The article below will brief you about the Ranger 5E class features, abilities, skills, and feats that might help you figure out the best ranger build 5E to be your desired character. Therefore, please read the full article to know more about the class and its archetypes.
Table of Contents
Ranger 5E
As we all know, Dungeons and Dragons have a wide range of classes to offer us with dangerous characteristics and such robust characters are generally found in the Ranger 5E. The d&d Ranger 5E generate personalities like deadly hunters. For instance, they are rough, wild, and deadly humans who stalk and sense the terrors on the farm.
Their eternal watch over the dragons, orcs, and other terrifying, fantastic beings, far from the cities, amidst the forests is what they usually do. Furthermore, they carry shortswords in their hands and kill their enemies one after another. These deadly hunters destroy the monsters that endanger human civilization. The revised ranger guide has everything that you need. They are the protectors of nature, but, so are the DnD druid fifth edition. So what sets them apart from them?
The 5E Rangers practice fighting techniques that might significantly help them for damaging their foes. Therefore, 5E ranger optimization mainly focuses on the protection of the borderlands from the enemies with their impeccable abilities, speed, and stealth. Also, they are considered as the independent adventurers who are capable of finding their food and shelters amidst the forests. Moreover, they know where to hide and stalk their foes to protect humans. Read the article further to learn more about the xanathar’s guide to everything ranger and its class features, abilities, skills, and many more. Moreover, know about the dnd ranger backgrounds.
5E Ranger Guide: Abilities, Skills, Weapons, Feats, and Class Table
The ranger guide 5E discusses the following briefly for your better understanding.
Abilities
The 5E Rangers functions on dexterity, but it also needs the wisdom to support their spells. However, DnD gunslinger fifth edition requires both of these skills too, so don’t undermine them at any cost. The following pointers will discuss more abilities and their uses:
- Str: The Rangers can use dexterity to boost their AC and weapons. This class can dump strength unless you want to use a polearm.
- Dex: Dexterity fuels the Rangers.
- Con: Rangers need a constitution for hit points.
- Int: This class doesn’t need Intelligence, and less you want to have Investigation and Nature skills.
- Wis: Wisdom is the second crucial ability for Rangers as they needed it for spells and foe slayer.
- Cha: A dump stat.
Skills
- Athletics: Rangers are dexterity-based characters and hence are not good with grapple.
- Insight: They need wisdom hence need Insight as it is a face skill.
- Investigation: It is not an excellent ability for Rangers but can be very useful.
- Nature: It is the only knowledge skill that rangers have, but Intelligence is not a cup of tea for them.
- Survival: It is situational, but it would always be a Ranger to opt for this skill.
Weapons
The following pointers will suggest some of the weapons that are used by Rangers and they are:
- Longbow: The Rangers mostly used weapon.
- Rapier: It is the biggest Finesse weapon, and hence the most defensive Rangers use it.
- Shortsword: Another go-to weapon for a Ranger.
- Whip: The only finesse weapon that has a good reach. It is useful at a Horde Baker 5E combat.
Feats
These pointers don’t discuss all the feats of the Rangers, but some crucial ones that are very useful and they are:
- Crossbow expert: The Rangers are crossbow experts, and they use it in the combat.
- Dual wielder: Dual-wielding is better for Rangers in a melee.
- Dungeon-delver: A good option for Rangers.
- Lucky: Rangers are also lucky when it comes to battles.
- Sentinel: They can benefit from sentinels as they help them with free attacks.
- Sharpshooters: The Archery build Rangers can satisfy themselves as they can attack their enemies, being at a considerable distance.
How to build a Ranger 5E?
The points mentioned below discuss the class features that will suggest you in how to build a ranger 5E. They are as follows:Hit points: d10Saves: Dexterity and StrengthProficiencies: They have dexterity-based build with medium armours, shields, and martial weapons.
Favoured Enemy 5E
Once a ranger begins with the 1st level, they gain experience in tackling their foes by tracking, studying, hunting, and even talking to them. Consequently, it would further offer them a choice to choose their “favoured enemy” amongst fey, humanoids, beasts, undead, and monstrosities.
- Also, they will receive +2 bonus points to damage rolls after they attack their Ranger favoured enemy with weapons. They also have Wisdom and Intelligence to track and recall information about their foes, respectively.
- Moreover, when they gain this level, they may further have an option to learn anyone additional language that might help them in talking to their foe. However, they can select any language.
Natural Explorer 5E
Now, as mentioned earlier that the 5E rangers are known as “Independent Adventurers”, we meant that these characters are brilliant in exploring the natural world and swiftly takes action when attacked by the enemies. Hence, they get the following benefits:Difficult favoured terrains 5E doesn’t bother them much. They have the upper hand in initiative rolls. As they get a chance to attack first in combat, they get an advantage on attack rolls while storming on the enemies that have not acted yet.Also, besides these characters are very much skilled at navigating the wilderness and hence get the following benefits:The rugged terrains can’t slow the pace of your group. Your troop cannot get lost in the forests until used magical means on them.Even when the rangers are already engaged in other activities like navigating or foraging, they remain alert and sense the danger. Even if a ranger is alone, they can still move at an average speed.When these players forage, they get more food on their way as they usually would. While accumulating experience in tracking their foes, they can easily remember the size, exact numbers, and how long ago their rivals have passed that area.
Fighting style
When a ranger reaches 2nd level, they have to select a ranger fighting style 5E for them as a speciality and cannot choose more than one, even if they get another chance later in the game. Therefore, the following pointers will suggest some of the fighting styles for your character:
- Archery: A player gets +2 bonus points on attack rolls when they attack with ranged weapons.
- Close Quarters Shooters: When they make a ranged attack on a creature, which is within their 5 feet, then they have an advantage on attack rolls. Their ranged attacks will neglect half and three-quarter covers against the creatures within their 30 feet. Also, they get a +1 bonus point on their ranged attacks.
- Defence: While they carry armour, they receive a +1 bonus point to boost their AC.
- Duelling: When the character fights in combat with only one weapon in hand, they receive +2 bonus points for the damage rolls made by attacking.
- Mariner: When he/she is not carrying a heavy armour or a shield for protection, then their swimming and climbing speed gets equal to the average pace and gains them a +1 bonus point for armour class.
- Tunnel Fighter: A tunnel fighter gets a bonus action, which is that it can get into a defensive stance that lasts until its next turn. While the soldier is in a defensive posture, it can make opportunity attacks without using its reaction. So, they use their response in the combat where it could attack on the creature that moves forward more than 5 feet but within the fighter’s reach.
- Two-weapon fighting: When a ranger gets engrosses in two-weapon battle, then they can add their ability modifier to the damage roll of the second attack.
- Druidic Warrior: They have two cantrips from the druid spell list offered to a ranger. These cantrips are counted as ranger spells. Also, these characters have wisdom as a spellcasting ability. Moreover, whenever the players win a level in this class, then they have the opportunity to exchange one cantrip to another from the druid spell list.
- Blind Fighting: If a player cannot find the creature that won’t add as a disadvantage for them unless it is hiding from them.
- Interception: If they see a creature that attacks them within their 5 feet then they might use their reaction to control the damage (1d10+ their proficiency bonus), provided they must have a shield or a simple/martial weapon in hand.
- Thrown Weapon Fighting: A character can withdraw a weapon with thrown properties in the combat and when they make a ranged attack with the drawn weaponry, get a +1 bonus point on the damage rolls.
- Unarmed Fighting: A ranger’s unarmed strikes can take bludgeoning damage up to 1d6+ its strength modifier. Also, if the player attacks with both the free unarmed hands, then the damage control become d8.
Spellcasting
The characters learn how to make use of the magical sense of nature and cast spells, like how druid spells are done. Also, refer to the class table, which is present later in the article to know how many spell slots are allotted.
Primeval Awareness
The primeval awareness 5E is an ability provided to the rangers at the beginning of the 3rd level, where the characters can establish links with the monsters.
- Now, they gain the ability to talk and sense the emotional state of the beast. They consider these characters as kindred spirits, who can read these monsters’ mood through some sounds and gestures as an action.
- Also, the players cannot use this facility on the creatures that have attacked them in the last 10 minutes.
- Moreover, they get the ability to sense their favoured enemy’s whereabouts. With one minute of uninterrupted concentration, they can feel the creature’s presence within their 5 feet, the exact numbers, and directions.
Ability Score Improvement: As you reach 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, they can increase one ability score by two or two by one. As per standard rules the player cannot improve the abilities score above level 20.
Greater favoured enemy
Once you reach the sixth level the player hunts for deadlier Monsters like aberrations, celestials, constructs, elementals, dragons, giants, and fiends.
- The players achieve all the benefits that they would gain after they destroyed their favoured enemy, including the different language. Also, they receive +4 bonus points on the damage rolls against the favoured enemy.
- Moreover, the player has an additional saving throw against the greater favoured enemy that uses the spells and abilities.
The fleet of foot: The player begins the 8th level they can make use of the Dash action as a bonus attack.
Hide in plain sight 5E
Once the players begin the 10th level, they can be still for a more extended time to make ambushes. When the characters hide at their turn, they can also opt for not moving on that turn.
- The characters avoid moving then the creatures detecting them will get a -10 penalty on their wisdom checks until the player’s next turn. If the players move either voluntarily or through some external effects, they might lose this benefit.
- Also, the players will be automatically detected by the creature because of that effect, and they will no longer be able to hide. Moreover, if the characters are still hidden on their next turn, they can choose to be stationery and achieve the benefit until they are found.
Dnd 5E Ranger: More Class Features
- Vanish: At the beginning of the 14th level, you can choose to use the Hide action as a bonus. Also, you can’t get tracked by non-magical elements unless and until you decide to exit the trial.
- Feral senses: As the 18th level begins, the players achieve preternatural senses that help them to fight the beasts that are not visible to them. When the players attack the creatures, they can’t see that won’t affect their attack rolls. At this level, the characters gain the ability to sense the beast or the monster within the 30 feet of them.
- Foe Slayer: Once the Ranger reaches the 20th level, it becomes an impeccable hunter of its foes. Now, every time they get their turn, they can add their Wisdom modifier to the attack rules of the damage roll made by attacking their favoured enemies. The Ranger can use this benefit whenever they want, but before the effects on the roll are applied.
Ranger Class Table
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting |
| 3rd | +2 | Primeval Awareness, Ranger Conclave |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 5th | +3 | Ranger Conclave Feature |
| 6th | +3 | Greater Favored Enemy |
| 7th | +3 | Ranger Conclave Feature |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Fleet of Foot |
| 9th | +4 | – |
| 10th | +4 | Hide in plain sight |
| 11th | +4 | Ranger Conclave Feature |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 13th | +5 | – |
| 14th | +5 | Vanish |
| 15th | +5 | Ranger Conclave Feature |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 17th | +6 | – |
| 18th | +6 | Feral Senses |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
| 20th | +6 | Foe Slayer |
Spell Slots per Spell Level
| Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| 4 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – |
| 4 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – |
| 5 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – |
| 5 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – |
| 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – |
| 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – |
| 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – |
| 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 |