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The ranger inDungeons & Dragonsis a master of both combat and exploration, excelling at tracking foes, surviving in the wild, and striking from a distance. With their unique combination of martial prowess and spellcasting, rangers are versatile and adaptive, making them an excellent choice for players who enjoy tactical gameplay.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook has introduced improvements to the class, enhancing their abilities in combat and exploration. In this guide, we’ll cover how to effectively build a ranger, from selecting the right abilities to choosing feats that maximize their potential, as well as how this version of the class differs from the 2014 one.
Updated on Jul 30, 2025, by Alfredo Robelo:The 2024 Player’s Handbook brought many needed changes to the ranger class, making its overall theme match up with its role in a party. We’ve updated this article to reflect the new ranger as it is present in the 2024 rules, while still mentioning the major changes from the 2014 iteration of the class.
Ranger Highlights
Rangers area deadly combination of a martial and a spellcasting class, being masters of taking down their prey. The most common way to build a ranger isto focus on one target at a timethanks toHunter’s Mark, whileproviding some support to your partythrough druidic spells.
As a ranger, you’ll bean expert at surviving both in and out of combat, beingas deadly as a fighter and as versatile as a druid.The most common vision of a ranger is one with a longbow and an animal companion, but you can also be a deadly melee duelist that gives no respite to their foes.
Differences In The 2024 Player’s Handbook
There are several differencesbetween the 2014 and 2024 rangers, withsome features removed while others are newly added.In a nutshell, everything that added flavor to the class but was almost never used has been removed, whilea bigger focus has been given to the martial abilities of the class, as well as to Hunter’s Mark.
Tasha’s Rules
The ranger class hada few optional rules present in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, nothing groundbreaking but relevant enough thatmost players picked them instead of the core features.With that said, it is no surprise then thatTasha’s features are now core, while the 2014 abilities like favored terrain are nowhere to be seen.
Fighting Styles And Weapons Masteries
Rangers already had access to a few fighting styles, but in the 2024 Player’s Handbook,they have access to the same styles all other classes get.Druidic warrior is still an option exclusive to rangers, but you’re able to now pick from a wider variant of styles when playing a purely martial ranger.
A new mechanic from the 2024 book, weapon masteries, is also available to rangers, which can be enticing when picking your main weapon.Rangers often went for longbows, but nowshortbows have a place in builds relying on multiple attacks, to name just one example.
Hunter’s Mark
Hunter’s Mark is now a core feature of rangers, being able to cast itas early as level onewithout spending a spell slot, andthey always have it prepared.This lets you focus on your build more freely, sinceyou were always going to take Hunter’s Mark anyway.
The spell gets upgraded as you level up, particularly atthe higher levels of playwhere the damage added by it was getting outclassed. The biggest buffs of note arehaving advantage on your marked target at level 17, andthe Hunter’s Mark damage die changing to a D10 at level 20.
Subclass Highlights
There are no new subclassesfor rangers in the 2024 Player’s Handbook, but all returning subclasses have hadsome form of adjustment, mostly so they interact better with the current features like the improved Hunter’s Mark. The subclasses arebeast master, fey wanderer, gloom stalker and hunter.
Beast Master
Beast master rangers getthe aid of an animal companion, a loyal friend that can help them in combat.The stats for the companion are given in the subclass itself, a stark contrast to how it worked in 2014, with players needing to find fitting animals elsewhere in the rules.
The creature follows the ranger’s every command, and improves as you level up.It can benefit from Hunter’s Mark slightly at level 11, andshare what spells you cast on yourself at level 15, making it a powerhouse no matter how you plan to play the ranger itself.
Fey Wanderer
Fey wanderer rangersgain additional spells and featuresthanks to their connection to the feywild. While somejust add extra damage, most are aboutmobility through the battlefieldas well as beinga master of the charming effects, both in social or combat scenarios.
Fey wanderers are ideal for people thatenjoy fighting like a ranger but roleplaying as a bard, getting the best of both worlds. This is mostly thanks to their otherworldly glamour, letting themadd their Wisdom modifier to their Charisma checks.
Gloom Stalker
Gloom Stalkers used to beideal for ambush tactics, buttheir unique effectiveness diminishedin drowned out fights. This was becausetheir extra damage was only during the first round of combat, but now they just gaina pool of extra damagethey can deal a set number of times during a fight.
Beyond that,they are still the masters of darkness and stealthoutside of rogues, making them one ofthe better choices for combat-focused campaigns.This is particularly true if your party enjoys making elaborate plans before every encounter.
Hunter
If you want tosqueeze every single advantageyou can get out ofHunter’s Mark, then the hunter is for you.When a hunter uses Hunter’s Mark, they know all theimmunities, resistances and vulnerabilities of the target, turning the DM into an open book about that creature.
Beyond that, you alsogain certain abilities as you level up, like ways of dealing extra damage or escaping a creature’s reach without suffering penalties. This is ideal for players that prefer their spell lists short, while still having a characterwith several optionswhen approaching their problems.
Best Species Options
Nearly all species give something worthwhile to rangers, so you can’t go wrong here. If you are very indecisive, thenhumans are always a good choice, giving you access to heroic inspiration every long rest and access to an additional origin feat.
If you don’t plan on using your spell slots too much,a tiefling with an infernal legacycan be a good fit.The Hellish Rebuke gained at level threeis a great way to spend your slots, andthe Fire Bolt cantrip is a good way to trigger your Hunter’s Markin case you get disarmed.
A good choice overall, however,is dragonborn, sinceyou can fly at level five.If you play asthe classic, longbow-styled ranger, being able to take to the skies and chase your mark with ease is a real boon, whilethe breath weapon and resistance gainedare nothing to laugh at.
Best Stat Placements
While heavily armored, strength-based rangers aren’t unheard of, you’ll be better off asa lightly armored character, focusing on Dexterity.Your second stat to focus onshould be Wisdom, unless you plan to play a hunter ranger, in which caseyou should focus on Constitution.
Intelligence and Charisma shouldn’t be a focus, butyou should avoid having both of them in the negative realm, just in case. Once you’ve decided between Strength or Dexterity for damage,the other should be your dump stat.
Best Spells
As a ranger,you can cast spells as early as level one, so we will mostlyfocus on spells for the earlier levels of play. If you’re planning to makea high level ranger from the get-go, what spells you pick will be highly dependent onthe nature of the campaign, andwhat magic items you are given, if any.
We are not mentioningHunter’s Marksinceyou always have it prepared, but we do mention howthe spell interacts with some of these other spells.
1
Ensnaring Strike
Restrain a targetafter a successful hit.Requires concentration, butyou cast it after the hit, meaning you can benefit from Hunter’s Mark before casting this spell.
Hail of Thorns
Area damagedealing D10 to creatures near your target, no concentration needed.
Silence
2
Area disruption, no spells that need a verbal component can be cast in it.
Pass Without Trace
Stealth bonusfor the entire party, ideal when needing to avoid combat.
Best Starting Equipment
The starting equipment present in the 2024 Player’s Handbookis perfect for the classic rendition of ranger; a Dexterity focused combatant that uses their agility to deal damage from up close and afar. The only weapon replacements could bea shortbow instead of a longbow, due to its vex mastery property, anda shield for ranged-focused rangersthat might need the AC to flee.
Best Feats And Backgrounds
A background that gives the ranger access toDexterity and Wisdomwould be ideal, andthe Wayfarer background is just that.It also gives the rangeraccess to thieves’ tools, something not often related to rangers but useful in every setting, as well asthe lucky origin feat.
If you’re planning some form of crossbow build, thencrossbow expert is a must-havefeat before level five. Otherwise, you won’t be able to multiattack effectively. For more average ranged strategies,sharpshooter works well, and if you’re going as a dual-wielding ranger, thenthe aptly named Dual Wielder featis for you.
Best Multiclassing Options
If you’re planninga ranger based on Strength, thena few levels in fighterwill make that build more than possible. You gainheavy armor proficiencies, anextra turn, andself-sustainwithout the need to spend any spell slots.
If the adventure you embark onwill only cover a few levels, thena level in roguecould go a long way. You get access tosneak attack, whichfor a ranger is basically an additional proc of Hunter’s Markonce per turn, but be sure to only make this multiclass option after level three.
