Everything you need to know about the new ranger for D&D 5e 2024 including rules and tactics
Wizards of the Coast have revealed the 2024 revised version of the ranger and like the other classes we’ve seen so far, it’s getting a spruce up! The good news is, the changes to exploration mechanics are a big step up, as are their spell improvements, though some will have hoped the damage output could have gone a little further. Be prepared for revitalised subclasses, a bigger spell list, better martial options and some more useful exploration mechanics.
Below I’ve gone through everything that’s changing for the new ranger as well as how this might change the way you play and what tactics you can employ.
If you want to see the original reveal, you can check out the video below:
Why are we getting changes to the ranger?
The ranger has long struggled under the burden of living up to Aragorn’s legacy and the 2014 version always felt like a lot of it’s abilities didn’t quite land right. The exploration mechanics tended to rarely get used, its martial prowess always felt inferior to the paladin, and so did it’s spellcasting if we’re honest.
To address all this, below are the main things the revised ranger improves on:
- Improved and expanded spell list
- Better and more useful exploration mechanics
- Improved skill capabilities
- Better martial prowess including weapon mastery
- More uses of Hunter’s mark
Below I’ve unpicked exactly what these changes are and how they work.
What changes have been made to the 2024 ranger?
One thing to note is that some features from the 2014 ranger have not made it to the 2024 ranger. These include the likes of; natural explorer, primeval awareness, land’s stride, hide in plain sight and vanish.
In most instances, these features either didn’t work well enough, have been replaced with spellcasting options you can choose from your spell list or have been absorbed into other abilities.
Spellcasting – lv1
The biggest change here is earlier spellcasting which now comes in straight away at level 1 rather than forcing you to wait until level 2. You’ll also get more spells known sooner and the ability to swap a known spell on a long rest. It’s also worth noting that Hunter’s mark now causes force damage which is currently, very rarely resisted which is a small buff to the spell.
These changes will make rangers a good deal more flexible and ties you in less to any poor choices of spells later down the line.
Weapon mastery – lv1
Another big change is the introduction of a new set of properties available to all weapons known as weapon mastery. These properties allow certain martial classes (barbarians, fighters, paladins, rangers and rogues) to make special attacks with their weapon any time they make a weapon attack (there’s no limit on uses).
Each weapon has a different property. Some may slow the enemy down, others might knock an enemy prone and others can do damage even when an attack misses. There are a bunch of different properties and you can check out ourfull guide to weapon masteryfor a full explanation of the rules and tactics.
Rangers get 2 different weapon masteries. They can also choose to change their weapon masteries when they take long rests. All of this obviously makes martials far more versatile and useful when making attacks.
Favoured enemy – lv1
Favoured enemy was always a bit of a challenge for the 2014 ranger as you were reliant on the DM serving you up your favoured enemies to destroy. Even if you did meet such enemies, this was unlikely to be a consistent occurrence making favoured enemy largely redundant.
The 2024 ranger remedies this by ensuring the ability works no matter your enemy. Now, it gives you 2 free uses of Hunter’s mark and hunter’s mark as a prepared spell. As you gain levels, you’ll also gain additional free uses of Hunter’s mark.
Fighting styles – LV2
In the 2014 rules, rangers and a few other classes were able to choose a fighting style. This remains the case, but all classes with fighting styles (like paladins and fighters) now have access to all the fighting style options (including those from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything).
These fighting styles are also now considered feats, allowing you to pick one when you hit level 2. You can also swap your fighting style for another one every time you level up (in case your play style changes).
Rangers also get a unique fighting style option called druidic warrior, allowing them to pick a couple of cantrips from the druid’s spell list. This gives you the option of playing a more spell heavy ranger if you want.
Deft explorer – lv2
Rangers get better with skills by gaining expertise in a skill they’re proficient in as well as proficiencies with 2 new languages.
Roving – lv6
Roving is a great example of how exploration mechanics can be made to be more universally useful. With this, you’ll get an extra 10ft movement speed and you’ll get a climb and swim speed (as long as you’re not wearing heavy armor).
This is a huge boon! Being faster than most others is great for getting around the battlefield while a climb and swim speed can often be useful in environmentally tricky scenarios.
Expertise – lv9
You now get expertise in 2 more skills allowing rangers to keep up with the rogue and bard as skill masters.
Tireless – lv10
As a survivalist, you can last longer than many others would. A few times a day (a number equal to your wisdom modifier) you can use an action to gain some temporary hit points.
You can also reduce one level of exhaustion on a short rest. On this note, I’m curious to see if exhaustion is integrated a bit more thoroughly into the game. In the 2014 edition, it did feel a bit tacked on and rarely used.
Relentless hunter – lv13
A small improvement to Hunter’s mark means you won’t lose concentration on it from damage; only if you fall unconscious or die.
Nature’s veil – lv14
Rangers are great at hiding and can now turn themselves invisible for a turn as a bonus action. You can do this a number of times equal to your wisdom modifier.
On this note, a few features are tied to your wisdom making it a little more important than previously for rangers.
Precise hunter – lv17
You now have advantage against creatures targeted by your hunter’s mark. At this point you have a load of free uses of this spell so becomes an easy source of advantage for your attacks.
Feral senses – lv18
A slight wording tweak makes things a bit clearer here, but essentially, rangers have blindsight at up to 30ft. This makes them great at hunting invisible creatures.
Epic boon – lv19
Like all classes at lv19, you get an epic boon (kind of like a super feat). This will allow you to increase an ability score (even beyond the normal maximum of 20, allowing you to potentially go up to 30 in an ability score). You’ll also get an ability alongside that feat too.
To make things juicer, when you gain levels beyond lv20, you’ll get an epic boon each time making you even gnarlier (there are 12, presumably 1 geared towards each of the 12 classes, though any class can take any epic boon)!
Although you can take any epic boon, the recommended one for rangers is called boon of dimensional travel which lets you teleport 30ft after making an attack or casting a spell. This forms part of the action you make to attack or cast a spell making it superior to something like misty step which requires your bonus action.
Foe slayer – lv20
Hunter’s mark now does 1d10 damage instead of 1d6 damage, beefing up your damage a bit, though this does feel a bit tame for a level 20 ability, but at least it seems to apply to all your attacks against a marked foe rather than just once per turn, though the average extra damage is now lowered. In reality, it probably evens out a little keeping this feature disappointingly unremarkable.
Ranger 2024 subclasses
Like for the 2014 ranger, you get to choose a subclass at level 3 known as a ranger conclave. You get 4 options in the 2024 PHB (The previous PHB has 2 so a decent upgrade). Both the original beast master and the hunter have been updated. On top of that, we get updates to the fey wanderer from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and the gloom stalker from Xanathar’s Guide to Everything.
Most of the big changes are found in the core ranger class, but there are some solid quality of life improvements in the subclasses too which I’ve outlined below:
Beast master
Like with a few other things, your wisdom modifier has become more important in determining your capabilities than your proficiency bonus. Now your primal companion’s AC scales with your wisdom modifier rather than your proficiency bonus and many other elements of your primal companion scale better with your ranger level. You also get to share certain benefits like healing which can affect both yourself and you primal companion.
Exceptional training has gotten better allowing you to utilise your primal companion more. It can now be activated on turns when you’ve used your bonus action. Primal companions can also dodge using a bonus action. Finally, bestial fury lets your primal companion utilise some of the bonuses from your hunter’s mark making both it and your hunter’s mark more effective assets.
Fey wanderer
The only change to the fey wanderer is that they’ve now traded in dispel magic as an always prepared spell for summon fey. However, all rangers can choose dispel magic now from their spell list.
Gloom stalker
Dread ambusher now gets a bit more flexibility. Instead of being restricted to the first round of combat, it can simply be used a certain number of times per day. This allows you to save it for particularly challenging combats and ensures it’s not wasted in the odd combats you can’t attack in the first round. Stalker’s fury enhances your dread ambusher feature by increasing the damage caused and applying an additional effect. You can either choose to make an extra attack or frighten your target and creatures within 10ft of it.
Hunter
Hunter’s prey and defensive tactics now gives you less options, but you can change them any time you make a rest. Hunter’s lore also lets you automatically know the resistances, immunities and vulnerabilities of a creature targeted by your hunter’s mark.
Tactics
Below are a few interesting, new ways you can approach playing as a ranger with the 2024 update:
Hard to catch: Ranger’s are now even better at avoiding their enemies. Go for a ranged weapon like a long bow and use your extra movement speed to stay far from your enemies. You can even choose options like a race with increased movement speed (such as a centaur) or the mobile feat to move even faster. To enhance yourself further, take longbow weapon mastery to slow down your enemies or go with a heavy crossbow to push back your foes. On top of that, you can use features like nature’s veil to turn invisible or even the boon of dimensional travel to teleport after attacks. Expertise in stealth would even help you to simply hide from your enemies. Rangers are now incredibly evasive!
Druidic warrior: 2024 rangers can now go heavy on the spellcasting route to supplement their combat prowess. Free uses of hunter’s mark will help you out a lot here, but you could also take the druidic warrior fighting style to pick up a couple of cantrips too. Try shillelagh to get access to a magic weapon (allowing you to use your wisdom modifier for attacks instead of strength too) or primal savagery for higher damage. Guidance is great for out of combat buffs to skill checks.
Ultimate explorer: You’re more adept in water and climbing. With a swim speed, not only can you move faster in water, you can also ignore some of the restrictions of combat in water. A climb speed means it’s easier for you to climb places to stay away from your enemies or just skulk about. In fact, rangers can now give rogues a run for their money in the skulking department and with a climb speed and stealth expertise, might make a great alternative thief.
The ranger is seeing some of the biggest changes of all the 2024 classes. The exploration options feel like they have broad utility now and there’s a lot more interesting and tactical ways to do combat through things like weapon mastery. On top of this, with more spells known, free uses of hunter’s mark and the option of the druidic warrior fighting style, you can also play a more spell focused ranger too.
Having said all that, my one criticism is that it feels like the benefits of Hunter’s mark don’t go quite far enough or come too late in the game. Tying it down as a concentration spells makes doing anything else with concentration a challenge while damage feels like it doesn’t scale up enough at high levels.
Still, I personally feel the revised ranger does enough to get me excited about playing one. It also manages to address large parts of the challenges the class has been hamstrung with so far.
What do you think of the changes to the ranger? Let me know in the comments below.
Spotlight on the D&D 2024 revision
All the latest updates on what’s changing with the 2024 rules revision.
