Rangers are a center ground between Fighters and Druids. They have martial prowess few other classes can match, but also possess a romantic relationship with their environment, utilizing the land as a tool to stalk their quarry, ensnare their prey, and gain a plus over their foes. The classic ranger is really a camouflaged archer hiding in the woodlands, but this class offers a whole lot more compared to the classic outlander hunter. Rangers may be stalkers at night places of a packed city, guides in brutal mountain passes, and expert monster slayers who know how to exploit the weakness of the most terrible of foes. Rangers wield a little bit of divine magic that draws on their bond with nature to enhance their abilities.
Follow this guide to discover how to best optimize the skills, weapons, features, and abilities for a D&D 5e Ranger class character build. As the options presented here will be the optimal build for a ranger (in my opinion), the wonder of D&D character creation is that the sole limit is your imagination so feel free to build your character whichever way you would like to.
The guide that follows uses a color-coding system to rank the abilities granted.
Blue = An essential, class-defining ability you would be remiss to overlook.
Green = A powerful selection for your class.
Orange = Average option, useful in specific circumstances
Red = Below average, extremely situational, or elsewhere just bad.
All features and abilities are from the core rulebook set (Player’s Handbook, Monster Manual, and Dungeon Master’s Guide) unless otherwise attributed.
Party Role
Rangers can fill several roles with respect to the specialization taken as they level up. Their large hit die and combat style affords them the ability to function as either a principal melee combatant or perhaps a ranged attacker. They have limited magic afforded for them, however the possibilities allow them a small measure of battlefield control and support. There is also a great skill selection and limited healing capabilities, making them quite versatile, and rather self-sufficient characters.
Strengths:
- Hit dice and armor. Rangers tend to have decent hit points and can hang with many other front-liners. The option of light or medium armor gives them decent armor class whether they’ve high Dexterity for a ranged build, or low dexterity for a melee strength build.
- Weapon proficiencies. Rangers have access to all martial weapons and a combat style that allows them to specialize in combat, granting them additional effectiveness.
- Support Magic. Hunter’s Mark is really a Ranger’s bread and butter, offering an augmentation with their combat abilities. They are also equipped with healing and some other useful, though situational spells.
Weaknesses:
- Rangers lack the singular focus of all other classes, such as Warlocks or Barbarians. Additionally they aren’t as stocked with extra proficiencies and bonus skills as Rogues and Bards are. Overall, the ability degree of a Ranger is below that of all other classes, though their usefulness isn’t diminished as first glance.
- Situational Abilities. Most of the abilities Rangers gain at early levels are highly situational, and rely on the adventure occurring using terrain, containing animals and plants the Ranger can directly interact with. These abilities are most readily useful in immersive storytelling, which heavily depends on the DM providing situations in that the ranger can choose to perform their specific tasks.
Ability Scores
Strength: With regards to the build, a Ranger wants to maximise either Strength or Dexterity. For a Dueling fighting style user, a Strength build would allow you to utilize a Longsword and shield with high strength.
Dexterity: A two-weapon fighting or archery build would be best served to truly have a high Dexterity. Also, Proficiency and a Dexterity main stat provides you with the most effective chance at saving against spells that require a Dex save. Additionally, your best skills are based either in this or Wisdom.
Constitution: As a front-liner, you will need this to be as high as you are able to to augment your high hit die and armor proficiencies.
Intelligence: Less important than Wisdom, because so many of your skills should come from that. Should you choose pick skills rooted in this stat, don’t ignore it.
Wisdom: Most of your skills are Wisdom-based
Charisma: Not required for Rangers.
Races
Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms Races
AarakocraEEPC: With the added Dexterity, Wisdom, and flight, Aarakocra make extroadinarily powerful archery-build rangers.
AasimarVGtM: Generally, Aasimar aren’t excellent for rangers. Their ability bonuses and skills don’t communicate with Ranger class abilities.
Fallen: Not useful.
Protector: Not useful.
Scourge: Not useful.
BugbearVGtM: Gaining Stealth proficiency for free is nice. The Dexterity bonus also helps maximize your AC and stealth for an archery build. Alternatively, a medium armor strength-build benefits from the reach and uses the Dex bonus to maximise the allotted +2 to AC the armor can afford you. An all-around good race for a Ranger. DnD 5E Languages
Dragonborn: Strength and Charisma are the two least important ability scores for Rangers.
Dwarf: Dwarves are a solid race, but they do not provide a boost to Dexterity, so that they suffer as Rangers.
Hill Dwarf: Wisdom increases your spell effectiveness.
Mountain Dwarf: A Melee Ranger benefits from the Strength and Constitution increases.
DuergarSCAG: Grey Dwarf abilities aside, the ability score increase are bad for you.
Elf: Involving the Dexterity bonus and free proficiency in Perception, Elves are great for Ranger.
Drow: Nothing useful beyond the beds base elf abilities.
EladrinMToF: Fey step is obviously handy, but this subrace isn’t otherwise useful.
High Elf: Nothing useful beyond the beds base elf abilities.
Sea ElfMToF: A good option in a aquatic campaign.
Shadar-KaiMToF: Dexterity and Constitution make you a tough ranged build. Add another Shadar-Kai abilities, and you’re probably the most durable elf option available.
Wood Elf: The quintessential Elf build. Bonus Wisdom and Mask of the Wild make your Archery build complete.
FirbolgVGtM: Both ability score increases, and your innate spellcasting lend themselves well to a Ranger’s host of other nature-centered abilities.
GenasiEEPC: The bonus constitution helps together with your resilience.
Air: Dexterity and Levitate make you a great archery build.
Earth: Not ideal for Rangers.
Fire: Not ideal for Rangers.
Water: If you intend to concentrate on spellcasting, the Wisdom bonus granted by this race can help fill in your stat.
GithMToF: The Gith have almost no to provide Rangers.
Githyanki: Only moderately ideal for a Strength-based build.
Githzerai: Rangers aren’t particularly useful when built for primary spellcasting, therefore the wisdom bonus is secondarily useful.
Gnome: Gnomes don’t make excellent Rangers.
Deep (Svirfneblin)EEPC/SCAG: The little Dexterity increase and Stone Camouflage get this to your best option of the gnome subraces, though it is still outclassed by a great many other races.
Forest: The little Dexterity increase isn’t enough to save this subrace from uselessness.
Rock: Nothing for Rangers.
GoblinVGtM: Nothing ideal for Rangers.
GoliathVGtM/EEPC: A Strength-build Ranger would utilize the Goliath’s resilience in Stone’s Endurance, but otherwise useless.
Half-Elf: Charisma is wasted on Ranger , but some of the sub-race abilities can be designed to benefit you.
Standard: Usage of so many skills is a great boon to the ranger , who’s so heavily determined by skills.
AquaticSACG: Only useful in a aquatic campaign.
DrowSCAG: The magic solutions redeem this subclass.
Moon/SunSCAG:You’re going to make use of weapons over cantrips any day, especially for a ranged build.
WoodSCAG:The best sub-race for Rangers, Wood Elves and even Half Wood-Elves offer a great choice of abilities for you.
Half-Orc: Not ideal for Ranger
Halfling: The Dexterity increase and Halfling Luck abilities certainly are a huge boon to your multiple attacks per round.
Lightfoot: The Charisma increase isn’t useful, nevertheless the Naturally Stealthy ability might can be found in handy, although it is much better worthy of Rogues.
GhostwiseSCAG: The Wisdom increase may benefit your spellcasting.
Stout: The Constitution increase and poison resistance make for a good melee combatant.
HobgoblinVGtM: The bonus to Constitution will assist in your combat resilience, but otherwise this race doesn’t offer abilities that synergize well with Rangers.
Human: The absolute most versatile race, humans certainly are a good fit for almost any class.
Standard: Half of the ability score increases are wasted. Opt for the Variant.
Variant: Stick your bonuses into Dexterity and Wisdom and grab a feat!
KenkuVGtM: A good mix of ability score increases, and a few free skills. If you can get proficiency with thieves’tools, you can be a budget Rogue as well.
KoboldVGtM: Pack Tactics is absolutely huge if you are a Beast Master Ranger , and fight by having an animal companion by your side! The Sunlight Sensitivity is hard to have over though.
LizardfolkVGtM: Awesome abilities. You’re durable, have decent if not perfect ability score increases, and no need to wear armor.
OrcVGtM: Half-orc is much better in every cases, though neither are a great fit for a Ranger.
TabaxiVGtM: Solid ability score increases, and a few interesting abilities to assist you become the party’s Rogue in addition to the Ranger.
Tiefling: Most Tieflings certainly are a hard sell for a Ranger given their poor ability spread.
Standard: Not very ideal for Rangers.
Devil’s TongueSCAG:Not very ideal for Rangers.
FeralSCAG: The intelligence bonus is wasted, but if used together with another variant it could be viable.
HellfireSCAG:Not very ideal for Rangers.
WingedSCAG:Not very ideal for Rangers.
AsmodeusMToF: Not very ideal for Rangers.
BaalzebulMToF: Not very ideal for Rangers.
DispaterMToF:Not very ideal for Rangers.
FiernaMToF:Not very ideal for Rangers.
GlasyaMToF: The stealth choices are somewhat useful, but otherwise not ideal.
LevistusMToF:Not very ideal for Rangers.
MammonMToF:Not very useful for Rangers.
MephistophlesMToF:Not very useful for Rangers.
ZarielMToF:Not very useful for Rangers.
TortleXGE/TP: Tortle Natural Armor seamlessly replaces Medium armor, so a Strength-based Ranger can get away with having +0 to Dexterity and not lose an action there. Survival as an added bonus proficiency.
TritonVGtM: Only partially useful, as it doesn’t do anything to augment the spellcasting.
Yuan-Ti PurebloodVGtM: Not useful for Rangers.
Eberron Races
ChangelingERLW:Shapechanger is really a neat ability, but not so useful for a Ranger.
KalashtarERLW: Not useful for Ranger.
OrcERLW: Not useful for Ranger.
ShifterERLW: Shifter offers some depth to a Ranger’s abilities, though shifting in conjunction with your Hunter’s Mark as an added bonus action may offer some tough choices.
Beasthide: Just for a Strength-based build.
Longtooth: A solid option if you’re a melee build not using two-weapon fighting. It will provide you with something to do with your bonus action.
Swiftstride: A great option for archer builds. Shift to get a mobility advantage over your foes.
Wildhunt: The shifting ability isn’t useful for Rangers, although ability spread is ideal.
WarforgedERLW: A flexible ability score increase, bonus resistances, and bonus AC get this to a particularly stout melee build.
Ravnica Races
CentaurGGTR: Charge works well with the dueling combat style.
LoxodonGGTR: The natural armor replaces light armor, but loses to medium armor. No favorable ability score increases.
MinotaurGGTR: All your attack options don’t play well with two-weapon fighting, and no favorable ability score increases.
Simic HybridGGTR: The most versatile race available, good for any class.
VedalkenGGTR: Not useful for Ranger.
Class Features
Hit Dice: d10 puts you ahead of every class except Barbarian.
Weapon Proficiencies: Martial weapons ensure you’ve got choices for any combat situation, regardless of your chosen fighting style.
Armor Proficiencies: The decision of light or medium armor means you’ll have multiple sets of gear for different situations. Light armor for stealth and ranged combat, Medium armor for melee brawling.
Tool Proficiencies: None. This means you’re restricted to your race or background choices.
Saving Throws: Strength saves rarely come into play, but Dexterity saves are very common. Consider picking right up a task to obtain proficiency in either Constitution or Wisdom saves to round out your defenses.
Favored Enemy: This basic Ranger ability is extremely situational. Ask your DM if any one type of foe is going to be featured more frequently than normal in your campaign to get probably the most use out of it. The options are wide ranging, but probably the most generally useful ones tend to be fiends or undead if your party is certainly caused by of good alignment, and you’re playing a classic heroic campaign. Humanoids is definitely the ideal choice, as you receive two subrace choices, covering more ground.
Natural Explorer: The bonuses granted are fairly inconsequential if your DM glosses over travel. If you spend a lot of time exploring the wilderness with milieu rolls for survival and random encounters, your party is going to be glad to have you along. Choose your terrain carefully on the basis of the setting of your campaign.
Fighting Style: You don’t have access to all or any the fighting styles that Fighters do, but the ones available for you are extremely useful. This would be the main ability that dictates your build, so make sure to synergize your gear and ability scores with your decision here.
Archery: Well-known and arguably best choice. This synergizes best together with your skills and a high-AC, light armor, Dexterity build.
Defense: The AC boost is perfect for a melee character, but because Rangers don’t get Great Weapon Fighting as a combat style, they suffer with their lack of powerful melee damage output.
Dueling: Don’t forget that style lets you hold a shield in your off hand. the 2 bonus damage closes the gap between just one longsword attack and two short sword attacks. And also this keeps your bonus action free for spellcasting and other abilties you might have acquired from your own ace and other classes.
Two-Weapon Fighting: This fighting style provides you with a robust option in an added bonus action. Adding your ability modifier to the damage of your off-hand attack makes your damage output that much higher and enables you to a far more consistent combat asset. Combine this with the bonus damage from Hunter’s Mark and you become a creature in melee, dishing out massive harm to your opponents.
Spellcasting: Rangers have a very interesting spell list, providing them with a mixture of support, enhancement, and battlefield control spells.
Primeval Awareness: A very situational ability that may be mimicked with a very high survival or investigation check.
Extra Attack: As discussed above, Hunter’s Mark and your Combat Style give you solid damage output. Adding another attack to the mix provides you with a lot more usefulness in a fight.
Land’s Stride: If you’re a melee build, getting within the speed bump of difficult terrain is really a godsend.
Hide in Plain Sight: Very efficient for hiding in place.
Vanish: While not appropriate for Hide in Plain Sight, it still offers you a great advantage you should use to snipe targets.
Feral Sense: Invisibility is dangerously overpowered in 5e. Overcoming that is great, especially when you rely completely on weapon attacks and lack and area effect spells.
Foe Slayer: The bonus to attack can be around +5 if you’ve taken care to increase your Wisdom along the way. This provides you great consistency in combat.
Ranger Archetypes
Beastmaster
The Beast Master Ranger brings the flavor and functionality of the classic 3rd edition ranger into 5e. You gain an animal companion who augments your skills using its own, aiding in tracking and combat. The usefulness of this class depends entirely on your collection of companion, as you can find myriad options, most which are entirely useless. Picking a small creature such as for instance a rat or perhaps a bat that does very small damage and isn’t a really threatening presence in combat is a waste of this ability. Picking a large predatory creature offers you a great advantage in combat. A traveling companion aids in scouting and reconnaissance.
The Beastmaster is a superb, flavorful, and fun Ranger archetype to play, however it focuses almost entirely on spending valuable combat resources on the companion and eliminates lots of the Ranger’s other class options such as for instance spellcasting and attacking with Hunter’s Mark. Without this one glaring flaw, this archetype becomes a great deal more powerful. Players in higher-skill level games should explore some house rules for the companion to create it a more easily manageable feature to maintain with the energy degree of other classes.
Ranger’s Companion: Your primary ability as a Beastmaster is to tame an animal to help keep as your companion. It is generally advisable to steer clear of a CR 0 creature, as these have hardly any hit points, limited combat abilities, and are very small. Choosing either a traveling creature like a flying snake or blood hawk give you a distinct combat advantage because it is more mobile than other available choices, can scout from the air, and isn’t planning to fall victim to many common traps that will literally befall a walking creature.
Picking a powerful melee creature, specifically a wolf, will permit you to gain advantage from flanking in combat, supply the party having an additional pile of hit points to draw enemy attacks, and a terrifying companion that can intimidate, bite, and trip opponents. Wolves are also fast and have keen senses.
If you’re a Small creature, you should use a medium-sized creature as a bracket, which includes it’s own set of advantages: increased movement, and the capability to make the most of mounted combat rules and weapon bonuses.
There’s one major drawback to the guidelines as written for the animal companion. Directing them costs part of your action, this means it invalidates your own personal weapon attacks, and causes you not to take advantage of Hunter’s Mark when attacking with the mount.
Exceptional Training: Generally, you’ll do more damage than your companion per attack, so it’s not going to create sense to lose your own personal action economy to an animal unless you’re really relying on them to do something for you. Allowing your companion to dash or dodge means they are able to better position themselves to help you or another ally and draw attacks from you.
Bestial Fury: This ability doesn’t preclude you from making a single weapon attack, so if you’re well positioned, your companion can attack twice and you once. If your companion has multiattack, it’s a lot more useful.
Share Spells: Finally, buff spells (even people who require concentration) can be shared among you and your companion with a single cast. As soon as you reach this stage, your companion stops being an encumbrance on your group buffs.
Fey WandererTCoE
This class is a very thematic and very powerful Ranger variant. You will find the spell list a little underwhelming but considering that you do not have to waste spells preparing them, it’s nice to own many of them around. The mobility and extra damage this class offers is massive, providing you access to cheap and fast short-range teleportation and a damage buff that whenever coupled with hunter’s mark will really amp up your attacks.
Dreadful Strikes: Extra damage once per round with no action or concentration cost.
Spellcasting: Your spells are not your strong suit, but then again, for Ranger they rarely are.
3rd-level: Unless you have a really good Wisdom, charm person isn’t worth your action.
5th-level: Teleportation via misty step as a plus action on a ranged class is too good.
9th-level: You’re planning to want dispel magic ahead from the caster, but it will help if you’re the trap-finder and run into something you can’t disable with mundane tools.
13th-level: Misty step is generally enough, but dimension door is a strict upgrade on power.
17th-level: A situational spell you won’t be running to often.
Otherworldly Glamour: A free of charge proficiency, and the capability to add among most of your stats to checks with it!
Beguiling Twist: This ability is kitschy, and les useful than you’d think, but it is a good laugh if you get it to work properly.
Fey Reinforcements: A free of charge (otherwise very costly) summon, though it’s very limited if you do not have the spellcasting chops to back it up.
Misty Wanderer: This is a fantastic ability. Teleportation is really powerful in combat, and you certainly can do it for free many times per day.
Gloom StalkerXGtE
This and another Ranger Archetypes from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything are considerably stronger than those included in the Player’s Handbook.This variant is the better for campaigns in the Underdark, or any adventures that take place primarily in shadowy caves, tunnels, or other dungeons. Gloom Stalkers specialize in stealth and invisibility. Making a Ranger this is the party’s “Rogue” should strongly look at this path, because it plays well into the Ranger’s secondary specialties, making them shine.
Spellcasting: mostly situational spells, but two standout spells will set you apart from the pack.
3rd level: Disguise self is better used in urban intrigue settings.
5th level: One of the greatest methods to rest safely, rope trick becomes available for your requirements at a relatively low character level.
9th level: unless you’ve got the Wisdom to back it down, fear isn’t a great spell for Rangers.
13th level: Greater invisibility is one of many game’s most dangerous spells. Being able to launch your ranged attacks undetected grants you a distinct advantage given your mobility.
17th level: Seeming is situational, but when you get the opportunity to utilize it, it is likely to make all the difference.
Dread Ambusher: You gain the capability to act quickly and decisively. Ambush attacks against weaker opponents can be ended before they’re aware of your presence.
Umbral Sight: There is a chance you curently have Darkvision, but being invisible to it is really a trick unique to this class. That is basically invisibility.
Iron Mind: Additional save proficiencies are usually welcome.
Stalker’s Fury: insurance in your attacks, especially that extra attack in the very first round of combat, is excellent indeed.
Shadowy Dodge: Having a trusted reaction ability you can use every round greatly improves your action economy. This ability will save you your lifetime more often than not, adding you your already impressive bulk.
Horizon WalkerXGtE
Horizon Walker trades stealth for improved mobility. They specialize in traveling the planes hunting dangerous game with hit-and-run tactics and superior mobility and positioning. They gain a couple of buffs to their spell list, and several options to teleport or travel between planes that will help advance the plot of a far-reaching campaign.
Spellcasting: The Horizon Walker spell list includes all amazing options which will boost your threat level and mobility
3rd level: Protection from evil and good is really a multi-purpose spell that can be used to guard you beforehand or in a reaction to a curse being cast. It requires concentration, but it’s use is generally against a single effect.
5th level: One of the best short-range teleportation options available.
9th level: Arguably the very best buff in the game at low spell levels, particularly for a half-caster like Rangers.
13th level: Anencounter-ending spell.
17th level: Situational, but when spent plenty of time traveling long distances, this will be abig time saving in-game.
Detect Portal: A situational ability that won’t enter into play often. If your campaign is centered around your abilities and finds your group scouting other planes often, this can be a significant plot advancement device.
Planar Warrior: While a solid ability alone, it needs the utilization of your bonus action. This implies you can’t gain the advantage of this and two-weapon fighting in the exact same turn. Also, your Hunter’s Mark must already be in place.
Ethereal Warrior: An individual round is sufficient to maneuver 30+ feet, and this is a great infiltration ability. You can bypass locked doors, a squad of troops, or possibly a thick rampart wall.
Distant Strike: The mobility granted by this class is second to none. You can double back by using this extra teleportation to attack multiple non-adjacent enemies in a unstoppable hit-and-run action, ending out of line of sight. Combining this with the bonuses granted by Haste allow you to become a whirlwind of steel.
Spectral Defense: Given your evasiveness and mobility, you likely won’t be taking plenty of attacks. When you do, you can use your a reaction to mitigate some of the damage.
Hunter
This archetype centers around combat abilities, providing a choice of offensive and defensive options which will see the Ranger through most encounters. It’s strictly worse than the Xanathar’s Guide archetypes; less stealthy than Gloom Stalker, less mobile than Horizon Walker, and less damage output than Monster Slayer. The class revolves around choosing options at each tier to augment your combat abilities, some that are far more useful than others depending in your style of play and the sort of enemies you will encounter in your campaign. Shillelagh 5e Spell D&D
Hunter’s Prey: You gain a mock fighting style.
Colossus Slayer: Once you get another attack, this becomes very reliable. In conjunction with Hunter’s Mark it adds as much as a lot of extra damage. You actually benefit from going lower in initiative and your allies have experienced a chance to soften a more substantial foe.
Giant Killer: many higher-level enemies are Large or larger. Unlike Colossus Slayer, you can’t activate this against any opponent.
Horde Breaker: That is mandatory for Archery builds. Melee builds can’t really capitalize with this unless they’ve a reach weapon.
Defensive Tactics: All these abilities are very situational.
Escape the Horde: You aren’t terribly fragile, and this isn’t mandatory.
Multiattack Defense: The sole viable option of the bunch. At higher levels, the majority of things have multiple attacks.
Steel Will: Fear is infrequent, and if you’ve got a Cleric or Paladin around this isn’t necessary at all.
Multiattack: Two fantastic options.
Volley: well-known choice if you’re an archer.
Whirlwind Attack: Duelist fighting style builds will want this to restore two-weapon-fighting’s level of attacks.
Superior Hunter’s Defense: A capstone defense ability isn’t as flashy as an attack or mobility option, but at higher levels it’ll stop you alive against literal hordes of foes.
Evasion: You’re already very centered on Dexterity, so adding this isn’t a massive bonus, although it is still a solid option.
Stand Against the Tide: the worst option of the bunch, if you’re a melee build and took horde Breaker this may be usually the one for you for synergy alone.
Uncanny Dodge: Between this an multiattack defense you’re going to take a heck of much less damage when met with hordes of minions or staring down a many-armed foe.
Monster SlayerXGtE
This archetype is really a slightly better Hunter, in so it gains more spells and the same number of combat options, although it is less customizable. This archetype excels at taking down tougher spellcasters, such as for instance Vampires and Liches given their higher-level tactics letting them exploit opportunities to retaliate to spells and other non-physical attacks. Weigh this class as is against all combinations of Hunter before choosing, if you’re buying a Ranger because vein.
Spellcasting: The majority of the spells provided are situational or difficult to make use of effectively, but hey will come in handy if you want them as you always keep these things on your own list.
3rd Level: A quite strong defensive buff. Useful as prevention or in response to a curse.
5th Level: Situational, but powerful when used correctly.
9th Level: You’re not the perfect person to be casting this.
13th Level: A potentially encounter-ending spell.
17th Level: The best of the spells you receive, though your low DC might hurt you.
Hunter’s Sense: Rarely useful in combat, as it goes out of the fight for approximately, but if you are observing your prey from stealth that is very useful.
Slayer’s Prey: This stacks with Hunter’s Mark, so once a creature is tagged with one, these round you can tag it with the other to stack damage buffs against it.
Supernatural Defense: Once you gain this ability, it is in addition crucial to start marking opponents together with your Slayer’s Prey before Hunter’s Mark to achieve the additional benefit. This allows you to particularly dangerous against enemy spellcasters, or creatures whose attacks have secondary effects.
Magic User’s Nemesis: Much more potent of a mage-slayer, it is in addition crucial to concentrate on enemy casters in battle to take them of quickly and safely.
Slayer’s Counter: this allows you to a total nightmare for enemy casters.
SwarmkeeperTCoE
A major, but very well-designed subclass. This is one of the grosser ways to play the game. Pairing well with a Circle of Spores druid, it’s another good class to play as an evil character. Swarmkeepers have a lot of great damage, control, and mobility options, really amping up the remaining Ranger’s class abilities.
Gathered Swarm: This power may be worth taking the class for by itself. You have the choice to deal extra damage on a fruitful attack, move the goal following the hit, or move yourself. The movement provokes attacks of opportunity, but you should use this to your advantage if you’re savvy.
Spellcasting: You get mage hand free of charge, the only time a Ranger gets a cantrip.
3rd-level: Faerie fire is the best way to deal with invisibility and is great as a damage stacking ability.
5th-level: Web is great, your save DC will probably be lower than a full-caster using this.
9th-level: A great infiltration and escape spell.
13th-level: Another good infiltration tool.
17th-level: Thematic, but too little too late.
Writhing Tide: Flight, regardless of the speed, is a great method to bypass obstacles. Granted, flying on a swarm of beetles has become the grossest way to obtain this ability.
Mighty Swarm: Your swarm abilities increase with dramatic effect. Being able to knock the enemy prone is amazing, considering you will have several attack by this point.
Swarming Dispersal: Once you understand this ability, you’ll have the ability to utilize it a massive five times per day.
Skills
Acrobatics: This skill got nerfed in this edition. Your high natural Dexterity should cover it.
Animal Handling: Less useful than your spells when working with animals. only useful if you’re mounted.
Arcana: Useless for a Ranger.
Athletics: You’re planning to be Dexterity based, which means this isn’t your forte.
Deception: Charisma is certainly one of your dump stats.
History: Another skill you will miss out on for a poor ability score.
Insight: When you have decent Wisdom and have the mandatory skills covered, this will be useful in working with humanoids.
Intimidation: Not useful for Rangers.
Investigation: Very helpful in general, particularly if you’re traveling with out a Rogue or Bard. You suffer with low intelligence, however.
Medicine: You are able to become another healer but leave this for the Cleric or Druid.
Nature: Your only required knowledge skill.
Perception: If you’ve got good Wisdom, you ought to be proficient in this.
Performance: Not ideal for Rangers.
Persuasion: Not ideal for Rangers.
Religion: Not ideal for Rangers.
Sleight of Hand: If you can pick it down through the selection of background, you’ll need this and Stealth to function as party’s “Rogue”
Stealth: An invaluable skill for Rangers, especially archers who wish to get an excellent sniper shot off before combat.
Survival: Situational, but when anyone in the party should have it, it’s going to function as Ranger.
Backgrounds
Acolyte: Not ideal for Rangers.
Charlatan: An appealing choice for a rogue-like Ranger , however it lacks the thieves’tools proficiency you so desperately need.
City WatchSCAG: The skills aren’t crucial, and the languages aren’t useful.
Clan CrafterSCAG: Not ideal for Rangers.
Cloistered ScholarSCAG: Not ideal for Rangers.
CourtierSCAG: Not ideal for Rangers.
Criminal: A great choice for a Rogue/Ranger build.
Entertainer: Not ideal for Rangers.
Faction AgentSCAG: Insight isn’t really ideal for Rangers, but he other range of skill supplies a flexible option.
Far TravelerSCAG: Two Wisdom skills which are moderately useful if that you don’t pick them from your class list.
FisherGoS: Survival is just a useful Ranger skill, but History isn’t. No tools, so skip it.
Folk Hero: Nothing special, however, not terrible.
Guild Artisan: Not ideal for Ranger.
Hermit: Not ideal for Ranger.
InheritorSCAG: Survival is the only real worthwhile skill here.
Knight of the OrderSCAG: Not ideal for Ranger
MarineGoS: For an aquatic campaign, this is a strong choice. Athletics and Survival are skills that may see use, and proficiency with vehicles is a good skill for the party navigator or guide to have.
Mercenary VeteranSCAG: A great choice for ranger in the skills and proficiencies.
Noble: Not ideal for Ranger.
Outlander: Another middle-of-the-road choice. Take this over an optimal background for flavor reasons.
Sage: Not ideal for Ranger.
Sailor: For a strategy with a lot of travel, particularly overseas, this is a solid choice. Good skills and proficiency with navigation and vehicles.
ShipwrightGoS: Better to leave this to a personality with higher intelligence.
SmugglerGoS: A less ideal choice for a Rogue-like Ranger.
Soldier: You do not have the Charisma to back up the Intimidation.
Urban Bounty HunterSCAG: Your very best choice if you’re trying to are the party’s Rogue.
Urchin: An equally good option to get you to the party’s Rogue-equivalent.
Uthgardt Tribe MemberSCAG: Two skills that may see use and added perks.
Waterdhavian NobleSCAG: Not ideal for Ranger.
Feats
Alert: Going first isn’t crucial for a Ranger. you’ll likely be counting on Stealth to get the join your enemies, and daon’t have as numerous buffs as other classes that require priority in combat. Haste 5E Spell D&D
Athlete: This feat serves to even out a peculiar Dexterity score, but one other bonuses aren’t invaluable unless you find yourself doing a lot of parkour.
Actor: Not ideal for Ranger.
Charger: This feat could function for a melee build, however it is most beneficial used along with a good weapon, the fighting style for which you unfortunately do not need access to.
Crossbow Expert: Two weapon fighting at range, and you should use it in melee. This is vital for a two-weapon fighting or archery build.
Defensive Duelist: A nice defensive addition, but your other Ranger abilities from either Hunter or Beast Master make this type of redundant. Rangers are tough enough, so you’d be better served increasing your offensive power.
Dual Wielder: Good for a melee build, but slightly redundant along with your existing options.
Dungeon Delver: If you’re doing a lot of dungeon exploration, this rounds out your pseudo-Rogue suite of skills.
Durable: You’ve usage of Healing Spirit and other curative magic, and this isn’t necessary.
Elemental Adept: Not ideal for Ranger.
Grappler: Not useful for Ranger.
Great Weapon Master: Not useful for Ranger.
Healer: You understand Cure Wounds, that is better.
Heavily Armored: An option for a Strength/Melee build who doesn’t look after Stealth.
Heavy Armor Master: If you’re going this route, you need to just play Fighter and save an accomplishment to have here.
Inspiring Leader: Not useful for Ranger.
Keen Mind: Not useful for Ranger.
Lightly Armored: Not useful for Ranger.
Linguist: Not useful for Ranger.
Lucky: A great all-around feat.
Mage Slayer: Very situational. You’re likely a ranged build, so that you don’t need this.
Magic Initiate: There really isn’t anything outside your spell list you’ll need to add.
Martial Adept: Not useful.
Medium Armor Master: Strictly worse than Defensive Duelist for Rangers.
Mobile: Not useful for Ranger. You already have ways to steer clear of the penalty from difficult terrain.
Moderately Armored: Not useful for Ranger.
Mounted Combat: Beast Masters might want this if they are Small size, but it’s much less effective as riding a typical horse, and not really fitting with a Ranger’s weapon selection.
Observant: If you’re the party’s scout this really is useful.
Polearm Master: Rangers don’t have lots of support for great weapon fighting.
Resilient: Put it to use for Constitution or Wisdom only.
Ritual Caster: Not useful for Ranger.
Savage Attacker: Not useful for Ranger.
Sentinel: This is a strong battlefield control option for Beast Master Rangers, making use of your animal companion to draw attacks.
Sharpshooter: Archery builds will cherish this when fighting low AC minions that can be easily picked off by a solid hit from a lengthy bow. Whenever you obtain the Volley ability, this may allow you to rain down hell on sets of enemies a long way away with reliably high damage.
Shield Master: Only useful for Strength builds.
Skilled: You already have lots of skill proficiencies, but if you discover you’re lacking something at later levels this can make up for it.
Skulker: Not useful for Ranger.
Spell Sniper: Not useful for Ranger.
Tavern Brawler: Not useful for Ranger.
Tough: You’ve already got good hit dice.
War Caster: Not useful for Ranger.
Weapon Master: Not useful for Ranger.
Weapons and Armor
Rangers have a gift in that they are proficient with martial weapons and have a couple of combat style possibilities to them. It’s recommended to hold two different gear sets, so if you discover yourself out of your main combat element you are able to still function well. The default package should be light armor and a longbow to maximize of one’s high Dexterity. Use your mobility and stealth options to stay from the fray and pick off opponents at a distance. The Ultimate Guide To D&D Rogue 5e Class
For melee combat, medium armor, a longsword, and a shield provides you with the best defense and highest damage output. If you take the two-weapon fighting style, it is additionally vital to maximize of the by utilizing twin blades or twin hand crossbows if you can. It’s more important to focus all your feats and combat abilities on a single fighting style than spread them out and maximize the chance to utilize any particular one combat style to deal the absolute most damage possible.
Magic
1st Level Spells
Absorb ElementsXGtE: This is one of the greatest protection spells in the game. Put it to use early and often to mitigate damage from casters as you pick them off at a distance.
Alarm: Hopefully another person in the party knows this and can cast it as a ritual.
Animal Friendship: Only useful at low character levels, and when you have Animal Handling here is the same thing.
Beast BondEEPC: Ideal for a Beast Master who runs on the creature that doesn’t have Pack Tactics. Just note that it requires concentration, so youcan’t put it to use in conjunction with Hunter’s Mark.
Cure Wounds: Useful at low levels, but the next you may get Healing Spirit you should consider replacing this.
Detect Magic: Hopefully there exists a full caster in the party who can cast his as a ritual.
Ensnaring Strike: This is best used on a flying enemy to try to force them into melee range therefore the party’s main beaters could possibly get ahold of the creature.
Fog Cloud: Ninja Vanish! An effective way to either sneak as much as or far from enemies.
Goodberry: An effective way to take advantage of unused spell slots at the conclusion of a day.
Hail of Thorns: Your only AoE until you get Volley. Not so powerful for a spell slot, however.
Hunter’s Mark: The single best part about being fully a Ranger by having an Archery build. Try to stay at maximum range so you don’t have to make concentration saves to keep this.
Jump: Too situational.
Longstrider: A supplementary 10 ft. of movement and it doesn’t require concentration.
SnareXGtE: A trademark Ranger ability. When you yourself have an innovative or liberal DM try to restore this with homebrew rules for trapmaking, that ought to be described as a default part of the Ranger class.
Talk with Animals: Situational, but when you intend to force the DM to roleplay a squirrel, here’s your chance.
Zephyr’s StrikeXGtE: As an advantage action cast, it provides you with a lot of options. It’s limited by just one use and costs among your precious few spell slots.
2nd Level Spells
Barkskin: You need to be well-armored enough never to need this.
Beast Sense: This is replaced with a sufficient Investigation or Survival roll.
Cordon of Arrows: A great defense against invisible creatures, or trap setting before combat.
Darkvision: If that you don’t already contain it from your own race, this is the best way to have it. Long duration and no concentration makes it a robust tactical spell.
Find Traps: If you’re proficient in Investigation, this really is useless.
Healing SpiritXGtE: Replace Cure Wounds with this particular spell once you gain second level spells to truly save on healing spell economy.
Lesser Restoration: This is an essential spell, nevertheless you shouldn’t be the one in the party who knows it. Rely on a Cleric for this one.
Pass Without Trace: +10 can offset even a penalty or disadvantage on stealth for the party. This spell could be the backbone of a successful infiltration mission.
Protection From Poison: As a preventative measure, the long duration of the spell ensures you won’t get downed by a creature immediately.
Silence: This serves two purposes, stealth and also turning off enemy spellcasters.
Spike Growth: An incredible battlefield control option. Put it to use to safeguard your archers from melee creatures while picking them off because they approach.
Summon BeastTCoE: Unless you’re focusing on spellcasting and have your Wisdom pumped up, this isn’t a very good spell for you. It gives action economy, nonetheless it isn’t quite strong unless you’ve got high stats. Swashbuckler 5e Using Guide
3rd Level Spells
Conjure Animals: As a half caster. Rangers get his too late to be relevant.
Conjure Barrage: A huge Part of effect for low damage. Only really useful to get creatures already weakened by your Spike Growth. As a third level spell, you can find better options for you, however.
Daylight: Situationally, this may make your life easier. It’s not stealthy, so dispelling minimum level darkness is the only real great use for this.
Flame ArrowsEEPC: This is equal to or worse when compared to a heightened Hunter’s Mark.
Lightning Arrow: A Hallway buster, much less impressive as other available choices you have offered to you.
Plant Growth: Excellent area control. The only downside is plants need to already exist in the area.
Protection from Energy: A crucial defensive option for fighting elemental enemies, dragons, and casters.
Talk with Plants: Severely underwhelming compared to other spells at his level. Talk with Animals is probably more useful.
Summon FeyTCoE: Just like Summon Beast, you’re planning to require a good spell modifier to make this worth it.
Wind Wall: This is highly situational. It’s very useful once you do want it, but here is likely planning to be another caster who can prepare it or even a better option.
4th Level Spells
Conjure Woodland Beings: Much like Conjure Animals, it’s not enough too late.
Freedom of Movement: Useful, but situational.
Grasping Vine: Not a good spell to start with, and your relatively low DC it’s even worse.
Guardian of Nature: The Ranger’s best buff, it provides you with advantage on your attacks for the duration.
Stoneskin: An excellent buff, but by the time you receive it, you’re likely planning to be facing lots of magic foes, so its effectiveness could be diminished.
Summon ElementalTCoE: Guardian of Nature is better at exactly the same level for you.
5th Level Spells
Commune With Nature: Not enough, too late. Also, a poor spell for your highest slot. If you may ritual cast it, this could be very useful.
Conjure Volley: This spell has all the same problems as Conjure Barrage. Your save DC is likely to be relatively low unless and it only does mediocre damage.
Steel Wind StrikeXGtE: This is a spell attack, which means unless you’ve gone all-in on Wisdom you’re going to possess problems.
Swift Quiver: This spell rocks for an archer. It requires concentration, which means you can’t utilize it with Hunter’s Mark, but that’s ok. It’s your best choice for a 5th level spell. Unarmed Strike D&D 5E Explained
Tree Stride: Situational, but in a forest encounter it enables you to a total nightmare. Wreak havoc on sightlines by moving through the trees to continually ambush your foes.
Wrath of NatureXGtE: As written, this calls for plants to be present. It could be more spectacular if you could use it in different environments.
Multiclassing
Barbarian: Not really a lot gained for the archery build. A melee Ranger who would like to be described as a “Rager” can dip for an even to get rage.
Bard: way too many conflicting ability score requirements.
Cleric: A single level dip for Nature Cleric gives you a large amount of value in armor proficiency, spells, and a skill.
Druid: It requires two levels to get Wild Shape. You’ve got a lot of good combat options, and there’s enough overlap that the spellcasting isn’t worth it.
Fighter: If you want to go Strength-build Ranger , it’s best to start with an even or two of Fighter to maximize your proficiencies and get he extra fighting style.
Monk: Unarmored Defense is nice if you’re choosing a Dex/Wis build.
Paladin: A lot of conflicting ability score requirements, and two half-casting classes don’t mesh well. Fighter is strictly better for a Melee Strength build.
Rogue: Take two levels to get cunning action and some extra skills and you’re golden. This is a superb combo if you’re not going to really have a primary Rogue or Bard in the party. You will be a dependable scout and ranged attacker.
Sorcerer: Not really a good fit for Ranger.
Warlock: Not really a good fit for Ranger.
Wizard: Not really a good fit for Ranger.
