Big things abound for Dungeons & Dragons in 2023. According to ComicBook.com, the popular RPG company Wizards of the Coast is poised to release five new D&D sourcebooks this year, including The Book of Many Things, which will focus specifically on subclasses and spells.
Many players will be on the lookout for new Ranger subclasses. A fan-favorite class in past generations, the base Ranger class in the game's current, fifth edition Player's Handbook is notoriously underpowered. However, certain subclasses that have been added to 5e over the years make rangers much more formidable.
9 Beast Master
As formidable as it sounds, the Beast Master Ranger subclass leaves a lot to be desired in terms of raw power. Beast Masters allows players to bond with an animal of their choosing from a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower, meaning that, while there are plenty of options, none of them are powerful enough to make a real difference and will struggle to overcome their glaring weaknesses.
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Beyond failing to conjure more power than a Level 1 Ranger, the Beast Master subclass focuses on increasing the animal's combat prowess but rarely ever grows strong enough to genuinely assist a player in battle. A cool concept in theory that is underwhelming in reality, Beast Masters are the weakest Ranger subclass in D&D.
8 Ranger Hunter
Often considered the most basic and one-dimensional Ranger subclasses in the stellar tabletop RPG, the Hunter is an early archetypal character that has limited fighting skills mainly reserved for fighting, delivering decent damage and adequate defense. Simple yet effective, the Hunter Ranger subclass is ideal for newbies but won't give players the immense power they're looking for in the long haul.
The best part of the Hunter Ranger subclass is the flexible customization that allows players to tweak the characters to their exact specifications. But beyond the freedom to do so, Hunters do not have the powerful capacity to aim for capstones and bolster the character. A solid default option so to speak, Hunters are best for beginners and early playthroughs.
7 Rangers Of The North
With scouting, tracking, and fighting abilities in equal measure, Rangers of the North are ideal for using their frozen weather-related skills and powers to lead a group through the most inclement terrain. Their power is derived from excellent close-quarters combat skills, which are bolstered by their archery aplomb and longsword tactility.
As both fighters and trackers who can deal significant DPS as well as use their natural environment to lead a group through harsh cold weather, Rangers of the North have multifaceted strengths the Hunters simply do not, giving them a leg up on the subclass. Alas, the effectiveness of Rangers of the North tends to be limited to Northern regions and freezing weather, limiting their overall power.
6 Monster Slayer
A slight upgrade to the fairly benign Hunter Ranger subclass, Monster Slayers come with extra spells, the ability to compute an enemy's strengths and weaknesses through Hunter's Sense, and a bonus skill called Slayer's Prey, which stacks extra damage on top of the Hunter's Mark skill. While these powers are useful, the subclass is nowhere near as customizable as the default Hunter Ranger subclass.
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In addition to the lack of customization and minor upgrades that also include a weaker version of Counterspell, Monster Slaters can only use their skills once every short rest, limiting their overall power. Still, for those who want to play as a Geralt of Riva type of character out to slay evil entities, the subclass isn't a bad option.
5 Swarmkeeper
Whereas Beast Masters can control a single animal in the wild, Swamkeepers increase their power by controlling several smaller animals and entities at once, giving the team a collective strength in numbers that is hard to defeat in battle. Whether insects, fairies, birds, etc., Swarmkeepers can summon the spirits of nature to assist them in battle in several beneficial ways.
A fun and effective Ranger subclass for beginners playing the all-time great action RPG for the first time, Swarmkeepers give new players a ton of options such as choosing from a table of pixies. With the ability to cast spells as well, Swarmkeepers are ideal for bolstering tactical combat but tend to relegate the main character to a secondary status. As such, it's important to use the subclass in very specific scenarios.
4 Fey Wanderer
Now into the upper echelon of Ranger subclasses, Fey Wanderers instantly separate themselves from the pack with their immense spellcasting powers. With such spells as Beguiling Twist, Charm Person, and Dimension Door, Fey Wanders deal massive psych damage by channeling Enchantment and Illusion magic that can be used in and out of combat.
Fey Wanderers are also superb fighters thanks to their excellent archery skills, ability to throw weapons accurately, and most notably, the awesome Otherworldly Glamour skill, which allows the Rangers to combine their Wisdom modifier to a Charisma-centric skill of their choosing. For balanced fighting and spellcasting Rangers, Fey Wanderers are hard to beat in the acclaimed party-based RPG.
3 Drakewarden
In many ways, everything left to be desired in the Beast Master subclass is atoned for with the almighty Drakewarden Rangers by simply swapping the beast for a mystical Dragon. An absolute tank that can incur massive damage and continue to lead the party headlong into battle, Drakewardens derive their immense power from their defensive prowess, bolstering both the Dragon and the Ranger in the process rather than one or the other (a la Swarm Keepers).
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Beyond having a much stronger stat line across the board than Beast Masters, Drakewardens are by far the most powerful companions in D&D due to their versatile melee skills, dragonic immunities, solid armor class, excellent maneuvering, and constant upgrades that occur in lockstep with the Ranger.
2 Horizon Walker
Leaving most of its competitors in the dust, Horizon Walkers are a subclass of Rangers that combine punishing offensive and defensive strength like few others. Much of their power comes from the ability to teleport, which, paired with their two-weapon fighting attacks, makes them nearly impossible to defeat in battle.
Ideal for lethal, lightning-fast attacks that can deliver up to 2d8 damage levels later in the beloved medieval fantasy RPG, Horizon Walkers also have the ability to hop around the battlefield using such planar magic spells as Etherealness. A wonderful utility subclass with great power and versatility, Horizon Walkers become even more impenetrable when channeling Haste and Distant Strike teleportation upgrades as the game progresses.
1 Gloom Stalker
Almost every serious D&D player agrees that Gloom Stalkers are the most powerful Ranger subclass the game has to offer. The Rogue-style stealth subclass is known for skulking around dark dungeons and cavernous battlefields undetected and striking with deadly force, becoming ideal for the sneakiest players who enjoy shocking enemies with surprise attacks. The Darkvision and Dread Ambusher skills ensure that Gloom Stalkers can see their enemies while remaining hidden.
Aside from delivering the highest damage rate of any Ranger subclass thanks to the endless stealth bonuses granted to them, Gloom Stalkers also cast brutal spells such as Rope Trick and Greater Invisibility, powerful skills that make it very easy to understand why the Ranger subclass reigns supreme. Gloom Stalkers can even turn hits on their body into an attack on enemies with certain bonus rolls, making them far and away the most formidable D&D Rangers.
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