Feats and Spells for Monster Hunter Ranger

[Tanngrisnr]

Hey, folks!

I was wondering if you could help me sort out the feats and spells for my Monster Hunter Ranger. I've been DMing for my group for the past 8 years and now I finally get the chance to be a PC. The campaing is going to be somewhat based on Silent Hill games and sort of "Friday the 13th meets Alien". New DM also said we can expect lots of undead and monstrosities.

Character starts at level 3, and we're supposed to reach level 8 by the end of the campaing. No multiclass allowed.

Currently, my idea is to play a Vhuman Monster Hunter, generic Van Helsing wannabe.

My stats, after racials, are st 11 dx 18 cn 12 it 12 ws 16 ch 12.

I was looking at the spell list last night and I simply can't come up with a spell selection that satisfies what I have in mind for the character. I want to hunt monsters, not be "the nature guy". At the moment, my spell selection looks like this:

level 1 - protection from evil/good, cure wounds, hunter's mark, longstrider
level 2 - zone of truth, silence, darkvision

I'm not happy with those spells. Can you suggest a better spell list for a "non-nature" Ranger?

About feats, right now I'm thinking about starting with Crossbow Expert, but since the spell list bothers me so much, I thought I should pick Magic Iniciate (Cleric) instead.

I haven't decided on a fighting style yet.

Thanks for your input.

-----

EDIT: The rest of the party are a Dwarf Bard in heavy armor, Elf Trickster Cleric and an Elf Eldritch Knight.

[Guy Lombard-O]

Hey, folks!

I was wondering if you could help me sort out the feats and spells for my Monster Hunter Ranger. I've been DMing for my group for the past 8 years and now I finally get the chance to be a PC. The campaing is going to be somewhat based on Silent Hill games and sort of "Friday the 13th meets Alien". New DM also said we can expect lots of undead and monstrosities.

Character starts at level 3, and we're supposed to reach level 8 by the end of the campaing. No multiclass allowed.

Currently, my idea is to play a Vhuman Monster Hunter, generic Van Helsing wannabe.

My stats, after racials, are st 11 dx 18 cn 12 it 12 ws 16 ch 12.

I was looking at the spell list last night and I simply can't come up with a spell selection that satisfies what I have in mind for the character. I want to hunt monsters, not be "the nature guy". At the moment, my spell selection looks like this:

level 1 - protection from evil/good, cure wounds, hunter's mark, longstrider
level 2 - zone of truth, silence, darkvision

I'm not happy with those spells. Can you suggest a better spell list for a "non-nature" Ranger?

About feats, right now I'm thinking about starting with Crossbow Expert, but since the spell list bothers me so much, I thought I should pick Magic Iniciate (Cleric) instead.

I haven't decided on a fighting style yet.

Thanks for your input.

-----

EDIT: The rest of the party are a Dwarf Bard in heavy armor, Elf Trickster Cleric and an Elf Eldritch Knight.

Honestly, I'm a bit confused about your problem with the spells. Nothing about your first level spells really screams "nature guy". Only Hunter's Mark really even has any nature-type component (the tracking), but HM is too good to pass up. Maybe since you're a hunter, you could take Snare? But honestly, your current list seems pretty tight.

Considering the makeup of your party, I'd say the Archery fighting style would be the most valuable. I don't see anyone else really designed for high DPS range combat. So I'd probably skip the MI feat, and go with Crossbow Expert or Sharpshooter for Vhuman like you were thinking. Maybe take the other at 4th, or one of the other main melee combat feats if you want to be more well-rounded (Polearm Master, GWM, Sentinel).

[Vogie]

My stats, after racials, are st 11 dx 18 cn 12 it 12 ws 16 ch 12.

I was looking at the spell list last night and I simply can't come up with a spell selection that satisfies what I have in mind for the character. I want to hunt monsters, not be "the nature guy". At the moment, my spell selection looks like this:

level 1 - protection from evil/good, cure wounds, hunter's mark, longstrider
level 2 - zone of truth, silence, darkvision


I'd drop hunter's mark, as your Slayer's Prey feature does most of it. You could replace with Absorb Elements, Zephyr Strike or maybe Snare.

If you're allowed to refluff spells, you could choose Ensnaring Strike, calling it a trick barbed wire arrow (a la Hawkeye or Green Arrow), rather than one that spawns magical thorny vines.

If you do pick Crossbow Expert, start with hand crossbow - you'll be able to attack, then bonus action attack, similar to a ranger wielding a pair of shortswords, just at range.

[Specter]

With CON 12, I'd be more inclined to take Tough or Resilient than ever.

[Mortis_Elrod]

Not sure if you noticed but you said you start at level 3 but have 2nd level spells, and high rangers don’t get till 5th level.

Anyway I’d drop cute wounds and replace with zephyr strike or ensnaring strike and reflavor to desired taste. Probably drop hunters mark too.

As far as feats go, I like mobile a lot. Skulker is also really nice.
Unless you’re trying to grab one of the weapon related feats. Hand crossbow is always good of course, useful if you aren’t using spells that turn or used spells last turn and missed.

[Tanngrisnr]

Thanks for all the replies.


I'm a bit confused about your problem with the spells. Nothing about your first level spells really screams "nature guy".

Yeah, I picked those spells especifically to avoid the "nature guy" theme. But I'm still not confortable with those spells. Maybe this s because Rangers get some few spells to begin with, but I'm not sure I'll be actually using most of the spells I picked.

I chose cure wounds as a precaution and because I like to feel self-suficient. I won't have that many hit points with only a +1 to my Constitution mod, but cure wounds heals very little and I'm afraid this small amount of healing won't matter much and I'll really need it to. Besides, my hit points should be enough for a ranged build and the party has two healers.

Darkvision is another spell that I'm not so sure about. It comes online as early as 5th level, but the campaing is supposed to end at 8th. I feel like I'm not gonna get a lot of use out of the spell. Again, picked the spell for self-suficiency. I don't know what to replace this with.


If you're allowed to refluff spells, you could choose Ensnaring Strike, calling it a trick barbed wire arrow (a la Hawkeye or Green Arrow), rather than one that spawns magical thorny vines.

This is awesome. I was avoiding ensnaring strike because of the "nature guy" theme, but this is an excellent idea. Ensnaring strike should help keep some targets inside the area of effect of silence and zone of truth (which is a spell I can't change).


I'd drop hunter's mark, as your Slayer's Prey feature does most of it. (...)

If you do pick Crossbow Expert, start with hand crossbow - you'll be able to attack, then bonus action attack, similar to a ranger wielding a pair of shortswords, just at range.

Here's another problem I see. Too much competition for my bonus actions. If I take hunter's mark + hand crossbow and use slayer's prey, I'll only be able to use the hand crossbow bonus attack at my third turn. I feel it's a waste. Ensnaring strike is also bonus action, if I'm not mistaken.

Hunter's mark and slayer's prey go well together, despite taking two turns to activate.

I'll probably get rid of crossbow expert and the hand crossbow.


Not sure if you noticed but you said you start at level 3 but have 2nd level spells, and high rangers don’t get till 5th level.

Yes. This is what I have planned for 8th level. Its gonna be a fast track campaing during the holidays.

[djreynolds]

Hunters mark last an hour, it's nice. I might leave longstrider off the list.

But when fighting undead, you will need protection from evil, so there's your concentration.

As human variant, I would grab sharpshooter. Not for the +10 damage this early, but the range increase.

AFB, but your range is 600ft now. Something dashing could take 10 rounds to get to you. It may never get there.

You need darkvision. Goodberry is nice, because you've casted it before combat and handed them.

Cure wounds is an action in combat.

Because of undead, lesser restoration might be handy.

If I was to take magic initiate, find familiar?

I really like hail of thorns, gangs of zombies.
But it is also concentration, competing with HM and PfGE