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sandmote
2020-10-02, 02:05 PM
This page on the homebrewery (https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/V7P6h-u3g)

Where the Horizon Walker involves teleportation and extraplanar travel and the Beastmaster focuses on an animal companion, I wanted a specifically mounted ranger subclass. The fluff was then ranger focused on exploring distant reaches. The result is a little all over the place though; benefits mostly support a strafing strategy where you run in for damage and then back out so you can apply pressing motion.

Trailblazer Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Trailblazer Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.

Trailblazer Spells
Ranger Level Feature
3rd Find Familiar Rhino's Rush
5th Find Steed
9th Blink Water Walk
13th Find Greater Steed
17th Teleportation Circle

Charging Blow
At 3rd level, you learn to draw on the energy of your motion to augment your attacks. Once per turn, when you move at least 20 feet toward a creature and them make a melee weapon attack against the creature on the same turn, you deal an additional 1d8 1d6 damage of the weapon's type. If you would gain this benefit and choose to make a shove attempt instead, you gain a 1d4 bonus to your attempt and can push the creature up to 10 feet away on a success.

Stout Steed
When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you can learn to better control a creature you ride. Any A mount you control can ignore any penalty from terrain that would not apply to you, and your mount has advantage on saving throws against being frightened, restrained, or stunned.

You can also control your steed to force your enemies around the battlefield. You may treat yourself as the size of your mount for the purposes of making a shove and escaping a grapple.

Pressing Motion
By 7th level, you can not only improve your own motions but force your enemies to move against their will. If a creature moves at least 20 feet and ends its movement within 5 feet of you before making a melee attack roll, you can use your reaction to turn the creature's momentum against it. Before the creature's attack roll is resolved, make a shove attempt against the creature. On a success the creature enters your space and then you can move it to any position within 5 feet of you. If the original target of the creature's attack is no longer within its reach, the creature must choose a new target or lose the attack.

Starting at 15th level, the creature is also knocked prone.

Combined Blows
At 11th level, your skill as a mounted combatant is such that you can bring your mount to attack even as you control it.

Whenever you take the attack action, you can have your mount make an attack on your turn. This does not count as your mount's action for your turn. You can freely mix together your and your mount's attacks, and you can apply your charging blow feature to your mount's attack.

On the Road Again
At 15th level, your movement speed increases by 10 feet. While controlling a mount, it gains this benefit instead.

Whether mounted or on foot, your travel pace is doubled, as is the travel pace of up to ten companions while they're within 60 feet of you and you're not incapacitated.

Old Harry MTX
2020-10-02, 02:32 PM
Hi sandmote, i suppose that you ar not using the UA Revised Ranger, right? The one with the Extra Attack at 5th level instead of a Ranger Conclave feature?

sandmote
2020-10-02, 04:38 PM
Hi sandmote, i suppose that you ar not using the UA Revised Ranger, right? The one with the Extra Attack at 5th level instead of a Ranger Conclave feature? This is written for the book version, but you should be able to just add extra attack as part of the subclass at 5th level to convert to the UA revision. There's also my homebrew version (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?592451-Sandmote-s-Ranger-Fixes-(PEACH)), which should also be compatible with this.

I don't use the UA version though, so please let me know if some of the language here would be a problem to convert.

BigDumbYak
2020-10-02, 10:08 PM
Deffinately like the idea of a mounted ranger but I've got a couple of questions on your design:



Trailblazer Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Trailblazer Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.

Trailblazer Spells
Ranger Level Feature
3rd Find Familiar
5th Find Steed
9th Blink
13th Find Greater Steed
17th Teleportation Circle


What's the lore reasoning behind find familiar? Only way I can make sense of it is that its like a magical 'ranger bond' to a creature. Which seems to rest more in the general ranger camp than the outrider ranger camp of features. But those Find Steeds are absolutely perfect.



Charging Blow
At 3rd level, you learn to draw on the energy of your motion to augment your attacks. Once per turn, when you move at least 20 feet toward a creature and them make a melee weapon attack against the creature on the same turn, you deal an additional 1d8 damage of the weapon's type. If you would gain this benefit and choose to make a shove attempt instead, gaining a 1d4 bonus to your attempt and can push the creature up to 10 feet away on a success.


Cool idea but at clvl 3 1d8 might be too high. The Battlemaster gets the same d8 superiority dice but only has 4 of them. Granted they do get them back pretty easy so maybe short rest = 20' move condition. Only other thought is maybe just turn it into advantage, both on the attack (greater chance for crit hit to improve damage) and on the shove check. Also, is there a size limit of the creature that can be pushed?



Combined Blows
At 11th level, your skill as a mounted combatant is such that you can bring your mount to attack even as you control it.

Whenever you take the attack action, you can have your mount make an attack on your turn. This does not count as your mount's action for your turn. You can freely mix together your and your mount's attacks, and you can apply your charging blow feature to your mount's attack.


YES! This may be my inner warhammer nerd talking but let that horse stomp and bite as the ranger wheels their sword around!

Old Harry MTX
2020-10-03, 03:48 AM
This is written for the book version, but you should be able to just add extra attack as part of the subclass at 5th level to convert to the UA revision. There's also my homebrew version (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?592451-Sandmote-s-Ranger-Fixes-(PEACH)), which should also be compatible with this.

I don't use the UA version though, so please let me know if some of the language here would be a problem to convert.

I was asking because, since I like the concept of this subclass, I would love to see an additional subclass feature in place of an Extra Attack for the 5th level ^^

sandmote
2020-10-03, 01:28 PM
What's the lore reasoning behind find familiar? Only way I can make sense of it is that its like a magical 'ranger bond' to a creature. Which seems to rest more in the general ranger camp than the outrider ranger camp of features. But those Find Steeds are absolutely perfect. I was thinking a familiar would be useful for exploration, given the fluff is about the ranger traveling. However, I wrote a Rhino's Rush spell as part of my previous ranger fix:


Rhino's Rush
1st-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: self
Components: V
Duration: 1 round

If you move at least 25 feet straight toward a creature and then hit it with a melee weapon attack before the end of your text turn, that target takes an additional 2d10 weapon damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to your spellcasting modifier or be knocked prone.

(Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer)

Would it fit better?


Cool idea but at clvl 3 1d8 might be too high. The Battlemaster gets the same d8 superiority dice but only has 4 of them. Granted they do get them back pretty easy so maybe short rest = 20' move condition. Only other thought is maybe just turn it into advantage, both on the attack (greater chance for crit hit to improve damage) and on the shove check. Also, is there a size limit of the creature that can be pushed? The comparison should probably be to the Hunter, Horizon Walker and Monster Slayer ranger archetypes instead. A reduction to 1d6 probably fits better though.

This shove attempt works according to the same rules as any other, and uses the same limits:



The target must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach.
However, this does make me wonder: would it be okay to let you substitute the size of your mount for your own size? This would let you shove larger creatures with your reaction.

Oh, and I need to clean up the language.


I was asking because, since I like the concept of this subclass, I would love to see an additional subclass feature in place of an Extra Attack for the 5th level ^^ I think combined blows is a bit too strong to grant at 5th level, but the only idea off he top of my head is to grant it early and then add a buff at 11th. That said, I am horrifically bad at writing 5th level features.

Old Harry MTX
2020-10-03, 01:55 PM
I was thinking a familiar would be useful for exploration, given the fluff is about the ranger traveling. However, I wrote a Rhino's Rush spell as part of my previous ranger fix:


Rhino's Rush
1st-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: self
Components: V
Duration: 1 round

If you move at least 25 feet straight toward a creature and then hit it with a melee weapon attack before the end of your text turn, that target takes an additional 2d10 weapon damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to your spellcasting modifier or be knocked prone.

(Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer)

Would it fit better?

Not bad. Alternatively I would introduce the ability to cast Find Steed as a 1st-level spell, using a 1st-level spell slot, with the casting time increased by 10 minutes, same as a ritual.


I think combined blows is a bit too strong to grant at 5th level, but the only idea off he top of my head is to grant it early and then add a buff at 11th. That said, I am horrifically bad at writing 5th level features.

I don't know, IMHO 5th level features are the best. At 5th level, you have the first major power boost, but you are still sufficent in an early phase to introduce new mechanics. And if the feature comes out too strong, you can always tweak it (reducing the die, or the number of uses) and add an improved version at higher levels...

BigDumbYak
2020-10-04, 09:56 AM
Rhino's Rush
1st-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: self
Components: V
Duration: 1 round

If you move at least 25 feet straight toward a creature and then hit it with a melee weapon attack before the end of your text turn, that target takes an additional 2d10 weapon damage and must succeed on a Strength saving throw with a DC equal to your spellcasting modifier or be knocked prone.

(Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer)



Totally, unless the Ranger already gets it (based upon your footer notation). As for the shove, heck yeah use the mount size! More reason to have a big, powerful mount!

sandmote
2020-10-04, 08:12 PM
Not bad. Alternatively I would introduce the ability to cast Find Steed as a 1st-level spell, using a 1st-level spell slot, with the casting time increased by 10 minutes, same as a ritual. I'd rather have a short period requiring a mundane mount. Gives more room to scale.


I don't know, IMHO 5th level features are the best. At 5th level, you have the first major power boost, but you are still sufficent in an early phase to introduce new mechanics. And if the feature comes out too strong, you can always tweak it (reducing the die, or the number of uses) and add an improved version at higher levels... I mean, the only level to come close to 5th it 11th, and I don't think it quite matches up either. If I come up with a fitting concept I'll add it.


Totally, unless the Ranger already gets it (based upon your footer notation). Actually, I really shouldn't give out spells that are all otherwise unavailable to a ranger, and so I'll add rhino's rush and replace Blink.