Ranger's know spells questions

[huginn]

I am unclear as to why once a ranger picks what spells they know they cant change them until they level and if they rep;lace a spell then they forget howq to cast the old one.

As amount of spells know do players feel they are about right too high or too low?

I am trying a ranger for the first time and I like to know what the rational is

[Arkhios]

I am unclear as to why once a ranger picks what spells they know they cant change them until they level and if they rep;lace a spell then they forget howq to cast the old one.

As amount of spells know do players feel they are about right too high or too low?

I am trying a ranger for the first time and I like to know what the rational is

Honestly, there is no logical answer that would make any sense to why you would "forget how to cast a spell you previously knew well", but them's the rules.
Obviously, it's impossible for us to tell what the designers had in mind. We can only make enlightened guesses.

For whatever it's worth, bards, fighters (eldritch knight), rogues (arcane trickster), sorcerers, and warlocks are treated the same way in regards to their spells known, so rest assured, ranger isn't somehow special in this regard.

All in all, my advice would be not to worry about it too much. While you know only a few spells, that you can't swap very often, you'll still have just as many spell slots as a paladin does (fun fact: you'll get just as many spell slots of 1st through 5th level as any other spellcaster ever will; you just reach them slower).

[SpawnOfMorbo]

Try remembering every rule for 1e, 2e, 3e, 4e, and 5e D&D. Oh, and Pathfinder 1e and 2e. Throw in 13th Age.

Every. Rule.

Spells are like that. You may be able to remember the rules for one or two of the systems, but all of them? Much more difficult.

Rangers use their wisdom to store the capacity to know a spell (because mechanics). When you go from 2e to 5e, you're bound to forget things about 2e.

That's why a Ranger can forget a spell.

Also, magic.

[Contrast]

I am trying a ranger for the first time and I like to know what the rational is

I would assume the rationale is that they wanted ranger to be a martial class with a few magic tricks, rather than like a wizard who hordes magical knowledge to provide a spell for every occasion.

Its also worth saying that the ranger spell list has a couple of very good spells and quite a lot of mediocre/bad ones in my opinion. Taking into account your limited spell slots, for my money the restriction isn't actually impacting their power level that much.

[Chronos]

I'm playing a ranger. In my experience, the limited spells known is an annoyance... but only a minor one. I've mostly got the spells I'd want to have, and having more spells would make me more useful in some situations, but the spells I have are already useful. I think that's probably a pretty good place to be, balance-wise: Characters should have limitations, but should still have good options even within those limitations.

[Millstone85]

I would assume the rationale is that they wanted ranger to be a martial class with a few magic tricks, rather than like a wizard who hordes magical knowledge to provide a spell for every occasion.I would have preferred if they had treated the ranger the same as the paladin. Spells prepared each day from the full class list, by virtue of being a divine spellcaster.

[Khrysaes]

I would assume the rationale is that they wanted ranger to be a martial class with a few magic tricks, rather than like a wizard who hordes magical knowledge to provide a spell for every occasion.

Its also worth saying that the ranger spell list has a couple of very good spells and quite a lot of mediocre/bad ones in my opinion. Taking into account your limited spell slots, for my money the restriction isn't actually impacting their power level that much.

Who knows. In 3.5 edition they prepared spells. It makes no sense that they know spells, and they know the least amount of spells in the game, even less than an Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight, who also get cantrips, at least, in just PHB. I haven't looked at Xanathar's recently, they get free spells.

[KorvinStarmast]

I would have preferred if they had treated the ranger the same as the paladin. Spells prepared each day from the full class list, by virtue of being a divine spellcaster.

Ditto: they are both divine casters. :smallcool:

[SpawnOfMorbo]

I would have preferred if they had treated the ranger the same as the paladin. Spells prepared each day from the full class list, by virtue of being a divine spellcaster.

Not me.

Spellcasters get too much leeway, even in 5e, the Paladin should have been like the Ranger.

[jas61292]

Not me.

Spellcasters get too much leeway, even in 5e, the Paladin should have been like the Ranger.

I'm of the same opinion. Paladin is, regardless of how their spells work, one of the strongest classes in the game. But they are a martial melee class with a few magical tricks. They should have also been limited in what those tricks are, like the Ranger, not the other way around.