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Spell Archive: Conjure Barrage
Aha! I bet you thought we were going to talk about Hunter’s Mark for Ranger week huh? Think again! Have you ever met a ranger that didn’t pick up Hunter’s Mark as one of their spells? It’s basically the Eldritch Blast equivalent to rangers. Which is why today we’re going to be talking about a different Ranger-only spell…
Conjure Barrage
3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (60-foot cone)
Components: V, S, M (one piece of ammunition or a thrown weapon)
Duration: Instantaneous
You throw a nonmagical weapon or fire a piece of nonmagical ammunition into the air to create a cone of identical weapons that shoot forward and then disappear. Each creature in a 60-foot cone must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. The damage type is the same as that of the weapon or ammunition used as a component.
Spell Talk
Alright! So casting this spell will cost us a 3rd level spellslot which is actually quite a bit of an investment for a half-caster. By the time we reach level 9 and unlock 3rd level spells 3d8 might not sound like a lot, but we have to keep in mind that this attack will affect everything in a 60ft cone, even if some of the enemies do make the save. Speaking of 60ft range, while this distance pales in comparison to the usual longbow range, notice that the spell only asks for non-magical weapons, which means we could turn our measly dagger range into something wonderful. Since we’re on the topic of daggers though, do keep in mind that this spell affects everything in a 60ft cone…that definitely includes your allies!
Last but not least, it’s also a good idea to remember that DEX saves are one of the most common types of saves in the games and a such many monsters have pretty decent dexterity scores.
Tips and Tricks
…which is exactly why you should consider having the wizard slow your enemies before you cast this. You know, if the stars align for it. At the very least you should keep an eye out for meaty creatures that look like they might have trouble getting out of bed in the morning, these will be your safest bet to hit. On the other hand, you’d do well to avoid using this spell against dexterous creatures, but even then, depending on the number of targets it might still totally be a worthy investment.
Imagine Cloud of Daggers, but better..
Now let’s backtrack a little, you know that bit that doesn’t specify the kind of weapon you can use for this as long as it isn’t magical? That bit? How would you feel about making it rain…. chairs. All you gotta do is take the Tavern Brawler feat and you’ll be able to use just about any mundane item for this spell since they will all technically be considered weapons for you.
Reflavor
The beauty of this spell is that you don’t even need to go out of your way to reflavor it since you can technically use any weapon for it, especially if you do go with Tavern Brawler. This opens up untold possibilities of customization for all flavors of rangers. You want to make it rain shurikens? Easy. But even if you choose to lean more towards the magic aspect of the spell it could still be reflavored as just about any type of damage that can take the shape of a cone (with your DMs approval of course). If on the other hand you’re playing a more tech-savvy character, this spell is early reflavored as some sort of special projectile that splits into multiples.
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Magic Weapon (variable type), Very Rare, requires attunement by a ranger
Dual Fate Weapons are pairs of weapon that do more when used together. Apart, they are each a magic blade that have their own abilities. When a creature is hit by one of each of the paired weapons in the same round, it produces an additional effect. Each weapon should look distinct from its partner but have some sort of similar feature, like its shape, an engraved symbol, a similar hilt, or other such decoration. Note that the Wax weapon from Wax/Wane is a longsword (a non-light weapon), which requires the Dual-Wielder feat to properly wield with Wane.
Firestoke/Iceshard: Firestoke is a scimitar that deals +1d4 fire damage on hit. Iceshard is a scimitar that deals +1d4 cold damage on hit. When a creature is hit by attacks from both weapons in the same round, a burst of fire and shards of ice blast all creatures in a 10 ft. radius of the creature. Those creatures must make a DEX save or take 1d4 fire and 1d4 cold damage.
Duskblade/Dawnblade: Duskblade and Dawnblade are both +2 short swords. When a creature is hit by attacks from both weapons in the same round, the weapons drain the victim's life force. The wielder is healed for 1d8 damage and the creature takes an additional 1d4 necrotic and 1d4 radiant.
Mindfang/Venomfang: Mindfang is a dagger that deals +1d8 psychic damage on hit. Venomfang is a dagger that deals +1d8 poison damage on hit. When a creature is hit by attacks from both weapons in the same round, the weapons bombard the creature's mind and body. The creature must make a WIS and a CON save with a DC of 14. On a failed WIS save, the creature becomes frightened for 1d4 rounds. On a failed CON save, the creature becomes poisoned for 1d4 rounds.
Boom/Crash: Boom is a light hammer that deals +1d4 thunder damage on hit. Crash is a hand axe that deals +1d4 lightning damage on hit. When a creature is hit by attacks from both weapons in the same round, a loud, blinding bolt of lightning strikes the swords. All enemies within 30 ft. must make a CON save with a DC of 14. On a failed save, a creature becomes deafened and blinded for 1d4 rounds.
Wax/Wane: Wax is a +1 longsword and Wane is a +1 dagger. When a creature is hit by attacks from both weapons in the same round, the weapons bolster the wielder and weaken the enemy. The wielder gains 8 temporary HP that disappear after 1 minute and the target gains 1 level of exhaustion. Creatures that become exhausted in this way cannot gain more than 3 levels of exhaustion in this way.
Tooth/Nail: Tooth is a +1 short sword and Nail is a +1 war pick. When a creature is hit by attacks from both weapons in the same round, the weapons cause the wielder to push themselves beyond their normal limits. The wielder can make one extra attack each with tooth and with nail. This ability can only be used once per round.
Fleshrender/Bloodflayer: Fleshrender and Bloodflayer are both +1 sickles. When a creature is hit by attacks from both weapons in the same round, the creature must make a DC 14 CON saving throw or else become crippled as fleshrender rips a tendon. The creature's maximum DEX is reduced by 1. This ability damage is recovered when the creature receives magical healing or after finishing a long rest. In addition, Bloodrender opens a wound that bleeds for 1 damage each round for 1 minute.
Beastmaster's Lenses
Wondrous Item (Head), Rare, requires attunement by a ranger with an animal companion
A set of goggles with empty lenses that become lit with dim yellow light when in use. At will, you can see through the eyes and other senses of your animal companion and directly control their movement and actions. While using this ability, your body cannot move or take actions and you must maintain concentration.
Beast Barding
Magic Armor, Variable Rarity, requires attunement by a ranger's animal companion
This armor warps to fit its wearer, but can only be worn by a ranger's animal companion. The barding increases the creature's AC by either +1 (Rare), +2 (Very Rare), or +3 (Legendary). The armor does not alter the creature's base AC like regular armor.
Boots of Familiar Ground
Wondrous Item (feet), Very Rare, requires attunement by a ranger
A pair of boots that are always comfortable and become embossed with imagery reminiscent of the attuned ranger's homeland. Once per long rest, you may spend a bonus action to overlay the area surrounding you in a 150 ft. cube with an illusory terrain or environment from your past. This illusion is very familiar to you, personally, and you gain advantage on Stealth, Perception, Athletics, and Acrobatics checks in the area, as well as a +1 bonus to AC. The illusion lasts for 10 minutes and functions similarly to the Hallucinatory Terrain spell. A DC 15 WIS saving throw disbelieves the illusion, but does not see through it.
Collar of Ferocity
Wondrous Item (Neck), Rare, requires attunement by a ranger's animal companion
A leather collar with spikes made from bear teeth. A ranger's animal companion can enter a rage similar to that of a barbarian for 1 minute. While in this state, the creature's size increase one size category and the creature gains +2 damage to all attacks. They also gain advantage on STR-related ability checks and saving throws and resistance to nonmagical weapon damage. The creature must finish a short or long rest before using this ability again.
Companion Claws
Wondrous Item (hands), Rare, requires attunement by a ranger with an animal companion
A pair of thick leather gloves with four serpent fangs studding the knuckles. As long as your animal companion is within 15 ft. of you, both of you gain +2 poison damage on all of your melee attacks.
Habitat Totem
Wondrous Item, Uncommon, requires attunement by a ranger with an animal companion
This small wooden totem is covered in carved patterns and binds with an animal companion after a short rest with the ranger and companion. Once bound to an animal, the patterns shift into a semblance of the animal bound to it. At this point it can be used with a bonus action to dismiss and summon the animal companion at will. While dismissed, the beast is transported to a comfortable, safe demiplane that takes the form of their desired habitat.
Helm of Beastsense
Wondrous Item (Head), Common, requires attunement by a ranger
A leather helmet with a face mask that looks like a wolf. The wearer of this helm gains the Keen Scent ability (Perception checks involving smell are made with advantage).
Hidepiercer Axe
Magic Weapon (axe), Rare, requires attunement by a ranger
This battleaxe is a deep-toothed blade that magically tears through tough scales and thick hides of beasts. This weapon has +2 on attack rolls against creatures with natural armor, and on a critical hit, it permanently reduces the creature's armor class by 1 until the creature finishes a long rest.
Magical Missiles
Magic Weapon (any ammunition), variable rarity
A list of many different possible enchantments that can be imbued upon any ammunition (arrows, bolts, darts, or sling bullets). Each item consumes its enchantment after being used, so even if it is recovered it will not work its magic again. While the magic lasts, however, the ammunition counts as a magic weapon for the purposes of overcoming resistances and immunities. The ammunition typically costs one half the price of a typical item of its rarity. For instance, a Rare magical missile would cost between 250 and 2,500 gp instead of between 500 and 5,000 gp.
Fog Cloud Missile: Uncommon. When this missile lands, a cloud of fog emanates from the missile's point of origin and spreads out to a 15 ft. radius. The cloud dissipates from a strong wind and is blocked by solid walls but spreads around corners. If an attack misses the intended target, it lands in a random space adjacent to the target.
Ghostspeaker Missile: Uncommon. To use this missile, speak a short message (a sentence or two) into it, then fire it. Wherever the missile lands, it speaks the recorded message as if you were standing where the missile landed.
Pinning Arrow: Uncommon. Can only enchant an arrow or bolt. A creature hit by this arrow is pinned by the arrow to the floor, wall, or ceiling. The creature becomes restrained and must make a DC 15 STR saving throw to wrest themselves free.
Blasting Missile: Rare. A creature or object hit by this missile must make a DC 17 STR saving throw or be blasted away from the attacker by 30 ft. If the creature collides with a sturdy solid object like a wall, the creature stops moving and takes 3d10 bludgeoning damage.
Enervating Missile: Rare. When this missile hits a living creature, they must make a DC 13 CON saving throw. On a failed save, their STR score is reduced by 1d4+2 for one minute.
Phasing Missile: Rare. This missile passes through nonliving, nonmagical matter. Creatures wearing nonmagic armor or shields gain no benefit to their AC from them against an attack from this missile. In addition, attacks made with this missile pass through walls and cover, but impart the usual penalties on the attacker for not being able to see their target.
Psychic Missile: Rare. A creature hit by this missile must make a DC 16 WIS saving throw or become affected as if by a Confusion spell for 1 minute. The creature may attempt a new saving throw at the start of each of its turns to end the effect. At the end of each round, if the creature was affected by the missile's confusion, the creature also takes 1d6 psychic damage.
Quick-Thicket Missile: Rare. When this missile lands, it immediately grows a 10 ft. square and 5 ft. high mass of foliage. The foliage pushes medium or smaller creatures out to its edges, but is crushed by Large or bigger creatures. The foliage is largely impassable; moving through each space costs 3 spaces (15 ft.) of movement. The foliage can reduce falling damage by half for creatures falling onto the foliage.
Explosive Missile: Very Rare. When this missile lands, it creates a burst of energy that deals 8d6 damage to all creatures within a 10 ft. radius of the missiles origin. Creatures that succeed at a DC 14 DEX saving throw take half damage. The energy type of the missile is determined when the item was created, and can be either acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder.
Tranquilizing Missile: Very Rare. A creature hit by this missile must make a DC 14 CON saving throw or become paralyzed and unconscious for 1 minute. On a successful saving throw, the creature instead falls asleep for 1 minute and can be roused if any creature takes an action to awaken them.
Trishot: Very Rare. This missile is treated as +1 ammunition. The missile splits apart midair to make two additional attacks. These attacks may target the same creature or up to two other creatures within 10 ft. of the target. The attacker makes separate attack rolls for each missile.
Bloodkudzu Missile: Legendary. A creature that takes damage from this missile must make a DC 18 CON saving throw or become infected with a disease known as Bloodkudzu. A thorny, poisonous vine starts to quickly grow inside of the infected creature originating from the round, dealing damage at the start of each turn. The damage begins as 1d4 poison and 1d4 piercing damage, but the damage die increases each round (1d6, 1d8, 1d10, and finally 1d12). The Bloodkudzu can only deal a maximum of 1d12 poison and 1d12 piercing damage each round. A creature slain by this effect becomes a mass of plants with red thorny vines and teal leaves with red veins. This plant has a 50% chance to immediately grow a new Bloodkudzu Missile on one of its stalks.
Quiver of Wonder
Wondrous Item, Very Rare
An arrow quiver that is oddly curved, yet arrows pulled out are perfectly straight. It changes color each time you look at it. At the start of each day, the quiver summons 7 arrows. Each arrow has a random effect which is unknown until the arrow is fired. Each arrow looks completely ordinary and attempting to detect the arrow's magic before it is fired only ever detects faint transmutation magic. The DM rolls 1d10 and chooses from the list below:
Colorful Arrow: Changes the color of the creature or object hit to a random color.
Forgetful Arrow: The creature hit forgets all events of the past minute. If the arrow misses its target, the attacker is affected instead.
Lifting Arrow: The creature becomes affected by a Levitate spell for 1 minute. If the arrow misses its target, the attacker is affected instead.
Shrinking/Growing Arrow: The creature or object hit either shrinks two size categories (50% chance) or grows two size categories (50% chance) for 1 minute.
Rubber Arrow: The arrow becomes rubber and bounces uselessly off of the target.
Spooky Arrow: The arrow causes the creature hit to become ethereal for 1 minute, passing through solid objects and gaining Resistance to nonmagic damage. If the arrow misses its target, the attacker is affected instead.
Invisibility Arrow: The arrow causes the creature or object hit to become invisible for 1 minute. This effect ends early if the creature attacks anyone.
Armor-Eating Arrow: The arrow causes the clothes and armor of the creature hit to disintegrate into oblivion unless the creature succeeds at a DC 15 DEX saving throw. On a failed save, their armor's base AC is permanently reduced by 2.
Prismatic Arrow: The arrow deals 2 additional acid, cold, fire, lightning, necrotic, and radiant damage to the target (for a total of 12 additional damage).
Polymorphic Arrow: The arrow polymorphs the creature into a random creature for 1 minute (roll 1d6): either a toad (1), a cat (2), a house fly (3), a goldfish (4), a Giant Poisonous Snake (5), or a Young Adult Red Dragon (6). If the arrow misses its target, the attacker is affected instead.
Token of Animal Affinity
Wondrous Item (neck), Rare, requires attunement by a ranger with an animal companion
A small spheroid ceramic bead on a string with a symbol of an eye on one side and a pawprint on the other. Once attuned to a beastmaster ranger, the bead grants the ranger one of their animal companion's special abilities from the following list: a burrow speed (equal to companion), fly speed (half of companion's speed), swim speed (equal to companion), climb speed (equal to companion), Keen Scent, Keen Hearing, Underwater Breathing, Blindsight (10 ft.), or Darkvision (60 ft.). The companion must have the ability in order to impart it upon the ranger, and only one ability can be shared at a time. If you want a different ability, you must spend a short rest rebinding to the companion.
Tradewind Cape
Wondrous Item (back), Uncommon, requires attunement by a ranger
A blue cape with wavy silver patterns that increases your momentum as you dance in and out of combat. Whenever you make an attack roll, you gain an extra 5 ft. of movement speed for the remainder of that round, regardless of whether the attack hit.
Wildstrike Gage
Wondrous Item (hand), Very Rare, requires attunement by a ranger
A fingerless glove of leather embossed with patterns of leaves. As an action, you may spend a spell slot to call upon the forces of nature to strike your foes. The creature takes 2d8 damage +1d8 per spell level above 1st. The creature must make a DC 15 DEX saving throw to evade the effect. However, a creature under the effects of a Hunter’s Mark spell automatically fail this save. The type of effect depends upon the environment you are in.
Arctic: A blast of arctic wind and snow freezes the target while dealing cold damage, reducing their movement speed to 0. Each turn, their movement speed increases by 5 ft. until they regain their full movement speed.
Coast: A wave crashes into the target dealing bludgeoning damage and pushing the creature 30 ft. away from the shoreline.
Desert: The target is blasted with sand, taking slashing damage and becoming blinded for 1 minute.
Forest: A large plant such as a tree limb or vine slams into the target, dealing bludgeoning damage and restraining the creature until they succeed at a DC 17 STR saving throw which they can attempt using an action once per turn.
Grassland: A gust of wind blasts the target, dealing bludgeoning damage and propelling them 60 ft. in a direction of your choice.
Mountain: A volcanic vein erupts beneath the creature, dealing fire damage. The damage dice for the ability are increased to d10s instead of d8s.
Swamp: The enemy sinks into the swamp and takes poison damage. The creature knocked prone and becomes poisoned for 1 minute.
Underground: A pillar of solid rock slams into the target from the walls, dealing bludgeoning damage and restraining the creature until they can succeed at a DC 17 STR saving throw which they can attempt using an action once per turn.
Ocean: The enemy is pulled 10 ft. underwater and becomes restrained by either a supernatural force or strands of seaweed, dealing bludgeoning damage. The creature immediately begins drowning until they can succeed at a DC 17 STR saving throw which they can attempt using an action once per turn.
Wrangler's Cord
Wondrous Item, Rare, requires attunement by a ranger
A lasso made of tightly wound leather straps. You can use the cord to make a melee attack against a beast or monstrosity. The attack is treated as if the weapon has finesse and reach (15 ft.). The attack deals no damage but if the attack is a hit, the cord becomes wrapped around the creature, usually around the neck. Once the cord is drawn tight around a beast or monstrosity, the ranger can cast Dominate Monster on the creature. The cord can only cast Dominate Monster once per day.
In Dungeons & Dragons, rangers are expert trackers. Here are some ways that rangers go about finding those tracks, or “spoor,” as its called in the hunting world. Below that are ideas for tracks left by some Favored Enemies of the ranger!
Common Signs of Tracks (1d12)
You can roll randomly to see what the ranger found for their survival check or choose from the list below.
Bent Grass: Grass will bend in direction the prey was headed.
Disturbed Dew: When creatures move through grass fresh with dew, the grass will be darker where it has traveled. The dewdrops will be shaken and spread out, making the grass dark with wetness rather than glistening with dew.
Disturbed Webs: Broken spider webs are signs something passed through. The further along the resident spider is on repairing their web, the longer it has been.
Upturned Rocks: The wet, dirty dark side of a rock will be revealed. The darker and wetter, the closer the mark. If the dirt on the rock is dry, it has been several hours.
Dirty Rocks: Mud or dirt scraped on rock edges from boots, hooves, or paws. Again, the wetter it is, the closer the prey.
Upturned Leaves: Leaves never grow upside down because they would capture no sunlight. Leaves turned over are signs that something brushed past them recently. Green leaves on the ground indicate something may have passed through quickly.
Blood: If the prey is injured it is hard to hide a blood trail. It could be on a leaf, a stone, or mixed into the mud.
Scuffed Bark or Trodden Plants: Smooshed plants or snapped twigs are easy indicators of tracks. Bark on trees could have been scraped by a hand or shoulder, or even deliberately scratched by a beast. The drier the plants/bark, the longer it has been since the mark passed through.
Trash: Discarded food, items, or other manmade garbage. Unless someone is being very careful, it’s easy to forget something or leave something behind. Probably more common when tracking large groups of humanoids as single travelers would be more careful.
Game: If there are animal tracks mixed with humanoid tracks, it has been at least before the last nightfall since they passed through. Animals are more active during the night.
Excrement: People have to go sometime. Flies can tip you off to a... sample. The drier it is, the older.
Squashed Insects: Most creatures don’t realize what they trample underfoot. There might be zero tracks but a single squashed ant means something came through.
Footprint Facts
Often found near muddy, wet areas. If dry, it has been a long time. If wet, could be sooner.
Stride Length: Long strides mean fast movement. Women or burdened humanoids tend to take shorter strides.
Dragged feet could indicate injury.
When people walk in single file to hide their numbers, it creates deeper and less distinct tracks pounded into the earth.
Lines of Force: Each print spreads out the dirt as the foot hits the soil. More and longer spread-lines indicate fast travel.
Soil Scatter: Dirt is picked up with each step. It shows the direction of travel if the print is less readable. Usually in front of track in the direction of travel.
Risings: When the ground around the track is raised a bit. Risings at the front or back indicate sudden stopping or acceleration.
Supernatural Tracks
Humanoids like goblins, gnolls, or lizardfolk can be tracked by the above means, but what about non-humanoids or supernatural creatures? Here are some unique ways to track your more unusual favored enemies!
Aberrations: Warping of matter and even reality in some cases, sickening residues, chaotic tracks, feelings of unease or being watched. Get creative depending on what sort of aberration is being tracked.
Celestials: Objects radiate dim light from leftover radiant energy, sand or dirt turned to glass from their presence, gems, silver, or gold appearing closer to the surface, supernatural occurrences or omens, sudden growth of plants or cleansing of dirt/soot/waste.
Dragons: Claw marks, signs of breath weapon, “regional effects” of specific dragons (see the Monster Manual), tracks converge on lair, pillaged towns bereft of treasure, animal blood but no body (snatched midair), excrement containing strange chemicals related to their breath weapon.
Elementals: Displaced elements (water on ground, earth piled strangely, blazes with unknown origin, wind displacing foliage and dust in the wrong direction or in spiraling patterns). Elementals that are amorphous are otherwise very difficult to track in their normal environment. Other elementals are easier as they will leave regular tracks as well.
Fey: Small circles of stones/mushrooms/plants/leaves, glitter or opalescent residue underneath leaves, no tracks if able to fly, enchanted ordinary objects, flowers blooming outside their normal cycles (good fey), withered plants (evil fey), lost travelers, supernaturally enhanced flora/fauna.
Fiends: Sulfur residue, careless tracks (demons), carefully hidden tracks (devils), mutilated but uneaten carcasses, layers of ash on rocks and foliage, claw marks, strange symbols carved or magically placed and hidden.
Giants: Large swathes of destruction. Even sneaking giants have a hard time hiding their tracks of broken plants and sunken earth. From a great distance, you could probably see felled trees or clearings where there were none. Smashed clearings or roughly dug caverns could be signs of a giant’s campsite.
Monstrosities: Depends on the monstrosity. For instance, if it’s a blink dog, displacer beast, or phase spider it might leave ectoplasm or some other type of residue when it uses its abilities and the tracks might stop short every once in a while.
Oozes: Globs of dry or wet ooze, sluglike paths of slime (even up walls), dissolved matter, foul stench, lack of other animals.
Plants: Dried patches where the plant creature has fed, uprooted plants, leaves or sprigs fallen from the creature, layers of pollen on nearby rocks, trees, or leaves.
Undead: Bits of flesh, bite marks on dead animals, half-eaten animals, clumsy footprints, ectoplasm, drag marks.
Covering tracks (1d12)
Creatures may try to cover their tracks if they are cunning and don’t want to be followed. For especially difficult tracking checks or to counter someone who is following your party, use these techniques to potentially throw off would-be hunters for hours, even days. Here are some ways to do it. You can roll randomly to determine how the ranger’s clever prey is trying to evade their tracker.
Change your shoes at intervals.
Walk with animals to cover your tracks.
Move in the rain or move during the afternoon when dew and mud has dried.
When crossing water, adjust your course laterally; don’t just trudge right across. Leave the water far away from where you entered.
Walk over rocky terrain.
Move erratically or in a zig-zag pattern.
Use different modes of travel (swimming, climbing, flying)
In a group, scatter formation and regroup to confuse the tracks.
Brush out your tracks.
Place traps to hinder trackers.
Use pepper or foul smells to throw off scent-based hunters.
Leave false or misleading tracks using the knowledge above.
Rangers in the Game: A guide to playing and roleplaying rangers, as well as how to cater to them and challenge them as a DM.
The Revised Ranger: A feature-by-feature comparison between the PHB ranger and the Unearthed Arcana ranger.
New Magic Items: New loot designed with rangers in mind, including a mess of magic dual-weapons and enchanted arrows.
Tracking Guide: A guide to real-life tracking and how to apply it when roleplaying a ranger.
New Ranger Conclaves: Four new ranger subclasses including Trappers Conclave, Outriders Conclave, Primordial Conclave, and Children of Winter.
Survival Guide : A guide to finding food using the Survival skill. Mostly a roleplaying guide.
New Ranger Spells: A series of new spells for rangers
Inspired Encounter: Hunt for the Dracatl: A multi-stage encounter involving skill challenges for tracking the monster, a fight along a canyon wall, and a showdown with the wounded beast.
Whenever a creature leaves any creature's threatened area, if it is in the range of a ranged weapon you are currently wielding, you may make an attack against that creature using your reaction.
Aspect of Nature
2nd level enchantment Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: 4 hours
Components: V, S
You take on an aspect of a creature of your choice from the following list. Only one instance of this spell can be active at a time.
Ape: You gain a climbing speed equal to your movement speed.
Bat: You gain Blindsight 15 ft.
Cheetah: Your movement speed increases by 10 ft.
Eagle: You can investigate an area up to 100 ft. away using a bonus action and gain advantage on Perception checks.
Panther: You gain advantage on Stealth checks.
Rat: You gain Darkvision 60 ft.
Shark: You gain a swim speed equal to your movement speed.
Wolf: You gain advantage when attacking a creature in melee when at least one ally is adjacent to you.
Baleful Beetle
4th level conjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S, M (A jasper gem worth 50 gp)
You create a one-inch long bombardier beetle that moves at 15 ft. per round. The beetle is difficult to spot, imposing a -10 to a creature’s passive perception or a -5 to a creature’s perception check. The caster can control the beetle mentally out to a range of 600 ft. The caster can use either a bonus action or a reaction to detonate the beetle’s abdomen, dealing 8d10 acid damage to a creature occupying its space.
Blade Storm
2nd level evocation Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: 1 round
Components: V, S
Your weapons become a blur and spin wildly around you at all nearby enemies. You may make a single melee attack against any number of creatures within 10 ft. of you, regardless of whether your weapon has reach.
Blazing Intent
2nd level conjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: 1 minute (concentration)
Components: V, S
You magically mark a creature within range. Until your next turn, whenever you or your animal companion hits that creature with an attack, the mark ignites, dealing 2d6 fire damage.
Blessed Beast
1st level enchantment Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
Once during each one of your turns while the spell persists, you and your animal companion may add 1d4 to either an attack roll or a saving throw. Your companion must be within 30 ft. of you when they add this bonus.
Briar Shield
3rd level transmutation Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action or 1 Reaction
Range: self
Duration: 1 round
Components: V, S
You quickly summon a shield of sharp thorns to damage those attacking you. You gain a +2 bonus to AC until your next turn. A creature that makes a melee attack against you while the shield remains takes 6d6 piercing damage as they are pelted with hundreds of thorns, regardless of whether or not their attack hit.
Chameleon Body
2nd level transmutation Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
Components: V, S
Your body and gear magically adjust to your surroundings to camouflage yourself. You sprout leaves or become covered in dirt or grow bark on your skin depending on your environment. You gain advantage on Stealth checks for the duration. Creatures attempting to notice you have -5 to their Perception checks as long as you remain still.
Conjure Blind
1st level conjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: instantaneous
Components: V, S, M (A sprig of plantlife)
You summon camouflage to hide behind. The blind is is 10 feet long and 5 feet high, and is created at a point you choose facing a direction you choose. The blind is composed of your choice of live or dead plant life typical of the region. The blind provides a +5 bonus to Stealth checks to hide behind it. Those that saw you cast the spell or saw you move behind the blind know that you are there, but the blind still grants partial cover (+2 AC). The blind shrivels and rots within a week.
Form of the Beast
3rd level transmutation Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: concentration, up to 1 hour
Components: V, S, M (a silver totem of your companion worth 15 gp)
You transform yourself into a copy of your animal companion. You gain your companion's STR, CON, and DEX scores, their AC, their hit points, their proficiencies, and their special abilities. You do not, however, gain any of the class features granted to the companion by your ranger class (besides enhancements to the aforementioned statistics). When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. If you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to your normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn’t reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren't knocked unconscious.
Implore the Wilds
3rd level divination Ranger spell
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: self
Duration: instantaneous
Components: V, S
You commune with nature to learn about the landscape within a 10 mile radius. You learn the history of the land, knowing the type, name, and description of any creature that passed through the area in the past year.
Inspired Aim
1st level divination Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute.
Components: V, S
Up to three creatures of your choice that you can see gain a +2 bonus to ranged attacks for the duration.
Marked Man
1st level divination Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: 24 hours
Components: V, S, M
You are able to more easily track a creature. You must have a focus for this spell that was either a part of the intended creature or owned by the intended creature. You gain advantage on Survival checks to track the creature that the focus belonged to.
Nature Ward
3rd level abjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: 1 hour
Components: V, S
You and up to 3 target creatures of your choice gain resistance to poison, acid, and lightning resistance for the spell’s duration. If you spend a spell slot of 5th level, those creatures gain immunity to the damage for the duration instead.
Numbing Strike
2nd level necromancy Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
Your next attack that hits within 1 minute deals 1d10 bonus necrotic damage. The creature must then make a CON saving throw when hit. On a failed saving throw, that creature’s movement speed becomes halved for 1 hour. In addition, the creature loses any climb, fly or swim speeds that it has for 1 hour.
Perfect Prey
1st level evocation Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
You smite a foe, dealing a larger amount of damage to creatures that are your favored enemy. Your next attack that hits within 1 minute deals +1d10 force damage to the creature hit. The attack deals another +2d10 force damage if the creature is one of your favored enemies. When cast using a higher level spell slot, this spell deals +1d10 damage for each spell slot above 1st.
Repel Vermin
1st level abjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
You generate a magical field of energy in a 15 ft. radius surrounding you. The field moves with you. Small or smaller beasts must make a WIS saving throw when attempting to enter the area. On a failed save, the creature chooses not to enter. On a successful save, the creature may enter the magical field, but it must make a new saving throw at the start of each round or else flee to the outer perimeter of the warded area.
Shock Trooper
1st level evocation Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
On your next attack, if you have advantage, you gain +5 on the attack roll and deal +2d10 lightning damage on the damage roll. For each spell slot spend above 1st, this spell deals +1d10 lightning damage.
Stalker's Mark
3rd level enchantment Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: instantaneous
Components: V, S
You mark a creature with a permanent mark that only you can see. Only one such mark can be active at a time. Recasting this spell removes all previous instances of the spell that have been cast by you. The mark allows you to see that creature through concealment such as walls or even fog and you can see through all magical forms of illusion, shapechanging, or disguises hiding the creature.
Starfall
4th level conjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 120 ft.
Duration: instantaneous
Components: V, S
You loose an arrow into the sky, which explodes like a firework into seven arrows of bright light. Each arrow attacks its own target within a 20 ft. radius of a point you designate within range. Make a separate spell attack for each arrow. Each arrow deals 1d6 damage plus your WIS modifier. Multiple arrows can target the same creature.
Trail of Smoke
1st level conjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: 1 round
Components: V, S
You leave a trail of concealing smoke in your wake. Until your next turn, every 5-ft. space that you exit with your movement fills with a 5-ft. cube of smoke. The smoke dissipates after 1 minute.
Unleash the Beast
5th level transmutation Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft.
Duration: concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
Your animal companion grows in size and becomes enraged with the ferocity of the wilds. The creature’s size increases by two size categories, increasing the damage dice of their attacks by 2 dice for each attack. In addition, when the beast moves through another creature’s space, if the creature is at least one size category smaller than the beast, the beast may make a single Shove attempt against that creature as a free action. When moving over prone creatures’ spaces, those creatures take 1d10 bludgeoning damage.
Vassal of the Hunt
2nd level enchantment Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 ft.
Duration: 10 minutes
Components: V, S
You grant a great boon to a beast of your choice. The beast deals +1d6 damage on attacks that it makes and gains 4d10 temporary hit points which fade when the spell ends. The creature also gains +5 bonus to Perception checks.
Vengeful Strikes
2nd level enchantment Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
Your attacks deal bonus damage against your favored enemies. For the spell’s duration, your attacks deal +1d6 force damage to creatures that are your favored enemies.
Venom Strike
1st level conjuration Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
Your next attack that hits within 1 minute deals 1d8 bonus poison damage. The creature must then make a CON saving throw at the start of each of its turns. On a failed save, the creature takes 1d8 poison damage. On a successful save, the spell ends and the creature stops taking poison damage. For each spell slot above 1st, the damage increases by 1d8 per turn.
Withering Poison
3rd level necromancy Ranger spell
Casting Time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S
You apply a magical poison to your weapon. Your next attack that hits a creature within 1 minute lowers the creature’s STR and DEX scores each by 4 for the spell’s duration.
haha hey in the oblivia fic i’m working on, i want to spend a chapter or two with ben while’s he’s imprisoned by the pinchers so have a rough excerpt :)c
Ben sat on his cot, back against the cold cinderblock wall. He said nothing in response to the Pinchers’ taunting, only silently praying they said something about Summer. Anything. They had been at it all morning, hoping to get some kind of information out of him, and sooner or later, he knew they were going to try to use Summer against him once more.
Finally, one of the Pinchers stood from his chair, taking a few steps towards the cell. He was irritated.
“How’s a few days without food sound there, bud? Wind up dead like your buddy?” He taunted.
Ben stood, walking to the front of the cell. He said nothing, still, trying to get one of them closer, at least.
He took the bait.
“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Drown like a rat, your friend. What was her name? Guess it doesn’t matter if she’s dead,” he taunted, standing close to the cell. Close enough to be grabbed.
Reaching through, Ben grabbed ahold of his vest, slamming him against the cell’s bars fast enough to cause his hat to fall off.
“That’s not what I overheard earlier,” he said, pulling him hard against the bars. It would use up every last bit of strength he had for the day, but if it got him the answer he was looking for, so be it.
“Ease up!” The other guard said, scrambling out of his chair.
“Is Summer alive? Answer me!” With enough of a jerk, the grunt’s neck was pressed to the bars, making it that much harder to breathe.
The grunt only sputtered something, unable to get anything out. His hands thrashed about, trying to push off the bar, but Ben’s death-grip wasn’t letting him go anywhere.
The other grunt stood by, helpless, scared that if he stepped forward to do anything, the ranger would only make things worse.
Seeing he wasn’t going to get an answer this way, Ben let up his grip just enough, but leaned in to where only the grunt he was holding could hear. “Don’t think for a second I won’t pull my scarf through and choke you out. Is she alive?” It would be against the ranger’s code of ethics, but he wasn’t playing by those rules anymore. If he was going to get anything from the pinchers, he would have to play by theirs.
“Yeah, yeah! She’s alive! She’s alive okay! And bein’ a real pain in everyone’s ass, too!” He answered, falling on his back when Ben let him go. He scrambled to his feet, putting as much distance between himself and the holding cell as possible.
The other guard glared at Ben, placing himself just in front of the other grunt. “You’re going to regret that!” He snarled.
They were out of the cell area before he even reached his cot. Sitting against it, he concentrated on the feeling of satisfaction and relief that Summer was alive, rather than the hollow pit in his stomach. Whether it was from hunger, or from threatening to choke out his enemy, he wasn’t sure.
in the fic i’m writing, despite the fact that ben so desperately needs a shower, and that they’re both covered in a gross, acrid ash from red eyes’ electrode bombs, they’re just happy to have the other back c:
