Ranger Multiclassing: Fun Concepts and Practical Guidance for D&D 5e 📝

Discover fresh ideas for your #DND5e Ranger with disciplined multiclassing.
I have an additional resource for you at flutesloot.com where you can read my in-depth Ranger multiclassing guide: www.flutesloot.com/ranger-mul...
⏰Time Stamps:
00:00​ Article and poll
00:27 Ranger multiclass considerations
01:43 Common combinations overview
04:17 Beast Master multiclassing
05:26 Drake Warden multiclassing
06:44 Fey Wanderer multiclassing
08:29 Gloom Stalker multiclassing
09:55 Horizon Walker multiclassing
10:57 Hunter multiclassing
11:43 Monster Slayer multiclassing
12:57 Swarmkeeper multiclassing
13:58 Hunter's Mark this channel
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[@isaacgraff8288]

A character I am wanting to play, Salvatore Benandanti. Variant human (Dual wielder feat). Beast-barbarian and either Hunter or Gloomstalker ranger. In Tasha's it identifies that when you rage your claws (what I plan on using most of the time) count as simple melee weapons. Since you have a weapon in each hand (claws) you also get a +1 to AC. Two weapon fighting style. Once you get Extra attack from LV 5 in either class you can do up to 4 attacks in a turn. 2 from basic attack, +1 from claws as a beast-barian, +1 with a bonus action. Yes the first turn your bonus is raging. I am aware that Hunter's Mark won't be useful with this because you cannot concentrate while raging, so pick spells that aren't concentration. Have them be more utility. Also Long strider makes a very mobile dude, it lasts a while and isn't concentration.

[@FlutesLoot]

I love it! Especially with Beast Barbarian. I have a video/article all about that subclass where I analyze it in extreme detail because I enjoyed playing it so much in Rime of the Frostmaiden. The innovation with two-weapon fighting goes against Barbarian type while remaining awesome, and I love mechanics that do that.

[@isaacgraff8288]

@@FlutesLoot And the concept of a Ranger/Barbarian is actually really fun. It has a lot of good potential for roleplay. "I am not afraid of my forest, cause I am the biggest monster here."

[@cosmiccowboy9358]

I love to multiclass but most of these videos presumes going to level 20 and in all my years I’ve never had a campaign go past 12-14 max.That being said still love your content

[@FlutesLoot]

Thank you, CC! I'm glad you enjoy the content. My typical campaign goes to 15-20, and the game is designed to accommodate that, so those are my recommendations. I'm of the opinion more people should play at higher levels, so I like to encourage it. I also believe the advice can be extrapolated for campaigns with a lower level ceiling. Why do your campaigns end at the levels they do? Maybe your group uses adventure modules from WotC that don't go to the highest levels, but I know people have plenty of reasons.

[@TheRobversion1]

I dont like theorycrafting for 20 either. i theorycraft for level 10 and campaigns at our table typically never reach past 16 (no level 9 spells/tier 4 play).

[@kidkarma6931]

You should try a westmarch server! They are pretty fun and can go up to lvl 20

[@TheRobversion1]

@@kidkarma6931 agreed here. i've moved to pf2e though recently and i'm glad here's westmarch options for that too.

[@travisbishop782]

These are some great ideas! Thanks!

[@FlutesLoot]

And thank YOU! :)

[@syvajarvi2289]

I play rangers a lot. Three of my favorite ranger multiclass combos. 1) Fey Wanderer/sword Bard 2) Fey Wanderer/Ascendant Dragon Monk/Archfey warlock 3) Drake warden/dragon sorcerer I’ve done other combinations and they are fun but those are my top 3.

[@antmac6158]

Started my first campaign...im a stout halfling, ranger (beast master)/artificer (battlesmith)....im only at lvl 4 right now but I am having so much fun with my character Right now....

[@FlutesLoot]

Fantastic! I enjoy playing as a halfling, and playing with those subclasses that comes with minions/pets sounds fun.

[@davecorriveau4057]

Well, I like the concept of a Wood Elf Hunter Ranger with the Urban Bounty Hunter background. I would take a dip into Assassin Rogue and maybe a dip into Cleric (don't know which domain would be good enough...War maybe of Twilight?)

[@FlutesLoot]

That's a solid power build

[@dubuyajay9964]

As I said in a different video, fond of wood elf ranger/rogue, with possibly fighter and sorcerer added in if I want to be a 3E arcane archer.

[@TheRobversion1]

yey my fave 5e class. nice to see a vid that's not about the OGL. here's some of my inputs: 1. while i agree that most people tend to swap out of the ranger by 5. there are reasons to stay ranger/main class the ranger: a. conjure animals. even if the DM doesn't let you choose the animals, use it as a blast spell. conjure animals is one of the most versatile/borderline broken spells post tashas. best to multiclass to a full caster class after ranger 9/10. b. for a ranged attacker, lightning arrow which is the best "smite" in the game which outscales hunter's mark or crossbow expert attack with sharpshooter as long as you have spell slots. this becomes quite sustainable if you multiclass to a full caster class after ranger 9/10. c. the fey wanderer has some of the best high level ranger abilities and imo one should definitely stay fey wanderer until level 11 at least. ditto for the drakewarden and beastmaster as their pets scale off ranger levels (along with having good high level abilities such as share spells). 2. i actually think people who still think/stick to the old hand crossbow + sharpshooter + hunter's mark is bad misinformed/stuck in old optimization options (or just focuses on sustained dmg while ignoring average dmg over 3-4 rounds and burst). as mentioned above lightning arrow is severely underrated. hunter's mark, now, is severely underrated. it outpaces hand crossbow + sharpshooter as long as you have more than 3 attacks without using your bonus action (hello fighter gloomstalker action surge builds or multiclassing at least fighter 11). hunter's mark also beats hand crossbow + sharpshooter for any ranger + assassin at least for the 1st round. a level 10 fighter gloomstalker assassin is pumping out 12d6 from their bonus action hunter's mark on round 1. this is unreachable for any hand crossbow expert user. throw in the fact that you don't need to use hand crossbow/crossbow expert anymore (dmg upgrade to a longbow or musket) which means you also free up a free feat for ASI, lucky, martial adept, etc.

[@FlutesLoot]

I'm intrigued by what you say about Lightning Arrow. I know you've mentioned it before. In my experience, I've seen many Ranger players try it once or twice, realize it's horrible, and then never cast it again. As I look at it again, this might be because they were pairing it with Sharpshooter when they didn't have advantage, or they were upset that casting it would end their Hunter's Mark (probably worth it). Thanks for pointing this out!

[@TheRobversion1]

@@FlutesLoot i think if its because they'd rather use their concen on conjure animals because their dms allow them to choose the beasts then that's valid. i wouldn't use lightning arrow either. but in tables where conjure animals/woodland beings are banned or if the comparison point is hunter's mark then lightning arrow has a strong case. i've also met players using sharpshooter who didn't read lightning arrow properly. for example, even if you miss because of sharpshooter penalty, you deal half dmg and you still force the save for the aoe. the players you may have encountered might be one of the above. another thing is alot of people are so concerned about sustained dmg (the edge of hunter's mark over lightning arrow). they fail to realize combats generally don't go for 10+ rounds. like personally i do my computation for a typical 3 round combat and do total dmg over time instead factoring burst. hunter's mark with 2 attacks per round on a vanilla ranger is doin 2d6 the 1st round, 3d6 on round 2 and 3 (assuming crossbow expert) for a total of 8d6 over 3 rounds. that's 28 dmg total on average assuming all hits. basic lightning arrow used once would do 4d8 + 2d8 assuming there's only one creature in the aoe. that's 27 dmg total on average assuming you can hit 1 attack in 3 rounds. so here hunter's mark is ahead by 1 point. now where does lightning arrow pull ahead? assuming there are 2 targets now in the aoe (its a 10 ft radius around the original target), the average dmg now goes up to 36. well ahead now of hunter's mark. what if we can upcast lightning arrow to 4th? now that's 5d8 + 3d8. that's also 36 dmg on average assuming there's 1 target in tha aoe. if there's 2, now you get up to 49.5 dmg on average. so how to optimize then? as i mentioned earlier, lightning arrow users benefit from faster spell slot progression so you can upcast. it's dangerous in the hands of a lore/swords bard. or a ranger who multiclasses into a full caster class after getting it at level 9, lets say a cleric. let's say a tempest cleric. destructive wrath lightning arrow is very strong from the bonus action slot with the bonus at tier 3 that you add in forced movement via thunderbolt strike. anyway i hope you found this TED talk interesting. haha.

[@TheRobversion1]

btw kind of surprised not to see the classic, battlemaster gloomstalker assassin build there. i would've expected that the original/undisputed best martial nova build gets a mention. thought i'd share snippets of each of my ranger as main class builds here, level 10 theorycrafts as always: 1. divine sorc 3, beastmaster 7-summoner built around the primal companion, command and summon beast. meant to generate multiple AOOs. 2. peace cleric 3, drakewarden 7-the drake is a grapple tank while the warden functions primarily as a support caster/healer. 3. artificer 2, gloomstalker 5, battlemaster 3-this is my take on recreating Yondu from guardians of the galaxy with a multiple attack dart. burst striker. 4. fighter 2, gloomstalker 5, assassin 3-the classic ranged burst striker. 5. battlemaster 3, gloomstalker 5, barb 2-the classic melee burst striker. 6, divine sorc 3, gloomstalker 5, fighter 2-my attempt at making one of those popular shadowblade builds. burst striker. i normally don't think highly of shadowblade but i consider it one of the "coolest" spells in the game.

[@FlutesLoot]

I like how you utilize the summons/companions. I think most people think of them as attack dogs only. I'll look back at my article to make sure I cover some of these.

[@TheRobversion1]

@@FlutesLoot both the primal companion and drakewarden make excellent grapple tanks. i just chose the drakewarden so i dont have a very similar build in the same class. the core pieces are: 1. warding bond 2. aid 3. enlarge (for my drakewarden build, i got this via fairy race) 4. emboldening bond 5. and the most important piece: sanctuary basically have the pet grapple round 1. cast sanctuary on them round 2. with dmg resistance (warding bond), sanctuary, good hp (aid), hard to escape grapple (enlarge, emboldening bond) and healing from you basically they're stuck there being ineffective while you and your party whittle the enemy down.

[@FlutesLoot]

@@TheRobversion1 I love it, and I especially like seeing Warding Bond get some love (I enjoy the spell)

[@TheRobversion1]

@@FlutesLoot same. i like the flavor of the material component too. i use it in all of my grapple tank builds, not just this one. i have a divine sorc version (summon celestial), a battlesmith version (steel defender) and lore bard version(summon greater griffon). each with their own tweaks to the general strat.

[@TheRobversion1]

continuation of my other comment: 3. nice to see many multiclass combos and not solely limited to dual class. in your other articles, its mostly dual class. nice to see lots of triple class here. imo this is how the ranger typically shines. agreed as well its pointless to dip anything less than ranger 3. going to 4 is fine for the asi. more than that you might as well consider main classing ranger especially if your other class doesn't have extra attack. 4. agreed ranger is not weak. post-tashas i consider it the best non-full caster (yes ahead of the paladin now) since conjure animal meteor swarm is bonkers. so yeah i'd rank ranger as a top 6 class in the game. 5. hunter's mark can be swapped out at 4 but imo this isn't an all encompassing statement. speaking from experience and numbers here, any burst striker build (read anything with at least 2 levels of fighter or assassin) will make wonderful use of hunter's mark until tier 4. this is typically the gloomstalker and to a lesser extent the hunter. fey wanderers, beastmasters and drakewardens tend to be summoners so yeah hunter's mark should be swapped out by level 5. horizon walkers and monster slayers have bonus action clog so yeah hunter's mark should be swapped out by 3 too. swarmkeeper lean more towards controllers so yeah it should be swapped out by 3 too. tbh none of my optimized ranged martials use crossbow expert. that just goes to show we have so many good options now for the bonus action. i typically use the longbow or when allowed, the musket.

[@FlutesLoot]

I like to use longbows, personally. And you make a good point. Multiclassing can freshen things up so you have more options.

[@TheRobversion1]

@@FlutesLoot i like bows too. its also fun that one of my DMs loves tactics ogre/final fantasy tactics so he allows bows to ignore obstacles to an extent by allowing you to lob an arrow above an obstacle/cover to hit a target behind it. have you played those games? i loved those games in my youth and actually what inspired me to get into dnd (and typically influenced how i build and play in dnd).

[@FlutesLoot]

@@TheRobversion1 I've not played those games. I think the closest things I've played to those would be JRPGs and maybe XCOM in the 90s :P

[@TheRobversion1]

@@FlutesLoot imo those games are the closest to dnd videogames than actual dnd video games made by hasbro/wotc. if they ever released a dnd tactics version i'd be so stoked. those games have almost all the ingredients of a dnd tabletop game: 1. dialogue choices that matter 2. a great and engaging story 3. grid based combat in a variety of environments where the landscape matters 4. variety of classes 5. "multiclassing" only thing missing really is the skill challenges and exploration pillar.

[@tabletopbro]

You mean to tell me characters don't know they're in a game and are just a character class??? If only I had a game last long enough for multiclassing to be a factor. Great video!

[@FlutesLoot]

Thank you! Novel idea, eh? :P

[@scottburns4458]

You know in all my years as a DM I have never had a player multi-class with a ranger. Yet every other class has been fair game for multi-classing isn’t that odd? So good ideas in here Cheers

[@FlutesLoot]

That is odd in a "why just Ranger?" kind of way, but at the same time, it has been similar in my experience, too :P

[@joshnewbill2069]

I'm working on an eladrin horizon Walker, armorer artificer mix! I'm having a lot of fun

[@marcusblacknell-andrews1783]

What about a "Monster Slayer" ranger and a "College of Spirits" Bard multiclass?

[@FlutesLoot]

Mechanically, nothing stands out immediately from my memory (I don't like the Monster Slayer's abilities). But thematically, the College of Spirits could tell harrowing stories of monsters and mayhem instead of using the seance flavor.

[@TheRobversion1]

might be totally unrelated but i wanted your take on a couple of ranger/druid spells: spike growth and plant growth i have ruled in the past that spike growth doesnt create an area that can be used for plant growth because it says in the spell that it creates hard spikes and thorns. i didn't recognize those as plants. plants may have thorns but it isn't an actual "plant". over the holidays when i dm'd for a one-shot, one of my players playing with this 2 spells tried to reason with me that the actual "spikes" in the spike growth spell is a kind of plant and showed me a picture. do you think it plausible that when the devs worded this spell that the "spikes" they referred to here aren't just like rocky protrusions from the ground but actually a "hard" version of the real world plant? the picture he showed me is of the plant "Spikes Dracaena."

[@FlutesLoot]

Maybe the same spell from D&D 3.5 will help you form a conclusion: dndtools.org/spells/players-handbook-v35--6/spike-growth--2878/ "Any ground-covering vegetation in the spell's area becomes very hard and sharply pointed without changing its appearance. In areas of bare earth, roots and rootlets act in the same way. Typically, spike growth can be cast in any outdoor setting except open water, ice, heavy snow, sandy desert, or bare stone. Any creature moving on foot into or through the spell's area takes 1d4 points of piercing damage for each 5 feet of movement through the spiked area."

[@TheRobversion1]

@@FlutesLoot hmm... Not really. Perhaps if you elucidate further? Basically the concern here of the player and what i'm wondering about is in an area without plants... can you plant growth the spike growth area much like an entangle area? I say no but i have to admit my friend has a plausible argument because there's a real world plant named spikes. Do you consider spike growth a plant area? Do you believe spike in this spell refers to the real world plant and not rocky protrusions from the ground?

[@FlutesLoot]

@@TheRobversion1 I treat Spike Growth as a plant-based spell. My groups have always treated it as a bramble.

[@TheRobversion1]

@@FlutesLoot i see. i may have been too restrictive then in my interpretation of the word spikes. thanks.

[@wildicedemon9926]

I'm gonna be bold and brave. I'm gonna go against the grain here and say something against the grain. You wanna play Ranger? Don't! :^)

[@FlutesLoot]

*surprised Pikachu face*