5 Essential 5e D&D Ranger Spells for Tier 1

[@Nerdarchy]

Links from Video ********************************************************** Bagthulhu Contest - gleam.io/vVMV6/win-bagthulhu-for-to-gaurd-your-dice Wayward Masquerade - bit.ly/WaywardMasquerade

[@chriskaschafsky5846]

I have seen snare used. Me as the druid/monk will good Barry it up while the ranger will put a snare spell or 4 on the path to the campsite. This has led to what was supposed to be a nasty surprise attack at night into a peaceful talking and imfo grab. Our gm sent a troll to ambush us whilst we slept. Our mage forgot to alarm the area so it could have been bad. Our rangers self protection led to a troll hanging 3 feet off the ground with another arm locked down in the other snare spell over a 4 foot pit he dug while trying and failing to free it's self. Our goliath rough was the one who started talking to him. Lead us to a fight for 3 weeks and a new troll ally who later became out bridge troll at our keep. Hope you enjoyed

[@DragonRoams]

Absorb elements is super helpful saved me so many times in a dungeon where a lot of things used fire attacks.

[@GunnarWahl]

My guesses before watching the video. 1: hunter's mark 2: zepher strike 3:Animal friendship 4: Good berry 5: Speak with animals

[@binolombardi]

See it’s funny cause it’s 5 essential spells for level 1-4 rangers but they can only know 3 total at the end of that tier. Pressure is on.

[@Jdkieddj]

Stop speaking directly at me like that.

[@jasonjase8661]

As for snare you can just buy rope and say you set a snare. the ranger is a hunter so the DM has no reason to say you can't set-up an animal trap

[@tracytracyWM]

I took zephyr strike and hunters mark for my first two and will probably grab good berry and hail of thorns next chance I get. Good to know I was headed in the right direction!

[@markjohnston7432]

I once played a ranger named Aire Bourne. He was a crazed, displaced Vietnam veteran. He wore camouflaged chain mail and Aragorn wings. His prized possession was a magic camouflage stick that never ran out of color and always painted the appropriate pattern. He used all of these spells, but Snare was a particular favorite. He used it for many an ambush as the trigger, and our group caught many a "Charlie" (his term for bad guys) in it. Later he joined an elite martial order, the Green Toupees, when the campaign ended. We were kind of tongue in cheek as a group, but, as a bunch of deployed GIs with time on their hands, what the heck?

[@trevorcockerill6909]

Getting ready to play my first ranger in January so this is perfect. Thank you guys your content always rocks!!

[@Nerdarchy]

Happy to be of service. Nerdarchist Dave

[@chaosegg]

I love Zephyr strike, but the others mentioned all sound great too. Snare makes the perfect thing to put in that narrow gorge, doorway to your campsite or between cliffs/trees/hedgewall/bridge etc; where something approx. medium size has to move to get to you. So if I'm setting up my camp, or traveling when I suspect i may be followed, maybe actively trying to escape from a battle or other 'chase scene' type thing, it seems quite powerful if you can drop it down quickly behind you after you pass through a choke point of some kind. At the very least you can maybe catch some dinner, or bait it with something shiny to catch a 'baddie' to interrogate maybe. ;) Now. Hunter's Mark: I'm not sure, having played a ton of 5e yet, but i feel like HM is a bit too close to a 4e power. It feels a bit "gamey" to me, for someone used to 2nd and 3rd Ed. rangers and their species enemy, and various other kit choices. If I was going to run a 5e ranger, I would probably tweak it to be more personalized to my character-build vision (working with my DM and possibly the rest of the group on the balance theory, if needed). So, to put it simply, i think HM for my character would be EITHER a ranged attack boost, OR something closer to a species enemy bonus, depending what my character idea was. Basically something a bit more customized to be thematic, personal, or world-specific would feel better to me rather than taking the off-the-shelf-Hunters-Mark and loading it up.

[@jacobballenger5181]

The issue I have with snare is that most rangers will have a high survival modifier, and rope which is needed as a component for the spell anyway. Why not just make a non magical snare and save a spell slot?

[@CallipygianDrawings]

0:48 Something is off, cant tell what

[@demikava6663]

Wilson hare ya

[@nickwilliams8302]

Idea for new video: "What the hell even _is_ a Ranger anymore?"

[@dittmar104]

Nick Williams rangers are spring boards for mor thematic rogues and combat focused war priests. Who still want 9th level slots open and want three attacks with holy weapons and sharp shooter

[@tempestgrav]

@@dittmar104 Im a noob, how would that build work? Currently 4th lvl ranger, will 1 lvl dip into rogue n then do a few in fighter i was thinking...?

[@dittmar104]

@@tempestgrav Ranger 5 for extra attack any subclass, but hunter or gloom stalker would be the best. War priest cleric 15. war priest has a bonus action skill called war priest that lets you make another attack as a bonus action. War priest also gives one attack an extra d8 at 8th level and 2d8 at 14th. So turn one cast Holy weapon on your long bow, make two attacks doing 6d8+3d8+10 average 50.5 with hunter, 6d8+3d8+3d8+15 average 64 with gloomstalker. Then turn two provided you haven't lost concentration, 6d8+3d8+3d8+15 for hunter average 69. Gloomstalker lose 1d8 on their second and subsequent turns.

[@tempestgrav]

@@dittmar104 wowza, thanks. I'll definitely look into that! Fits with my Acolyte background too. Lol, 15 lvls is a full multiclass hey? I like the style/thematics of Ranger but i can see why people get dissuaded by damg output if 'competing' with other classes. Sincere thanks for your input 👍

[@dittmar104]

​@@tempestgrav No worries dude. I was trying to find a good gish build that would demolish at PVP if it came to it and clerics get antimagic field which shuts down half the classes. And I fell in love with holy weapon when I saw caducese clay use it on CR. So it was either fighter or ranger and ranger gets the casting levels for a 9th level slot and mass cure wounds at 9th is a lot to look past.

[@coombscharlie]

Longstrider is useful for a martial character. Gives you an extra 10" of movement for a whole hour, and it doesn't require concentration so you can pair it with Hunter's Mark.

[@aarongrant5367]

"How about a good berry? It's waffer-thin!"

[@anastasiawilford2770]

Ugh 😫😝 I came here hoping to get ideas and corrections and instead got told that we're in agreement on all points 🤣 Thanks y'all

[@Nerdarchy]

Sorry to be so agreeable 😁 Nerdarchist Dave

[@sylph4252]

Snare is very fun, but very situational. How often do you have time set up an ambush and can guarantee your target will walk into a 5x5 foot area? Plus, like others said, a ranger should be able to set a normal snare. Sure, it won't be invisible, but you won't clog your spells known with stuff you'll barely use

[@HadarsGrasp]

Longstrider is fantastic and often overlooked. 1 hr duration with no concentration.

[@svenabel2987]

Ranger I recently designed Warforged Skirmisher: 12 Lv Horizon Walker 8 Lv Gunslinger Basically teleporting cowboy with a heavy texan accent

[@vibercib2667]

Great video! Keep it up guys

[@gabrielrockman]

I have a Gloom Stalker - Rogue multiclass (heading for Arcane Trickster), and I am looking forward to upcasting Fog Cloud when I have level 2 spell slots, but no level 2 spells. The second level version is much more powerful than the first level version.

[@Jeff55369]

Human ranger... takes magic initiate feat: I cast magic missile. :P

[@captaincoolcat8957]

Is it worth it tho?

[@Jeff55369]

@@captaincoolcat8957 absolutely not.

[@XpVersusVista]

@@Jeff55369 it definitely can be if you don't have a magical weapon and encounter enemies with nasty resistances/immunities. magic missile auto-hits, deals 3d4+3 damage (opposed to a 1d8+5 attack from a bow with maxed dex) and deals force damage, so its nearly never resisted.

[@Jeff55369]

@@XpVersusVista 2 extra max damage 1 time. sounds worth. The utility you get out of find familiar is far better, which imo, is the best choice unless you know you're going to get it from another route.

[@XpVersusVista]

@@Jeff55369 magic initiate lets you take 2 spells, so find familiar is not out of reach. it increases the damage by 2 IF your ranged attack would have hit. depending on the AC of the creature you are attacking the actual damage difference will be bigger. another point is resistance. piercing, bludgeoning and cutting damage are often resisted, force damage is the second least resisted damage type in the game. against a resistant creature the damage difference is even bigger, in addition to no chance to miss. the third reason is that you can attack 3 different targets with it. you can do a billion damage in one hit and it won't kill more than one enemy. the ability to shoot and potentially kill 3 low health guys at the same time, or transfer a portion of overkill damage to another target (shooting goblin with 2 magic missiles, the second one with the third). all that while being unable to miss. there are better options than magic missile, but it's definitely not a "wrong" choice if someone chose to pick it.

[@jasonlyons1575]

U guys to kool ty for making videos

[@Nerdarchy]

You are very welcome. Nerdarchist Dave

[@mde8762]

Ensnaring Strike would be great against flying enemies

[@robertgabriel5996]

I always wondered what happened to the other guys in the show from 1-2 years ago?

[@jerrybeard8995]

being able to cast magic missile in 1e was the coolest thing about them.

[@brabra2725]

that was not first edition man

[@jerrybeard8995]

@@brabra2725 the book he was holding was . But at 9th level in 1st ed you could learn magic user spells

[@brabra2725]

@@jerrybeard8995 if you're talking about the unofficial Ranger appeared on Strategic Review, yes, you're right.

[@jerrybeard8995]

@@brabra2725 Or using their table on page 25 of the 1st ed manual that list you can learn and cast magic user spells at 9th level

[@BeaglzRok1]

>"I can cast Druid or Wizard spells" >me: laughs in multiclassing Ranger and Wizard

[@Spartacus547]

I really like to play around with good Barry and use it as a casting element to make extremely potent wines with Brew potion, and when my players decide to use permanents I'll let their potions have ribbon abilities 😂

[@Durzo]

You cannot use Goodberry on an unconscious character, I've been told. It requires an action to eat it.

[@TheCoverOfficer]

Can you administer a healing potion to a KO'd character?

[@jmvh59]

@@TheCoverOfficer yes but that's not how goodberry works

[@chaosegg]

Maybe with a special, custom-made, funnel/tube you jam down their throat you could roll that berry down into the stomach? Lol, unless it requires them to chew to release the 'healing juice'? In that case maybe you could just work their jaw for them a bit?

[@jmvh59]

It's always up to the dm, but the spirit of the rule is that you have to be conscious to benefit from the hp gain. If you relax that rule, a single first level spell slot can then in effect produce ten one point healing potions. That innocent change essentially puts combat in super easy mode for any party with access to goodberry; it lasts 24 hours so an NPC could make you a bunch for a fee much lower than the cost of a healing potion, or if your druid has spell slots left at the end of the day, those can be turned directly into goodberries prior to the long rest. Look at a stock healing potion. 50gp for a single dose that does 4 to 10 random healing to a single target, 7 on average. The main reason you would ever pay for one as a financially challenged adventurer is because it lasts until used and can be used by anyone on anyone. Look at goodberry. Free to cast aside from an action and one single spell slot of first level or higher. For the next 24 hours provides 10 points of noncombat healing distributed among any number of creatures, provided they are able to take actions (conscious); does not have to be used at the moment of casting and can be traded between creatures. Also negates the need to eat (and possibly drink depending on dm interpretation) for that creature for the day. Drawbacks are that in combat, you need to trade one very precious action during your combat turn to regain a single hit point and unconscious characters have to stabilize and wait 1d4 hours (or roll a nat 20 on a death save) before they can take actions, i.e. benefit from this magical wonder fruit. If not for these drawbacks, goodberry would be mechanically better than every single early to mid game healing spell and magic item in the PHB to the point of making those other resources kind of obsolete. Because of the way the death mechanic works in d&d, high damage type enemies with few attacks and few allies become way less threatening because unless they can do a character's hp total plus one in a single attack the party becomes nearly immortal as long they prioritize using their turn to revive fallen comrades with their potentially inexhaustible supply of goodberries. (A 1st level druid can start the day with 20 goodberries and create 20 more the same day if necessary.) I get why players want goodberry to work this way and maybe at your table allowing it to won't break the whole combat system and healing potion/spell economy. It already has the potential to derail the agricultural and epicurean industries of a society as written.

[@bigmikebeebee]

www.sageadvice.eu/2015/08/10/goodberry-on-dying-pc/

[@petermartin1954]

Hunters mark or favorite foe

[@Nerdarchy]

I prefer hunters mark, but there are some cases to be made for favored foe. Nerdarchist Dave

[@brandond.7768]

Anyone know how many goodberries you can eat at once?

[@kellyweaver8422]

Per the spell description: A creature can use its action to eat one berry. So presumably one berry.

[@stevevondoom4140]

Fireball , just Fireball!! ;)

[@williamtorres4140]

Fireball

[@tonymoyer2817]

If a character has to use their action to eat a good berry, then shouldn't they have to be conscious to consume it? In other words, if they were down, some other healing would have to be used on them.

[@mcdirty764]

I currently play a ranger in forth edition. I know pile on with making fun of me. Will Nerdarchy do 4th ed videos? Just curious. Ill watch whatever you make.

[@captaincoolcat8957]

They normally dont do lower editions than 5e

[@Trenell83]

I'm a fellow fourth edition player. You're not alone. But as the above poster pointed out I haven't seen them do other editions.

[@chaosegg]

I thought Nerdarchy had some 4e stuff way in the past before 5e came out? Maybe i am remembering wrong.

[@goofydragon8023]

Would hail of thorns be affected by a critical hit? It requires a successful attack roll to activate so it becomes part of the attack but it's a save spell which aren't affected by crits? Idk I can see both sides of the argument.

[@finalfantasy50]

cant crit when they make a save

[@votricvetmic4515]

I see Ted has being hit with a color spray.

[@battlehymn6389]

5e Ranger is a bit broken ... I usually give players who want to play ranger hunters mark as a class feature usable 3 times per day, refreshing on a long rest, and then give them a few more choices from the Druid list.

[@timgreen6384]

This calls for a battle of the beards! Tinker beard vs. Barbarian beard loser gets a serious trim and the winner gets to film. Down to a #1 and both of you know what a #1 is! Do not get rid of the beard family will have difficulty recognizing you and we all will know who lost!

[@nevermorefuzzy]

Don't you still have access to Druid spells on a ranger?

[@MysteryPerson963]

They have some Druid spells along with a few Ranger exclusive spells.

[@Wissenlander]

There's some that cross over between the two classes.

[@dragonmaster613]

Now they get Druid Cantrips.

[@Wissenlander]

@@dragonmaster613 Is that from UA?

[@nickwilliams8302]

@@Wissenlander Don't know where he pulled that from. Rangers and Paladins don't get Cantrips due to their focus on weapon attacks. Giving Rangers access to cantrips would further erode the defining aspects of an already ill-defined class. Essentially, if you give Rangers cantrips, why would anyone ever build an archery-focused Ranger?

[@timgreen6384]

Next on Nerdarky.

[@MelandBLT]

So if once upon a time Rangers could cast wizard and druid spells, why not make an archetype built around that? Call it the Arcane Field Researcher Conclave or something to that effect. Gain proficiency in Arcana and Nature automatically, gain an expanded spell list including Web, Arcane Eye, Counterspell, and other stuff like that. Maybe make more of a Ranger that's less so much about outright killing monsters, but catch them to study them. Perhaps after encountering a certain number of creatures of the same type you get some kind of bonus to either track, disable, and/or resist some of their abilities/magic.

[@chaosegg]

I think the reason back then was probably more to do with the limitations of game mechanics and content rather than purposeful theme creation, but i do like the idea of coming up with somewhat-custom-class/builds. Ever since I have been reading all the Cypher System content i am firmly on board with people making their character exactly how they want (within balance/reason and in consultation with the GM+group of course).

[@zionich]

No jingle on attune, dislike 😡 Great video though 😁

[@alisonhudson972]

Let’s see here ... as a DM, here’s what my experience with ranger players predicts: #1: Hunter’s Mark. #2: ... uh, wait, rangers have spells other than Hunter’s Mark?

[@dragonmaster613]

Wait til you read the new UA... Hunter's Mark at level 1!

[@nickwilliams8302]

Hunter's Mark is to Rangers what Hex is for Warlocks. You don't technically _have_ to take it, but it's so useful and ubiquitous that it almost counts as a class feature.

[@notorious.scoundrel]

Oh, my, the ranger's spells are really its only saving grace, especially at higher levels. Conjure Animals, Conjure Barrage, Lightning Arrow, Steel Wind Strike, Swift Quiver, Wrath of Nature

[@dragonmaster613]

@@nickwilliams8302 in the new UA, it _is_ a feature (at LV1)!

[@12345themadguy]

They are all concentration so you cant even use other spells if you want to use hunters mark

[@lockskelington314]

They are a half Caster and yet get proficiency in strength and not Wisdom. And if since they have saving throws in Strength you've think that they'd give you heavy armor to encourage that.

[@AaronthePedantic]

Dave suggested Goodberry should be able to be used on downed allies.. I disagree, if for no other reason that you shouldn't force an unconscious person to swallow

[@barbarianofkhazmodan9975]

Suppository

[@evapilotcas]

You baby bird that healing.

[@tony9238]

I guess it depends if you allow downed allies to use healing potions. Some DMs do some don't.

[@UriahNeveah]

I think the idea is that you are supposed to use your action to eat one berry, and because you are incapacitated you can’t take an action. That said, we allow it as a way to get someone back up up at our table.

[@decad3n7]

That table, bothers me every time.

[@Jak5stick]

Ummm isn't ad&d second edition...

[@Jak5stick]

Ty now I get to go study my materials again to properly log them lmao

[@AzkuulaKtaktu]

Low level Rangers don't even get 5 spells. This Video should be called "2 essential spell's..."

[@12345themadguy]

But you cant use any of these spells in combat if you have hunters mark up, that is garbage

[@Nerdarchy]

Absorb elements, good berry, and snare are all non concentration spells. Nerdarchist Dave

[@12345themadguy]

Nerdarchy that is true but other than absorb elements you probably wouldn’t cast any of those in battle, and half of absorb elements effects are wasted if your ranger doesn’t also use melee. So i find the class frustrating due to poor design of the synergy between its abilities

[@12345themadguy]

Because with the current format if i have Hunter’s Mark applied and a new mob appears and rushes my healer i would want to cast Ensaring Strike but that effectively costs me 2 spell slots instead of 1 because i will have to recast Hunter’s Mark after it

[@princessfilth2450]

@@12345themadguy Luckily the new UA class features for ranger solve the exact issue you're talking about :)

[@12345themadguy]

Princess Filth yup someone in comments let me know, i really hope they keep those changes and add them to D&D Beyond soon

[@BudgetNugs]

yang gang 2020

[@brabra2725]

NO!!! That's 1e ADVANCED D&D, not 1e D&D!!! Come on, it's even written on the cover!

[@varietasVeritas]

Wouldn't basic be the first edition?

[@brabra2725]

@@varietasVeritas This might seem hairsplitting, but the first edition of D&D dates back to 1974 (the three brown booklets by Gary Gigax and Dave Arneson, i.e. Men and Magic, Monsters and Treasure, Underworld and Wilderness), while the Basic Set by J. Eric Holmes dates back to 1977. Later, new basic sets were made by Tom Moldvay (1981) and Frank Mentzer (1983), all of them tweaking some area of the rules. The 1974 edition is much different from the Basic Set you talk about: there is no race-as-class, there is no thief (introduced in the Greyhawk supplement for Original D&D), surprise rules are different, all weapons do d6 damage (different dice per weapons were introduced in the Greyhawk supplement for Original D&D), all classes gain d6 HP per level (different dice per class were introduced in the Greyhawk supplement for Original D&D) etc. If you're interested in the many differences I suggest you to google that or, better, get a pdf of the 1974 edition and judge yourself.

[@varietasVeritas]

@@brabra2725 Wow. Thanks for the info.

[@Nildread]

Isn't the most essential spell for a low level ranger the "make a new character, probably a ranged fighter or a druid", spell?

[@MetaMdad]

Logan Chiminera the new unearthed arcana makes rangers quite potent actually.

[@evapilotcas]

‘Essential’ I don’t think that word means what you think it means.