RANGER

R
ough and wild looking, a human stalks alone This fierce independence makes rangers well suited to
through the shadows of trees, hunting the orcs adventuring, since they are accustomed to life far from the
he knows are planning a raid on a nearby farm. comforts of a dry bed and a hot bath. Faced with city-bred
Clutching a shortsword in each hand, he adventurers who grouse and whine about the hardships of
becomes a whirlwind of steel, cutting down the wild, rangers respond with some mixture of amusement,
one enemy after another. frustration, and compassion. But they quickly learn that other
After tumbling away from a cone of freezing air, an elf finds adventurers who can carry their own weight in a fight against
her feet and draws back her bow to loose an arrow at the civilization’s foes are worth any extra burden. Coddled city
white dragon. Shrugging off the wave of fear that emanates folk might not know how to feed themselves or find fresh
from the dragon like the cold of its breath, she sends one water in the wild, but they make up for it in other ways.
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.

CLASSES | RANGER 1
 The Ranger

Proficiency Favorite Enemy Spells

Level Bonus Damage Features Known 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
1st +2 +2 Favored Enemy, Natural Explorer — — — — — —
2nd +2 +2 Fightning Style, Spellcasting, Favored Foe 2 2 — — — —
3rd +2 +2 Ranger Archetype, Primeval Awareness 3 3 — — — —
4th +2 +2 Ability Score Improvement 3 3 — — — —
5th +3 +2 Extra Attack 4 4 2 — — —
6th +3 +2 Favored Enemy and Natural Explorer 4 4 2 — — —
Improvements
7th +3 +2 Ranger Archetype Feature 5 4 3 — — —
8th +3 +2 Ability Score Improvement, Land’s Stride 5 4 3 — — —
9th +4 +3 — 6 4 3 2 — —
10th +4 +3 Hide in Plain Sight, Natural Explorer 6 4 3 2 — —
improvement
11th +4 +3 Ranger Archetype Feature 7 4 3 3 — —
12th +4 +3 Ability Score Improvement 7 4 3 3 — —
13th +5 +3 — 8 4 3 3 1 —
14th +5 +3 Vanish, Favored Enemy Improvement 8 4 3 3 1 —
15th +5 +3 Ranger Archetype Feature 9 4 3 3 2 —
16th +5 +4 Ability Score Improvement 9 4 3 3 2 —
17th +6 +4 — 10 4 3 3 3 1
18th +6 +4 Feral Senses 10 4 3 3 3 1
19th +6 +4 Ability Score Improvement 11 4 3 3 3 2
20th +6 +4 Foe Slayer 11 4 3 3 3 2

Creating a Ranger adventurers? Do you find it challenging to teach new allies

the ways of the wild, or do you welcome the relief from
As you create your ranger character, consider the nature of solitude that they offer?
the training that gave you your particular capabilities. Did you
train with a single mentor, wandering the wilds together until Quick Build
you mastered the ranger’s ways? Did you leave your You can make a ranger quickly by following these
apprenticeship, or was your mentor slain—perhaps by the suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score,
same kind of monster that became your favored enemy? Or followed by Wisdom. (Some rangers who focus on two-
perhaps you learned your skills as part of a band of rangers weapon fighting make Strength higher than Dexterity.)
affiliated with a druidic circle, trained in mystic paths as well Second, choose the outlander background.
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 Class Features
wilds. As a ranger, you gain the following class features.
What’s the source of your particular hatred of a certain
kind of enemy? Did a monster kill someone you loved or Hit Points
destroy your home village? Or did you see too much of the Hit Dice: 1d10 per ranger level
destruction these monsters cause and commit yourself to Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier
reining in their depredations? Is your adventuring career a Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution
continuation of your work in protecting the borderlands, or a modifier per ranger level after 1st
significant change? What made you join up with a band of

2 CLASSES | RANGER
Proficiencies While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact
Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed
Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons through the area.
Tools: None You choose additional favored terrain types at 6th and 10th
Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity level.
Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics,
Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Fighting Style
Survival At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your
specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take
Equipment a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the to choose again.
equipment granted by your background:
(a) scale mail or (b) leather armor Archery
(a) two shortswords or (b) two simple melee weapons You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged
(a) a dungeoneer’s pack or (b) an explorer’s pack weapons.
A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows Defense
Favored Enemy While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.
Beginning at 1st level, you have significant experience Dueling
studying, tracking, hunting, and even talking to a certain type When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no
of enemy. other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that
Choose a type of favored enemy: aberrations, beasts, weapon.
celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants,
monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead. Alternatively, you can Two-Weapon Fighting
select two races of humanoid (such as gnolls and orcs) as When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your
favored enemies. ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.
You gain a bonus to damage rolls with weapon attacks
against creatures of the chosen type that increases as you Spellcasting
gain levels as a ranger, as shown in the Favorite Enemy
Damage column of the Ranger table. Additionally, you have By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned to use the
advantage on Wisdom (Survival) checks to track your favored magical essence of nature to cast spells, much as a druid
enemies, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall does. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and
information about them. chapter 11 for the ranger spell list.
When you gain this feature, you also learn one language of
your choice that is spoken by your favored enemies, if they Spell Slots
speak one at all. The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to
You choose one additional favored enemy, as well as an cast your ranger spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of
associated language, at 6th and 14th level. As you gain levels, these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or
your choices should reflect the types of monsters you have higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a
encountered on your adventures. long rest.
For example, if you know the 1st-level spell animal
Natural Explorer friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd-level spell slot
available, you can cast animal friendship using either slot.
You are particularly familiar with one type of natural
environment and are adept at traveling and surviving in such Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher
regions. Choose one type of favored terrain: arctic, coast, You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the ranger
desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the spell list.
Underdark. When you make an Intelligence or Wisdom check The Spells Known column of the Ranger table shows when
related to your favored terrain, your proficiency bonus is you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these
doubled if you are using a skill that you’re proficient in. spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For
While traveling for an hour or more in your favored terrain, instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn
you gain the following benefits: one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.
Difficult terrain doesn’t slow your group’s travel. Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can
Your group can’t become lost except by magical means. choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with
Even when you are engaged in another activity while another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of
traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you a level for which you have spell slots.
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.
CLASSES | RANGER 3
 Spellcasting Ability Hide in Plain Sight
Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, Starting at 10th level, you can spend 1 minute creating
since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You camouflage for yourself. You must have access to fresh mud,
use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting dirt, plants, soot, and other naturally occurring materials with
ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when which to create your camouflage.
setting the saving throw DC for a ranger spell you cast and Once you are camouflaged in this way, you can try to hide
when making an attack roll with one. by pressing yourself up against a solid surface, such as a tree
Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + or wall, that is at least as tall and wide as you are. You gain a
your Wisdom modifier +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks as long as you
remain there without moving or taking actions. Once you
Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + move or take an action or a reaction, you must camouflage
your Wisdom modifier yourself again to gain this benefit.
Favored Foe Vanish
As a bonus action, you can mark a creature you can see Starting at 14th level, you can use the Hide or Dash action as
within 90 feet of you as your quarry. You gain all the benefits a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can’t be tracked by
of your Favored Enemy feature against the creature for 1 nonmagical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
hour. You can use this feature a number of times equal your
Wisdom modifier (a minimum of once). You regain all Feral Senses
expended uses when you finish a long rest. At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight
creatures you can’t see. When you attack a creature you can’t
Ranger Archetype see, your inability to see it doesn’t impose disadvantage on
At 3rd level, you choose an archetype that you strive to your attack rolls against it.
emulate from the list of available archetypes. Your choice You are also aware of the location of any invisible creature
grants features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th within 30 feet of you, provided that the creature isn’t hidden
level. from you and you aren’t blinded or deafened.
Primeval Awareness Foe Slayer
Beginning at 3rd level, you can use your action and expend At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter of your
one ranger spell slot to focus your awareness on the region enemies. Once on each of your turns, you can add your
around you. For 1 minute per level of the spell slot you Wisdom modifier to the attack roll or the damage roll of an
expend, you can sense whether the following types of attack you make against one of your favored enemies. You
creatures are present within 1 mile of you (or within up to 6 can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but
miles if you are in your favored terrain): aberrations, before any effects of the roll are applied.
celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. This
feature doesn't reveal the creatures' location or number. Ranger Archetypes
Ability Score Improvement The ideal of the ranger has two classic expressions: the
Hunter and the Beast Master.
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and
19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice Beast Master
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 The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between
using this feature. the civilized races and the beasts of the world. United in
Using the optional feats rule, you can forgo taking this focus, beast and ranger work as one to fight the monstrous
feature to take a feat of your choice instead. foes that threaten civilization and the wilderness alike.
Emulating the Beast Master archetype means committing
Extra Attack yourself to this ideal, working in partnership with an animal
as its companion and friend.
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.
4 CLASSES | RANGER
Beast Master Features Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast
Ranger Level Feature companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two
3rd Beast Master Magic, Ranger's Companion
attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that
action.
7th Exceptional Training
11th Bestial Fury Share Spells
Beginning at 15th level, when you cast a spell targeting
15th Share Spells yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the
spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you.
Beast Master Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you Hunter
reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Beast Emulating the Hunter archetype means accepting your place
Master Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for as a bulwark between civilization and the terrors of the
you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells wilderness. As you walk the Hunter's path, you learn
you know. specialized techniques for fighting the threats you face, from
Beast Master Spells rampaging ogres and hordes of orcs to towering giants and
Ranger Level Spell terrifying dragons.
3rd Faerie Fire Hunter Features
5th Enhance Ability Ranger Level Feature
9th Conjure Animals 3rd Hunter Magic, Hunter's Prey
13th Dominate Beast 7th Defensive Tactics
17th Awaken 11th Multiattack
15th Superior Hunter's Defense
Ranger's Companion
You gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your Hunter Magic
adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you
beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Hunter
rating of 1/4 or lower. Add your proficiency bonus to the Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it
beast's AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point
maximum equals the beast's Constitution modifier + your Hunter Spells
Wisdom modifier + five times your level in this class. Ranger Level Spell
In combat, the beast shares your initiative count, but it 3rd Detect Evil and Good
takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its
reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is 5th See Invisibility
the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn 9th Glyph of Warding
to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or
the Dash, Disengage, Help, Hide, or Search action. 13th Greater Invisibility
If you are incapacitated or absent, your beast companion 17th Hold Monster
acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself.
Like any creature, the beast can spend Hit Dice during a Hunter's Prey
short rest and have a number of Hit Dice (d8s) equal to your At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your
ranger's level. choice.
While traveling through your favored terrain with only the Colossus Slayer. Your tenacity can wear down the most
beast, you can move stealthily at a normal pace. potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack,
If the beast has died within the last hour, you can use your the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it's below its hit
action to touch it and expend a spell slot of 1st level or higher. point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once
The beast returns to life after 1 minute with all its hit points per turn.
restored. Giant Killer. When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet
You can obtain another beast by spending 8 hours of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your
magically bonding with one that isn't hostile to you, either the reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack,
same type of beast as before or a different one. You can have provided that you can see the creature.
only one animal companion at a time. Horde Breaker. Once on each of your turns when you
make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the
Exceptional Training same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet
Beginning at 7th level, while your companion can see you, it of the original target and within range of your weapon.
has advantage on all saving throws. 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
CLASSES | RANGER 5
 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 one of the following features of your
choice.
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 make a
melee attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of
you, with a separate attack roll for each target.
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.

6 CLASSES | RANGER