D&D 5E Convince me that the Ranger is a necessary Class.

[Clint_L]

No class is necessary. Heck, classes themselves aren't. But Rangers have existed since OD&D and been a part of every core since 1e, so I kinda feel they earned their spot; as much as bards, druids, or paladins have.

I agree with this. From a design perspective, I think they are superfluous as a separate class, and that is why they have always struggled to have a clear niche, especially in non-wilderness oriented games. But tradition is important, and D&D without rangers would feel off to me.

 

[Remathilis]

No, he did not. Aragorn has an uncanny skill as a healer because he was destined to, and thats derived from his backstory being effectively raised by Elves.

People don't often understand or even realize that much of what we see as "magical" in LOTR is just uncanny skill. Things like Lembas Bread or Elvish Rope may seem wildly magical relative to us, but thats because we're no better than Hobbits. Elves know more about how their world works and this reflects in how they can exploit their long lives to develop fantastical skills with what are otherwise mundane practices.

Hence travel bread that can satiate a grown man in a single bite, and rope that can untie itself from any knot as the users command.

And anyway, the uncanny is ultimately where something like the Ranger as class ought to lie. Mundane and fantastical, simultaneously.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

 

[Micah Sweet]

One not appreciating the aesthetic differences between the uncanny and the magical doesn't make it magic.

It all depends on your definition of magic and the supernatural. I like the idea of magic being specifically spells, and everything else that goes beyond the mundane/realistic going under the heading of supernatural.

 

[Emberashh]

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

*if you're an ignorant hole person.

It all depends on your definition of magic and the supernatural. I like the idea of magic being specifically spells, and everything else that goes beyond the mundane/realistic going under the heading of supernatural.

It isn't supernatural, however. Not in Middle-Earth.

 

[Micah Sweet]

*if you're an ignorant hole person.



It isn't supernatural, however. Not in Middle-Earth.

Questions of magic and the supernatural should IMO be asked from the perspective of the players/audience, not the characters in the world. Our perspective as consumers and/or participants is what matters, and the only perspective we have is real life.

 

[Emberashh]

Questions of magic and the supernatural should IMO be asked from the perspective of the players/audience, not the characters in the world. Our perspective as consumers and/or participants is what matters, and the only perspective we have is real life.

Naturally I disagree.

As I said originally, theres a different aesthetic at play when we call something uncanny vs magical, and the same extends to supernatural.

One can choose to not put any value in the differences, but that doesn't mean they're not there or that everything has to be rooted in the real world.

Thats actually a pretty narrow and limiting way of approaching fantasy.

 

[mellored]

I agree with this. From a design perspective, I think they are superfluous as a separate class, and that is why they have always struggled to have a clear niche, especially in non-wilderness oriented games. But tradition is important, and D&D without rangers would feel off to me.

Just think of all the engagement that would go away if we lost the ranger.

 

[Emberashh]

Just think of all the engagement that would go away if we lost the ranger.

Let me introduce you to Warlord Discourse 2.0

 

[nevin]

ranger is necessary because I said so. It is definitely more necessary than bard so till the bard is gone I'm not even talking about it...

 

[Horwath]

1. Make ranger the beast companion + warrior class, adding in magic would be a subclass. Other subclasses could focus on making your beast stronger or you stronger.

beast companion can be a feat that anyone can take, nothing really class special for it.

Might require proficiency in Nature and/or Survival to take it.

Beast:
Medium size or Small for flying
5+5×level HP
AC:11+prof bonus
1d6+prof bonus damage, 1d4 for flying
attack: d20+2×prof bonus

Command beast: Bonus action or one attack form extra attack action
Without command action beast can only take move, Dodge, Dash or Disengage action.
maybe with +1 ASI or maybe not