turn – 1 Creature
You deal an extra 1d8 damage of your weapon’s type if the target has less than all of its hit points.
Riposte
You focus on watching your prey in melee combat and waiting for an opening to strike.
Reaction – 1 Creature (5 ft.)
Trigger: A creature misses you with an attack.
- You make a single melee weapon attack against the attacker.
Horde Breaker
You focus on preying on groups huddled close together.
Once Per Turn – 1 Creature
If you make an attack against a creature, you can make an additional attack against a different creature that is within 5 ft. of the original target and within range of your weapon.
Spellbreaker
Spellbreakers dedicate their lives to hunting mages and magical creatures. Though all rangers are skilled at tracking and regularly fight creatures with magical power, spellbreakers focus on hampering or outright disabling the magical abilities of their foes. Some are zealots who hate or fear magic,
Spellbreaker Extra Prepared Spells
When you reach certain levels as a ranger, you gain the ability to cast higher level spells. When you do, you learn these additional spells. They do not count against the number of ranger spells have prepared.
| Ranger Level | Extra Spells |
|---|---|
| 3 | Detect Magic, Identify |
| 5 | Knock, See Invisibility |
| 9 | Intercession, Protection From Curses |
| 13 | Arcane Eye, Banishment |
| 17 | Break Enchantment, Greater Restoration |
Spellbreaker: Magic Shackles
Your magic drains the magic from your target and slows their movement.
Once Per Turn – 1 Creature (120 ft.) – 1 Minute – Magical
Trigger: You damage a creature who you have marked with Mark for Death.
Constitution Save
- Failure: Target takes 1d6 force damage*, their speed is halved, and they are siphoned. Target rolls again at end of their turns, ending effect on success.
- Success: Target takes 1d6 force damage.
*At level 11, this damage increases to 1d12.
Other Conclave: Level 3 Feature
Choose this option if you’d like to use a Ranger Conclave that comes from a source that isn’t Elkan 5e. Your chosen conclave grants you one or more features at this level.
A revised Hunter Conclave is available on this website, but ranger conclaves published elsewhere are compatible with this version of the ranger class.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th 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.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
Mark for Death Improvement
Your Mark for Death damage increases to 1d6, and you can now use Mark for Death three times between long rests.
Extra Attack
You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
Ranger Conclave
Beastmaster: Companion Ability Score Improvement
You can increase one of your companion’s ability scores 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. Unlike with player characters, you do not gain a feat.
Beastmaster: Magic Fang
All attacks your companion makes are counted as magical cold iron weapons for the purposes of dealing damage to monsters who are resistant or immune to non-magical or non-cold iron weapons.
Beastmaster: Predator’s Instinct
A beastmaster’s animal companion learns to control its aggressive instincts and unleash them during a hunt.
While the beastmaster’s Mark for Death is active, the animal companion deals extra damage on all attacks equal to the Mark For Death damage die.
Coming soon.
Spellbreaker: Cleanse Magic
Bonus Action – 1 Creature (60 ft.) – 3/Long Rest – Magical
- Dispel a magical effect of your choice (or a random magical effect) from your target. The chosen magical effect can be:
- Any ongoing effect from a non-spell ability that is magical.
- A spell of a spell level you can cast (so if you are high enough level to cast level 3 spells, you can dispel effects from spells of 3rd level or lower).
- If the target spell is of a higher level than you can cast, roll a wisdom ability check (1d20 + your wisdom modifier). The DC for this check is 10 + the spell’s level. Rolling a 20 always succeeds.
- You end the spell or magical effect for all affected creatures. If a creature used the same spell or magical effect more than once, you only end one instance of the effect.
- You cannot dispel permanent magical effects or permanent spells (like Arcane Lock) or the effects of an instantaneous spell (like Druidcraft). You also cannot dispel curses.
Other Conclave: Level 6 Feature
Your chosen Ranger Conclave grants you one or more features at this level. If using a conclave not from Elkan 5e, your conclave’s feature is likely listed at level 7.
Ranger’s Mobility
You have learned to navigate difficult environments more effectively. Your walking speed increases by 10 ft, and you gain a climbing and swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th 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.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
Mark for Death Improvement
Your Mark for Death damage increases to 1d8, and you can now use Mark for Death four times between long rests.
Iron Resilience
You gain proficiency in constitution and wisdom saving throws. If you already have one or both of these saving throw proficiencies, you may choose any other saving throw to become proficient in.
Ranger Conclave
Beastmaster: Companion Ability Score Improvement
You can increase one of your companion’s ability scores 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. Unlike with player characters, you do not gain a feat.
Beastmaster: Companion Extra Attack
Your animal companion can attack twice, instead of once, whenever they take the Attack action on their turn.
Hunter: Extra Attack (3 Attacks)
You can attack thrice, instead of twice, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. If you are dual-wielding, your off-hand attack brings you to a total of four attacks.
Spellbreaker: Improved Magic Shackles
Your Magic Shackles feature now deals 1d12 force damage, rather than 1d6.
Spellbreaker: Rend Magic
Your magic blasts a creature, ripping away their connection to mana.
No Action Cost – 1 Creature (120 ft.) – 1 Minute – 1/Short Rest – Magical
Trigger: A creature fails their save against Magic Shackles.
For the duration of the Magic Shackles effect:
- Target is blinded.
- Target cannot cast a spell requiring concentration and loses concentration if they were concentrating.
- Target becomes unable to teleport.
Other Conclave: Level 11 Feature
Your chosen Ranger Conclave grants you one or more features at this level.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th 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.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
Mark for Death Improvement
Your Mark for Death damage increases to 1d10, and you can now use Mark for Death five times between long rests.
Ranger Conclave
Beastmaster: Bonded Life Force
You and your companion’s lives become further intertwined. When one of you is in pain, the other can take on that pain.
Reaction – (1000 ft.) – Magical
Trigger: You or your companion take damage, and you are within 1000 ft. of each other.
- You or your companion can use their reaction to take the damage instead. This damage cannot be reduced in any way.
Beastmaster: Companion Ability Score Improvement
You can increase one of your companion’s ability scores 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. Unlike with player characters, you do not gain a feat.
Hunter: Improved Hunter’s Prey
Choose another option from the 3rd level Hunter’s Prey ability:
Scent of Blood
You focus on killing your prey when they are wounded.
Once Per Turn – 1 Creature
You deal an extra 1d8 damage of your weapon’s type if the target has less than all of its hit points.
Riposte
You focus on watching your prey in melee combat and waiting for an opening to strike.
Reaction – 1 Creature (5 ft.)
Trigger: A creature misses you with an attack.
- You make a single melee weapon attack against the attacker.
Horde Breaker
You focus on preying on groups huddled close together.
Once Per Turn – 1 Creature
If you make an attack against a creature, you can make an additional attack against a different creature that is within 5 ft. of the original target and within range of your weapon.
Spellbreaker: Spell Shield
You have resistance to all damage from spells (and so take half damage). This ability does not stack with resistance to any specific damage type.
Other Conclave: Level 14 Feature
Your chosen Ranger Conclave grants you one or more features at this level. If using a conclave not from Elkan 5e, your conclave’s feature is likely listed at level 15.
Tireless
You stop to catch your breath, allowing yourself to move on despite exhaustion or injury.
Action – Self – 1/Short Rest
You gain 4d6 temporary hit points.
You lose one level of exhaustion, if you have any.
Ability Score Improvement
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, and 16th 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.
Feat
At this level and every level you gain an ability score improvement, you also gain a feat of your choice.
Mark for Death Improvement
Your Mark for Death damage increases to 1d12, and you can now use Mark for Death six times between long rests.
Precise Hunter
You have advantage on attack rolls against creatures marked by Mark for Death.
Blindsight
You remain aware of creatures and objects near you even when you can’t see them. You have blindsight with a radius of 30 ft.
Superior Ability
You increase one ability score of your choice by 2, to a maximum of 22.
Unrelenting Focus
If you aren’t using Mark for Death or a different ranger mark, you deal your Mark for Death damage on all attacks regardless. If you use a different mark, like Mark of Affliction, this ability does not function at the same time.