Learn all about rangers, the nature-dwelling warrior class of D&D
Rangers live on the fringes of society and are capable fighters in their own right, often most at home in nature. They perform best in their favoured environments and when fighting their favoured enemies as well as being at an advantage when traversing the wilderness and tracking others.
How to play as a ranger
Rangers make capable support warriors, though will often be used in a ranged capacity. They tend to fair best against multiple enemies due to their abilities and some area of effect spells. And on that note, they are half-casters so get access to a solid range of spells. With Wisdom being their spellcasting ability, it’s best to make sure your ranger is well stocked in this ability. They’ll likely be in combat too so Dexterity is likely a good bet for the heightened AC and to enhance their ability with ranged weapons.
Ranger Strengths
Rangers fair particularly well against their favoured enemy and within their favoured environment so utilise this to your advantage as best as possible. If you know much about the campaign, this will help you better decide what your favourites will be. Rangers are fairly versatile and do well in the outdoors when tracking enemies or scouting. They’ll also do a decent amount of damage when coupled with their abilities.
Ranger Weaknesses
While rangers have some decent versatility, a lot of their best abilities are quite situational. This unfortunately means that there will be times when a ranger isn’t useful, especially in some campaigns, particularly those that might involve a lot of dungeons or cities. And while they are effective warriors, there are better options for damage dealing if that’s what you want to do.
Ranger class features
| Party Role | Ranged Damage Dealer, Utility, Support Caster |
| Main Ability | Dexterity and Wisdom |
| Saving Throws | Dexterity, Strength |
| Hit Dice | 1d10 + Consitution modifier per level |
| HP at 1st Level | 10 + Constitution Modifier |
| Spell Casting Ability | Wisdom |
| Armour Proficiency | Light armour, medium armour, shields |
| Weapon Proficiency | Simple weapons, martial weapons |
Ranger Abilities
| Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | +2 | Favoured Enemy, Natural Explorer | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| 2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| 3rd | +2 | Primeval Awareness, Ranger Conclave | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| 4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 | – | – | – | – |
| 5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – |
| 6th | +3 | Favoured Enemy Improvement, Natural Explorer Improvement | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | – | – |
| 7th | +3 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 5 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – |
| 8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Land’s Stride | 5 | 4 | 3 | – | – | – |
| 9th | +4 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – | |
| 10th | +4 | Natural Explorer Improvement, Hide in Plain Sight | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | – | – |
| 11th | +4 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – |
| 12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | – | – |
| 13th | +5 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – | |
| 14th | +5 | Favoured Enemy Improvement, Vanish | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | – |
| 15th | +5 | Ranger Conclave Feature | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement | 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | – |
| 17th | +6 | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
| 18th | +6 | Feral Senses | 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 |
| 19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 20th | +6 | Foe Slayer | 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Ranger subclasses in D&D 5e
| Ranger Subclass | Subclass Abilities | Source Book | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hunter | Hunter’s Prey, Defensive Tactics, Multiattack, Superior Hunter’s Defense | Player’s Handbook | A warrior that has honed their ability to hunt and trap their prey. |
| Beast Master | Ranger’s Companion, Exceptional Training, Bestial Fury, Share Spells | Player’s Handbook | A ranger that handles animals and that fights side by side with an animal partner. |
| Gloom Stalker | Gloom Stalker Magic, Dread Ambusher, Umbral Sight, Iron Mind, Stalker’s Flurry, Shadow Dodge | Xanathar’s Guide to Everything | A ranger that hunts in the night to hunt the creatures of night and shadows. |
| Horizon Walker | Horizon Walker Magic, Detect Portal, Planar Warrior, Ethereal Step, Distant Strike, Spectral Defense | Xanathar’s Guide to Everything | Hunters of creatures from other realms and planes. |
| Monster Slayer | Monster Slayer Magic, Hunter’s Sense, Slayer’s Prey, Supernatural Defense, Magic-User’s Nemesis, Slayer’s Counter | Xanathar’s Guide to Everything | Hunters of powerful creatures, deadly to most ordinary warriors. |
| Fey Wanderer | Dreadful Strikes, Fey Wanderer Magic, Otherworldly Glamour, Beguiling Twist, Fey Reinforcements, Misty Wanderer | Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything | Rangers that use the powers of the fey to charm their enemies. |
| Swarmkeeper | Gathered Swarm, Swarmkeeper Magic, Writhing Tide, Mighty Swarm, Swarming Dispersal | Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything | Keepers of swarm creatures that aid them in combat. |
| Drakewarden | Draconic Gift, Drake Companion, Bond of Fang and Scale, Drake’s Breath, Perfected Bond | Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons | Rangers that fight alongside a drake companion. |
