Ranger

Rough and wild looking, a human stalks alone through the shadows of trees, hunting the orcs he knows are planning a raid on a nearby farm. Clutching a shortsword in each hand, he becomes a whirlwind of steel, cutting down one enemy after another.

After tumbling away from a cone of freezing air, an elf finds her feet and draws back her bow to loose an arrow at the white dragon. Shrugging off the wave of fear that emanates from the dragon like the cold of its breath, she sends one arrow after another to find the gaps between the dragon’s thick scales.

Holding his hand high, a half-elf whistles to the hawk that circles high above him, calling the bird back to his side. Whispering instructions in Elvish, he points to the owlbear he’s been tracking and sends the hawk to distract the creature while he readies his bow.

Far from the bustle of cities and towns, past the hedges that shelter the most distant farms from the terrors of the wild, amid the dense-packed trees of trackless forests and across wide and empty plains, rangers keep their unending watch.

## Deadly Hunters

Warriors of the wilderness, rangers specialize in hunting the monsters that threaten the edges of civilization—humanoid raiders, rampaging beasts and monstrosities, terrible giants, and deadly dragons. They learn to track their quarry as a predator does, moving stealthily through the wilds and hiding themselves in brush and rubble. Rangers focus their combat training on techniques that are particularly useful against their specific favored foes.

Thanks to their familiarity with the wilds, rangers acquire the ability to cast spells that harness nature’s power, much as a druid does. Their spells, like their combat abilities, emphasize speed, stealth, and the hunt. A ranger’s talents and abilities are honed with deadly focus on the grim task of protecting the borderlands.

## Independent Adventurers

Though a ranger might make a living as a hunter, a guide, or a tracker, a ranger’s true calling is to defend the outskirts of civilization from the ravages of monsters and humanoid hordes that press in from the wild. In some places, rangers gather in secretive orders or join forces with druidic circles. Many rangers, though, are independent almost to a fault, knowing that, when a dragon or a band of orcs attacks, a ranger might be the first—and possibly the last—line of defense.

This fierce independence makes rangers well suited to adventuring, since they are accustomed to life far from the comforts of a dry bed and a hot bath. Faced with city-bred adventurers who grouse and whine about the hardships of the wild, rangers respond with some mixture of amusement, frustration, and compassion. But they quickly learn that other adventurers who can carry their own weight in a fight against civilization’s foes are worth any extra burden. Coddled city folk might not know how to feed themselves or find fresh water in the wild, but they make up for it in other ways.

## Creating a Ranger

As you create your ranger character, consider the nature of the training that gave you your particular capabilities. Did you train with a single mentor, wandering the wilds together until you mastered the ranger’s ways? Did you leave your apprenticeship, or was your mentor slain—perhaps by the same kind of monster that became your favored enemy? Or perhaps you learned your skills as part of a band of rangers affiliated with a druidic circle, trained in mystic paths as well as wilderness lore. You might be self-taught, a recluse who learned combat skills, tracking, and even a magical connection to nature through the necessity of surviving in the wilds.

What’s the source of your particular hatred of a certain kind of enemy? Did a monster kill someone you loved or destroy your home village? Or did you see too much of the destruction these monsters cause and commit yourself to reining in their depredations? Is your adventuring career a continuation of your work in protecting the borderlands, or a significant change? What made you join up with a band of adventurers? Do you find it challenging to teach new allies the ways of the wild, or do you welcome the relief from solitude that they offer?

## Class Features

As a ranger, you gain the following class features.

#### Hit Points

**Hit Dice:** 1d10 per ranger level

**Hit Points at 1st Level:** 10 + your Constitution modifier

**Hit Points at Higher Levels:** 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st

#### Proficiencies

**Armor:** Light armor, medium armor, shields

**Weapons:** Simple weapons, martial weapons

**Tools:** None

**Saving Throws:** Strength, Dexterity

**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:

* (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
* (a) two shortswords or (b) two simple melee weapons
* (a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack
* A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows

#### Favored Enemy

Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type of enemy.

Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as favored enemies.

You have advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.

When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they speak one at all.

You choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have encountered on your adventures.

#### Natural Explorer

You are particularly familiar with one type of natural environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such regions. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in.

While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, you gain the following benefits:

* Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel.
* Your group can’t become lost except by magical means.
* Even when you are 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 choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th level.

#### Fighting Style

At 2nd 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.

##### 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 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

##### Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

#### Spellcasting

By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid does. See Spells Rules for the general rules of spellcasting and the Spells Listing for the ranger spell list.

##### Spell Slots

The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your ranger spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell animal friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot available, you can cast animal friendship using either slot.

##### 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 Ranger 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. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

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 ranger spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ranger 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

#### Ranger Archetype

At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to emulate: the Hunter that is detailed at the end of the class description or one from another source. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.

#### Primeval Awareness

Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you expend, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’ location or number.

#### Ability Score Improvement

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.

Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this feature to take a feat of your choice instead.

#### Extra Attack

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

#### Land’s Stride

Starting at 8th level, 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 those created by the entangle spell.

#### Hide in Plain Sight

Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud, dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with which to create your camouflage.

Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide by pressing yourself up against a solid surface, such as a tree or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you are. You gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks as long as you remain there without moving or taking actions. Once you move or take an action or a reaction, you must camouflage yourself again to gain this benefit.

#### Vanish

Starting at 14th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.

#### Feral Senses

At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can’t see. When you attack a creature you can’t see, your inability to see it doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack rolls against it.

You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn’t hidden from you and you aren’t blinded or deafened.

#### Foe Slayer

At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your enemies. Once on each of your turns, you can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack roll or the damage roll of an attack you make against one of your favored enemies. You can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but before any effects of the roll are applied.

## Optional Class Features

#### Deft Explorer

*1st-level ranger feature, which replaces the Natural Explorer feature*

You are an unsurpassed explorer and survivor, both in the wilderness and in dealing with others on your travels. You gain the Canny benefit below, and you gain an additional benefit below when you reach 6th level and 10th level in this class.

##### Canny (1st Level)

Choose one of your skill proficiencies. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses the chosen skill.

You can also speak, read, and write two additional languages of your choice.

##### Roving (6th Level)

Your walking speed increases by 5, and you gain a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.

##### Tireless (10th Level)

As an action, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d8 + your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 temporary hit point). You can use this action a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

In addition, whenever you finish a short rest, your exhaustion level, if any, is decreased by 1.

#### Favored Foe

*1st-level ranger feature, which replaces the Favored Enemy feature and works with the Foe Slayer feature*

When you hit a creature with an attack roll, you can call on your mystical bond with nature to mark the target as your favored enemy for 1 minute or until you lose your concentration (as if you were concentrating on a spell).

The first time on each of your turns that you hit the favored enemy and deal damage to it, including when you mark it, you can increase that damage by 1d4.

You can use this feature to mark a favored enemy a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

This feature’s extra damage increases when you reach certain levels in this class: to 1d6 at 6th level and to 1d8 at 14th level.

#### Additional Ranger Spells

*2nd-level ranger feature*

The spells in the following list expand the ranger spell list in the *Player’s Handbook*. The list is organized by spell level, not character level. Each spell is in the *Player’s Handbook*, unless it has an asterisk (a spell in chapter 3 of *Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything*). *Xanathar’s Guide to Everything* also offers more spells.

 2nd
 3rd
 4th
 5th

#### Fighting Style Options

*2nd-level ranger feature*

When you choose a fighting style, the following styles are added to your list of options.

**Blind Fighting**

You have blindsight with a range of 10 feet. Within that range, you can effectively see anything that isn’t behind total cover, even if you’re blinded or in darkness. Moreover, you can see an invisible creature within that range, unless the creature successfully hides from you.

**Druidic Warrior**

You learn two cantrips of your choice from the druid spell list. They count as ranger spells for you, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for them. Whenever you gain a level in this class, you can replace one of these cantrips with another cantrip from the druid spell list.

**Thrown Weapon Fighting**

You can draw a weapon that has the thrown property as part of the attack you make with the weapon.

In addition, when you hit with a ranged attack using a thrown weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to the damage roll.

#### Spellcasting Focus

*2nd-level ranger feature*

You can use a druidic focus as a spellcasting focus for your ranger spells. A druidic focus might be a sprig of mistletoe or holly, a wand or rod made of yew or another special wood, a staff drawn whole from a living tree, or an object incorporating feathers, fur, bones, and teeth from sacred animals.

#### Primal Awareness

*3rd-level ranger feature, which replaces the Primeval Awareness feature*

You can focus your awareness through the interconnections of nature: you learn additional spells when you reach certain levels in this class if you don’t already know them, as shown in the Primal Awareness Spells table. These spells don’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

##### Primal Awareness Spells

 5th
 9th
 13th
 17th

You can cast each of these spells once without expending a spell slot. Once you cast a spell in this way, you can’t do so again until you finish a long rest.

#### Martial Versatility

*4th-level ranger feature*

Whenever you reach a level in this class that grants the Ability Score Improvement feature, you can replace a fighting style you know with another fighting style available to rangers. This replacement represents a shift of focus in your martial practice.

#### Nature’s Veil

*10th-level ranger feature, which replaces the Hide in Plain Sight feature*

You draw on the powers of nature to hide yourself from view briefly. As a bonus action, you can magically become invisible, along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, until the start of your next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

## Ranger Archetypes

The ideal of the ranger has classic expressions. These are detailed below.

## Beast Master

The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the wild. United in focus, beast and ranger fight the monsters that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike.

#### Ranger’s Companion

At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in its stat block or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points.

The beast obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you don't issue a command, the beast takes the Dodge action. Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can make one weapon attack yourself when you command the beast to take the Attack action.

If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself. The beast never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack.

While traveling through your favored terrain with only the beast, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.

If the beast dies, you can obtain a new companion by spending 8 hours magically bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you and that meets the requirements.

#### Exceptional Training

Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn.

In addition, the beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

#### Bestial Fury

Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action.

#### Share Spells

Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you.

### Optional Class Feature

#### Primal Companion

*3rd-level Beast Master feature, which replaces the Ranger’s Companion feature*

You magically summon a primal beast, which draws strength from your bond with nature. The beast is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands. Choose its stat block—Beast of the Land, Beast of the Sea, or Beast of the Sky—which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. You also determine the kind of animal the beast is, choosing a kind appropriate for the stat block. Whatever kind you choose, the beast bears primal markings, indicating its mystical origin.

In combat, the beast acts during your turn. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. You can also sacrifice one of your attacks when you take the Attack action to command the beast to take the Attack action. If you are incapacitated, the beast can take any action of its choice, not just Dodge.

If the beast has died within the last hour, you can use your action to touch it and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. The beast returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points restored.

When you finish a long rest, you can summon a different primal beast. The new beast appears in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of you, and you choose its stat block and appearance. If you already have a beast from this feature, it vanishes when the new beast appears. The beast also vanishes if you die.

## Fey Wanderer

A fey mystique surrounds you, thanks to the boon of an archfey, the shining fruit you ate from a talking tree, the magic spring you swam in, or some other auspicious event. However you acquired your fey magic, you are now a Fey Wanderer, a ranger who represents both the mortal and the fey realms. As you wander the multiverse, your joyful laughter brightens the hearts of the downtrodden, and your martial prowess strikes terror in your foes, for great is the mirth of the fey and dreadful is their fury.

#### Dreadful Strikes

*3rd-level Fey Wanderer feature*

You can augment your weapon strikes with mind-scarring magic, drawn from the gloomy hollows of the Feywild. When you hit a creature with a weapon, you can deal an extra 1d4 psychic damage to the target, which can take this extra damage only once per turn.

The extra damage increases to 1d6 when you reach 11th level in this class.

#### Fey Wanderer Magic

*3rd-level Fey Wanderer feature*

You learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Fey Wanderer Spells table. Each spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

##### Fey Wanderer Spells

 5th
 9th
 13th
 17th

You also possess a preternatural blessing from a fey ally or a place of fey power. Choose your blessing from the Feywild Gifts table or determine it randomly.

##### Feywild Gifts

 2
 3
 4
 5
 6

#### Otherworldly Glamour

*3rd-level Fey Wanderer feature*

Your fey qualities give you a supernatural charm. As a result, whenever you make a Charisma check, you gain a bonus to the check equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1).

In addition, you gain proficiency in one of the following skills of your choice: Deception, Performance, or Persuasion.

#### Beguiling Twist

*7th-level Fey Wanderer feature*

The magic of the Feywild guards your mind. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed or frightened.

In addition, whenever you or a creature you can see within 120 feet of you succeeds on a saving throw against being charmed or frightened, you can use your reaction to force a different creature you can see within 120 feet of you to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. If the save fails, the target is charmed or frightened by you (your choice) for 1 minute. The target can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a successful save.

#### Fey Reinforcements

*11th-level Fey Wanderer feature*

The royal courts of the Feywild have blessed you with the assistance of fey beings: you know summon fey (a spell in chapter 3). It doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know, and you can cast it without a material component. You can also cast it once without a spell slot, and you regain the ability to do so when you finish a long rest.

Whenever you start casting the spell, you can modify it so that it doesn’t require concentration. If you do so, the spell’s duration becomes 1 minute for that casting.

#### Misty Wanderer

*15th-level Fey Wanderer feature*

You can slip in and out of the Feywild to move in a blink of an eye: you can cast misty step without expending a spell slot. You can do so a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

In addition, whenever you cast misty step, you can bring along one willing creature you can see within 5 feet of you. That creature teleports to an unoccupied space of your choice within 5 feet of your destination space.

## Gloom Stalker

Gloom Stalkers are at home in the darkest places: deep under the earth, in gloomy alleyways, in primeval forests, and wherever else the light dims. Most folk enter such places with trepidation, but a Gloom Stalker ventures boldly into the darkness, seeking to ambush threats before they can reach the broader world. Such rangers are often found in the Underdark, but they will go any place where evil lurks in the shadows.

#### Gloom Stalker Features

 7th
 11th
 15th

#### Gloom Stalker Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Gloom Stalker Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

#### Dread Ambusher

At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. You can give yourself a bonus to your initiative rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier.

At the start of your first turn of each combat, your walking speed increases by 10 feet, which lasts until the end of that turn. If you take the Attack action on that turn, you can make one additional weapon attack as part of that action. If that attack hits, the target takes an extra 1d8 damage of the weapon’s damage type.

#### Umbral Sight

At 3rd level, you gain darkvision out to a range of 60 feet. If you already have darkvision from your race, its range increases by 30 feet.

You are also adept at evading creatures that rely on darkvision. While in darkness, you are invisible to any creature that relies on darkvision to see you in that darkness.

#### Iron Mind

By 7th level, you have honed your ability to resist the mind-altering powers of your prey. You gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws. If you already have this proficiency, you instead gain proficiency in Intelligence or Charisma saving throws (your choice).

#### Stalker’s Flurry

At 11th level, you learn to attack with such unexpected speed that you can turn a miss into another strike. Once on each of your turns when you miss with a weapon attack, you can make another weapon attack as part of the same action.

#### Shadowy Dodge

Starting at 15th level, you can dodge in unforeseen ways, with wisps of supernatural shadow around you. Whenever a creature makes an attack roll against you and doesn’t have advantage on the roll, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on it. You must use this feature before you know the outcome of the attack roll.

## Horizon Walker

Horizon Walkers guard the world against threats that originate from other planes or that seek to ravage the mortal realm with otherworldly magic. They seek out planar portals and keep watch over them, venturing to the Inner Planes and the Outer Planes as needed to pursue their foes. These rangers are also friends to any forces in the multiverse — especially benevolent dragons, fey, and elementals — that work to preserve life and the order of the planes.

#### Horizon Walker Features

 7th
 11th
 15th

#### Horizon Walker Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Horizon Walker Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

#### Detect Portal

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to magically sense the presence of a planar portal. As an action, you detect the distance and direction to the closest planar portal within 1 mile of you.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

See the “Planar Travel” section in chapter 2 of the Dungeon Master’s Guide for examples of planar portals.

#### Planar Warrior

At 3rd level, you learn to draw on the energy of the multiverse to augment your attacks.

As a bonus action, choose one creature you can see within 30 feet of you. The next time you hit that creature on this turn with a weapon attack, all damage dealt by the attack becomes force damage, and the creature takes an extra 1d8 force damage from the attack. When you reach 11th level in this class, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

#### Ethereal Step

At 7th level, you learn to step through the Ethereal Plane. As a bonus action, you can cast the etherealness spell with this feature, without expending a spell slot, but the spell ends at the end of the current turn.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

#### Distant Strike

At 11th level, you gain the ability to pass between the planes in the blink of an eye. When you take the Attack action, you can teleport up to 10 feet before each attack to an unoccupied space you can see.

If you attack at least two different creatures with the action, you can make one additional attack with it against a third creature.

#### Spectral Defense

At 15th level, your ability to move between planes enables you to slip through the planar boundaries to lessen the harm done to you during battle. When you take damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to give yourself resistance to all of that attack’s damage on this turn.

## Hunter

Emulating the Hunter archetype means accepting your place as a bulwark between civilization and the terrors of the wilderness. As you walk the Hunter’s path, you learn specialized techniques for fighting the threats you face, from rampaging ogres and hordes of orcs to towering giants and terrifying dragons.

#### Hunter’s Prey

At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

##### Colossus Slayer

Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it’s below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.

##### Giant Killer

When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.

##### Horde Breaker

Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.

#### Defensive Tactics

At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

##### Escape the Horde

Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.

##### Multiattack Defense

When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.

##### Steel Will

You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

#### Multiattack

At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

##### Volley

You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon’s range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.

##### Whirlwind Attack

You can use your action to make a melee attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target.

#### Superior Hunter’s Defense

At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

##### Evasion

When you are subjected to an effect, such as a red dragon’s fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell, that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.

##### Stand Against the Tide

When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reaction to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice.

##### Uncanny Dodge

When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.

## Monster Slayer

You have dedicated yourself to hunting down creatures of the night and wielders of grim magic. A Monster Slayer seeks out vampires, dragons, evil fey, fiends, and other magical threats. Trained in supernatural techniques to overcome such monsters, slayers are experts at unearthing and defeating mighty, mystical foes.

#### Monster Slayer Features

 7th
 11th
 15th

#### Monster Slayer Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Monster Slayer Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

#### Monster Slayer Spells

 5th
 9th
 13th
 17th

#### Hunter’s Sense

At 3rd level, you gain the ability to peer at a creature and magically discern how best to hurt it. As an action, choose one creature you can see within 60 feet of you. You immediately learn whether the creature has any damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities and what they are. If the creature is hidden from divination magic, you sense that it has no damage immunities, resistances, or vulnerabilities.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once). You regain all expended uses of it when you finish a long rest.

#### Slayer’s Prey

Starting at 3rd level, you can focus your ire on one foe, increasing the harm you inflict on it. As a bonus action, you designate one creature you can see within 60 feet of you as the target of this feature. The first time each turn that you hit that target with a weapon attack, it takes an extra 1d6 damage from the weapon.

This benefit lasts until you finish a short or long rest. It ends early if you designate a different creature.

#### Supernatural Defense

At 7th level, you gain extra resilience against your prey’s assaults on your mind and body. Whenever the target of your Slayer’s Prey forces you to make a saving throw and whenever you make an ability check to escape that target’s grapple, add 1d6 to your roll.

#### Magic-User’s Nemesis

At 11th level, you gain the ability to thwart someone else’s magic. When you see a creature casting a spell or teleporting within 60 feet of you, you can use your reaction to try to magically foil it. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC, or its spell or teleport fails and is wasted.

Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

#### Slayer’s Counter

At 15th level, you gain the ability to counterattack when your prey tries to sabotage you. If the target of your Slayer’s Prey forces you to make a saving throw, you can use your reaction to make one weapon attack against the quarry. You make this attack immediately before making the saving throw. If your attack hits, your save automatically succeeds, in addition to the attack’s normal effects.

## Swarmkeeper

Feeling a deep connection to the environment around them, some rangers reach out through their magical connection to the world and bond with a swarm of nature spirits. The swarm becomes a potent force in battle, as well as helpful company for the ranger. Some Swarmkeepers are outcasts or hermits, keeping to themselves and their attendant swarms rather than dealing with the discomfort of others. Other Swarmkeepers enjoy building vibrant communities that work for the mutual benefit of all those they consider part of their swarm.

#### Gathered Swarm

*3rd-level Swarmkeeper feature*

A swarm of intangible nature spirits has bonded itself to you and can assist you in battle. While you’re alive, the swarm remains in your space, crawling on you or flying and skittering around you within your space. You determine its appearance, or you generate its appearance by rolling on the Swarm Appearance table.

##### Swarm Appearance

 2
 3
 4

Once on each of your turns, you can cause the swarm to assist you in one of the following ways, immediately after you hit a creature with an attack:

* The attack’s target takes 1d6 piercing damage from the swarm.
* The attack’s target must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be moved by the swarm up to 15 feet horizontally in a direction of your choice.
* You are moved by the swarm 5 feet horizontally in a direction of your choice.

#### Swarmkeeper Magic

*3rd-level Swarmkeeper feature*

You learn the mage hand cantrip if you don’t already know it. When you cast it, the hand takes the form of your swarming nature spirits.

You also learn an additional spell of 1st level or higher when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Swarmkeeper Spells table. Each spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

##### Swarmkeeper Spells

 5th
 9th
 13th
 17th

#### Writhing Tide

*7th-level Swarmkeeper feature*

You can condense part of your swarm into a focused mass that lifts you up. As a bonus action, you gain a flying speed of 10 feet and can hover. This effect lasts for 1 minute or until you are incapacitated.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

#### Mighty Swarm

*11th-level Swarmkeeper feature*

Your Gathered Swarm grows mightier in the following ways:

* The damage of Gathered Swarm increases to 1d8.
* If a creature fails its saving throw against being moved by Gathered Swarm, you can also cause the swarm to knock the creature prone.
* When you are moved by Gathered Swarm, it gives you half cover until the start of your next turn.

#### Swarming Dispersal

*15th-level Swarmkeeper feature*

You can discorporate into your swarm, avoiding danger. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to give yourself resistance to that damage. You vanish into your swarm and then teleport to an unoccupied space that you can see within 30 feet of you, where you reappear with the swarm.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.

## ***Desert Wind***

Rangers of the Desert Wind learn to harness the power of heat and wind to enhance their martial capabilities. They employ supernatural techniques in combat to burn their enemies and dance across the battlefield like the desert wind itself.

#### **Flame's Blessing**

Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level you are capable of withstanding extreme heat.

You gain resistance to fire damage and can travel comfortably in temperatures up to 200 degrees.

#### **Burning Blade**

At 3rd level you can imbue your attacks with the oppressive heat of the desert, sheathing your weapons and ammunition in flame, or causing your steel to glow white hot.

You may use a bonus action on your turn to cause all your attacks to deal an extra 1d4 fire damage until the end of your turn, after which point you may choose to maintain the effect by concentrating as though you were concentrating on a spell.

#### **Leaping Flame**

Beginning at 7th level, when an enemy misses you with an attack you may use your reaction to teleport in a flash of flame, disappearing and reappearing up to 15 feet away.

#### **Lingering Inferno**

Beginning at 11th level, when you activate your burning blade feature you may also choose to surround yourself in an aura of blistering heated air.

You may activate this aura as part of the bonus action to activate your burning blade feature, at which point it lasts until the beginning of your next turn or until you stop concentrating on your burning blade feature. While this aura is active, any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of you must make a constitution save, taking fire damage equal to your wisdom modifier on a failed save.

While this aura is active, you can use your action to charge up to 30 feet in a straight line towards a creature and make a single attack against them with advantage, leaving a trail of flame behind you which lingers until the start of your next turn. Any creature that enters or starts its turn in a space you traversed as part of your charge takes fire damage equal to your wisdom modifier.

#### **Rising Phoenix**

At 15th level, you can lift yourself off the ground by manipulating the superheated air around you.

While your aura from lingering inferno is active, you can replace any amount of your walking speed with an equal amount of flying speed on your turn. When you fly in this way, you cannot lift yourself further than 15 feet above the ground, and you must end your turn on solid ground or fall.

## Snow Strider

The Conclave of Snow Striders are at home in high mountains or frozen steppes. They cherish independence and isolation, some folk even going as far as dubbing them as “Lone Wolves”. Communing with the frost in the coldest places of the world, these rangers have learned to hone their bodies to exploit the cold.

*Created by Gaz*

#### Snow Strider Magic

Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Snow Strider Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.

 3rd
 5th
 9th
 13th
 17th

#### I Said Freeze!

Starting at 3rd level, upon hitting a creature no larger than medium in size with a melee or ranged weapon, you may use a bonus action to freeze the target in place. Their speed becomes 0, and are considered grappled. The creature must use an action to break free of the ice. Once you have used this feature you cannot use it again until you take a short or long rest.

At 7th level you may use this feature twice, at 11th three times, and 15th four times.

#### Cauterized in Cold

At 3rd level, when you drop below one quarter of your hit point maximum, you gain healing equal to your level + your Wisdom Modifier. This feature can be used once before needing a long rest.

#### Cold Hearted

At 7th level, you gain resistance to cold damage, you as well gain advantage on saving throws against negative effects of cold damage/weather.

#### (N)Ice Damage

Starting at 7th level, when you deal damage with a melee or ranged weapon, you may add a 1d4 of cold damage to your total.

#### Stay Frosty

At 11th level, your I Said Freeze feature now considers the creature as restrained rather than grappled. Also your additional cold damage increases to a 1d6.

#### Ice in my Veins

At 15th level, your additional cold damage increases to a 1d8. You also gain immunity to cold damage

## Freebooter

The Freebooter Conclave has no specific origin, and their talents can only be truly described through witnessing their nimbleness and reactivity. These ranger’s excel at catching their opponents off-guard and using their quick senses to give them an advantage in battle.

*Created by Gaz*

#### Counter

Starting at 3rd level, when a creature that is wielding a melee weapon misses you with a melee attack you may use your reaction to attack your opponent with a melee weapon immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.

#### Reactive Surge

At 3rd level, you may use an extra reaction in combat.  Once you use this feature you may not use it again until you finish a long rest.

This ability increases to two uses at 11th level, and three at 15th level.

#### Heavy Counter

At 7th level when you use your Counter ability, the opposing creature must succeed a Strength saving throw against your Armor Class as a DC or fall prone.

#### Read & React

At 11th level, you can use a reaction to get insight on your opponent's defenses when they miss you with a melee attack. Your next melee attack against said creature can be made with advantage.

#### Flow State

At 15th level, you gain two of the following features of your choice.

##### Uncanny Dodge

When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack’s damage against you.

##### Tactical Reposition

When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you may use your reaction to move your movement speed in any direction.

##### Battlefield Footwork

When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you may use your reaction to give yourself a bonus to your AC of +3 until the start of your next turn.

##### Retreat!

Attacks of opportunity against you are made with disadvantage.