Alternative Class Features (UA) - Ranger Beast Master

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Overview & Creation

Overview & Creation 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?     QUICK BUILD You can make a ranger quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. (Some rangers who focus on two-weapon fighting make Strength higher than Dexterity.) Second, choose the outlander background.       The Ranger   -Spell Slots per Spell Level-   Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features | Spells Known | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th   1st | +2 | Favored Foe, Deft Explorer | - | - | - | - | - | - |   2nd | +2 | Fighting Style, Spellcasting | 2 | 2 | - | - | - | - |   3rd | +2 | Ranger Archetype, Primal Awareness | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - |   4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement | 3 | 3 | - | - | - | - |   5th | +3 | Extra Attack | 4 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - |   6th | +3 | Deft Explorer| 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 | Deft Explorer, Hide in Plain Sight, Fade Away | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - |   11th | +4 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - |   12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement | 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - |   13th | +5 | - | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - |   14th | +5 | Favored Enemy Improvement, Vanish | 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - |   15th | +5 | Ranger Archetype Feature | 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 Sense | 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 |
 

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Class Features

Deft Explorer 1st-level ranger feature You are an unsurpassed explorer and survivor. Choose one of the following benefits, and then choose another one at 6th and 10th level.   Canny Choose one skill: Animal Handling, Athletics, History, Insight, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. You gain proficiency in the chosen skill if you don’t already have it, and you can add double your proficiency bonus to ability checks using that skill. In addition, thanks to your extensive wandering, you are able to speak, read, and write two languages of your choice.   Roving Your walking speed increases by 5, and you gain a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.   Tireless As an action, you can give yourself a number of temporary hit points equal to 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this special action a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once), 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.      

Rule Tip: Temporary Hit Points Don’t Stack If you have temporary hit points and receive more of them, you don’t add them together, unless a rule says you can. Instead, you decide which temporary hit points to keep. See chapter 9 of the Player’s Handbook for more information on temporary hit points.

    Favored Foe 1st-level ranger feature You can call on your bond with nature to mark a creature as your favored enemy for a time: you know the hunter’s mark spell, and Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for it. You can use it a certain number of times without expending a spell slot and without requiring concentration— a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest. When you gain the Spellcasting feature at 2nd level, hunter’s mark doesn’t count against the number of ranger spells you know.     Fighting Style At 2nd level, you adopt a 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.   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.   Spell Versatility 2nd-level ranger feature (enhances Spellcasting) Whenever you finish a long rest, you can replace one spell you learned from this Spellcasting feature with another spell from the ranger spell list. The new spell must be the same level as the spell you replace.   Spellcasting Focus 2nd-level ranger feature (enhances Spellcasting) You can use a druidic focus as a spellcasting focus for your ranger spells. See chapter 5, “Equipment,” of the Player’s Handbook for a list of things that count as druidic focuses.   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.   Primal Awareness 3rd-level ranger feature (replaces Primeval Awareness) 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 Ranger    

Level	Spells
3rd	detect magic, speak with animals
5th	beast sense, locate animals or plants
9th	speak with plants
13th	locate creature
17th	commune with nature

  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.     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.  

  Fade Away 10th-level ranger feature (replaces Hide in Plain Sight) You can use a bonus action to magically become invisible, along with any equipment you are wearing or carrying, until the start of your next turn. Once you use this feature, you can’t use it again until you finish a short or long rest.

    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.

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Starting 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

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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 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

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Subclass Options

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.     Ranger Companion Options 3rd-level Beast Master feature (enhances Ranger’s Companion) While wandering the wilds, a ranger encounters many sorts of animals, some of which the ranger might befriend. This friendship can arise from successful use of the Animal Handling skill or the animal friendship spell. If the resulting bond is strong enough, the animal might join the ranger on adventures. A ranger who has the Beast Master archetype can form an even stronger bond, feeling almost like a sibling to an animal. A special type of beast awaits a Beast Master in the wilds, a creature whose lineage stretches back to the beginnings of the world: a primal beast known as a Beast of the Air or a Beast of the Earth. Such a creature seeks out the type of companionship that a Beast Master offers, ready for the two of them to battle the imbalances in the natural world. The primal beast is a special creature that a Beast Master can choose for the Ranger’s Companion feature. When choosing such a creature, you decide whether it is a Beast of the Air or the Earth, and you determine its appearance. Stories describe primal beasts that mystically change form to align with the spirit of their companion. When a primal beast is met apart from a Beast Master, the creature takes the form a regular beast of challenge rating 1/4 or lower, as determined by the DM.    

Beast of the Air Small beast, neutral   Armor Class 13   Hit Points equal the beast’s Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier + five times your ranger level (the beast has a number of Hit Dice [d6s] equal to your ranger level)   Speed 10 ft., fly 60 ft.        STR      DEX      CON       INT      WIS      CHA

6 (−2)  16 (+3)  13 (+1)  8 (−1)  14 (+2)  11 (+0)

Saving Throws Dex +5, Con +3, Wis +4   Skills Perception +4, Stealth +5   Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14   Languages understands the languages you speak   Flyby. The beast doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks   when it flies out of an enemy’s reach. Primal Rebirth. 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.  Ready Companion. As a bonus action, you can command the beast to make its shred attack or to Hide.   Actions Shred. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.         Hit: 1d6 + 3 slashing damage.

 

Beast of the Earth Medium beast, neutral Armor Class 12 Hit Points equal the beast’s Constitution modifier + your Wisdom modifier + five times your ranger level (the beast has a number of Hit Dice [d8s] equal to your ranger level)   Speed 40 ft., climb or swim 40 ft. (your choice when you bond with the beast)             STR    DEX     CON     INT      WIS      CHA

14 (+2)  14 (+2)  15 (+2)  8 (−1)  14 (+2)  11 (+0)

Saving Throws Dex +4, Con +4, Wis +4 Skills Perception +4, Stealth +4 Senses darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14 Languages understands the languages you speak Charge. If the beast moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a maul attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 slashing damage. The DC equals your spell save DC. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a Strength saving throw against your spell save DC or be knocked prone. Primal Rebirth. 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. Ready Companion. As a bonus action, you can command the beast to make its maul attack or to Hide.   Actions Maul. Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.           Hit: 1d6 + 2 slashing damage.

 
 

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