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  Ranger Rework
  Ranger Rework
  Ranger Rework
  Ranger Rework
  Ranger Rework
  
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  Ranger
  Since its first inception, Rangers have received many
  complaints, which can be summarized as:
  The Ranger does not have a strong core identity.
  Rangers have too many ribbon features.
  Rangers are too weak in combat.
  Rangers are too front loaded. There is little reason to
  continue past level 5 instead of multiclassing.
  Rangers have too many spells requiring concentration.
  Hunter’s Mark should have been a feature.
  Rogues and Bards are potentially better explorers and
  trackers than Rangers.
  Beast Master feels clunky and weak.
  The purpose of this rework is to address these complaints
  while minimizing the number of changes to the original class.
  The goal is to hopefully better implement the game designer’s
  original vision of the class, and not to completely reimagine it
  (except for the beastmaster subclass).
  For a full, in-depth explanation on all the changes and
  additions to the class, you can refer to Appendix D: Design
  Notes. I explained how each feature was addressed. Note that
  I did not agree with every complaint listed above and
  explained my reasoning when appropriate. For example, I
  disagree that the Ranger is weak in combat.
  For the core identity of the Ranger, I based the class on the
  following concepts, adapted from the Player’s Handbook and
  Unearthed Arcana: Ranger (2015).
  Ultimate Survivors
  Rangers can wander a barren wilderness alone for months,
  living only on what they find. A group with a ranger has a
  significantly easier time surviving in the wilds.
  Key features: Natural Explorer, Favoured Terrain, Herbal
  Medicine
  Skirmishers
  Rangers are often the last line of defense against the
  monsters that threaten the edges of civilization. They cannot
  rely on backup, because they are the backup. As such,
  Rangers often find themselves against unfavourable odds.
  They win their battles by utilizing the full potential of their
  environment to expose their enemies’ weaknesses and nullify
  their strengths.
  Key features: Spellcasting, Discipline, Primal Instinct
  Credits
  Created by PhDpwnerer
  Cover Art: Leidora by Astri Lohne
  Interior Art: Untitled by Yuan Bin Hu, MtG Seek the Wilds
  by Dawn Murin, Drizzt Do'Urden by Sword Coast
  Adventurer's Guide and Ilich Henriquez, Untitled by Wenqing
  Yan, Campfire in the Redwoods by Edwin Deakin, Bear by
  Ivan Laliashvili, L.O.R.D. by Xiaodi Jin, Untitled by Jee-Hyung
  Lee, Elder Scrolls Legends Nord Avatar by Nuare Studios
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  Class Name
  Level Proficiency Bonus Features
  Spells Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
  1st
  +2
  Natural Explorer, Favoured Terrain
  -
  —
  —
  —
  —
  —
  2nd
  +2
  Fighting Style, Spellcasting, Hunter's Mark
  2
  2
  —
  —
  —
  —
  3rd
  +2
  Ranger Archetype, Herbal Medicine
  3
  3
  —
  —
  —
  —
  4th
  +2
  Ability Score Improvement
  3
  3
  —
  —
  —
  —
  5th
  +3
  Extra Attack
  4
  4
  2
  —
  —
  —
  6th
  +3
  Herbal Medicine Improvement, Discipline
  4
  4
  2
  —
  —
  —
  7th
  +3
  Ranger Archetype Feature
  5
  4
  3
  —
  —
  —
  8th
  +3
  Ability Score Improvement, Land's Stride
  5
  4
  3
  —
  —
  —
  9th
  +4
  ─
  6
  4
  3
  2
  —
  —
  10th
  +4
  Primal Instinct
  6
  4
  3
  2
  —
  —
  11th
  +4
  Ranger Archetype Feature, Hunter's Mark Improvement
  7
  4
  3
  3
  —
  —
  12th
  +4
  Ability Score Improvement
  7
  4
  3
  3
  —
  —
  13th
  +5
  ─
  8
  4
  3
  3
  1
  —
  14th
  +5
  Herbal Medicine Improvement, Feral Senses
  8
  4
  3
  3
  1
  —
  15th
  +5
  Ranger Archetype 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
  Primal Soul
  10
  4
  3
  3
  3
  1
  19th
  +6
  Ability Score Improvement
  11
  4
  3
  3
  3
  2
  20th
  +6
  Guardian of Nature
  11
  4
  3
  3
  3
  2
  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 Consitution 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: Herbalism Kit
  Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
  Skills: Choose two from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight,
  Investigation, Perception, and Stealth.
  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 herbalism kit
  A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows
  Natural Explorer
  You are skilled at navigating the wilderness and living off the
  land. You are proficient in Nature and Survival. Your
  proficiency bonus is doubled for any ability check you make
  that uses either of these two proficiencies.
  In addition, you gain the following benefits when traveling
  for an hour or more:
  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.
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  Favored Terrain
  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.
  You also gain the benefits corresponding to your favored
  terrain:
  Arctic
  You gain resistance to cold damage.
  Coast
  You gain a swim speed equal to your speed. If you already have
  a swim speed, your swim speed is doubled. You can hold your
  breath for twice as long.
  Desert
  You gain resistance to fire damage.
  Forest
  Choose a skill from the ranger skill list that you are not
  proficient with. You become proficient with that skill.
  Grassland
  Your speed increases by 10 feet.
  Mountain
  You gain a climb speed equal to your speed. If you already
  have a climb speed, your climb speed is doubled. You do not
  suffer the negative effects of high altitude.
  Swamp
  You gain resistance to poison damage and have advantage on
  saving throws against poison.
  Underdark
  You learn Undercommon. You gain blindsight at a range of 5
  feet.
  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 +I 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. In
  addition, that second attack no longer costs a bonus action.
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  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 chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and
  chapter 11 for the ranger spell list.
  Spell Slots
  The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast
  your 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
  ali 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 c1ass, you can learn
  one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
  Additionally, when you gain a level in this c1ass, 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 leveI 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
  Hunter’s Mark
  At 2nd level, you learn the Hunter’s Mark spell. It does not
  count against your number of spells known. It no longer
  requires concentration. You can still only have one Hunter’s
  Mark active at a time. You cannot mark a new creature when
  the target of your Hunter’s Mark drops to 0 hit points.
  Starting at 11th level, if the target of your Hunter’s Mark
  drops to 0 hit points before the spell ends, you can use a
  bonus action on a subsequent turn to mark a new creature.
  Ranger Archetype
  At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to
  emulate: Hunter or Beast Master, both detailed at the end of
  the c1ass description. Your choice grants you features at 3rd
  level and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.
  Herbal Medicine
  At 3rd level, your life in the wilderness has taught you the
  properties of the plants surrounding you. You know how to
  gather the right ingredients to produce poultices and
  medicinal teas of Normal quality.
  Each gathering attempt takes 30 minutes. Make an
  Intelligence (Nature) check with a DC of 12. Make the roll
  with advantage if you are in possession of a Herbalism Kit. On
  a success, you collect one ingredient, determined by rolling on
  the Foraging Ingredients table. On a critical success (by 10 or
  more), you instead recover 1d4 ingredients, making separate
  rolls for each on the Foraging Ingredients table. If you are
  gathering ingredients in your favored terrain, any success is
  considered a critical success. Gathering counts as a light
  activity for the purposes of resting and does not interrupt a
  short rest.
  Foraging Ingredients
  d20
  Ingredient
  1-11
  Healing Berries
  12-17
  Curative Roots
  18-20
  Restorative Herbs
  The items that you can craft using these ingredients are
  specified in Appendix A: Herbal Medicine Recipes. For each
  attempt to craft those items, you must succeed on an
  Intelligence or Wisdom check (your choice) against the
  corresponding DC. You must be in possession of your
  Herbalism Kit. Crafting counts as a light activity for the
  purposes of resting and does not interrupt a short rest. The
  poultices and teas lose their potency if not used or consumed
  within 24 hours.
  You can craft poultices and teas of Greater quality at 6th
  level, and of Superior quality at 14th level.
  Variant: Herbal Medicine
  If you are a more experienced player or simply
  interested in a more developed alchemy system, it
  is strongly recommended to incorporate The
  Alchemy Almanac by u/heavyarms. In this case,
  replace Herbal Medicine’s benefits with the
  following:
  You gather ingredients twice as fast.
  You double your proficiency bonus for checks
  made with the Herbalism Kit.
  Gathering counts as a light activity for the
  purposes of resting and does not interrupt a
  short rest.
  Crafting counts as a light activity for the
  purposes of resting and does not interrupt a
  short rest. You can choose to craft impure
  potions using Herbal alchemy in only 30
  minutes. The time required becomes 20
  minutes at 8th level and 10 minutes at 14th
  level. Impure potions lose their potency if not
  consumed within 24 hours.
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  Ability Score Improvements
  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.
  Extra Attack
  Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once,
  whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.
  Discipline
  At 6th level, your survival on the edges of civilization has
  trained your endurance and mental focus to new heights. You
  are proficient in Constitution saving throws. You also have
  advantage on Constitution saving throws that make you
  maintain your concentration on a spell when you take
  damage.
  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.
  Primal Instinct
  At 10th level, you have honed your senses and body to act
  purely on instinct, separating your consciousness from your
  body. You can concentrate on two different spells at the same
  time.
  Feral Senses
  At 14th level, you gain blindsight at a range of 30 feet. If you
  already have blindsight, the range of your blindsight increases
  by 30 feet.
  Primal Soul
  At 18th level, you cannot lose concentration on your spells
  from taking damage.
  Guardian of Nature
  At 20th level, you can temporarily become nature’s wrath
  incarnate. Your body cackles with the power of the elements.
  For 1 minute, you gain the following benefits:
  A whirlwind with a radius of 30 feet follows you. The first
  time any enemy creature enters the whirlwind or starts its
  turn there, the creature must succeed on a Strength or
  Dexterity saving throw (whichever is higher) or fall prone.
  Whenever you cast a ranger spell that has a casting time of
  1 action, you can cast it as a bonus action instead.
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  Ranger Archetypes
  The ideal of the ranger has two classic expressions: the
  Hunter and the Beast Master.
  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 ores to towering giants and
  terrifying dragons.
  Peerless Hunter
  You learn the Archery fighting style. If you already know the
  Archery fighting style, choose another option from the
  Fighting Style class feature.
  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 ld8 damage if it's below its hit point
  maximum. Vou 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 the following features.
  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 move up to
  half of your speed. During this movement, you can make a
  melee attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of
  you, with a separate attack roll for each target. You can only
  target each creature once. If you are wielding a light weapon
  in both hands, you can attack each target with both weapons.
  Superior Hunter's Defense
  At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your
  choice.
  Evasion. You can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain
  area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or a lightning
  bolt spell. When you are subjected to an effect 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.
  Beast Master
  The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between
  the civilized races and the beasts of the world. United in focus,
  beast and ranger work as one to fight the monstrous foes that
  threaten civilization and the wilderness alike. Emulating the
  Beast Master archetype means committing yourself to this
  ideal, working in partnership with an animal as its companion
  and friend.
  Animal Companion
  At 3rd level, you learn to use your magic to create a powerful
  bond with a creature of the natural world. You can spend 8
  hours bonding with a beast. You normally select your
  companion from among the following animals: a brown bear,
  a dire wolf, a giant eagle, or a panther. Their statistics are
  specified in Appendix B: Animal Companions.
  The animal must already have a strong relationship with
  you (DM’s discretion). The animal cannot be more than a few
  months old. At the end of the 8 hours, the animal companion
  gains all the benefits of the Companion’s Bond ability. You can
  have only one animal companion. If your animal companion is
  dead, you may spend 8 hours and at least 25 gp worth of rare
  herbs to resurrect it as if you cast the True Resurrection spell.
  Alternate Beast Companions
  If you like this iteration of the Beastmaster but feel
  too restricted by the beast options, feel free to
  reskin any of the choices and replace the original
  animal traits with more appropriate ones.
  Alternatively, you might want to create an original
  beast companion from scratch. If you do so,
  consider what conceptual and mechanical niches
  your beast would fill that would set it apart from the
  other options.
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  Companion's Bond
  The companion takes its turn on your initiative. It tries its best
  to follow your orders and acts independently otherwise.
  Your companion’s stats are replaced by the ones specified in
  Appendix B: Animal Companions. It becomes proficient in
  Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
  Your companion regains all lost hit points after it finishes a
  long rest.
  Linked Hearts
  At 3rd level, your life force becomes intertwined with your
  companion’s. As an action, you can touch your animal
  companion and transfer any number of your remaining hit
  points to it. Alternatively, you can expend 5 hit points to cure
  your animal companion of one disease or neutralize one
  poison affecting it.
  Linked Minds
  At 7th level, you learn the spell Beast Sense if you do not
  already know it. Beast Sense does not count against your
  number of spells known. You can cast Beast Sense on your
  animal companion a number of times equal to your Wisdom
  modifier (minimum of 1) without expending a spell slot. You
  regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest.
  Chrysalis
  At 11th level, your animal companion has grown to full
  maturity. Its stat changes are indicated in Appendix B: Animal
  Companions.
  Furthermore, the primal magic that connects you to your
  animal companion is slowly infusing itself into your
  companion’s essence. Your animal companions attacks are
  considered magical for the purposes of overcoming
  resistance.
  Metamorphosis
  At 15th level, the primal magic that flows through your animal
  companion blooms and unlocks a metamorphosis called an
  Aspect, as specified in Appendix B: Animal Companions.
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  Appendix A: Herbal Medicine Recipes
  Healing Poultice
  DC: 10
  Preparation Time: 10 minutes
  Components: Alcohol, Healing Berries (1), Cloth, Moss or
  Leaves
  Duration: 1 hour
  You drench a handful of moss or leaves with alcohol and juice
  extracted from the Healing Berries. You bind the poultice
  tightly around the target’s wound using a piece of cloth.
  Normal. For the duration, whenever the target expends a
  hit die, instead of rolling, the target regains hit points as if they
  rolled the maximum number.
  Greater. DC 15, Healing Berries (2). In addition to its
  normal effects, the poultice enables the target to regain 1d4
  hit dice at the end of the duration.
  Superior. DC 19, Healing Berries (3). In addition to its
  normal effects, the poultice enables the target to regain 1d8
  hit dice at the end of the duration.
  Curative Tea
  DC: 10
  Preparation time: 20 minutes
  Components: Water, Curative Roots (1), a small fire
  Duration: Instantaneous
  You boil the Curative Roots into a tea enough for one person.
  Normal. The target is cured of one disease affecting it.
  Greater. DC 15, Curative Roots (1) + Healing Berries (1).
  The tea ends one condition affecting the target. That
  condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned.
  Superior. DC 19, Curative Roots (2) + Healing Berries (1).
  The tea cures the target of all diseases and conditions
  affecting it. The conditions can be blinded, deafened,
  paralyzed, or poisoned.
  Reinvigorating Tea
  DC: 15
  Preparation Time: 30 minutes
  Components: Water, Restorative Herbs (1), a small fire
  Duration: Instantaneous
  You grind the Restorative Herbs and grind them into a tea
  enough for one person.
  Normal. The target can restore an expended spell slot no
  higher in level than fifth. The target must spend a number of
  hit dice equivalent to the spell slot level.
  Superior. DC 19, Restorative Herbs (2). The target can
  restore two expended spell slots in level no higher than 5th.
  The target must spend a number of hit dice equivalent to the
  combined spell slot levels.
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  Appendix B: Animal Companions
  10
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  Brown Bear
  Medium (Level 11, Large) Beast, Your alignment
  Armor Class 11 + proficiency bonus
  Hit Points 6 x level (Level 11, 9 x level)
  Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.
  Proficiency Bonus your proficiency bonus
  At Level 11, ability scores become the ones indicated
  in bold.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  15 (+2) 10 (+0) 14 (+2) 2 (-4) 12 (+1) 7 (-2)
  19 (+4)
  10 (+0)
  16 (+3)
  2 (-4)
  13 (+1)
  7 (-2)
  Skills Proficient in Perception
  Senses passive Perception 11 + proficiency bonus
  Languages Understands all languages that you speak.
  Keen Smell. The bear has advantage on Wisdom
  (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
  Sentinel. When the bear hits a creature with an
  opportunity attack, the creature’s speed becomes 0
  for the rest of the turn.
  Aspect of Spring (Level 15). The bear may transform
  into an Aspect of Spring (no action required). A soft
  glow shimmers around the bear and seems to
  rejuvenate the plant life around it. The
  transformation lasts for 10 minutes or until the bear
  chooses to revert to its normal form (no action
  required). The transformation ends early if the bear
  drops to 0 hit points. The bear may not use this
  ability again until it has finished a short or long rest.
  Regeneration (Aspect of Spring Only). The bear regains
  10 hit points at the start of its turn if it has at least 1
  hit point.
  Actions
  Bite or Claws. Melee Weapon Attack (STR): reach 5
  ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 piercing (Bite) or slashing
  (Claws) damage. (Level 11) Damage increases to 2d6
  + 4.
  Gift of Life (Aspect of Spring Only) (Recharge 5-6). A
  brilliant green light emits from the bear in all
  directions. All friendly creatures within 10 feet of the
  bear regain 2d8 hit points.
  
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  Dire Wolf
  Medium (Level 11, Large) Beast, Your alignment
  Armor Class 11 + proficiency bonus
  Hit Points 5 x level (Level 11, 8 x level)
  Speed 40 ft., (Level 11, 50 ft.)
  Proficiency Bonus your proficiency bonus
  At Level 11, ability scores become the ones indicated in
  bold.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1)
  15 (+2)
  12 (+1)
  3 (-4)
  12 (+1)
  6 (-2)
  17 (+3)
  15 (+2)
  15 (+2)
  3 (-4)
  12 (+1)
  7 (-2)
  Skills Proficient in Perception and Stealth
  Senses passive Perception 11 + proficiency bonus
  Languages Understands all languages that you speak.
  Keen Hearing and Smell. The wolf has advantage on
  Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or
  smell.
  Pack Tactics. The wolf has advantage on an attack roll
  against a creature if at least one of the wolf’s allies is
  within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn’t
  incapacitated.
  Aspect of Winter (Level 15). The wolf may transform into
  an Aspect of Winter (no action required). The wolf’s fur
  turns white as snow and its eyes become pale blue. The
  air surrounding the wolf covers everything in frost. The
  transformation lasts for 10 minutes or until the wolf
  chooses to revert to its normal form (no action
  required). The transformation ends early if the wolf
  drops to 0 hit points. The wolf may not use this ability
  again until it has finished a short or long rest.
  Snow Camouflage (Aspect of Winter Only). The wolf has
  advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in
  snowy terrain.
  Frigid Air (Aspect of Winter Only). The wolf emits an aura
  of wintry air. All enemy creatures within 30 feet of the
  wolf have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
  Actions
  Bite. Melee Weapon Attack (finesse): reach 5 ft., one
  target. Hit: 1d8 piercing damage. (Level 11) Damage
  increases to 2d8 + 3.
  Winter’s Howl (Aspect of Winter Only) (Recharge 5-6).
  The wolf exhales a blast of freezing wind in a 15-foot
  cone. Each creature in that area must make a DC 16
  Dexterity saving throw. On a fail, a creature suffers 4d8
  cold damage and all attacks against it until the end of its
  next turn gain advantage. On a success, a creature
  suffers only half damage.
  
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  Giant Eagle
  Medium (Level 11, Large) Beast, Your alignment
  Armor Class 10 + proficiency bonus
  Hit Points 4 x level (Level 11, 7 x level)
  Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft. (Level 11, fly 80 ft.)
  Proficiency Bonus your proficiency bonus
  At Level 11, ability scores become the ones indicated
  in bold.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  12 (+1) 15 (+2) 10 (+0) 7 (-2) 14 (+2)
  7 (-2)
  16 (+3) 17 (+3) 13 (+1) 8 (-1) 14 (+2) 10 (+0)
  Skills Proficient in Perception
  Senses passive Perception 12 + proficiency bonus
  Languages Giant Eagle, Understands all languages
  that you speak.
  Keen Sight. The eagle has advantage on Wisdom
  (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or sight.
  Aspect of the Sun (Level 15). The eagle may transform
  into an Aspect of the Sun (no action required). The
  eagle feathers adopt a golden sheen that reflects the
  light in iridescent colours. The transformation lasts
  for 10 minutes or until the eagle chooses to revert
  to its normal form (no action required). The
  transformation ends early if the eagle drops to 0 hit
  points. The eagle may not use this ability again until
  it has finished a short or long rest.
  Actions
  Beak or Talons. Melee Weapon Attack (finesse): reach
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 piercing (Beak) or slashing
  (Talons) damage. (Level 11) Damage increases to
  2d6 + 3.
  Wings of the Phoenix (Aspect of the Sun Only)
  (Recharge 5-6). The eagle’s wings erupt in flames as
  it dashes towards its enemies. The eagle flies up to
  its speed. All creatures within 10 feet of the eagle
  during its movement must succeed on a DC 16
  Dexterity saving throw or take 3d8 fire damage.
  
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  Panther
  Medium Beast, Your alignment
  Armor Class 11 + proficiency bonus
  Hit Points 5 x level (Level 11, 8 x level)
  Speed 50 ft., climb 40 ft. (Level 11, 80 ft., climb 60
  ft.)
  Proficiency Bonus your proficiency bonus
  At Level 11, ability scores become the ones indicated
  in bold.
  STR
  DEX
  CON
  INT
  WIS
  CHA
  14 (+2) 16 (+3) 10 (+0) 3 (-4) 14 (+2) 7 (-2)
  15 (+2)
  20 (+5)
  13 (+1)
  4 (-3)
  14 (+2)
  7 (-2)
  Skills Proficient in Perception and Stealth
  Senses passive Perception 12 + proficiency bonus
  Languages Understands all languages that you speak.
  Keen Smell. The panther has advantage on Wisdom
  (Perception) checks that rely on smell.
  Pounce. If the panther moves at least 20 feet straight
  toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack
  on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC
  12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the
  target is prone, the panther can make one bite attack
  against (no action required).
  Sneak Attack. Once per turn, when the panther hits a
  creature while having advantage on the attack roll,
  the panther deals an extra 1d6 damage. (Level 11)
  Extra damage increases to 3d6.
  Aspect of the Moon (Level 15). The panther may
  transform into an Aspect of the Moon (no action
  required). Wisps of shadow mask the panther in
  darkness. The transformation lasts for 10 minutes or
  until the panther chooses to revert to its normal
  form (no action required). The transformation ends
  early if the panther drops to 0 hit points. The panther
  may not use this ability again until it has finished a
  short or long rest.
  Shadow Step (Aspect of the Moon Only). When the
  panther is in dim light or darkness, as a bonus action,
  the panther can teleport up to 60 feet to an
  unoccupied space it can see that is also in dim light
  or darkness. The panther then has advantage on the
  first melee attack it makes before the end of the its
  turn.
  Actions
  Bite or Claws. Melee Weapon Attack (finesse): reach
  5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 piercing (Bite) or slashing
  (Claws) damage. (Level 11) Damage increases to 1d6
  + 5.
  
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  Appendix C: Revised Spells
  Cordon of Arrows
  2nd-level transmutation
  Casting Time: 1 action
  Range: Range
  Components: V, S, M (four or more arrows or bolts)
  Duration: 8 hours
  Choose four points in the ground within range. You shoot a
  piece of nonmagical ammunition – arrows or crossbow bolts –
  at each point and lay magic upon them to protect an area.
  Until the spell ends, whenever a creature other than you
  comes within 30 feet of any of these four pieces of
  ammunition for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there,
  the corresponding piece of ammunition flies up to strike it.
  The creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or
  take 1d6 piercing damage. The piece of ammunition is then
  destroyed. The spell ends when no ammunition remains.
  When you cast this spell, you can designate any creatures
  you choose, and the spell ignores them.
  At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot
  of 3rd level or higher, the amount of ammunition that can be
  affected doubles for each slot level above 2nd.
  Conjure Barrage
  3rd-level conjuration
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action
  Range: Self (60-foot cone)
  Components: V, S, M (one piece of ammunition or a thrown
  weapon)
  Duration: Instantaneous
  You throw a nonmagical weapon or fire a piece of nonmagical
  ammunition into the air to create a cone of identical weapons
  that shoot forward and then disappear. Each creature in a 60-
  foot cone must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. A
  creature takes 3d8 damage on a failed save, or half as much
  damage on a successful one. The damage type is the same as
  that of the weapon or ammunition used as a component.
  Lightning Arrow
  3rd-level transmutation
  Casting Time: 1 bonus action
  Range: Self
  Components: V, S
  Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
  The next time you make a ranged weapon attack during the
  spell’s duration, the weapon’s ammunition, or the weapon
  itself if it’s a thrown weapon, transforms into a bolt of
  lightning. The target and all creatures within 10 feet of it must
  make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failure, a creature takes
  4d8 lightning damage and is stunned until the end of their
  next turn. On a success, a creature takes half damage. The
  piece of ammunition or weapon then returns to its normal
  form.
  At higher levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot
  of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each
  slot level above 3rd.
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  Appendix D: Design Notes
  In this appendix, I will explain if each core issue mentioned in
  the preamble is valid and how it is addressed with this Ranger
  Rework.
  No Strong Core Identity
  Agreed. Rangers are supposed to be the “best explorers”, but
  what does that mean exactly? Is it simply tracking? Making
  sure that the party does not run out of rations? These two
  roles are situational at best and not compelling for a class’
  main purpose. To address this issue, I defined “being good at
  exploration” as “being good at surviving in the wilderness”.
  That not only entails tracking and foraging, but also surviving
  against all the dangers of the wilderness, such as poisons,
  diseases, random encounters, ambushes, and unpredictable
  foes. When travelling, a Ranger should make the party feel
  safer, and not simply enable the party to save some coin by not
  buying rations.
  Combat-wise, the Ranger did not have its own niche. Its role
  was an ineffective split between the Rogue and the Fighter. I
  asked myself the question: How would the harshness and
  unpredictability of the wilderness shape a Ranger’s fighting
  style? The Ranger’s adversaries are often monsters that range
  unpredictably in numbers, strength and type. Rangers can
  only survive by improvising and adapting to their
  surroundings. Instead of simply fighting head on, they would
  use everything at their disposal to exploit their enemies’
  weaknesses and downplay their strengths. I settled on the role
  of a martial character with an arsenal of utility and battlefield
  control powers. Many of the Ranger’s spells already focus on
  that: fog cloud, entangle, spike growth, wind wall, etc. As such,
  I guided my combat-oriented features to better enable the
  support of these spells in combat.
  Too Many Ribbon Features
  Agreed. The fact that one of the Ranger’s core features was
  Favoured Enemy, a ribbon ability, made the class seem very
  unattractive. The solution of the Revised Ranger does not
  work either, as adding combat bonuses limited to a situational
  ability made the class very lopsided. At first, I wanted to make
  Favoured Enemy give concrete mechanical bonuses that can
  apply in any situation but synergized very well against specific
  enemies (similar to the design principle behind Favoured
  Terrain). Then I came to the realization that all of the Hunter
  subclass’ abilities do that already. Therefore, I simply decided
  to remove that feature entirely.
  Unlike others, I do not believe Natural Explorer was a
  ribbon ability. I feel like it mostly seemed that way because
  few tables really follow the wilderness survival rules that
  closely.
  Weak in Combat
  Disagree. If you do the math, even without any feats, Rangers
  completely outperform the other classes in DPR until level 11.
  From level 11 onwards, it is consistent with the highest DPR
  classes in the game. For instance, at level 5, the Ranger with
  TWF, Colossus Slayer, and Hunter’s Mark can consistently
  deal 3 x (1d6 + 5) + 3d6 + 1d8 which averages at 40.5 damage
  per round. That is already above the 40 average damage
  (disregarding crit) that a fighter has from level 11 to 19.
  The reason why they seem weak is that Ranger’s damage
  output does not increase much past level 5, which makes
  sense since they already deal way too much damage early on.
  This Rework addresses this issue by subtly rebalancing the
  damage output to be on average lower in the earlier levels and
  slightly higher in the later levels.
  BTW, Hunter’s Mark and Colossus Slayer are not even
  situational abilities, since players usually only focus on
  marked creatures and the 3 attacks per round almost
  guarantees that Colossus Slayer will be triggered. The lengthy
  duration of Hunter’s Mark also almost guarantees that the
  Ranger can almost always have it active during combat. In
  fact, Rangers even sometimes find themselves unable to
  expend all spell slots by the end of the day.
  No Exciting High Level Abilities
  Agreed. Other than Feral Senses, the high level abilities are
  either too weak (Foe Slayer), weaker version of spells (Hide in
  Plain Sight vs Pass Without Trace), or weaker copies of other
  classes’ abilities that come way too late to be exiting anymore
  (Vanish). I replaced them for the most part with features that
  better supported the martial controller role. The rebalancing
  of the damage should also make the later levels more exciting.
  Too Many Concentration Spells +
  Hunter’s Mark Should Be A Feature
  Agreed. Hunter’s Mark is so powerful that concentrating on it
  is a must. The fact that 28 out of 55 ranger spells require
  concentration means that the Ranger will almost never use
  any other spell, which is a shame. Even spells like Lightning
  Arrow or Hail of Thorns require concentration for some
  reason. However, without concentration, Hunter’s Mark,
  which already produces insane amounts of damage at all
  levels, would be completely broken.
  This is pure speculation, but my understanding of the
  designers’ intent was that they wanted the baseline Ranger to
  be weaker in combat than a Fighter but with more versatility
  (from spells). The Ranger would have a limited resource that
  could be used to either boost damage, or provide other useful
  utility. The choice should not be automatic, but made with
  careful consideration. An overpowered Hunter’s Mark that
  required concentration prevented this vision from coming
  true.
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  My solutions: (1) Enable double concentration. The level at
  which it is gained and the specific nature of Ranger spells
  should not make it too out-of-line hopefully. (2) Remove
  concentration requirement from Hunter’s Mark but prevent it
  from transferring to other targets. While the damage output is
  still high, it is now limited (akin to a Divine Smite). The
  balance comes from the limited amount of Spell slots. The
  high cost of Hunter’s Mark no longer makes it an automatic
  choice. Rangers can also finally concentrate on other spells.
  At level 11, I returned the ability to transfer the mark, since at
  that level the damage is in-line with the other classes.
  Not Actually Best Explorers
  In terms of tracking and foraging, agreed. The skill monkey
  classes (rogues and bards) have expertise, which enable them
  to surpass Rangers in the survival skill. However, by
  broadening my definition of “good at exploring” as I explained
  in the “No Strong Core Identity Section”, the problem is no
  longer as significant. Nevertheless, I also gave expertise to
  Nature and Survival in the new Natural Explorer feature.
  Beastmaster Is Clunky
  Agreed. I completely overhauled this subclass. I wanted to
  focus on the bond between the Ranger and the companion. I
  wanted the companion to feel like an actual character, by
  giving it a sense of progression and aging. Its relationship with
  the Ranger should also be developed over time. I have the
  personal complaint that at high levels, when the player
  characters are fighting archfiends, krakens, liches and
  dragons, having an ordinary wolf at your side does not make
  much sense anymore. As such, I wanted to make them much
  more badass at high level. I hope you like my spin on it! Please
  check the balancing though, I am unsure about that. At early
  levels, the damage should be comparable to other subclasses’
  level 3 features. At level 11, the damage boost is hopefully also
  in-line with the other subclasses (I am mostly worried about
  this level). I tried to balance the level 15 abilities by limiting
  the number of uses to 1/short rest, 10 minutes at a time, and
  recharge 5-6.
  Keep in mind that since animal companions are separate
  creatures from the Ranger, calculating DPR is not as
  straightforward as summing everything together. Indeed, the
  damage boost from the animal companion lasts only until the
  animal companion falls unconscious. The animal companion
  might not always attack the same creature as the ranger
  either (damage that is not spread out is not as effective).
  Hunter Subclass Should Have An
  Extended Spell List
  Not sure. I think Hunters should be the more martial of the
  subclasses. However, it might be true that without it, it is
  weaker than the XGtE subclasses. As such, I added the
  Archery fighting style and made both multiattack abilities
  accessible. I also buffed whirlwind, since previously it was an
  objectively inferior attack to volley.
  Notable Features Explained
  Hunter's Mark
  Most agree that Hunter's Mark should have been a feature.
  However, some prefer to make it completely separate from
  spells and limit its number of uses to be equal to the wisdom
  modifier. My problems with that are:
  It doesn't scale well. Wisdom modifier barely changes
  across the levels. It would be too powerful at early levels
  and too weak at later levels.
  It was made a spell for a reason. It should compete with
  the other spells for resource management. Or else I feel
  like it would be overpowerd at early levels.
  Too much complexity to add another system to the Ranger
  when it is otherwise not necessary.
  The upgrade at level 11 provides a much needed buff to
  their high level combat potency and gives a strong reason not
  to multiclass.
  Herbal Medicine
  One of the problems with exploration is that it is often taken
  care of with a couple of skill checks. While the original
  Ranger had features that helped those skill checks, they often
  felt too passive. The Ranger still plays in an identical way as
  the other classes when it comes to exploration. As such, the
  Ranger does not feel like an explorer. The purpose of Herbal
  Medicine is to provide a flavorful and active way for Rangers
  to contribute to exploration.
  Discipline + Primal Instinct
  The game designers said that Rangers should derive a lot of
  their combat potency from their spells. The change to
  Hunter's Mark helped that a lot. The purposes of these
  features is to help that even more. Since a large amount of
  Ranger spells seemed focus on utility and battlefield control, I
  believe that a martial controller is a perfect fit for the Ranger
  mechanically. Having double concentration brings that role to
  life.
  Primal Soul + Guardian of Nature
  Honestly, if you guys have better ideas, it would be very
  appreciated. I was thinking of a feature that made all terrains
  favoured terrains, but I was not sure what level would be
  appropriate.
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