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View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Ranger Archetype - The Bloodhound (PEACH)



Ghost Dragon
2015-05-05, 06:48 PM
Hey guys. Using the 3.5 PrC of the same name as the basis for this subclass. Am transferring an old 3.5 game into 5E where a player of mine was a bloodhound, and the first session is in 2 days time so want to get some feedback on balance and fluff from you all.

I put some damage capability in at 7th & 11th level features, but apart from that its mostly flavour and utility. Hopefully it will stand up well against the other RAW archetypes. Please give suggestions if you don't think something fits or is unbalanced. Thanks all!


Bloodhound
A bandit king raids caravans on the road. An ogre pillages farms to the north. A sorcerer has kidnapped the mayor’s son and hidden him somewhere in the marsh—and the soldiers of the king cannot seem to stem the tide. The terrified citizens have only one choice, and it isn’t cheap. They call you, they call a bloodhound.

Bloodhound Spells
When you take the Bloodhound archetype at 3rd level, you learn new spells at the levels specified in the table below. These spells are in addition to the spells you know from your ranger spellcasting feature. If you gain a spell that doesn’t appear on the ranger spell list, the spell is nonetheless a ranger spell for you. You gain the following blood hound spells at the ranger level listed.

Bloodhound Spells Table
3rd: Detect Evil and Good, Disguise Self
5th: Detect Thoughts, Knock
9th: Speak with Dead, Tongues
13th: Arcane Eye, Greater Invisibility
17th: Hold Monster, Rary’s Telepathic Bond

Urban Tracker
When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you gain urban as a favoured terrain for your natural explorer class feature, and from now on you can choose an organisation such as “The Red Sashes” or “The Zhentarim” as a type of favoured enemy, and your Land’s Stride and Hide in Plain Sight class features function in an urban environment.

Mark
Starting at 7th level, you can mark an individual creature to better hunt that enemy. To do so, you must use a bonus action to focus on a foe that is present and visible, or on the depiction or description of one who is not for 1 minute. Any interruption ruins the attempt and forces you to start the process again. Once this study is complete, that target is called a mark. You may end a mark on a creature as an action.
You gain advantage on all Investigation, Insight, Intimidate and Perception checks made when interacting with or determining the whereabouts of a mark. The mark also counts as one of your favoured enemies, and when you hit your mark with a weapon attack you deal an extra 1d8 damage to it.
This feature allows you to mark up to 2 creatures at one time and you cannot mark again until you complete a short or a long rest. If a bloodhound chooses a new mark before apprehending or dispatching existing ones, a latter mark becomes unmarked (ranger’s choice). The number of marks you can have at a time increase by 1 when you reach 11th level (3), and 17th level (4).

Bloodhound's Resolve
Starting at 11th level, while you are in your favoured terrain you do not have disadvantage on passive perception checks while traveling at a fast pace, and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws to resist exhaustion during a forced march.
In addition, you gain advantage on saving throws against spells from your mark, and if you have advantage when you strike your mark with a melee attack or ranged attack that is within 30 feet, you can critically strike your mark dealing an extra 1d8 damage and imposing one of the following effects on the target:
>It can’t take reactions until the end of your next turn 
>It’s speed is halved until the end of your next turn 
>It has disadvantage on all ability checks it makes until the end of your next turn

Ultimate Tracker
At 15th level, you are able to track creatures even in the face of extreme environmental difficulties or magic. You can track using scent, and you can track a creature moving under the influence of pass without trace spell or a similar effect, though you have disadvantage on the Survival checks when doing so.
In addition, you can cast the True Seeing spell on yourself without using any material components. Once you use this feature, you must complete a long rest before using it again.

Ghost Dragon
2015-05-11, 01:27 AM
PEACH! Just need to get a few more sets of eyes on this before I offer it to one of my players. Thanks all.

SonsOfSauron
2015-05-11, 04:32 AM
As a caveat, I am unfamiliar with the original 3.pf (prestige?) class, so bear that in mind with my comments. If I didn't mention anything I saw no real issue with it (unless I mentioned it just to say how much I loved it, lol)!


Bloodhound Spells
When you take the Bloodhound archetype at 3rd level, you gain access to these spells at the levels specified in the table below. Once you gain access to these spells, you always have them prepared. These spells don’t count against the number of spells you can prepare each day. If you gain a spell that doesn’t appear on the ranger spell list, the spell is nonetheless a ranger spell for you. You gain the following blood hound spells at the ranger level listed.

Rangers don't prepare spells in this edition, they learn them. Just keep the language clear so there's no confusion.


Bloodhound Spells Table
3rd: Detect Evil and Good, Disguise Self, Protection from Evil and Good
5th: Branding Smite, Detect Thoughts, Knock
9th: Blinding Smite, Speak with Dead, Tongues
13th: Arcane Eye, Greater Invisibility, Staggering Smite
17th: Banishing Smite, Hold Monster, Rary’s Telepathic Bond

I've some issues with the spell table. First of all, 3 additional spells is a TON! I personally would prefer choosing 1 of 2 (or 3) at each level, but that's my preference.

I also really REALLY dislike non-Paladins getting access to Smites! They're an incredibly cool and unique set of spells. I'd cut those from the list for sure. Otherwise, I think your choices are really great!


Urban Lore
When you take this archetype at 3rd level, you gain urban as a favoured terrain for your natural explorer class feature, from now on you can choose an organisation such as “The Red Sashes” or “The Zhentarim” as a type of favoured enemy, and your Land’s Stride and Hide in Plain Sight class features function in an urban environment.

This ability is super flavorful, I absolutely love it!


Trackers Resolve
Starting at 11th level, you gain advantage on saving throws against spells and special attacks from your mark, and if you have advantage when you strike your mark with a melee attack or ranged attack that is within 30 feet, you can critically strike your mark dealing an extra 1d8 damage, and halving its speed and imposing disadvantage on all ability checks it makes for 1 round.
In addition, while you are in your favoured terrain you can move stealthily at a normal pace, you do not have disadvantage on passive perception checks while traveling at a fast pace, and you have advantage on Constitution saving throws to resist exhaustion during a forced march and advantage on saving throws made to resist divination spells targeted at you.

Bolded part is redundant with existing Favored Terrain feature iirc.

I'm not entirely sure what a "special attack" means.

I think the 'critical strike' would be more interesting if you chose one of the three effects a la the Open Hand Technique monk feature, and you can tailor it to the occasion. (Getting everything all the time is kind of boring and pretty strong.)

The divination spell resistance seems unnecessary; if you're worried about your mark spying on you, you already have advantage on saving throws against their spells. Otherwise it doesn't seem like it would make sense to arbitrarily have this particular spell resistance.

Ghost Dragon
2015-05-12, 01:27 AM
Thanks for the feedback Sons, great stuff.


Rangers don't prepare spells in this edition, they learn them. Just keep the language clear so there's no confusion.

Yup good call. Edited


I've some issues with the spell table. First of all, 3 additional spells is a TON! I personally would prefer choosing 1 of 2 (or 3) at each level, but that's my preference.

I also really REALLY dislike non-Paladins getting access to Smites! They're an incredibly cool and unique set of spells. I'd cut those from the list for sure. Otherwise, I think your choices are really great!

Yeh I thought 3 may be a lot, and did a play test last Friday night and saw that it did give to much with 3 spells. Have pulled the pally spells off the list bringing it to 2 spells which I like (Gives them heaps of utility spells but no damage potential spells, just more flexibility than other rangers which I feel holds to the flavour of the class) as I put them there for damage and utility while chasing mark, but I think the reworked 11th does that now. Edited


This ability is super flavorful, I absolutely love it!

Thanks, Glad you like it :)


Bolded part is redundant with existing Favored Terrain feature iirc.

I'm not entirely sure what a "special attack" means.

I think the 'critical strike' would be more interesting if you chose one of the three effects a la the Open Hand Technique monk feature, and you can tailor it to the occasion. (Getting everything all the time is kind of boring and pretty strong.)

The divination spell resistance seems unnecessary; if you're worried about your mark spying on you, you already have advantage on saving throws against their spells. Otherwise it doesn't seem like it would make sense to arbitrarily have this particular spell resistance.

You're right with the bolded part for stealth. Edited. Kept the Wisdom Perception as its not part of Favoured Terrain feature and I think is still thematic for Bloodhound.

Special attack was a copy past from 3.5 Prc, so have Edited.

Love the choice idea, but I think for damage potential I like keeping the damage all the time and choice of effect (Still have to get advantage on the attack to make it go off so there is some mitigation of all the timeshenanigans). Edited.

Completely on the money with the divination spell thingy. Edited.