Creating a Ranger

As you create your ranger character, consider how you developed your knowledge of the wilderness and its untamed magic. Were you trained as part of a formal order of monster-hunters or border patrols, or as a guardian to a druidic circle more versed in mysticism than bladework? Or perhaps you were an apprentice, trained in the path of the ranger by a wandering mentor? Did you leave your apprenticeship, or was your mentor slain? You might be self-taught, a recluse who learned combat skills, tracking, and even developed a connection to the spirits of the wild through sheer necessity.

Is your adventuring career a continuation of your work in protecting the borderlands? What made you join up with a band of adventurers? Do you find it challenging to teach new allies the ways of the wild, or do you welcome the relief from solitude that they offer?

Quick Build

You can make a ranger quickly by following these suggestions. First, make Dexterity your highest ability score, followed by Wisdom. Some rangers who focus on two-weapon fighting make Strength higher than Dexterity. Second, choose the outlander background.

Class Features

Hit Points

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• Hit Dice: 1d10 per ranger level
• Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + your Constitution modifier.
• Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + your Constitution modifier per ranger level after 1st

Proficiencies

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• Armor: Light armor, medium armor, shields
• Weapons: Simple weapons, martial weapons
• Saving Throws: Strength, Dexterity
• Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Equipment

You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:

• (a) scale mail or (b) leather armor
• (a) two short swords or (b) two simple melee weapons
• (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
• A longbow and a quiver of 20 arrows

Natural Explorer

You are a master of exploration, and receive the following benefits:

• Difficult terrain doesn't slow your movement.
• You can't become lost except by magical means. You have advantage on saving throws against such magic.
• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking), you remain alert to danger.
• If you forage or scavenge, you find twice as much food or other resources as you normally would.
• You can spend up to 15 minutes engaged in strenuous activity — walking, fighting, casting spells, or similar adventuring activity — during a short rest and still receive the benefits of a short rest.

While travelling for an hour or more, you can extend this feature's benefits to your group (maximum ten creatures).

Primeval Awareness

Each time you complete a long rest, you can focus on a single type of creature other than humanoid (e.g. beast, dragon, ooze) or a single race of humanoid (e.g. elf, goblinoid, human). Until you next complete a long rest, you have advantage on Wisdom checks to find and assess such creatures, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.

While you are tracking creatures of this type, the DM should relay detailed information such as their exact number, their sizes, their mood, and how long ago they passed through the area.

You can also communicate with the type of creature you are focusing on, even if you do not share a language. You can only convey and understand simple ideas using this feature.

Ambuscade

Starting at 2nd level, your honed senses grant you advantage on initiative rolls. In addition, you have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn't taken a turn in the combat yet.

Fighting Style

At 2nd level, you adopt a particular style of fighting as your specialty. Choose one of the following options. You can’t take a Fighting Style option more than once, even if you later get to choose again.

Archery

You gain a +2 bonus on attack rolls you make with ranged weapons.

Defense

While you are wearing armor, you gain a +1 bonus to AC.

Dueling

When you are wielding a melee weapon in one hand and no other weapons, you gain a +2 bonus to damage rolls with that weapon.

Great Weapon Fighting

When you roll a 1 or 2 on a damage die for an attack you make with a melee weapon that you are wielding with two hands, you can reroll the die and must use the new roll. The weapon must have the Two-Handed or Versatile property for you to gain this benefit.

Two-Weapon Fighting

When you engage in two-weapon fighting, you can add your ability modifier to the damage of the second attack.

Spellcasting

By the time you reach 2nd level, you have learned sufficient natural lore to cast spells. See chapter 10 for the general rules of spellcasting and the end of this class description for the Ranger spell list.

Cantrips

You know two cantrips of your choice from the ranger spell list. You learn additional ranger cantrips of your choice at higher levels, as shown in the Cantrips Known column.

Spell Slots

The Ranger table shows how many spell slots you have to cast your spells of 1st level and higher. To cast one of these spells, you must expend a slot of the spell’s level or higher. You regain all expended spell slots when you finish a long rest.

For example, if you know the 1st-level spell animal friendship and have a 1st-level and a 2nd level spell slot available, you can cast animal friendship using either slot.

Spells Known of 1st Level and Higher

You know two 1st-level spells of your choice from the ranger spell list.

The Spells Known column of the Ranger table shows when you learn more ranger spells of your choice. Each of these spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. For instance, when you reach 5th level in this class, you can learn one new spell of 1st or 2nd level.

Additionally, when you gain a level in this class, you can choose one of the ranger spells you know and replace it with another spell from the ranger spell list, which also must be of a level for which you have spell slots.

Spellcasting Ability

Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for your ranger spells, since your magic draws on your attunement to nature. You use your Wisdom whenever a spell refers to your spellcasting ability. In addition, you use your Wisdom modifier when setting the saving throw DC for a ranger spell you cast and when making an attack roll with one.

Spell save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Spell attack modifier = your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Ritual Casting

You can cast any ranger spell as a ritual if that spell has the ritual tag. You do not need to know the spell, but it must be of a level you could cast normally.

Ranger Conclave

Also at 3rd level, you choose to emulate the ideals of a ranger conclave: the Beast Conclave, the Hunter Conclave, or the Stalker Conclave, detailed at the end of the class description. Your choice grants you Conclave Spells, as well as other features at 3rd level, and again at 7th, 11th, and 15th level.

Conclave Spells

Each conclave has a list of spells — its conclave spells — that you gain at the Ranger levels noted in its description. Once you gain a conclave spell, it counts as a ranger spell for you but doesn’t count against the number of spells you know.

Ability Score Improvement

When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Versatile Focus

At 10th level, you learn to conserve and refocus your magic. You can cast any ranger spell you know at its lowest level without expending a spell slot, provided that doing so would end a ranger spell of a higher spell level that you are already concentrating on.

The spell you end cannot have been cast as a ritual, and must have a maximum duration of at least 1 minute.

Wayfarer

When you reach 14th level, you become a true master of your environment. You gain the following benefits:

• You have advantage on saving throws against poison, disease, and natural hazards.
• You can hold your breath for up to an hour.
• You gain a climbing speed and a swimming speed equal to your walking speed.
• You no longer need to sleep. To gain the benefits of a long rest, you can spend all 8 hours engaged in light activity, such as standing watch.

Feral Senses

At 18th level, you gain preternatural senses that help you fight creatures you can't see. While you aren't blinded or deafened, you have blindsight out to a range of 30 feet.

Foe Slayer

At 20th level, you become an unparalleled hunter. Each time you make an attack, you can add your Wisdom modifier to either the attack roll or the damage roll. You can choose to use this feature before or after the roll, but must decide before any effects of the roll are applied.

Ranger Conclaves

Hunter Conclave

Some rangers seek to master weapons to better protect civilization from the terrors of the wilderness. Members of the Hunter Conclave learn specialized fighting techniques for use against the most dire threats, from rampaging ogres and hordes of orcs to towering giants and terrifying dragons.

Hunter Spells

Ranger Level	Spells
3rd	Wrathful Smite
5th	Branding Smite
9th	Elemental Weapon
13th	Elemental Bane
17th	Banishing Smite

Hunter's Prey

At 3rd level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

Colossus Slayer. Your tenacity can wear down the most potent foes. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 damage if it is below its hit point maximum. You can deal this extra damage only once per turn.

Giant Killer. When a Large or larger creature within 5 feet of you hits or misses you with an attack, you can use your reaction to attack that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature.

Horde Breaker. Once on each of your turns when you make a weapon attack, you can make another attack with the same weapon against a different creature that is within 5 feet of the original target and within range of your weapon.

Defensive Tactics

At 7th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

Escape the Horde. Opportunity attacks against you are made with disadvantage.

Multiattack Defense. When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain +4 bonus to AC against all subsequent attacks made by that creature for the rest of the turn.

Steel Will. You have advantage on saving throws against being frightened.

Multiattack

At 11th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

Volley. You can use your action to make a ranged attack against any number of creatures within 10 feet of a point you can see within your weapon's range. You must have ammunition for each target, as normal, and you make a separate attack roll for each target.

Whirlwind Attack. You can use your action to make a melee attack against any number of creatures within 5 feet of you, with a separate attack roll for each target.

Superior Hunter's Defense

At 15th level, you gain one of the following features of your choice.

Evasion. You can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragons fiery breath or a lightning bolt spell. When you are subjected to an effect that allows you to make a Dexterity saving throw to only take half damage, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw and only half damage if you fail.

Stand Against the Tide. When a hostile creature misses you with a melee attack, you can use your reacion to force that creature to repeat the same attack against another creature (other than itself) of your choice.

Uncanny Dodge. When an attacker that you can see hits you with an attack, you can use your reaction to halve the attack's damage against you.

Beast Conclave

Many rangers are more at home in the wilds than in civilization, to the point where animals consider them kin. Rangers of the Beast Conclave develop a close bond with a beast, then further strengthen that bond through the use of magic.

Beast Spells

Ranger Level	Spells
3rd	Find Familiar
5th	Find Companion
9th	Conjure Animals
13th	Death Ward
17th	Geas

Companion's Bond

Starting at 3rd level, whenever you summon or create a creature using a ranger spell, that creature can use your proficiency bonus instead of its own.

The creature gains additional benefits if you form a lasting magical bond with it when you cast the spell, such as with the find familiar spell:

• The creature's hit point maximum is increased by an amount equal to three times your ranger level.
• The creature adds your proficiency bonus to its AC and its damage rolls.
• The creature gains proficiency in all saving throws.
• The creature can use your ranger spell save DC in place of the normal save DC for any of its abilities.
• The creature gains the benefits of your Natural Explorer, Ambuscade, Wayfarer, and Feral Senses features.

These benefits last until the bond ends. Such creatures are referred to in later features as bonded creatures.

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Mystical Link

Starting at 7th level, magic flows naturally through your conjured companions. Whenever you summon or create a creature using a ranger spell, it receives these benefits:

• The damage from its natural weapons is considered magical for the purpose of overcoming immunity and resistance to nonmagical attacks and damage.
• When you cast a spell with a range of touch or self while within 100 feet of such a creature, you can deliver the effect through that creature. The range and target of the spell is determined as though the creature cast it.
• While you are touching such a creature, you can make any spell you cast that targets only you also target one such creature.

Aura of Protection

Also at 7th level, your bonded creatures develop an aura of protection. Whenever the bonded creature or a friendly creature within 5 feet of it must make a saving throw, the creature gains a bonus to the saving throw equal to your Charisma modifier (minimum bonus +1). The bonded creature must be conscious to grant this bonus.

At 15th level, the range of this aura increases to 15 feet.

Primal Partnership

At 11th level, once per round, when a bonded creature makes an attack, it can mark its target for a single friendly creature it can see. That creature has advantage on attack rolls against the marked target, until the start of the bonded creature's next turn.

Bestial Bulwark

Starting at 15th level, once per round, when an attacker that a bonded creature can see hits a creature within 5 feet of it with an attack, the bonded creature can use its reaction to halve the attack’s damage against it.

Stalker Conclave

Most folk descend into the depths of the darkness only under the most pressing conditions, undertaking some desperate quest or following the promise of vast riches. All too often, evil festers beneath the earth unnoticed, hiding in its shadowy corners. Rangers of the Stalker Conclave strive to uncover and defeat such threats before they can reach the light of day.

Stalker Spells

Ranger Level	Spells
3rd	Disguise Self
5th	Invisibility
9th	Nondetection
13th	Greater Invisibility
17th	Mislead

Swift Strike

At 3rd level, you master the art of the ambush. On your first turn during combat, you gain a +10 bonus to your speed, and if you use the Attack action, you can make one additional attack.

Lurker

Also at 3rd level, you become adept at evading creatures that rely on darkvision. Such creatures gain no benefit when attempting to detect you in dark and dim conditions. Additionally, when the DM determines if you can hide from a creature, that creature gains no benefit from its darkvision.

Iron Mind

At 7th level, you gain proficiency in Wisdom saving throws.

Stalker's Flurry

Starting at 11th level, once on each of your turns when you miss with an attack, you can make another attack.

Stalker's Dodge

At 15th level, whenever a creature attacks you and does not have advantage, you can use your reaction to impose disadvantage on the creature’s attack roll against you. You can use this feature before or after the attack roll is made, but it must be used before the outcome of the roll is determined.

Ranger Spell List

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• ✝ = Xanathar's Guide to Everything

Cantrips

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• Burst Strike (New Spell)
• Create Bonfire ✝
• Dancing Lights
• Druidcraft
• Fang Strike (New Spell)
• Flux Strike (New Spell)
• Gust ✝
• Mending
• Message
• Mist Strike (New Spell)
• Primal Savagery ✝
• Shillelagh
• Storm Strike (New Spell)
• Thorn Whip
• Thunderclap ✝
• Wind Strike (New Spell)
• Winter Strike (New Spell)

Level 1

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• Absorb Elements
• Alarm
• Animal Friendship
• Beast Bond ✝
• Campfire's Blessing (New Spell)
• Cure Wounds
• Detect Magic
• Detect Poison and Disease
• Ensnaring Strike
• Entangle
• Expeditious Retreat
• Faerie Fire
• Feymake (New Spell)
• Fog Cloud
• Goodberry
• Hail of Thorns
• Hunter's Mark
• Illusory Script
• Jump
• Longstrider
• Purify Food and Drink
• Snare ✝
• Speak With Animals
• Zephyr Strike ✝

Level 2

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• Alter Self
• Animal Messenger
• Barkskin
• Beast Sense
• Cordon of Arrows
• Darkness
• Darkvision
• Dust Devil
• Earthbind
• Enhance Ability

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Level 2 (cont.)

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• Elemental Flint (New Spell)
• Find Companion (New Spell)
• Find Traps
• Flame Blade
• Gust of Wind
• Healing Spirit ✝
• Lesser Restoration
• Locate Animals or Plants
• Locate Object
• Natural Remedy (New Spell)
• Pass without Trace
• Protection from Poison
• See Invisibility
• Silence
• Skywrite ✝
• Spider Climb
• Spike Growth
• Stalker's Step (New Spell)
• Warding Wind
• Web

Level 3

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• Conjure Animals
• Conjure Barrage
• Daylight
• Elemental Lacquer (New Spell)
• Elemental Weapon
• Feign Death
• Lightning Arrow
• Meld Into Stone
• Nondetection
• Phantom Steed
• Plant Growth
• Protection from Energy
• Sleet Storm
• Speak with Plants
• Stinking Cloud
• Water Breathing
• Water Walk
• Wind Wall

Level 4

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• Conjure Woodland Beings
• Dominate Beast
• Elemental Bane
• Freedom of Movement
• Grasping Vine
• Guardian of Nature✝
• Locate Creature
• Stoneskin

Level 5

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• Awaken
• Commune With Nature
• Conjure Volley
• Steel Wind Strike✝
• Swift Quiver
• Tree Stride
• Wrath of Nature✝

New Ranger Spells

Burst Strike

Evocation cantrip – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, M (a weapon)
• Duration: 1 round

You suffuse your weapon with power drawn from the earth's molten depths. Once when you hit a creature with a weapon attack during the spell’s duration, you can release this power. If the target is no more than one size category larger than you, it is pushed up to 10 feet away from you.

In addition, once on your turn during this spell's duration, you can engage in two-weapon fighting without using a bonus action.

At 5th level, the weapon attack deals an extra 1d6 fire damage to the target. This extra damage increases at 11th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

Campfire's Blessing

1st level transmutation (ritual) – (Druid, Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: Touch
• Components: S, M (strips of cloth)
• Duration: 1 hour

This spell enhances the natural healing of your wounded allies. Choose up to ten creatures that you must tend to throughout the casting of the spell. Until the spell ends, if any of these creatures regain hit points at the end of a short rest by spending one or more Hit Dice, they each regain additional hit points equal to your spellcasting modifier.

Elemental Flint

2nd level transmutation (ritual) – (Artificer, Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: Touch
• Components: S, M (coarse paper)
• Duration: 8 hours

Choose a number of weapons up to your spellcasting ability modifier that you must touch throughout the casting of the spell. For the spell's duration, these weapons receive one of the following benefits (your choice):

• The weapons count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
• Choose one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison or thunder. The weapon deals damage of the chosen type, instead of its normal type, when it hits.

Elemental Lacquer

3rd level transmutation (ritual) – (Artificer, Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 minute
• Range: Touch
• Components: S, M (resin and insect shells)
• Duration: Instantaneous

Choose a number of creatures up to your spellcasting ability modifier that you must touch throughout the casting of the spell, and one of the following damage types: acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison or thunder.

These creatures gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your character level + your spellcasting ability modifier. Temporary hit points provided by this spell can only be depleted by damage of the chosen type — other types of damage instead damage the creature's hit points normally.

A creature cannot receive temporary hit points from this spell again until it has finished a long rest.

Fang Strike

Necromancy cantrip – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self (30-foot radius)
• Components: V, M (a weapon)
• Duration: 1 round

You draw a ravenous hunter's spirit into your weapon. Once when you hit a creature with a weapon attack during the spell’s duration, you can unleash this spirit to spur on another creature of your choice within 30 feet of the target. That creature can immediately use its reaction to move up to 10 feet toward the target, without provoking opportunity attacks.

In addition, once on your turn during this spell's duration, you can engage in two-weapon fighting without using a bonus action.

At 5th level, the weapon attack deals an extra 1d4 necrotic damage to the target. This extra damage increases at 11th level (2d4) and 17th level (3d4).

Feymake

1st level transmutation (ritual) – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 5 feet
• Components: S, M (a plate of milk)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You call fey spirits into raw materials and objects within range, which improvise a nonmagical set of tools of your choice (e.g. thieves' tools, a climber's kit, cook's utensils). The tool falls apart and becomes unusable when the spell ends.

Alternatively, your fey helpers can improvise one of the following from materials and objects within range: a simple weapon, 2d6 pieces of ammunition, a suit of light armor, a shield, or a nonmagical item worth no more than 5 gp. The object you create must be Medium or smaller (contained within a single 5-foot cube), and falls apart after 8 hours.

Objects improvised with this spell are clearly of low quality, formed from a patchwork of materials and objects.

Flux Strike

Transmutation cantrip – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, M (a weapon)
• Duration: 1 round

You lace your weapon with wild, corrosive essence. Once when you hit a creature with a weapon attack during the spell’s duration, you can mark the target with this essence. The next time another creature hits the target with an attack before the spell ends, the spell inflicts an extra 1d6 acid damage.

In addition, once on your turn during this spell's duration, you can engage in two-weapon fighting without using a bonus action.

The extra damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Find Companion

2nd-level conjuration (ritual) – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 hour
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (20gp of sacred food and herbs, which your companion consumes)
• Duration: Instantaneous

You bond with a companion spirit that takes the shape of an unnaturally intelligent and loyal animal. Appearing in an unoccupied space within range, your companion has a form that you choose, such as an ape, a black bear, a boar, a giant badger, a giant weasel, a mule, a panther, or a wolf (your DM might allow other Medium or smaller beasts with a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower to be summoned as companions).

• The companion has the statistics of the chosen form, but loses its Multiattack action, if it has one, and is a celestial, fey, or fiend (your choice) instead of a beast.
• If your companion has an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence is 8, and it can understand one language that you speak. Additionally, while it is within 100 feet of you, you can communicate with it telepathically.
• Your companion acts independently, but always obeys your commands, and you determine its decisions, attitudes, and so on, as you would your player character. In combat, it rolls its own initiative and acts on its own turn.

When your companion drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, leaving behind no physical form. You can also dismiss your companion at any time as an action, causing it to disappear. In either case, casting this spell again summons the same companion, restored to its hit point maximum.

You can't have more than one creature bonded by this spell, find steed or find greater steed at the same time. If you cast this spell while you already have such a companion, you can instead cause it to adopt a new form chosen from the above list.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can summon a stronger creature: challenge rating 1 or lower at 3rd level, and challenge rating 2 or lower (Large or smaller) at 4th level.

Mist Strike

Illusion cantrip – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, M (a weapon)
• Duration: 1 round

You infuse your weapon with a fey mist. Once when you hit a creature with a weapon attack during the spell’s duration, you can release these vapours to distract the target. That creature can't take reactions and has disadvantage on Perception checks until the spell ends.

In addition, once on your turn during this spell's duration, you can engage in two-weapon fighting without using a bonus action.

At 5th level, the weapon attack deals an extra 1d6 poison damage to the target. This extra damage increases at 11th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

Natural Remedy

2nd level transmutation (ritual) – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: Touch
• Components: S, M (herbs and animal parts worth at least 10gp per target, which the spell consumes)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Touch a number of creatures up to your spellcasting ability modifier. If you concentrate on this spell for the full duration, you can end either one disease or one condition afflicting these creatures. The condition can be blinded, deafened, paralyzed, or poisoned. You must remove the same disease or condition from all targets.

Stalker's Step

2nd-level illusion

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• Casting Time: 1 action – (Druid, Ranger)
• Range: Self
• Components: S, M (a tuft of tiger fur)
• Duration: 1 hour

When you cast this spell in a lightly or heavily obscured area, you become invisible until you make an attack, cast a spell, move more than 5 feet on your turn, or leave a lightly or heavily obscured area.

Until the spell ends, you can use an action at the start of your turn to become invisible again if you are lightly or heavily obscured.

Storm Strike

Conjuration cantrip – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, M (a weapon)
• Duration: 1 round

You charge your weapon with a crackling storm-spirit. Once when you hit a creature with a weapon attack during the spell’s duration, you can release this spirit to deal 1d6 lightning damage to a different creature of your choice that you can see within 5 feet of the target.

In addition, once on your turn during this spell's duration, you can engage in two-weapon fighting without using a bonus action.

The extra damage increases by 1d6 when you reach 5th level (2d6), 11th level (3d6), and 17th level (4d6).

Wind Strike

Evocation cantrip – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, M (a melee weapon)
• Duration: 1 round

You call the wind to trace your weapon's edge. Once when you hit a creature with a melee weapon attack during the spell’s duration, you can unleash the wind to move up to 10 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.

In addition, once on your turn during this spell's duration, you can engage in two-weapon fighting without using a bonus action.

At 5th level, the weapon attack deals an extra 1d4 thunder damage to the target. This extra damage increases at 11th level (2d4) and 17th level (3d4).

Winter Strike

Evocation cantrip – (Ranger)

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• Casting Time: 1 bonus action
• Range: Self
• Components: V, M (a weapon)
• Duration: 1 round

You conjure a fey frost to creep across your weapon. Once when you hit a creature with a weapon attack during the spell’s duration, you can release this frost to slow the target. Opportunity attacks against that creature have advantage until the spell ends.

In addition, once on your turn during this spell's duration, you can engage in two-weapon fighting without using a bonus action.

At 5th level, the weapon attack deals an extra 1d6 cold damage to the target. This extra damage increases at 11th level (2d6) and 17th level (3d6).

Design Notes

A quick summary of changes compared to the Unearthed Arcana Revised Ranger:

• Natural Explorer is split between two features. At 1st level, it provides the usual exploration benefits, and at 2nd level a new feature (called Ambuscade) provides its combat benefits. This is to lessen the temptation to "dip" into Ranger as a multiclass.
• Favoured Enemy is called Primeval Awareness, and no longer adds bonus damage. However, it can be re-assigned to a different type of creature with each long rest, allowing rangers to better track their current quarry.
• Fighting Style includes Great Weapon Fighting. Why not? Aragorn used a longsword.
• Spellcasting now grants the Ranger access to cantrips. These are what distinguish them most clearly from Paladins, as the other martial half-caster; they offer a mixture of exploration features like Mending, and original combat spells. These combat cantrips enhance weapon attacks in the style of Paladin Smite spells, offering each Ranger a selection of "free" turn-by-turn tactical options.
• The Ranger now also has access to Rituals. The Ranger doesn't have to know spells to cast them as rituals (similar to the Wizard's ability to cast rituals without preparing). This saves valuable "Spells Known" slots, and means that it can always access rituals as a class-wide "preparation" feature, offering strategic, time-limited benefits – such as elemental attacks with Elemental Flint, or improvised ammunition with Feymake. Natural Explorer also allows the Ranger to cast one of these rituals during a short rest, in a similar style to the "rest" abilities used in Darkest Dungeon, or the Bard's Song of Rest.
• Versatile Focus is a new feature that allows the Ranger to make the most of its limited spell slots, by "reassigning" its concentration to a lower level spell. This encourages the Ranger to commit to powerful area-control concentration spells, knowing they can partly refund them if they need to change mid-battle.
• Wayfarer is a final exploration feature, offering broad resistance to natural hazards and extra movement options.
• Hide in Plain Sight, Vanish, and Fleet of Foot all fell by the wayside. There are spells for each of these, and Versatile Focus now makes it easier to employ them without losing out.
• Conclaves now include five free spells as a matter of course, and the ubiquitous Extra Attack is folded into the main class.
• Hunter has five melee/weapon spells with no other changes, while Stalker has some slight tweaks on its spells to be more assassin/stealth-focused. Beast makes use of the new Find Companion spell to cut down on verbiage, and operates in more of a support role via Aura of Protection and Primal Partnership.