Feat Selection

[Ihazturtlez]

I'm starting up a new campaign this weekend as a vHuman Ranger. What should my feat be? Medium Armor Master would be helpful with splint, but I also like observant.

11 STR, 16 DEX, 14 CON, 13 INT, 14 WIS, 12 CHA

Speak Common and Elvish.

[ad_hoc]

Sounds like you've already figured out the ones you like.

Don't worry about the AC if you like the idea of Observant more.

[CTurbo]

Personally, I don't think either feat is good enough to warrant taking vhuman for, but if you do want Observant, start with an odd Wis score so it will even it out.

What kind of Ranger are you going to be? I'd take a feat that boosts your offense like Sharpshooter or Duel Wielder etc...

[Keravath]

I'd tend to lean toward Sharpshooter, Crossbow expert or Resilient for con or wisdom saves, also possibly Alert since it really helps your initiative and works well if you are looking at a Ranger/Assassin rogue multiclass down the road.

Folks who want to play a ranger using primarily ranged weapons will often take the Crossbow expert and Sharpshooter feats at levels 1 and 4 to allow the use of hand crossbows to 120' without disadvantage. This is particularly good if you go with gloomstalker and fight things in the dark a lot since you will be attacking with advantage making sharpshooter much easier to use.

Observant is one of those feats that depends on the DM. If they use passive perception and investigation as a floor result for these tasks then it can be very good. You will notice a lot of useful things during your travels. On the other hand, if your DM never uses passive scores and always asks for active rolls then the feat does nothing but increase a stat by 1 point. (The lip reading is extremely situational and I have never used it on the character I have with this feat). So I would talk to your DM before taking this feat.

[DrowPiratRobrts]

Alert is also great if you’ve got a high dex, and I think fairly underrated. I get +9 to initiative and almost always go first or second. Not being able to be surprised is also clutch.

[RogueJK]

Medium Armor Master would be a good choice, allowing you to make use of your full DEX bonus to AC, as well as removing the penalty to Stealth, which is handy since most Rangers tend to be stealthy characters.

But depending on other unknown info (e.g. your playstyle, melee vs. ranged, planned multiclassing, etc.), there may be a better choice for feats.

Magic Initiate Druid would be another feat to consider, if you'd like to have some additional spellcasting options. It'd give you two cantrips, which is nice since Rangers don't get any cantrips, plus a 1/day 1st Level spell. Solid choices would be the Guidance cantrip (+1d4 to nearly all skill checks) and a utility cantrip like Mold Earth (create cover/concealment for your ranged attacks and pits for ambushes), plus Goodberry (daily healing/survival) or Longstrider (increased mobility) for your 1/day 1st level spell.

Ritual Caster Wizard is another good choice for increased spellcasting utility. Rangers don't normally get to cast rituals, and this would allow you access to the widest variety of utility Rituals, plus it scales based on character level so you can find and scribe higher level Rituals as you progress. None of the Wizard Rituals are dependent on INT, so you won't have to worry about having a relatively low INT. It also fits well with Ranger, since you could take Find Familiar as one of your starting Rituals and start play with an animal companion to help you scout.

Half-feats that give +1 to an ability score are usually better options for characters with an odd ability score already. In this case, Observant's +1 WIS would be more optimal if you had a 15 WIS already, as that would bump it up to 16. As it is, there's no additional benefit to going from 14 WIS up to 15 WIS.

[Citan]

I'm starting up a new campaign this weekend as a vHuman Ranger. What should my feat be? Medium Armor Master would be helpful with splint, but I also like observant.

11 STR, 16 DEX, 14 CON, 13 INT, 14 WIS, 12 CHA

Speak Common and Elvish.
Hi!

Depends on whether you aim for low or high level and whether you fear for your life or not. ^
If you want to focus on survivability, AND don't plan on getting higher than level 12-13, AND are not the one tasked with scouting / percepting and disarming traps, THEN HAM is the better choice.

In all other cases, Observant is better.

Especially if you want to be the scout/spy of party. You could even tack Keen Mind on it if you trust your DM (because the combination of the two will make your DM cringe at times) otherwise don't bother.

[Petrocorus]

I'm starting up a new campaign this weekend as a vHuman Ranger. What should my feat be? Medium Armor Master would be helpful with splint, but I also like observant.

I assume you mean scale mail instead of splint.



11 STR, 16 DEX, 14 CON, 13 INT, 14 WIS, 12 CHA

Speak Common and Elvish.

What would be your subclass?
Are you going for range DPR?
Are you going to bump Dex ASAP?

For range DPR, Sharpshooter is the best, no question.

Medium Armor Master is good if your Dex stays at 16. But if you raise your Dex, it will only be a +1 AC on average compared to studded leather, for the cost of a feat.

[Ihazturtlez]

Thanks for all of the replies!

I was initially thinking of being a Sword+Board ranger with hordebreaker under the Hunter conclave, but thats up for change. The party, as of now, consists of Me (Ranger), a Cleric, a Barbarian, a Rogue, a Bard, and one undecided. I'm fine with the craziest selections as long as there's a reasoning for it, so feel free to go crazy with what you choose. I can also rearrange my vHuman +1's so that a half-feat would be more fitting. I put the +1's into Dex and Wis initially.

Yes, I would probably be aiming to bump my Dex just for the better to-hit and damage.

Also, if it wasn't obvious, I am using the Revised UA Ranger.

[Ihazturtlez]

I'd tend to lean toward Sharpshooter, Crossbow expert

Folks who want to play a ranger using primarily ranged weapons will often take the Crossbow expert

I'd love to use Crossbow Expert now that I know it exists, but my DM had just complained about how broken the feat can be to me last night, so I don't wanna push my luck with things so early on haha

[Petrocorus]

Thanks for all of the replies!
...
Also, if it wasn't obvious, I am using the Revised UA Ranger.
Then there is no obvious DPR feat for your build. Dual fighting is no good beyond level 4.

I advise duelling FS and a feat like Observant, Alert or Resilient.

[Ihazturtlez]

I've had the idea to take away my +1 in Wis and put it into Con, and focus on buff/debuff spells that don't force saves, and take a half-feat that adds another +1 to Con so I'd have 16 Con. Is this a viable option?

[GlenSmash!]

I've had the idea to take away my +1 in Wis and put it into Con, and focus on buff/debuff spells that don't force saves, and take a half-feat that adds another +1 to Con so I'd have 16 Con. Is this a viable option?

Certainly viable, but 14 con is good enough for just about anybody but unarmored barbarians. You'd also be a 5% worse on Wisdom checks, like the ever prevalent Perception check.

[Solid_Snek]

I'm starting up a new campaign this weekend as a vHuman Ranger. What should my feat be? Medium Armor Master would be helpful with splint, but I also like observant.

11 STR, 16 DEX, 14 CON, 13 INT, 14 WIS, 12 CHA

Speak Common and Elvish.

Def wouldn't take medium armor master until level 4 or 8. Your AC will be fine as is and group stealth checks should help if you're worried about stealth.

I would go with something fun, I rather expand what I can't do than get a +1 AC.

[Citan]

Thanks for all of the replies!

I was initially thinking of being a Sword+Board ranger with hordebreaker under the Hunter conclave, but thats up for change. The party, as of now, consists of Me (Ranger), a Cleric, a Barbarian, a Rogue, a Bard, and one undecided. I'm fine with the craziest selections as long as there's a reasoning for it, so feel free to go crazy with what you choose. I can also rearrange my vHuman +1's so that a half-feat would be more fitting. I put the +1's into Dex and Wis initially.

Yes, I would probably be aiming to bump my Dex just for the better to-hit and damage.

Also, if it wasn't obvious, I am using the Revised UA Ranger.
Well, then you have several options since you are ok with crazy.

1. Grappler (no shield): pick Prodigy Expertise, if Ravnica is allowed pick Simic background, pick Spike Growth, pick Grappler or Mobile if you feel (depends on your tactic). You have two choices.
- Just Grapple people to keep them in place after someone else (or yourself) shoved them, which is great in tandem with Rogue or Barbarian.
- Work as an "extractor", rushing into enemy group and back with your target, using Longstrider and Zephyr's Strike (works much better with someone Fly-ing or Haste-ing you).
- Work as a lone wolf, dragging particular enemies along the outer perimeter of a Spike Growth while you smack on them (possibly with advantage with Grappler). This also requires mobility, especially if you want to plant Spike Growth further away from melee to avoid bothering your pal friends.
Best way would obviously be having Haste or Fly upon you from someone else, and/or Cunning Action from Rogue dips, but this would mean optimizing build for it, which is overkill for you a priori.

2. Spy: Keen Mind + Observant + possibly Ritual Caster: Bard:
- Speak with Animals + Comprehend Languages allow you to understand all spoken languages,
- Observant means just reading lips (or similar) is enough to comprehend them,
- Keen Mind means not only you 100% memorize everything you understand, but also anything you see and hear that you didn't understand at the time (so even if you see for example a cipher, provided it didn't require specific conditions you couldn't see, you can replicate it so someone else can take care of it. If you have a Tome Warlock or a Wizard, it also means you can act as a proxy for them to learn spells).
- Beast Sense (Ranger) means you can use any animal as a proxy to use the aforementioned, and what is more innocent than a true, mundane squirrel/cat/mouse wandering around?

If your party (DM included) respects the three pillars of 5e, you could actually take care of two of them nearly alone. Because raw information > most everything. But even better would be simply be in charge of initial information-gathering, then push as needed towards Rogue (Expert in infiltration/thievery), Bard (Expert in social confrontations), and in general everyone (sharing enemy weaknesses or strategy ahead).

NOTE: This combo is theorically better than any martial combination, any caster combination, any everything in fact (I brushed the surface here, but there are many other ways to push it much further). But it requires the DM to be ready to up his game by several orders of magnitude as far as giving depth to his world, AND either you or him (preferably you) to accurately keep notes (or him aggreeing to waive any call to remember if he thinks that information you're talking about would have been something you got naturally when spying/etc).
---> This can be as game-breaking as Wish, but requires lots of work to avoid frustration on either you or DM part. (edit: this is even more true now that they added the Harry Potter's copyrighted "pensieve"-like cantrip Encode Thoughts).

3. Versatility Master: Sharpshooter + Dual Wielder: whatever happens on the field, you have optimal way to deal with it: better used on a STR build though (if you go DEX, it's usually easy enough to switch from melee to bow/xbow): great if you want to use whatever magic weapon you gets hands upon, or if you'd like to try a STR guy.

Besides those three, any combination of feats that fits martials or half-casters will suit you. :)
EDIT: I'm sure there are many other great and crazy combinations using UA feats, but I don't have them memorized and no time to compulse them right now. :)

[Throne12]

Pick up magic initiative the cantrips thronwhip, and shape water first lv spell is entangled.

Thronwhip for control pulling the enemy back in the melee mosh pit that you and the other melee party members are creating. I pick shape water cause I don't see it get used a lot and want to give you something to get creative with. Entangled should be obvious.

[Citan]

Pick up Magic Initiate:Druid, choosing the cantrips Thorns Whip, and Shape Water. First lvl spell you choose should be Entangle.

Thronwhip for control pulling the enemy back in the melee mosh pit that you and the other melee party members are creating. I pick shape water cause I don't see it get used a lot and want to give you something to get creative with. Entangled should be obvious.
I hope you won't mind me rewording a bit your post for clarity. :)

Also I disagree on Entangle. As a Ranger, OP will probably max DEX (or STR) first. Rangers can learn Ensnaring Strike. Entangle as some advantages on its effect (AOE, STR *saves* instead of checks to escape past first round) but it is a WIS-based spell and takes an action.
I'd rather suggest Faerie Fire as a first level spell.
- DEX save (so something actually fairly different from what Ranger can learn).
- lasts all duration (no additional save past the first).
- lasts even if enemy moves away and prevents invisibility.
(- when upcast, can twart Darkness but sadly doesn't apply as a Magic Initiate spell).

[Throne12]

I hope you won't mind me rewording a bit your post for clarity. :)

Also I disagree on Entangle. As a Ranger, OP will probably max DEX (or STR) first. Rangers can learn Ensnaring Strike. Entangle as some advantages on its effect (AOE, STR *saves* instead of checks to escape past first round) but it is a WIS-based spell and takes an action.
I'd rather suggest Faerie Fire as a first level spell.
- DEX save (so something actually fairly different from what Ranger can learn).
- lasts all duration (no additional save past the first).
- lasts even if enemy moves away and prevents invisibility.
(- when upcast, can twart Darkness but sadly doesn't apply as a Magic Initiate spell).

I though about fairly fire but I have a bad taste left in my mouth from the spell because one it also effects you and any party member Caught with in range. And I've never been able for it to stick on anything everything I used it. But that second one is just my bias opinion.

[Citan]

I though about fairly fire but I have a bad taste left in my mouth from the spell because one it also effects you and any party member Caught with in range. And I've never been able for it to stick on anything everything I used it. But that second one is just my bias opinion.
There is certainly the matter of potential friendly fire. Although I would argue it's more or less the same with Entangle, or worse. While the save itself is really depending on party (a Rogue will not fear Faerie Fire while a Barbarian will laugh at Entangle), the difficult terrain itself can be a boon or a curse depending on the conditions when you cast it (even a Barbarian with his bonus speed won't like that much if he has to cross the area).

Actually, that may be a reason to pick Entangle over Faerie Fire now that I think about it: if what you want is primarily a cheap an reasonably large difficult terrain to help crowd control, considering the restrain as a bonus: in which case, the slightly better range (30 feet more) makes it easier to plan. :)

As a final note on friendly fire, I'd argue that a Ranger, at least classic one going DEX, has a small-to-decent chance of getting higher Initiative than pals depending on party composition, which also helps avoiding friendly fire. :)

Aside from that, I'm sad for you to never have gotten any good use of it, if that can ease you, I have the same trainwrecked feeling about so many spells actually (Polymorph, Blindness, Banishment etc). It's rare though that I miss *all* targets on an AOE effect, but I don't use them unless I have at least 3 creatures so that may come from that. ^^

[djreynolds]

A hunter ranger dual wield is very good, I like it.

Twin short swords or scimitars is fine.

I'm recommending you use a dagger in your off hand, this way you can use hail of thorns. I like hunter's mark also. You can use hail of thorns with a thrown dagger, good spell to concentrate on. The damage can be extensive, 1d10 to every enemy in range from where the dagger or arrow hits.

The big issue is how your DM rules when you cast a spell S&B or TWF, can you do it with both hands? Do you have sheath your weapon? Some DMs may give a ranger a pass, and not make them take war caster.

So sometimes while moving into melee you may not have your weapon drawn so you can cast and free interaction and draw your weapon. That's why hunter's mark is so appealing because it last an hour, so you can cast well before you think combat is coming around the corner. And its a bonus action to move... no hand wiggling.