Something I think they should do with revised ranger.

[Spacehamster]

Move conclave choice to level 2, for one good reason: that's when they get access to spells meaning one(or more) subclass could be spelless without the need to make spelless ranger an optional rule.

[The Ship's dog]

Well, there's a reason why it is how it is, and it's the same reason why full casters get quite a lot of their features on levels where other classes don't.

It's because when you get Spellcasting as a Ranger, that's a power spike, your next is a level later. Power spikes in classes are designed to be as evenly spaced as possible so that the class is balanced throughout its levels and there aren't weird dead levels where they get nothing.

Also, many of the Conclaves don't have Spellcasting attached to them, so the reason for this change is a bit weird and not needed.

[Spacehamster]

Well, there's a reason why it is how it is, and it's the same reason why full casters get quite a lot of their features on levels where other classes don't.

It's because when you get Spellcasting as a Ranger, that's a power spike, your next is a level later. Power spikes in classes are designed to be as evenly spaced as possible so that the class is balanced throughout its levels and there aren't weird dead levels where they get nothing.

Also, many of the Conclaves don't have Spellcasting attached to them, so the reason for this change is a bit weird and not needed.

what do you mean conclaves dont have spellcasting, all conclaves have spellcasting as the base ranger has spell casting....

[Mortis_Elrod]

what do you mean conclaves dont have spellcasting, all conclaves have spellcasting as the base ranger has spell casting....

The Ship's Dog meant bonus spells like in Horizon Walker/Deep Stalker/Monster Slayer options.

[ZorroGames]

Well, there's a reason why it is how it is, and it's the same reason why full casters get quite a lot of their features on levels where other classes don't.

It's because when you get Spellcasting as a Ranger, that's a power spike, your next is a level later. Power spikes in classes are designed to be as evenly spaced as possible so that the class is balanced throughout its levels and there aren't weird dead levels where they get nothing.

Also, many of the Conclaves don't have Spellcasting attached to them, so the reason for this change is a bit weird and not needed.

Yep, unneccessary change.

[Theodoxus]

I don't think the revised ranger follows that power spike concept... at all.

It took a relatively balanced, if optically bad, class and overtuned it in an attempt to entice powergamers to pick the class... and it worked.

Level 1 is so chock full of goodness, most builds, even otherwise pure caster builds, are hard to argue against picking up a RRanger dip. What wizard wouldn't want advantage on initiative, all the time? What barbarian wouldn't want their level 7 ability by level 2 instead?

I'm assuming RRanger is being pushed in Xan's book. I hope they did at least one more pass and re-tuned it back down a scosh...

If spell casting was part of the conclave instead of a base ability... and ranger became a 1/3 caster instead of half - I could see moving some of the level 1 options to level 2 and call it good.

I doubt that would happen though...

[Aett_Thorn]

I don't think the revised ranger follows that power spike concept... at all.

It took a relatively balanced, if optically bad, class and overtuned it in an attempt to entice powergamers to pick the class... and it worked.

Level 1 is so chock full of goodness, most builds, even otherwise pure caster builds, are hard to argue against picking up a RRanger dip. What wizard wouldn't want advantage on initiative, all the time? What barbarian wouldn't want their level 7 ability by level 2 instead?

I'm assuming RRanger is being pushed in Xan's book. I hope they did at least one more pass and re-tuned it back down a scosh...

If spell casting was part of the conclave instead of a base ability... and ranger became a 1/3 caster instead of half - I could see moving some of the level 1 options to level 2 and call it good.

I doubt that would happen though...

Apparently RR is not in Xan's, but will come out later.

Even if it was, the RR as it is is very bottom-heavy, with a dip giving you a ton of useful features already in the low levels, so I'd say that giving even more in the first two levels isn't necessarily a great thing, and I personally feel that some of their features should be pushed back just a bit.

[alchahest]

The only real rough bit is that initiative thing. at our table we've changed it to adding wisdom bonus to init, but granting it to allies in 10'.

it's pretty rare that rangers lean heavily into wis, but they usually have some, so it's a much more manageable bonus, and sort of exemplifies the rangery guide kind of thing.

that's just our house rule though.

[Oramac]

Hmm.

Something I think they should do with revised ranger?

Publish it!!

[Foxhound438]

Apparently RR is not in Xan's, but will come out later.

Even if it was, the RR as it is is very bottom-heavy, with a dip giving you a ton of useful features already in the low levels, so I'd say that giving even more in the first two levels isn't necessarily a great thing, and I personally feel that some of their features should be pushed back just a bit.

PHB ranger is very bottom heavy as well- albeit less so. Just about any fighter, monk, or rogue that doesn't expect to see play all the way out to level 20 can justify a 3 level PHB ranger dip, since it gives them extra damage dice on many attacks for the fighter and monk or martial weapon proficiency and two weapon fighting style for rogues without sacrificing damage scaling.

But for the OP's suggestion, I would have to disagree. Spellcasting is really the only identity rangers have in 5e, and I think it would be impossible to make a spell-less ranger not feel like a side grade fighter. I honestly wish they would re-tweak their spell list, increasing the focus on casting, to make it more on the level of universal utility that the paladin gets. Give them dispel magic so they can actually disarm all the magical traps that wizards like to set, maybe meld into stone... I honestly wouldn't be at all upset if they even gave ranger some wall spells to really set them apart from other martials at high level. Hell, make a new 4th or 5th spell that gives them a high, hard to reach perch to shoot down from. Maybe also upgrade lightning arrow and conjure barrage to make them have the 3rd level power level rather than their weird "too good to be 2nd level spells but not good enough to use at character level 9" power.

[MrStabby]

I could see the OP suggestion working, but it would be a bit weird getting two conclave effects in consecutive levels.

I assume you mean to turn casting into a conclave feature, keep the conclave feature at level 3 and to allow conclaves that have something in place of the casting at level 2? I.e. existing rangers play the same but allows new options to swap spellcasting for something else? But what would you add?

I could see shapeshifting work - can scale with level, offers utility as well as combat potential and can sit in the ranger theme.

Maybe a channel divinity option - maybe problematic as it would end up scaling better than the cleric if it were to replace spellcasting

Skills? Ranger is a bit of a skill-monkey light class so this could be beefed up but with the classic skills overlap with the rogue this might feel a bit too close.

Combat ability? The class has a lot already and might push it closer to the fighter - too close.

I could see swapping spells for more shtic with the favoured enemy - ability to study an enemy to have it counte as favoured for 10 min? deeper benefits to fighting them and more out of combat benefits against them.