PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Ranger subclass, Ethereal Hunter



AngryJesusMan
2017-12-14, 01:50 PM
I was inspired by this thread, which sent me searching the internet for other inspiration.

Here's what I've put together. Let me know what you think.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RBRhkGu3Z752KfuHIuKhHidse-UdFO4w9-07TgCNCPk

AgentMaineSIGMA
2017-12-15, 12:48 PM
I was inspired by this thread, which sent me searching the internet for other inspiration.

Here's what I've put together. Let me know what you think.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RBRhkGu3Z752KfuHIuKhHidse-UdFO4w9-07TgCNCPk

I really like this subclass, and I’m glad I could give some inspiration. I have two suggestions.

1) While it makes sense thematically, I don’t think Desperate Anchor should grant advantage on death saving throws. I think instead l, if you’re trying to emulate Shadow of Mordor/War, instead it works where you’re reduced to 1 HP instead of 0 as a reaction once per rest.

2) Once again, I’m assuming the archetype is meant to function like Shadow of Mordor/War here, but I’d consider a slight rework for Unearthly Command. Instead, I’d make it so Vampiric Touch (Tallion regains health from dominating enemies), Dominate Beast (Caragor/Graug/Drakes), and Dominate Person (he can control the Uruks after all) are added to the spell list without counting against spells known (you’d get Dominate Person when you get your 5th level slots). Dominate Monster is added as a once per long rest feature, and the other spells are naturally restrained by your spell slots. It’d be a bit simpler in my opinion, and it forces players to make choices between their regular Ranger spells and their new abilities.

That said, everything looks pretty balanced and fun to play!

AngryJesusMan
2017-12-15, 03:12 PM
Thanks! One thing I'm always looking for is something my players will enjoy. I already have one that's inquiring about this one. :smallsmile:


1) While it makes sense thematically, I don’t think Desperate Anchor should grant advantage on death saving throws. I think instead l, if you’re trying to emulate Shadow of Mordor/War, instead it works where you’re reduced to 1 HP instead of 0 as a reaction once per rest.

That's probably a good idea. Thank you.



2) Once again, I’m assuming the archetype is meant to function like Shadow of Mordor/War here, but I’d consider a slight rework for Unearthly Command. Instead, I’d make it so Vampiric Touch (Tallion regains health from dominating enemies), Dominate Beast (Caragor/Graug/Drakes), and Dominate Person (he can control the Uruks after all) are added to the spell list without counting against spells known (you’d get Dominate Person when you get your 5th level slots). Dominate Monster is added as a once per long rest feature, and the other spells are naturally restrained by your spell slots. It’d be a bit simpler in my opinion, and it forces players to make choices between their regular Ranger spells and their new abilities.


Again, that's a good suggestion. In addition to Dominate Monster once per long rest, I think I'll add an Enchantment spell for each level, to go with the theme of this bordering on Possession (Command, Crown of Madness, Enemies Abound from XGE, Dominate Beast, and Dominate Person). While I understand that Talion regains health when he uses his ability to control enemies, I want to try to keep the theme of the power fairly streamlined.

Thank you for the input!

AgentMaineSIGMA
2017-12-15, 04:28 PM
Thanks! One thing I'm always looking for is something my players will enjoy. I already have one that's inquiring about this one. :smallsmile:



That's probably a good idea. Thank you.



Again, that's a good suggestion. In addition to Dominate Monster once per long rest, I think I'll add an Enchantment spell for each level, to go with the theme of this bordering on Possession (Command, Crown of Madness, Enemies Abound from XGE, Dominate Beast, and Dominate Person). While I understand that Talion regains health when he uses his ability to control enemies, I want to try to keep the theme of the power fairly streamlined.

Thank you for the input!

Happy to help! Though if you want to add that many spells, I’d recommend making an expanded spell list for it, kinda like what Horizon Rangers get.

AngryJesusMan
2017-12-16, 06:22 AM
Happy to help! Though if you want to add that many spells, I’d recommend making an expanded spell list for it, kinda like what Horizon Rangers get.

I came to the same conclusion, but thank you for the advice.

Also, something wasn't sitting right with me, though I couldn't quite pinpoint it at first. I went back through the existing published Ranger subclasses and discovered that they all follow an easily defined structure.


3rd level: One feature that is useful all of the time. Optional: If the first feature isn't too powerful, one other feature that is useful on a situational basis. Optional: a ribbon that can be useful in certain restricted situations, but is mostly just thematic. (I caught the ribbon and possibly one good general purpose feature at the beginning. Extra magic is an addition that we hit upon along the way. So, I fill these requirements with Wraithwalker, Ethereal Hunter Magic, and Of Two Worlds respectively.)
5th level: Extra Attack, if using the UA Revised Ranger and this subclass needs an offensive boost. (With no additional means of dealing extra damage baked into the subclass, I think this is necessary for Ethereal Hunter.)
7th level: A defensive feature that stresses the fact that you already need to be on the bad end of things or is otherwise limited in scope. (I identified this early, so Desperate Anchor fits this well.)
11th level: A powerful offensive feature. (Again, I recognized this before, and so built Jaunting Strike to satisfy it.)
15th level: A strong defensive option. (More on this below.)


With the 15th level ability needing to be defensive to fit the template set by every other subclass, and most of the subclass's mind-controlling handled by the Ethereal Hunter Magic feature, I changed the 15th level feature into something defensive.

Blinking Defense. At 15th level, your ethereal side is able to take to its home plane in order to escape dangerous situations. When you take damage from an attack, you can use your reaction to vanish from your current plane of existence and appear in the Ethereal Plane (this fails if you were already on that plane). At the start of your next turn, you return to an unoccupied space of your choice that you can see within 10 feet of the space you vanished from. If no unoccupied space is available within that range, you appear in the nearest unoccupied space (chosen at random if more than one space is equally near). Creatures that aren't on the Ethereal Plane can't perceive you or interact with you, unless they have the ability to do so.

So what do you think? I think it fits the overall feel of the Ranger subclass much batter, considering the existing structure outlined above. Besides, a single Dominate Monster spell was superfluous once I really thought about it.