D&D 5E The Future of the Ranger

[pukunui]

Someone just asked Jeremy Crawford on Twitter about future compatibility between the UA ranger and the PHB ranger. This was his response:

"When the new options in the UA ranger become official, using them with other official material will be seamless."

"In the end, there will be 1 ranger: the PH ranger. It will get alternative features. The official game won't have 2 versions of a class."

Also: "Before alternative features for the ranger (and possibly other classes) become official, you'll all get a chance to provide feedback."


That makes it sound like they are not going to release the revised ranger as an alternate *class* but merely as a package of alternate class features for the ranger in the PHB.

 

[Jester David]

The last version of the revised ranger WAS a package of alternate class features. They key the names and progression and just revised the details of the features.

 

[pukunui]

The last version of the revised ranger WAS a package of alternate class features. They key the names and progression and just revised the details of the features.

Yes, but they presented it as a full class, which has a lot of people expecting it to be delivered as such as well.

 

[Jester David]

They may have decided that not all the features needed to be reworked. And that they could just provide options that fixed or patched a few problematic options. Which would make it easier to make compatible subclasses in the future.
After all, if 5 or 15 levels work fine, why reprint or replace those 5 levels?

Presenting it as a series of alternate class features also allows DMs who are mostly okay with the existing ranger to tweak the class or characters, just replace some or all of the features.

Both attempts to tweak the ranger have been BIG changes. Which might put people off when they already have the books and make convincing DMs to adopt it harder. Presenting it as a few revisions that cover a single page make it easier, as the PHB content is still mostly valid.

 

[Xaelvaen]

I had to make my own ranger relatively quickly after 5E released, because the class as printed in the PHB just... drove my players nuts. I'm curious what they'll do for it in the long run, so interesting 'tweet'.

 

[pukunui]

I had to make my own ranger relatively quickly after 5E released, because the class as printed in the PHB just... drove my players nuts. I'm curious what they'll do for it in the long run, so interesting 'tweet'.

It drives me nuts, but none of my players seem bothered by it at all. The revised ranger was mostly an improvement, but it's still got some problems. I'm letting one of my players use it for our upcoming ToA game, but with a few minor modifications.

 

[Enevhar Aldarion]

From other tweets it sounds like we will have to wait til it is winter before we get an updated version to test and give feedback on, so December at the earliest. This was also the timeline given in a tweet just tonight for the mystic and artificer. The ranger will probably be the UA article for either December or January, while they have already said the mystic and artificer updates will be on DMs Guild, like the current play-test versions. Those versions will also be the AL-legal versions, but I am guessing the next UA version of the ranger will not be an AL-legal play-test.

 

[Horwath]

I had to make my own ranger relatively quickly after 5E released, because the class as printed in the PHB just... drove my players nuts. I'm curious what they'll do for it in the long run, so interesting 'tweet'.

That is true. I our 1st 5e game I wanted to play a ranger. Took one look at the class and saw it was a fudge. like 3.0E ranger. UA ranger is more like 3.5E ranger.

So I ended up with playing rogue with outlander backgroung and 1 level of fighter for armor and fighting style.

 

[Li Shenron]

Someone just asked Jeremy Crawford on Twitter about future compatibility between the UA ranger and the PHB ranger. This was his response:

"When the new options in the UA ranger become official, using them with other official material will be seamless."

"In the end, there will be 1 ranger: the PH ranger. It will get alternative features. The official game won't have 2 versions of a class."

Also: "Before alternative features for the ranger (and possibly other classes) become official, you'll all get a chance to provide feedback."


That makes it sound like they are not going to release the revised ranger as an alternate *class* but merely as a package of alternate class features for the ranger in the PHB.

IF (and only IF) that's really going to happen, I think it will be by far my favourite solution for the supposed Ranger problem.

The most recent variant Ranger class in UA already did a good job by being minimally different from the original PHB version, just enough to target those couple of things to give the impression of 'fixing' the class for those who thought it needed fixing, without making everybody else getting the shaft for using the PHB version. And just as importantly it was designed in a way to maximize compatibility with respect to subclasses and other material, the only adjustment needed was related to Extra Attack.

Variant class features is an even better idea, because it would work in an almost 'seamless' way, and the overall feeling is that everybody is the same Ranger really, just possibily picking different abilities like it already happens with Fighting Style or spells.

 

[DwynnsPlace]

Allowing a player to select skills associated to terrain specialization or selection would help determine specialized ranger skills, proficiency, traits, feats, companions, ect...

Example, a Ranger of the great Sands Desert would not need Mountaineering however, knowing where water is and how to find it in this desert sands terrain would be a selection He would surely have, Dark Sun has great info on these skills. Creating a campaign with characters designed to survive and thrive in their world is key to those players having fun and enjoying the challenges of new expansion materials and character upgrades like the Ranger class. Not all people are alike and not all classes should be alike, Players and DM's should always work out variances to characters as long as the variations are relative to the development and play-ability of the character class. It is always fun to have unique characters to play.

Happy Gaming.
~DWYNN~