Council of Wyrms: Class Considerations for Magic Flying Reptiles

In this entry, I'll be talking about my ideas for how the classes in the Player's Handbook interface with dragon player characters. I don't feel that completely new, specialized classes were necessary. Most work pretty nicely as-is, though there are some caveats.

The biggest challenges I faced were making the call to outright restrict things (monks) while allowing others (rogues). I believe a restriction was the right call where I did make it though. Whether by a complete physiological conundrum or a complete overshadowing of an archetype's shtick, some things just didn't make sense to allow.

The claws of dragons, while fairly dexterous, cannot hold weapons or tools in any useful manner. Likewise, their natural defenses render armor moot. As such, any class’s weapon, armor, and tool proficiencies are ignored for dragons. They do gain the class’s saving throw and skill proficiencies, however.

The dragon’s natural attacks (be they bite, claw, tail, or wing) count for any situation in which a class ability references a melee weapon attack. For example, a barbarian’s Reckless Attack ability can be performed with a dragon’s bite attack.

Dragons do not benefit from extra attacks in the same way that standard player characters do. On any level at which the dragon would receive this ability, they instead select one dragon fighting style of their choice.

Any class that affords a dragon fighting styles does not allow them access to the standard array of styles (Great Weapon Fighting, etc.). Instead, the dragon uses styles to gain additional natural attacks and augments to its already-formidable combat prowess. A list of dragon fighting styles is provided below.

Aerial Superiority 

If you have moved any portion of your fly speed on your turn, you gain a +2 bonus to attacks made against opponents who are smaller than you, and your AC is increased by 2 against opponents larger than you until the end of your next turn. 

Battering Wing 

Requirement: You must be of adult or ancient age to take this style. 

Whenever you are struck by a melee attack, you may use your reaction to perform a special wing buffet attack. Make a melee attack against all enemies within 10 feet of you. If this attack hits, they suffer damage equal to your claw attack and must make a saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your Strength modifier + your proficiency bonus. If they fail, they are knocked prone. You may immediately fly up to half of your fly speed. 

Brutal Impact 

If you end your turn adjacent to an enemy after moving at least half of your fly speed, you can crash into them as a reaction. You may make a single melee attack that deals bludgeoning damage equal to your bite attack. Regardless of whether or not you hit, melee attacks made against you have advantage until the end of your next turn. 

Elemental Jaws 

Whenever you make a bite attack, you deal additional damage of a type that is the same as your damaging breath weapon, of a value based on your age.

• Wyrmling: 1d6
• Young and Adult: 1d10
• Ancient: 2d10

Fang and Claw 

You gain the ability to make two claw attacks as a bonus action whenever you make a bite attack. These claws deal slashing damage and have reach according to your age. You add your Strength modifier to the damage of these attacks.

• Wyrmling: 1d4, 5 foot reach
• Young: 1d6, 5 foot reach
• Adult: 1d8, 10 foot reach
• Ancient: 1d10, 10 foot reach

Frightful Presence

Requirement: You must be of adult or ancient age to take this style.

Whenever you make a melee attack, you cause all creatures within 120 feet to make a Wisdom saving throw or become frightened for one minute. The victim can repeat the saving throw at the end of each of its turns. If it succeeds on any saving throw, it is immune to your frightful presence for 24 hours. The DC for the saving throw is 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier.

Other dragons are immune to your frightful presence ability. 

Ironscale Defense

Your AC increases by 2 under all circumstances, such as barbarian armored defense or the mage armor spell. You become immune to the energy type or effect associated with your breed’s resistances.

Lashing Tail 

You gain a tail attack that can be made as a bonus action on your turn. This attack gains your Strength modifier to damage. The base damage and reach are determined by your age. This attack deals bludgeoning damage.

• Wyrmling: 1d6, 10 foot reach
• Young: 1d8, 10 foot reach
• Adult: 2d8, 15 foot reach
• Ancient: 2d8, 20 foot reach

Lunging Tooth 

Your bite attack always has at least 10 foot reach regardless of your age. When biting opponents that are not within 5 feet of you, you deal an additional 1d8 piercing damage.

Sly Talon 

Your bite, claw, tail, and wing attacks gain the finesse quality, allowing you to use your Dexterity modifier for attack and damage bonuses instead of Strength.

These were designed to give players access to some of the tricks that dragons from the Monster Manual had up their sleeves, and give them a more complete combat package. Since dragons don't benefit from Extra Attack, these contribute toward equalizing their damage output versus spellcaster dragons of equivalent level (though I haven't run simulations to compare the two in play yet; I'll do that toward the tail end of this series and present the results).

Class-wise, it was fairly easy to come up with my list of restrictions and guidelines for playing dragon versions of a given role.

There are no restrictions or further considerations for dragon barbarians save those listed above. The class most appeals to the brutal chromatics, whites and reds most of all. A raging dragon can destroy entire villages with ease.

While they are incapable of playing instruments, dragons can and often do sing well if they apply themselves to it. They may be bards without restriction, though most dragon bards are crystal and copper dragons.

The dragons have a small pantheon of gods to which they give homage, with Great Io chief among them. The major gods have domains in accordance with their spheres of influence. Any dragon may be a cleric.

The dragon pantheon is actually downright tiny as originally presented. There are two demigods I left off this short list, because demigods don't generally grant spells to followers.

• Io: Knowledge, Nature
• Chronepsis: Life, Knowledge
• Aasterinian: Trickery
• Bahamut: Light, War
• Tiamat: Tempest, War
• Faluzure: Death

Dragons rarely belong to any official druidic societies; their natural impulses and commanding presences complicate such structures. Nevertheless, dragons can be druids, though they rarely bother to assume wild shape unless the shape grants them a mode of movement or other adaptation they would not otherwise possess.

Although dragons lack prowess with wielded weapons, they excel at the fighter class and can be champions, battle masters, and eldritch knights without concern. Silver, blue, and sapphire dragons are most commonly fighters. They learn a number of draconic combat styles throughout their lives and are formidable opponents even among dragons.

Dragons cannot be monks. While they may possess the mental and physical fortitude to accomplish the same goals, they utterly lack the ability to focus ki energy like kindred races might.

Psionic powers are extremely rare among any dragons except gem dragons, and even for their family, they are sometimes an afterthought. Amethyst dragons are most commonly mystics. For a “proper” old-fashioned game, the mystic class (and all psionic classes that may splinter from it) should be restricted to gem dragons only. If the Dungeon Master is less strict about such things, then other psionic dragons are possible, albeit very rare.

Yeah, yeah. They haven't officially put out a sourcebook for psionics yet. I'm pre-empting the inevitability and basing this off what Wizards did in their UA: Psionics.

While not exclusively limited to the family, most paladins are metallic dragons. The Oaths are flavored for the Council of Wyrms setting; Devotion is to the Council and its mandates (which appeals to gem dragons), Vengeance to vanquish its enemies (popular among chromatics), and Ancients to general goodness and light (where metallics gravitate). Gold dragons are often paladins.

Dragon rangers can belong only to the Hunter archetype. Their natural combat capabilities render the assistance of an animal companion moot, nor would they find it fitting to bond with such base beasts (kindred races are a different matter, at least to most dragons). Hunter dragons cannot choose the Volley ability at 11th level, for obvious reasons. Bronze and green dragons make good rangers.

I'm using the PHB ranger for this example, as opposed to my variant ranger.

The idea of a dragon rogue may be hilarious to most as they imagine an enormous wyrm picking the pocket of an unsuspecting elf in a shadowed alley. While this situation is unlikely, dragons can make good rogues, and often command criminal enterprises within kindred settlements. They are particularly adroit and cunning wyrms, inflicting savage bite attacks against the unwary and dismantling mechanisms with a flick of their talons. Crystal, brass, and black dragons make good rogues.

Rogue dragons cannot be proficient in thieves tools, as their claws do not allow for such fine manipulation even at wyrmling age. However, they may employ kindred servants to do this for them, or simply elect to trigger the trap without harm to themselves by using the Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) skill.

Naturally, logic and reason dictate if a dragon can remain hidden by using Dexterity (Stealth). A Dungeon Master should never allow a Gargantuan dragon rogue to hide in a basket in an open field to avoid detection.

I waffled on this for a while but decided to encourage dragon rogues for amusement's sake. I feel like you could create a devious guildmaster dragon that uses Harbinger's Mastermind rogue archetype, or the one of the same name presented by Wizards themselves. Thief ones are less likely. Dragon assassins are... okay, maybe a *little* weird.

Dragon sorcerers may not select the Draconic Bloodline origin for redundancy reasons. They may be Wild Mages without restriction.

I mean, maybe you could do a dragon that is descended somehow from another dragon. There'd be questions. The Council would want to see your birth certificate. I don't know.

While rare, dragon warlocks can and do exist. Chromatic dragon warlocks are especially fearsome, with black and green dragon warlocks most common of all. Emerald and topaz dragons might also be drawn to the power and insight that otherworldly entities can provide.

Dragon warlocks may not select Pact of the Blade, as they cannot make use of a summoned weapon of any sort.

This possibility makes me giggle with delight. I love the idea of dragon warlocks. Horrible, insidious chromatic dragon warlocks that make deals with fiendish powers or alien gods to manipulate Council society. Invoking monstrous curses to wrack and ruin their foes. Muahahahaha-- ahem.

Magic comes as easily to dragons as swimming does to fish, and so many dragons become wizards. Their grimoires tend to be much larger and more sturdy than a human or elf wizard’s spellbook, and are often inscribed on lacquered wood plates, stone tablets, or pages enchanted to avoid tearing as they peruse the volume with their talons.

A bunch of low level spells may be mediocre compared to the dragon's natural attacks, but they do provide dragon wizards with safe ranged attacks that they otherwise completely lack, as well as a toolkit of elemental energy types that they would not otherwise possess. Wyrmling dragons aren't that tough compared to monsters of equivalent strength, after all. A couple smacks by an ogre and down you go, like anyone else.

So that's my thinking on the dragon classes. Extra Attacks being taken out is the most controversial idea on the table (if not the most absurd; that goes to dragon rogues). The fighting styles need some obvious balancing, as a few seem like outright taxes for any given dragon with fighting styles to take (why wouldn't you take Fang and Claw if you get a fighting style?).

As always, feedback welcome, et cetera. Next time I'll go over some feats and some ideas for completely new ancillary systems, such as lair building and such to give players access to lair actions if they're caught on their own turf.

Council of Wyrms: Dragon Breeds

Last time, I talked about my intents for the design of this conversion as well as the qualities that all breeds of dragons share. Herein I will present some examples from my larger design document as it relates to specific breeds, but I created all of them just to be sure and can post specific ones on request.

I've selected one each from chromatic, gem, and metallic for presentation. As stated previously, the metallics are still shaking out to be a smidgen more powerful just because of the extra breath weapon in their toolbox -- even if said breath weapons can only be used a total of once before requiring a short rest to recharge it. For example, the silver dragon presented below would only be able to use cold breath or paralyzing breath once before needing the short rest, not both.

Red Dragon

Self-proclaimed kings and queens of the chromatic dragons, reds are ambitious, arrogant, and aggressive. They strike first and hardest to obliterate opposition.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 4. Your Constitution and Charisma scores both increase by 2.
Fearsome Mein. You are proficient in Intimidation.
Fire Breath. You can exhale a 15 foot cone of fire as your breath weapon. This attack deals 1d6 fire damage per level, to a maximum of 20d6 at 20th level. At young age, the range increases to 30 feet. At adult age, it increases to 60 feet. At ancient age, your fire breath has a 90 foot range.
Fire Resistant. You are resistant to fire damage.

Crystal Dragon

Capricious creatures, crystal dragons are seen as flighty and untrustworthy. There’s some truth to this, but crystal dragons live in the moment more than any other dragon breed and prefer talking to fighting.

Ability Score Increase. Your Dexterity score increases by 4. Your Intelligence and Charisma scores both increase by 2.
Size. Your size is Small. Your natural bite attack only deals 1d8 damage instead of 1d10. This damage increases to 2d8 at young age and older.
Charming Wyrm. You may use the dancing lights and friends cantrips.
Crystal Breath. You can exhale a 15 foot cone of glowing crystal shards as your breath weapon. This attack deals 1d4 damage per level, to a maximum of 20d4 at 20th level. Half of this damage is slashing, and the other half is radiant. At young age, the range increases to 30 feet. At adult age, it increases to 60 feet. At ancient age, your crystal breath has a 90 foot range.
Radiant Resistant. You are resistant to radiant damage.

Silver Dragon

Where gold dragons inspire awe, silver dragons inspire hope. They are the most beloved by their subjects and the most easily riled to defending the weak or the Council’s wishes.

Ability Score Increase. Your Strength score increases by 4. Your Wisdom and Charisma scores both increase by 2.
Cold Breath. You can exhale a 15 foot cone of ice and cold as your breath weapon. This attack deals 1d8 cold damage per level, to a maximum of 15d8 at 15th level. At young age, the range increases to 30 feet. At adult age, it increases to 60 feet. At ancient age, your fire breath has a 90 foot range.
Paralyzing Breath. You can exhale a 15 foot cone of paralyzing gas as your breath weapon. Those caught in the area of effect must succeed on a Constitution saving throw with a DC equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier or be paralyzed for 1 minute. At the end of each turn, the victim may make another saving throw to end this effect. At young age, the range increases to 30 feet. At adult age, it increases to 60 feet. At ancient age, your weakening gas has a 90 foot range.
Cold Resistant. You are resistant to cold damage.

There are some bits I'm not sold on though, such as the cap on the breath weapon dice for some breeds to keep relative parity with their monster versions; a black dragon's breath is just not as strong as a red's at the top end. Should I forego that limitation and just let it rank up all the way to 20 dice for every breed?

Possibly. I feel like there's a case for some slight power disparity, but I also don't want five dice to be the reason someone doesn't pick a particular race. It's a roleplaying game after all, the min-maxing is only part of it (or not a part at all for some groups). So yeah, undecided as of yet, and can be convinced in either direction.

Dragon whelps (handle it) are undeniably stronger than comparable PHB races and I think that's perfectly fine for the kind of game you'd be playing. A red dragon baby is still the size of a fridge and can probably out-muscle almost any half-orc. They do still operate under the 20 stat limit of beginning characters, though I do have some special rules that I'll present later on regarding the raising of this limit as the dragon gets older (ancient dragons cap out at 30).

Another contentious point might be their resistances at character creation. "What do you mean the red dragon isn't immune to fire right out of the gate? You effing casual!" or something to that effect went through my head as something people might say. Full immunity at all times isn't very fun for DMs to contend with or players to wrangle, so I've gated the immunity behind a feat that I'll go into for a later entry.

I'll leave this off for now because otherwise this would explode out into a gajillion pages of class and feat discussion, but here's the gist of my thought train.

Disinterred Eldricity: Council of Wyrms

Player: "Can I play a dragon?"
DM: "You know what? Fine. Here."

Back when I was a wee lad of too-long-ago, there was always someone who asked the above question. When this box came out, I could finally say yes, because then everyone could.

The Council of Wyrms setting is one that lacks in excruciating details about its lore, but provides a wealth of rules material for running the preeminent winged murder lizards that grace the second half of the game's name. It was wildly imbalanced, it didn't care, and it was completely bananas. It was awesome as hell.

So I figured, you know what? I should update another old setting no one will ever get around to playing, that seems like a great use of my time.

And it really was. This was hellacious fun to convert.

I'll be breaking this out into multiple articles for digestibility. But first, a little something about the setting itself. Bare with the abridged nature of my synopsis.

The Council of Wyrms box assumes a campaign world in which dragons are the first, the mightiest, and the most fit to lead. It has no compunctions about reminding the players just how important they are -- they are the ruling species of the world and the typical player races are beneath them in all respects, to the point where they serve the dragon clans.

Dragons have a society that was built under a divine mandate (and on at least one occasion, devious manipulation and the creation of their greatest enemy) to prevent endless dragon war. The three families of dragons, chromatic, gem, and metallic, live in this clannish society in a place called the Io's Blood Isles. It's not all hugs and butterflies though, with clans still feuding here and there while working together -- reluctantly -- against mutual foes such as marauding giants and rampaging monsters.

Worst of all is the specter of the humans from across the sea, who once slaughtered the wyrms in great numbers with their dragonslayers. Hilariously enough, created by the dragons' chief deity in order to give them an opponent to unify against or risk complete destruction. Great Io is a dick.

Anyway, you have a setting where you play dragons, accrue treasure like regular player characters might, and engage in clan politic chicanery between adventure sessions while acting as agents of the titular Council of Wyrms.

Here is a short list of why this setting is a tub full of maple syrup levels of awesome:

• Friggin' dragons as player characters. Satiate that power fantasy all you want.
• Clan politics between creatures that can crush a village by rolling over on it.
• Breathe fire, ice, or lightning on some fools.
• A world given just a light level of detail to allow you to fill in the specifics of the map with your own stuff.
• Want to run it as a bunch of kaiju battles? Roll for initiative!
• Want to run it as a generational game across dozens of mortal lifetimes? Sign me up.
• Friggin' dragons as player characters.

It definitely takes the right group to stick with it though. Running at such a high level of power with a dramatically slowed progression might chafe some players and DMs, but I feel like it could be so very rewarding beyond just the power fantasy of playing a huge fire-breathing (or cold or lightning or bomb spitting) magical murder lizard.

I joke about it in my bullet point list, but the brawling with huge monsters isn't the only draw. The idea of exploring a society that measures things in the decades and centuries rather than months and years is really appealing. What does a government that doesn't rely on the same things we do look like, and how does it get things done from day to day? If you think our own governments do things slow, imagine waiting for a policy change in your clan overlords to take place over two lifetimes.

Of course, the old setting and rules had its problems. Lots of them, in hindsight. It does some things that are design sins nowadays, like telling you what alignment your character must be, and making you roll for what you play. I mean, that's okay too, if you want to still do that. I'm not your mother. But imagine a player saying to you, "Wow, this is super cool! I want to play that!" and then you gaze down on them with the eyes of a cruel, dispassionate evil overlord and crush their spark of creativity under the boot of your rules compendium.

I don't know where I was going with that. But yes, old rules, old design conceits, new ideas, et cetera. This doc I have is like 25 pages already, so I might as well get started. Hold onto your butts.

Notes Regarding the Adaptation

I’ve taken care to preserve as much of the flavor of the original Council of Wyrms as possible, but many of their rules and design conceits do not have good corollaries to the latest edition. To that end, some sacred cows were slaughtered, and some were mutated into pigs or sheep.

Some things that you’ll find to be different if you’re familiar with the old rules include, but are not limited to, the following:

• You won't be playing a direct import from the Monster Manual. Player character dragons start out slightly weaker than that, and grow into their power. As with "monster" versions of the standard player races, monsters are monsters and players are players. You won't be immune to energy starting out of the gate, nor have the full gamut of dragon powers as you level.
• No more strict adherence to age category as your level. Dragons in this adaptation gain levels as would normal player characters, using the classes presented in the Player’s Handbook, though they may find themselves limited in power by their age.
• Age categories have been slimmed down from the original twelve from AD&D to four from the current edition. The categories have much more dramatic effects on the player character’s power, and overall power steadily increases as the dragon gains class levels.
• There is a much less drastic striation of power between dragon breeds, which is generally supported by the update to dragons in the current edition -- though a red dragon from the Monster Manual will be stronger than a white of similar age. There should not be a massive inherent disadvantage to playing the breed one wants to play, but slight power differences may be apparent. A Dungeon Master should take care lest they be surrounded by six player character gold dragons.
• Metallic dragons are slightly stronger as-written due to breath weapon varieties. To that end, chromatic and gem dragons were given some extra tricks that echo some of their old abilities as well as bonus proficiencies to compensate.
• Not every dragon gets innate spells or psionic powers. A dragon that chooses a class that ignores these skills does not receive them.
• Dragons are not limited to the alignment of their breed, though dragons that deviate from this norm will be considered odd (should the difference be minor) or revolting (should the difference be great) by their own breed.
• Current edition rules mean a much broader variety of classes and combinations that were previously not possible or might be considered bizarre. Dragons can be fighters, wizards, clerics, warlocks, paladins, and more.
• Dragons benefit fully from all ability score bonuses, rather than not benefiting at all. This means a dragon with a high Dexterity score has an excellent AC, represented by preternatural awareness and reflexes. A dragon with immense Strength (which most have, eventually) will deal great amounts of damage with their physical attacks.
• All dragon family tongues were merged together into Draconic.
• Finally, this adaptation includes, for better or worse, rules for playing chromatic dragons. Many Dungeon Masters may want to ban their use as player characters, but for those who can play evil responsibly and not tear apart their gaming groups with backstabbing and vindictiveness may find great joy in playing a terrifying chromatic wyrm.

So You Want to Be a Dragon

Playing a dragon is in many ways like playing a typical character of a standard Player’s Handbook race. You decide on your ability scores (whether rolling, point buying, or using the standard array as your Dungeon Master sees fit), apply racial bonus to the scores, choose a class, and begin play.

There are, of course, some notable differences. A dragon player character is much stronger than an equivalent level human, elf, or dwarf, and only gets more powerful from there. However, dragons cannot benefit from many class proficiencies, such as weapons and armor, since none are designed with dragons in mind (with a few exceptions). Further, dragons don’t use most equipment, so one would ignore the starting gear provided by class and background if it cannot benefit the dragon. The player may instead roll for their starting gold, which is a small pittance they’ve collected and carried with them. This sum may be used to contribute to their bonded hoard (which is covered later in this document).

Additionally, some skills and tools are irrelevant for dragons. They either have better means of accomplishing the task with their natural strength and size (or servants), or lack the manual dexterity to use the skill or tools in question at all. Most notably, dragons have special rules for Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks and other roguish skills, outlined later in this document.

Dragon Breeds, Families, and Racial Traits

When Great Io created the dragons, he did so by dividing the dragons into three families that, together, created a balance of power and ideologies. The chromatic dragons tended toward cruelty and domination, using their strength to gain status and quell subordinate dragons within their clan. Metallic dragons were on the opposite end of the spectrum from the chromatics, comprised of dragon breeds that were noble and generally just. Between them, the gem dragons were introspective and wise, tending toward neither wickedness or benevolence.

All player character dragons belong to one of these families and their respective breeds. Other dragon breeds, or hybrids of any two dragon breeds, are almost completely unknown in the Council of Wyrms setting.

Regardless of family or breed, all dragons have the following qualities in common:

Speed. Your base movement speed is 30 feet. You also possess a flight speed of 60 feet. At young age and older, your movement speed increases to 40 feet and your flight speed to 80 feet.

Breath Weapon. Your draconic heritage gives you a breath weapon that inflicts damage of an energy type in accordance with your breed, and in volume and range, as listed in its respective entry. This breath weapon becomes stronger as you gain in levels. As an action, you can exhale this breath upon your enemies, forcing them to make a Dexterity saving throw. If they succeed, a victim suffers only half damage from the attack. The saving throw DC is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Constitution modifier unless otherwise stated. You cannot use this ability again until you complete a short rest. If your breed allows you to use more than one type of breath attack, you can only use one or the other before requiring a short rest.

Fangs. Almost all dragons (unless otherwise noted) possess a natural bite attack that inflicts 1d10 points of piercing damage, plus your Strength modifier. At young age and older, this damage increases to 2d10.

Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You cannot discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Resistance. You possess resistance to an energy type in accordance with your breed, as listed in its respective entry.

Scales. Dragon hide is tough, and your AC can never be worse than 13 plus your Dexterity modifier.

Toughness. You possess additional maximum hit points equal to your class’s starting hit point value. For example, if your dragon is a fighter, you begin play with 10 extra hit points.

Languages. You can speak, read, and write the Draconic language. Dragons rarely employ ink and quills to write in the Draconic language (especially as they grow larger), but carve letters into stone or wood with their claws.

Next time, I'll go into the individual breeds and their racial bonuses and abilities. It's a whole bunch of pages and I may even just take samples of it for presenting.

Variant Ranger Recaps and Revisions

This article was originally going to be about the third ranger archetype in my rework, but I wasn't really happy with any of the implementations I had in mind once I started working out the numbers. After considering how it would feel in play, I surmised that it would probably be wiser to simply make some modifications to the way the existing Beast Master archetype integrates into my proposed base ranger class.

Further, in this article I will reword some wonky phrasing from previous entries and tie it all off. I've got a new project I want to show off next week and figure it's time to clear the board of this one.

Pack Tactics

My proposal for this base ranger class ability shares action real estate with Yield Ground, and not in a good way. To save you from navigating to older articles, the ability worked like this:

Once the ranger achieves 10th level, they may elect to use their reaction any time an ally makes an attack against an opponent the ranger attacked during the previous round. This attack gains advantage, and if it hits, the ranger may immediately move up to half their speed without suffering opportunity attacks.

I looked at it again after getting some feedback and scrunched up my nose. Apparently I work with legal documents too much, the kind designed to befuddle readers and leave loopholes. I don't like making the ranger pick between this and Yield Ground for the use of their reaction, so here's my new suggestion:

Any time you successfully strike an enemy (with a melee or ranged weapon attack) that belongs to a category you selected for your Peerless Hunter ranger ability, you may give one ally within 30 feet of the victim advantage on their next attack roll against the same monster.

This method doesn't force the ranger to bank their reaction just in case Yield Ground would be useful, and gives some synergy with melee combatants. A ranger using a bow could act as a sneak attack enabler for a rogue that is otherwise alone against an opponent, or just help the fighter out. It's much broader in functionality than a comparable class ability (such as the wolf-totem barbarian's), but is more focused in that the enemy has to be one of the Peerless Hunter favored enemy types.

Mystical Critical

Harbinger remarked that the Seeker's Mystical Critical ability wasn't a comparable damage boost at 11th level, at least not like the ones other classes get. I would contend that since the ability gets more powerful as the Seeker gets better spells (instant conjure volley on a crit at the top end is disgusting), but as usual, he's got a good point.

The old implementation was thus:

The Seeker’s mystical prowess is in many ways reflexive, and upon achieving 11th level they are assisted by natural forces whenever they land telling blows against their enemies. Whenever the Seeker scores a critical hit against a target, they may cast one ranger spell they know with a casting time of one action or one bonus action as a reaction instead. This consumes a spell slot of the relevant level, as normal.

I decided on a complete rework, with an ability now called Mystic Celerity:

Beginning at 11th level, on any round the Seeker casts a ranger spell, they may use their bonus action to make a single weapon attack.

It's a tiny bit weaker compared to the situations in which the previous implementation would be relevant, but encourages the ranger to cast spells more often and then follow them up with a free attack. It's not quite as boring as an Extra Attack, and I was inspired by the Eldritch Knight's War Magic class ability. It might still be too weak though!

The Beast Master

I think this archetype can still work, but it needs adjustments since my variant ranger doesn't cast spells unless you pick Seeker. My idea was less like a ranger that picks only one companion and has them forever, and more like this godawful thing that could get bunches of animals depending on the terrain they were in. So yeah.

As such, my idea is as follows.

Ranger's Companion

As written in the PHB, but this ability becomes available at 2nd level instead.

Empathy with Beasts

Selecting the Beast Master archetype allows the ranger to speak with animals as per the spell, but they may use this ability only once before requiring a short rest.

Exceptional Training

As written in the PHB, but becomes available at 6th level instead.

Bestial Fury

Yet again, identical to the PHB, and is still available at 11th level.

Nimble Companion

Beginning at 15th level, your animal companion has advantage on saving throws against spells and effects that inflict the paralyzed, prone, restrained, or stunned conditions. Furthermore, they suffer only half damage from spell effects that allow a Dexterity saving throw, and suffer none if they succeed.

Undying Companion

Upon achieving 20th level, the ranger may use their action to enter a trance that empowers their animal companion for up to 1 minute. The ranger is treated as though they are concentrating on a spell; thus, if they suffer damage, they must roll to maintain concentration. While the trance holds, the ranger may make a Wisdom saving throw every time the companion would be reduced below zero hit points, with a DC equal to the amount of damage beyond zero the companion would suffer.

If successful, the companion remains at zero hit points and can continue to take actions on the ranger's turn. Should the ranger's concentration break for any reason while the animal companion is at zero hit points, the companion will immediately fall unconscious.

Conclusion!

This brings an end to articles involving my variant ranger. Fun exercise, I like tinkering with classes even if they don't always come out right the first time around. Use at your own risk, and if you do, I'd love to hear the results.

I've got a treat for the next few articles, a return to my Disinterred Eldricity series to resurrect another old campaign setting and modernize it for play in 5th Edition. It's been a lot of fun to work on and I hope you'll feel the same.

Till then!

Variant Ranger Archetype: The Seeker

It's unfortunate how quickly the weeks go by as we enter the last few months of the year. I could swear I only wrote the previous entry last week, not way back at the beginning of the month. I've not forgotten my ranger rework! I sense that the Sentinel didn't go over quite so well, and it surely needs some iteration that I'll get to probably never eventually.

Before I do a post-mortem on the variant ranger, I should probably finish the thought I had in the first place. To wit, here is the second archetype I've been working on, the Seeker.

The Seeker is the spellcasting ranger archetype. They are something of a hybrid between fighters and druids, and their theme is being the intermediary between druidic circles and the outside world. It assumes a conceit (which I tend to use in my games) that there is tension between quasi-political druidic organizations and the civilizations that border their territories. Seekers would be the agents they send to do jobs in and near settled lands, as the druids would be uncomfortable at best and outright unwelcome at worst.

They'd get on well enough with Oath of the Ancients paladins, but the two have different skills and aims. Seekers interface very strongly with their Natural Explorer ranger class feature, as outlined in a previous entry. This makes them a little slow to build to their full strength; they have to take at least one rest in their hunting ground to capitalize on some of their powers, at least until 15th level.

Seeker

A Seeker is a supernatural guardian of wild places. Some orders of Seekers are bound to a single location, such as an ancient wood, while others wander the world offering their services as guides and intermediaries for druid circles. This close relationship with druids and natural creatures gifts the Seeker with supernatural abilities in the form of ranger spells.

Typically, Seekers exist outside of the hierarchical structures of the druids with which they work, which is both a boon and a curse. Under normal circumstances, a Seeker simply has greater autonomy and can operate where the druids are uncomfortable going, such as near or into larger cities. Unscrupulous druids, seeking greater station, may dispatch an unwitting Seeker to perform a task that causes a superior druid to lose face and thus shift the burden of responsibility onto the ranger.

Spellcasting

The Seeker gains the ability to learn and cast ranger spells. The progression and availability of these spells is identical to the Player's Handbook ranger from 2nd level onward. Wisdom is their spellcasting ability score.

Natural Recovery

A trained Seeker knows how to make natural remedies and curatives from the surrounding wilderness. While in environments to which the Seeker is attuned via the Natural Explorer class feature, the Seeker adds their Wisdom modifier (minimum +1) to each hit die rolled by the ranger or by allies during a short rest. Further, they may remove the poisoned condition from any one person (self included) during this short rest.

I briefly entertained not allowing this to be done in Urban environments, but decided to leave it as is. I remarked to Harbinger that it was a bit weird to have ranger-bums feeding you special snacks from the garbage heap in the alley in order to heal you faster, but you know what? That probably works for some people's campaigns. Have fun with it, right?

One With Nature

Once the Seeker achieves 6th level, they become even more deeply in tune with the natural world. While in any terrain they are currently attuned to via their Natural Explorer class ability, the Seeker can instinctively sense the presence of creatures with the beast, fey, or plant type within 60 feet of their position. They do not know the nature of the creatures they can sense if they cannot otherwise see them, but are aware of them and cannot be surprised in combat by creatures of the listed types if they are within 60 feet at the time initiative is rolled.

Mystical Critical

The Seeker’s mystical prowess is in many ways reflexive, and upon achieving 11th level they are assisted by natural forces whenever they land telling blows against their enemies. Whenever the Seeker scores a critical hit against a target, they may cast one ranger spell they know with a casting time of one action or one bonus action as a reaction instead. This consumes a spell slot of the relevant level, as normal.

There are a grand total of two ranger spells I could find that had a casting time greater than one action, but I figured this covered bases in case future Weird Stuff is added. I can't imagine a DM would really care if the ranger snap-casted the alarm spell or commune with nature, but it felt like a stretch to not include the caveat.

Rapid Attunement

Seekers of 15th level or greater easily adjust to their surroundings, giving them access to their signature abilities sooner. The effects of their Natural Explorer class feature come into effect after spending but an hour in the terrain to which they wish to attune, without the need to conduct a rest of any kind.

Favored Ground

The mightiest Seekers of 20th level become terrors to fight on grounds to which they are attuned. So long as the Seeker is attuned to their location via their Natural Explorer feature, they gain the following bonuses:

• Their AC is increased by a value equal to their Wisdom modifier.
• If the terrain is Unimpeded, the ranger's speed increases by an additional 10 feet and has advantage on saving throws against effects that inflict the paralyzed or restrained conditions.
• If the terrain is Impeded, the ranger has advantage on attack rolls against enemies who are in difficult terrain.
• If the terrain is Close-Quarters, the ranger suffers no damage on a successful saving throw from effects that allow a Dexterity save, and half damage if they fail.
• Enemies that are included in categories you have selected via your Peerless Hunter class ability are at disadvantage on saving throws against any spell you cast with them as a target.

And that's what I've got for Seeker! Next time I'll present the Beast Master archetype, and then go into revisions on what I've done so far based on feedback received.

Variant Ranger Archetype: The Sentinel

Hallo! It's been a bit since my last update, but I haven't abandoned my ranger rework! I've been tapped to plan for and run a game at a small local convention, which has eaten up a lot of my creative free time. On the upswing, it let me explore some fun fantasy-Wild-West campaign options that I may rehash for a future article.

Returning to the ranger, I wanted to present the first of three archetypes I've been working on. This is the one that's closest to a first draft, so I figured I'd toss it up for consumption. It needs an editing pass and probably some rewording in some places, and as always, it's not been playtested yet. Initially, my thoughts are that Elusive Guardian may be too... I dunno, weird? And that Adaptive Defense is too powerful. Anyway, here goes!

Sentinel

The Sentinel is a bastion against threats from the wilderness beyond civilization. It is they who intercept and execute humanoid tribal leaders before they can muster to attack villages, or who hunt and slay rampaging dragons that burn their way through the frontier. They are expert guides and are highly skilled at protecting their wards as they escort them through the dangerous wildernesses of the world.

Combat Training

When the ranger selects this archetype at 2nd level, they gain access to the Fighting Styles of Great Weapon Fighter and Protection (which must be selected normally; this archetype merely broadens the selection). They also gain proficiency in Heavy Armor. Their speed is not reduced while wearing heavy armor of any sort.

Relentless Pursuit

Few possess the single-minded determination of the Sentinel. While intent on their prey, they are nearly impossible to shake from their focus. As a bonus action, the Sentinel may select a target as their prey. Prey status persists until the target is slain or the Sentinel elects a new target with a bonus action.

While a victim is the target of this ability, the Sentinel gains advantage on saving throws against spells or effects that originate from the prey. Additionally, at the end of any turn the ranger takes where they are not restrained, incapacitated, or otherwise unable to act or move, they may move 10 feet directly towards their prey. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.

Elusive Guardian

A Sentinel is an expert at maneuvering in combat to get allies out of danger and slip in to deliver killing blows on their hated enemies. Beginning at 6th level, the Sentinel may use this ability up to three times, and regains all uses after taking a long rest. Any time one of the following conditions is met, the Sentinel may use their reaction to expend a use of Elusive Guardian to achieve the corresponding effect. The Sentinel must be awake and not subject to conditions that would otherwise render them helpless.

• A hostile target enters the threatened area of an ally within 30 feet. The Sentinel may move up to their movement speed towards the hostile target or, if the enemy belongs to a hated type (per the Peerless Hunter class feature) the ranger may make a single ranged or melee attack against that target.
• An ally is reduced to zero hit points. If the Sentinel may elect to immediately mark the triggering monster as their prey (per the Relentless Pursuit feature) and make a single ranged or melee attack against it.
• An enemy marked as the Sentinel’s prey scores a critical hit against an ally. The Sentinel makes a single ranged or melee attack against that enemy before damage is rolled and, if it hits, the critical hit is negated (damage is rolled as though it were a normal attack).

Extra Attack

The Sentinel may make a third attack whenever they take the Attack action upon reaching 11th level.

Adaptive Defense

Once the Sentinel achieves 15th level, the ranger may focus their defensive training to shore up weaknesses. After any rest the ranger takes, they may choose become proficient in any saving throw in which they are not already proficient for up to four hours.For example, a Sentinel knows they will be going up against a beguiling fey creature that has tormented a local lumber mill for weeks. The ranger, upon tracking the fey to its lair, risks taking a short rest to become proficient in Wisdom saving throws for four hours; hopefully long enough to root out and dispatch the troublesome enemy.

Last Line of Defense

Upon reaching 20th level, the ranger becomes a bastion of defense that enemies cannot easily move past. Whenever the Sentinel is positioned so that they are the only one between the nearest enemy and the nearest ally, their AC is improved by an amount equal to their Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1) and if they succeed on opportunity attacks caused by enemies leaving their threatened area, that enemy becomes restrained until the end of the ranger’s next turn.

A Variant Ranger for 5E, or, "Everybody's Doing It!"

Rangers are still a pretty hot topic in the 5E community of late, and I'd be remiss if I didn't butt in and try my hand at a possible rework. Or three.

I've been pondering different methods of approaching the concept of "wilderness fighter guy" that most rangers tend to be compared to, and while you can't seem to make a single class that compares favorably to all of the popular fictional analogues, I think I can at least take a pass at making it a bit less thorny.

I originally took a stab at doing ranger as a fighter archetype, and it didn't sit right. It ended up feeling more like a Witcher than a ranger, and while that's probably quite alright for some campaign settings, it didn't really work for broad D&D appeal. So I'm backing off of that idea for now and trying something a bit more typical to what D&D has tried before.

There's a really great article over at Loot the Body that articulates my issues with the class a lot better than I did last time. It feels too limited and it impacts its effectiveness in situations you'd prefer a little more flexibility, along with delayed access to abilities that the ranger should really be getting earlier on (that's a really condensed and somewhat unfair summation of the article, forgive me). I've taken a good deal of inspiration from the suggestions in this article, and you'll probably note some similarities with concepts expressed there.

First and foremost, the ranger needs to be a capable and competent warrior, able to stand alongside the fighter and paladin in the front ranks in a pinch. However, they are also a skirmisher, and need to be able to adapt to situations and provide support to allies. To preserve some desired classical ranger flavor, I'm also opting to include a variation on the ranger's spellcasting powers in an archetype (which is going to be a second article lest this become a big ol' TL;DR).

The core ranger as I see it has the following features:

Hit Dice: 1d10 per ranger level.

Armor Proficiencies: Light, Medium, and Shields.

Weapon Proficiencies: Simple and Martial weapons.

Tool Proficiencies: None.

Saving Throws: Strength and Dexterity.

Skills: Choose three from among Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Most of this is the same. In regards to the Hit Dice, it's a fighter-type, this seems like a no-brainer. I'm not a fan of the 2d6 hit dice from Ye Auld Ranger or the recent UA reimagining, but it doesn't need to be as fragile as the rogue or as tough as the barbarian. I have a concept for a heavy armor ranger archetype that I'll go into later.

Natural Explorer

The ranger is an expert at surveying the surroundings, adapting to unsavory conditions, and creating contingencies. After concluding a long rest, the ranger gains traits in accordance with the surroundings. The Dungeon Master has final say in the primary component of the terrain in question, but it will always belong to one of the following categories: Arctic, Coast, Desert, Forest, Grasslands, Mountain, Swamp, Underdark, or Urban.

While attuned to a particular type of terrain, the ranger gains the following benefits while navigating in it:

• Difficult terrain does not slow your group's travel while not in combat.
• Your group cannot become lost except by magical means.
• Even when you are engaged in another activity while traveling (such as foraging, navigating, or tracking) you remain alert to danger.
• If you are traveling alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
• When you forage, you find twice as much food as you normally would.
• While tracking other creatures, you also learn their exact number, their sizes, and how long ago they passed through the site.

In addition, you gain a secondary benefit in accordance with the terrain type:

• Unimpeded (Arctic, Coast, Desert, Grasslands): Your speed increases by 10 feet.
• Impeded (Forest, Mountain, Swamp): You ignore the effects of difficult terrain in combat situations and can climb at full speed.
• Close-Quarters (Underdark, Urban): You have advantage on Dexterity saving throws while standing within 5 feet of any solid objects of Medium size or greater, such as a wall, pillar, or large obstruction that would otherwise provide any degree of cover from any angle.

I made some language clarifications here as it pertains to the difficult terrain movement while not in combat. The ranger is no longer limited to just a small handful of terrains; with a bit of preparation, they can study the territory and become truly flexible masters of the wilderness.

Additionally, the ranger gets a minor benefit catering to the terrain, most of which are immediately useful in combat situations.

Peerless Hunter

The ranger is especially skilled at hunting and dispatching prey. At 1st level, the ranger chooses a group from the list below. You have advantage when making Wisdom (Survival) checks to track these foes, or when making Intelligence checks to recall facts about them. Additionally, you know how to hit them where it hurts; you gain a bonus to damage rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1) against any foe belonging to that category.

• Border Warden: Humanoids (all nonhuman monstrous races, from goblins to giants)
• Bounty Hunter: Humanoids (all player character races presented in the Player's Handbook)
• Destroyer of the Lifeless: Constructs, Oozes, and Undead
• Foe of the Monstrous: Aberrations, Dragons, and Monstrosities
• Nature's Culling: Beasts, Fey, and Plants
• Slayer of Outsiders: Celestials, Elementals, and Fiends

At 6th level, and again at 14th level, the ranger chooses another category of enemies to add to their favored opponents.

I was hesitant to eviscerate Favored Enemy too much, but it's just too weak of a class trait due to it being contingent on the Dungeon Master including the thing the ranger is good against. Instead, I gave them categories that work well at particular level bands; early level rangers are apt to pick Border Warden, Bounty Hunter, Destroyer of the Lifeless, or Nature's Culling due to the many low to mid-level opponents that belong to that group.

I also took out the bonus language, but that can easily be thrown back in. I'm on the fence; most player characters are already polyglots to some degree.

Fighting Style

Rather than reprint them all here and bloat the article, consider this part unchanged from the Player's Handbook; at 2nd level, the ranger gets a fighting style from among Archery, Defense, Dueling, or Two-Weapon Fighting. Their election of archetype may also give them other options (see below).

Ranger Archetype

At 2nd level, the ranger chooses an archetype that they strive to emulate: Beast Master, Seeker, Sentinel.

Yup, I'm saying they pick archetype at 2nd level instead. This may create some other problems I'm not foreseeing yet, but I have a good reason for it; I don't want the ranger to be forced to pick up spellcasting and I think it unwise to mess with the otherwise-recommended spell progression. Further, I wanted to give one of the archetypes a broader fighting style choice without saying, "Hey, you can totally respec here, it's cool."

My idea for Beast Master is different than the one presented in the PHB. Seeker becomes your spellcasting ranger, but my initial feeling is that I don't change their spell list too much. Sentinel is your heavily-armored wilderness badass, who also gains Great Weapon Fighter and Protection fighting styles as options as well as a third attack later on.

Preternatural Awareness

At 2nd level, the ranger becomes instinctively aware of imminent threats. You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to detect opponents in stealth; typically, this will manifest as a +5 bonus to passive Perception to detect hidden enemies.

Upon reaching 14th level, this ability also allows the ranger to better fight opponents capable of turning invisible or otherwise magically mask their presence. The ranger does not suffer disadvantage on attack rolls against creatures they cannot see. Additionally, the ranger is aware of the location of any invisible creature within 30 feet, provided the creature is not hidden (as with stealth) and you are not blinded or deafened.

I merged the Feral Senses ability with this one and made it available earlier.

Ability Score Improvement

This functions identically to how it is explained in the Player's Handbook.

Extra Attack

Same deal here, no change (extra attack at 5th level whenever making the Attack action).

Camouflage

This ability functions identically to the Hide in Plain Sight ability of the PHB ranger, but is instead accessible at 8th level. Totally nicking Mr. Delvo's suggestion (in the above linked Loot the Body blog article) for the proper name of the skill.

Pack Tactics

Once the ranger achieves 10th level, they may elect to use their reaction any time an ally makes an attack against an opponent the ranger attacked during the previous round. This attack gains advantage, and if it hits, the ranger may immediately move up to half their speed without suffering opportunity attacks.

Yield Ground

Upon reaching 13th level, the ranger becomes an expert at avoiding harm. Whenever you are subjected to a melee or ranged attack, you may use your reaction to impose disadvantage upon the attack. Regardless of whether or not the attack hits, you may immediately move up to half of your movement speed without provoking opportunity attacks.

This is probably overpowered as is. However, I like the idea of the ranger-as-skirmisher in general, and think this ability exemplifies that concept. They're really hard to pin down. It's basically a 5E-ification and beef-up of the 4E ranger power of the same name.

Master of the Wild

A ranger that achieves 17th level gains superior observation skills in any environment. After spending one minute studying the terrain, they can perform any of the following activities:

• Accurately predict the weather over the next two days.
• Determine the classification of the most dangerous predator within ten square miles (beast, dragon, monstrosity, etc.).
• Give their allies the ranger's secondary benefit of Natural Explorer (as it relates to Unimpeded, Impeded, or Close-Quarters terrain) until they take a short or long rest.
• Set up an ambush site, giving the ranger and their allies advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks while lying in wait for enemies. This bonus is lost if the group leaves the immediate area.

Next time, I'll go into the archetype ideas I had, but this provides the baseline. The ranger gets fewer random abilities of mediocre strength in exchange for boosted power on some of them. As with all of my stuff, it's not been playtested yet, and is a first draft of the concept. I'd love some constructive feedback on it!