The Ranger: Alternate Class Features

Introduction to the 'Versatile' Ranger

For quite sometime now there has been mention by various members of the WotC team about the possible release of a set of 'alternate class
features' for the ranger. Such a release has been much anticipated by those long seeking a compromise of between the only officially recognised
version as found in the Player's Handbook (often deemed to be lacking in flexibility and/or power) and the Unearthed Arcana revised version
from 2016 (which addressed some concerns people had with the core class and Beast Master subclass, but in so doing raised others).
I do not propose to wade into the long running debates between those who are content with the Player's Handbook ranger, and those who find
it in some way underwhelming or lacking in fun. What I will say is that both of the aforementioned groups are well-populated. Many like it, and
many do not. The challenge has always been how to address the issues raised by the latter without spoiling the fun of the former.
In November 2018, WotC creative director Mr Mike Mearls worked on a set of alternative class features in two of his Happy Fun Hour online
streams, and made a great deal of progress addressing a lot of concernes heldby many in the 5e Ranger Community. As it stands now, there is
simmering hope that these could be formalised in a forthcoming release of Unearthed Arcana, or perhaps on the DM's Guild or D&D Beyond.
In the meantime, this set of alternate features of the Ranger class, which I'm calling the Versatile Ranger, is based largely on what was
drawn up by Mr Mearls, with limited inspiration from previous Unearthed Arcana and a light touch of homebrew in one or two places.
It is important to emphasise that by making these alternative features available, it does nothing to preclude or make obsolete the Player's
Handbook version. Why is that important? It's clear that the game's designers (quite understandably) don't wish to diminish the core Player's
Handbook class, and lot of people do enjoy it as is. But for those who do not, this set of additional options would allow them to improve their
playing experience while preserving balance and not stepping on the feet of those who are quite happy with the existing official version.
For each optional feature, the source of the material is provided at the start of the entry, as per the following key:

Player's Handbook ("PHB")

Unearthed Arcana Revised Ranger 2016 ("UA-RR")
Unearthed Arcana Modifying Classes 2015 "(UA-MC")
Mike Mearls Happy Fun Hour 2018 ("HFH")
Homebrew elements ("HB")

Any class features not mentioned here remain unchanged from the Player's Handbook class version.

Credits: This is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards of the Coast. Portions of
the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC and copyrighted.

Thanks to everyone who contributed, especially veteran ranger Mr George Sutherland Howard, whose comments and
inspiration were truly helpful and appreciated. Constructive comments are still very welcome, as this version will certainly
benefit from the views of the community and the improvements those comments will inevitably bring.

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The Versatile Ranger
Favored Enemy Forest
If you are proficient with the Perception skill, your proficiency
(Source: HFH) You study a creature, making it as your quarry and
bonus is doubled for any ability check you make that uses it and
analyzing with a careful eye. Your study allows you to anticipate the
when determining your passive Perception. If you are not proficient
creature’s moves, making it easier to anticipate and counter its
with Perception, you become proficient.
tactics.
As a bonus action, you can designate a creature you can see Grassland
within 100 feet of you as your favored enemy. Alternatively, when Your speed increases by 10 feet.
you attack a creature, you can choose the target of the attack as you
favored enemy. Regardless of how you designate a favored enemy, Mountain
you can use this ability once during your turn. The target remains You gain a climb speed equal to your speed.
your favored enemy until you use this ability again.
You gain advantage on all Wisdom (Perception) checks to detect Swamp
your favored enemy and Wisdom (Insight) checks to determine its You gain resistance to poison damage and are immune to disease.
motives. You also gain advantage on all checks made to discover
and follow its tracks. Underdark
Once during your turn, you can make a melee or ranged weapon You learn Undercommon. If you do not have darkvision, you gain it
attack against your favored enemy. You gain a number of uses of with a range of 30 feet. If you have darkvision, you instead gain
this ability equal to half your ranger level (minimum 1) and regain “blindsight” with a range of 5 feet.
all expended uses when you complete a long rest.
Starting at 6th level, you gain advantage on all saving throws Urban
made against your favored enemy’s spells, abilities, and effects. You learn one humanoid language of your choice. If you are
Starting at 14th level, once during your turn if you miss a weapon proficient with the Investigation skill, your proficiency bonus is
attack against your favored enemy you can make an additional doubled for any ability check you make that uses this skill, as well
weapon attack against it. as when determining your passive Investigation. If you are not
proficient with Investigation, you become proficient with it.
Alternate Feature: Favored Enemy You choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th level.
You may either select this version of Favored Enemy, or the
Alternate Feature: Natural Explorer
version of the feature as detailed on pg 91 of the Player's
You may either select this version of Natural Explorer, or the
Handbook.
version of the feature as detailed on pg 91 of the Player's
Handbook.
Natural Explorer
(Source: HFH) Your bond with nature is heightened by time spent
exploring and navigating the natural world. Choose a ranger skill in
Fighting Style
which you are proficient. Your proficiency bonus is doubled for any Presented here is a new option that Rangers can select for Fighting
ability check you make that uses it. Style class feature.
In addition, you choose one type of favored terrain in which you
have gained particular experience: arctic, coast, desert, forest, Whirling blades
grassland, mountain, swamp, the underdark, or urban. (Source: HFH) When you engage in two-weapon fighting while
You have advantage on all ability checks to avoid becoming lost wearing light or no armor, you do not expend your bonus action and
while in your favored terrain. Additionally, you gain the following add your ability modifier to the second attack. You can still gain the
benefits based on that terrain type: benefits of two-weapon fighting only once during your turn.

Arctic
You gain resistance to cold damage.

Coast
You gain a swim speed equal to your speed.

Desert
You gain resistance to fire damage.

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Gift of the Wild Primeval Awareness
(Source: HFH) At 2nd level, as an alternative to the ranger's (Source: UA-RR, PHB) Beginning at 3rd level, your competency
Spellcasting feature detailed in the Player's Handbook, you may in the wild allows you to establish a link to the beasts and land
instead receive the Gift of Wild class feature, choosing one of the around you.
options for it below. Additionally, you gain the use of Bush You have an innate ability to communicate with beasts, and they
Medicine as class feature as part of Gift of the Wild. recognize you as a kindred spirit. As an action, through sounds and
gestures, you can communicate simple ideas to a beast and can read
Gift of the Wild Option 1: Mighty Slayer its basic mood and intent. You learn its emotional state, whether it is
(Source: HFH) Some rangers develop enhanced tactical acumen affected by magic of any sort, its short-term needs, and actions you
and physical prowess to achieve astounding feats of martial skill. If can take (if any) to persuade it to not attack. You cannot use this
you select this option, see details for the Mighty Slayer in the next ability against a creature that you have attacked within the past 10
section. minutes.
In addition, through your connection to the land, you can use
Gift of the Wild Option 2: Wild Companion your action to focus your awareness on the region around you. For 1
(Source: HFH) Some rangers develop a bond with the spirit of minute, you can sense whether the following types of creatures are
Nature in the form of a wild beast, and further strengthen that bond present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 miles if you are in
by tapping into the inherent magic of Nature herself. If you select your favored terrain): aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals,
this option, see details for the Wild Companion in the next section. fey, fiends, and undead. This feature doesn’t reveal the creatures’
location or number. You cannot use this ability again in this manner
Bush Medicine until you complete a short or long rest.
(Source: UA-MC) As part of the Gift of the Wild class feature,
you gain the ability to create and apply healing salves and poultices Primeval Awareness and Spellcasting
as a form of bush medicine. You can spend time gathering and
If you opted to retain the ranger's Spellcasting class feature,
preparing wild plants, herbs etc. to create healing salves and
poultices. Items that you create cannot be applied by anyone but you must also use the version of Primeval Awareness as
you, and lose their potency after 24 hours if unused. Application detailed on pg 92 of the Player's Handbook.
takes 1 minute, thereby expending its use, and the recipient regains
a number of hit points equal to 1d6 (or 1d8 if inside one of your
favored terrains) for every three levels you have in this class
Ranger Archetype
(rounded down) + your Wisdom modifier. (Source: PHB, HFH) At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that
Once you obtain 5th level in this class, your poultices can also be you strive to emulate. Your choice grants you features at 3rd level
used to replicate the effects of a lesser restoration spell. and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
You can create a number of healing salves and poultices Some archetype features work differently with Gift of the Wild
equivalent to your Wisdom modifier (Minimum 1). You regain all and Wild Companion class features, as detailed in the next section.
uses of this ability after a long rest. (Otherwise please consult the archetypes detailed in the Players
Handbook and Xanathar's Guide to Everything).

Vanish
(Source: PHB, UA-RR) By 14th level, you have become a master
of swift, stealthy movement and ducking in and out of cover. You
can use the Hide or Dash action as a bonus action on your turn.
Also, you can’t be tracked by nonmagical means, unless you choose
to leave a trail.

Vanish for Spellcasters

If you opted to retain the ranger's Spellcasting class feature,
you must also use the version of the Vanish feature as
detailed on pg 94 of the Player's Handbook.

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Gift of the Wild Option 1: Gift of the Wild Option 2:
Mighty Slayer Wild Companion
(Source: HFH, HB) At 2nd level if you selected this feature as (Source: HFH, UA-RR) At 2nd level if you selected this feature
your Gift of the Wild, you gain the ability to use your tactical as your Gift of the Wild, you establish a bond with a wild
acumen and physical prowess to achieve astounding feats of martial companion that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge
skill. rating of 1/4 or lower.
You gain the ability to use martial exploits, fueled by special dice Your companion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own.
called martial dice. You gain uses of martial exploits based on your In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus,
ranger level, as shown in the Martial Exploits table, and regain all your companion also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and to its
expensed uses when you complete a long rest. damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills in which it
You can apply the benefits of only one exploit to any given is proficient. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in
attack. If more than one exploit applies to an attack, you select its stat block or five times your ranger level, whichever is higher.
which one to use. Starting at 5th level, the beast’s attacks count as magical for
Martial Dice. Your martial dice are d6s. At 9th level, your purposes of overcoming resistances or immunities.
martial dice turn into d8s and at 13th level, your martial dice turn Companion's Bond. Your animal companion receives a number
into d10s. Starting at 17th level, when you roll initiative and have of benefits while it is linked to you, but loses its Multiattack action,
no martial dice remaining, you regain one martial die. if it has one.
Some exploits require a creature to make a saving throw. The DC The beast acts as you wish, using your initiative count. Your
for such a save is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom companion understands your speech, and you can intuit basic
modifier. concepts and statements as long as you can see or hear it. If you are
incapacitated or absent, the beast acts as you wish.
Martial Exploits Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to
Ranger Level Uses regain hit points. If brought to zero hit points then you roll death
2-3rd 3 saving throws for it as with a PC. If your animal companion is ever
slain, the magical bond you share with its nature spirit allows you to
4-6th 5 return it to life. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 50 gp
7-9th 7 worth of rare herbs and fine food, you call forth your companion’s
10-12th 9 spirit and use your magic to create a new body for it. You can return
an animal companion to life in this manner even if you do not
13th + 10 possess any part of its body.
Your companion also receives certain benefits for as long as it is
With this feature, you learn the Adamantine Bones, Crippling
linked to you.
Blow, and Masterful Strike exploits:
Adamantine Bones. You focus your mind and grit your teeth, While traveling through your favored terrain with only your
pushing aside pain and drawing on wellsprings of energy that blot companion, you can both move stealthily at a normal pace.
out the pain of your wounds. When you gain the Land's Stride and Feral Senses features at 8th
During your turn, you can expend a martial exploit to gain and 18th level respectively, the benefits granted also apply to
temporary hit points. You gain temporary hit points equal to 5 times your companion.
your proficiency bonus.
Your companion shares your alignment, and has a personality
Crippling Blow. You take careful aim at your foe’s head or
trait and a flaw that you select. Your companion shares your ideal,
other sensitive point, unleashing a brutal attack that knocks the
and its bond is always, "The ranger with whom I am bonded is a
target senseless.
beloved companion who has my full trust and protection.”
When you make a weapon attack, you can expend a martial
exploit when you hit with a melee weapon attack. You increase the
weapon’s damage by a number of martial exploit dice equal to half
your proficiency bonus, rounded up. The target of the attack must
make a Constitution saving throw. If it fails, its speed is reduced to
0. At the end of each of its turns, it can make a Constitution saving
throw to end this effect.
Masterful Strike. You strike with overwhelming strength and
accuracy, battering aside your foe’s defense to deliver a deadly
strike. When you make an attack, you can expend a martial exploit
and roll a number of martial dice equall to 1 + your proficiency
bonus.
If the attack misses, you learn the target’s AC and can use the
result of one or more martial dice of your choice as a bonus to your
attack roll, possibly turning the miss into a hit. Any remaining dice
are used as a bonus to your weapon’s damage roll.

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Alternate Archetype Features Wild Companion
(Source: HFH, UA-RR) If you selected the both the Wild
Gift of the Wild Companion class feature as your Gift of the Wild, and Beast Master
With Gift of the Wild , the following ranger archetype features work as your ranger archetype, then the following Beast Master archetype
differently for you. (Ignore this section if you opt to retain features work differently for you (in addition to the Beast Magic
Spellcasting as a class feature.) feature listed in the previous section under Gift of the Wild alternate
features).
Gloom Stalker Magic / Horizon Walker Magic
Ranger's Companion
/ Monster Slayer Magic You do not gain the Ranger’s Companion archetype feature.
(Source: HFH) Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast a
spell of your choice from the relevant Spells table in the archetype
Improved Wild Companion
description found in XGtE. Your ranger level must beat least equal
At 3rd level, your beast companion’s challenge rating can be 1/2 or
to the level listed alongside the spell. Once you cast a spell in this
lower. If you opt for a companion with a challenge rating of 1/4 or
way, you cannot cast that spell again until you complete a long rest.
lower, you can increase one of your companion's ability scores by 2,
or you can increase two of its ability scores by 1 each.
Beast Master Your animal companion gains proficiency in two additional skills
(Source: HB) Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast a
of your choice, and becomes proficient with all saving throws.
spell of your choice from the Beast Magic table. Your ranger level
For each level you gain after 3rd, your animal companion gains
must be at least equal to the level listed alongside the spell. Once
an additional Hit Die and increases its hit points accordingly.
you cast a spell in this way, you cannot cast that spell again until
Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature,
you complete a long rest.
your companion’s abilities also improve, as governed by the normal
Beast Magic rules.
Also at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with the Animal Handling
Ranger Level Spell
skill, or if already proficient, your proficiency bonus is doubled for
3rd Beast Bond ability checks you make that use that skill.
5th Beast Sense
9th Conjure Animals
Exceptional Training
You do not gain the Exceptional Training archetype feature.
13th Sending
17th Awaken Beast's Defense
From 7th level, your companion gains advantage on all saving
throws as long as one of you is within sight of the other.
Hunter
(Source: HB) Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast a
spell of your choice from the Hunter's Magic table. Your ranger
Share Spells
You do not gain the Share Spells archetype feature.
level must beat least equal to the level listed alongside the spell.
Once you cast a spell in this way, you cannot cast that spell again
until you complete a long rest.
Agile Defense
At 15th level, whenever your companion receives damage from a
attack (or other source of damage requiring a Dexterity saving
Hunter's Magic
throw) from attacker or source that it can see, it can use its reaction
Ranger Level Spell to halve the damage taken.
3rd Ensaring Strike
5th Pass without Trace
9th Conjure Barrage
13th Guardian of Nature
17th Commune with Nature