Ranger of the North (5e Class)
Ranger of the North
The Rangers of the North are the last vestiges of fallen Arnor, little remembered by those they protect. The Rangers of the North make it their task to keep watch on both the dark places in Eriador and those places where light remains. It is thankless work– most of those who enjoy the protection of the Rangers of the North know very little of them or their purpose. They are mysterious, secretive and lonely figures who do not spend long in company of other Free Folk. Most mistrust them and their purpose.
![]() |
---|
Credit to Found image on https://talesfromthecards.wordpress.com/2014/11/21/deck-spotlight-defenders-of-eriador/ |
Class Features
As a Ranger of the North you gain the following class features.
- Hit Points
Hit Dice: 1d10 per Ranger of the North level
Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points at Higher Levels: 1d10 (or 6) + Constitution modifier per Ranger of the North level after 1st
- Proficiencies
Armor: Light Armor
Weapons: Simple weapons, Long Sword, and Longbow
Tools: None
Saving Throws: Dexterity, Wisdom
Skills: Choose two skills from Acrobatics, Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, Stealth and Survival.
- Equipment
You start with the following equipment, in addition to the equipment granted by your background:
- (a) Common Clothes or (b) Leather armor and a hooded cloak
- (a) a Longsword and a long bow with 20 arrows or (b) two simple melee weapons
- (a) A Dagger or (b) Handaxe
- (a) a dungeoneer's pack or (b) an explorer's pack
- If you are using starting wealth, you have 5d4 x 10 gp in funds.
Level | Proficiency Bonus | Features |
---|---|---|
1st | +2 | Parry Stance, Long Sword Training |
2nd | +2 | Wild Life and Tracking Expertise, Language Expertise |
3rd | +2 | Parry Riposte |
4th | +2 | Ability Score Improvement |
5th | +3 | Extra attack, Dexterous Movement |
6th | +3 | Archery Training |
7th | +3 | Reflexive Initiative |
8th | +3 | Ability Score Improvement, Wilderness Master |
9th | +4 | Precise Critical |
10th | +4 | — |
11th | +4 | Extra attack(2) |
12th | +4 | Ability Score Improvement |
13th | +5 | Skilled |
14th | +5 | — |
15th | +5 | Vanish |
16th | +5 | Ability Score Improvement |
17th | +6 | Master Execution |
18th | +6 | Elite Ranger |
19th | +6 | Ability Score Improvement |
20th | +6 | Master Parry Riposte |
Long Sword Training
The Rangers of the North are almost indefinitely well known for there favored and most skillful weapon, the long sword. When creating your Ranger of the North, and you choose to take Long sword as your weapon of choice, These are the swords abilities. While (And only while) you are two-handing the long sword, your able to add your Dexterity modifier to the attack role instead of Strength. When adding dexterity the weapon still does not have the Finesse property, in terms of using it for Finesse weapon only abilities such as rogues sneak attack. If one wishes to multi class into rogue with this class.
- At the 3rd level, You can switch the damage modifier to Dexterity instead of Strength for your long sword (Only while two-handing).
- At the 7th level, Additionally the damage dice for the sword is increased from a 1d10 to a 1d12 (Only while two-handing).
Parry Stance
The bread and butter for most Rangers close quarters combat. While wielding a single drawn melee weapon and not wearing heavy armor or a sheild, you can go into a parry stance as a Bonus Action. While in this stance you become extremely prepared for any incoming attacks. While in this stance your Ac increases by +2. You can not be disarmed, and only move half the distance (Rounded down) on any effect that pushes/ shoves you from creatures up to one size larger then you. This also includes your own movement speed is halved. This lasts until the beginning of your next turn.
- The Ac increases by +1 at The 3rd, 6th, 9th, 13th, and 17th levels.
Wild Life and Tracking Expertise
Starting at level 2. Alongside a Ranger of the North's combat skill set, those skills would mean nothing if they could never hunt down there target to begin with. This is why they have spent time and training into learning the best way to hunt down a target. You may add double your proficiency modifiers with a single skill of your choice: Investigation, Perception.
Also Starting at level 2. To learn to hunt down and track targets, a Ranger must be knowledgeable of his surroundings and its natural dangers. Always respect the wilderness, for it can kill you more silently then even the quietest blade of any assassin. You may add double your proficiency modifiers with a single skill of your choice: Animal Handling, Nature, and Survival.
- At the 6th level, you gain double proficiency with 1 more of any the skills stated above that you have not chosen.
Language Expertise
At the 2nd level. The Rangers of the North are trained in a vast amount of languages. Any language you have started with thus far you can read, wright, and speak them perfectly as if you've known them your whole life. Additionally you get to choose any single language to add to your existing known languages. Every 3 levels from this point onward you learn another additional language.
- The only Exotic languages you may learn in this way is Fey and Draconic.
Ability Score Increase
When you reach 4th level, and again at 8th, 12th, 16th and 19th level, you can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or you can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, you can't increase an ability score above 20 using this feature.
Parry Riposte
At the 3rd level. While assuming your Parry stance, if a creature attacks you and misses, you can make a single melee weapon attack against that creature without using a reaction. You may only use the parry riposte once until it is your turn again.
- You gain a single additional parry riposte at the 5th, 9th, 12th, and 15th levels. Regardless of how many you have, you can only perform a single Riposte per attack missed.
Extra attack
Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn. The number of attacks increases to three when you reach 11th level in this class.
Dexterous Movement
Starting at 5th level, while you aren’t wearing medium or heavy armor, you gain these benefits. You gain a +10 to movement, and Your climbing and swimming speeds equals your moving speed.
- Additionally at level 8, You can use your reaction when you fall to reduce any falling damage you take by half (Damage taken Rounded down).
Archery Training
By the 6th level, You've trained your Archery skills to take out your enemy with devastating pin point accuracy. Any shot made with either advantage, or within your movement speed will critically hit on a roll of 19 or 20.
Reflexive Initiative
By 7th level, your split second reactions are so honed that you have advantage on initiative rolls.
Wilderness Master
Starting at 8th level, moving through non-magical difficult terrain costs you no extra movement. You can also pass through non-magical plants without being slowed by them and without taking damage from them if they have thorns, spines, or a similar hazard.
- In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against plants that are magically created or manipulated to impede movement.
Precise Critical
Beginning at 9th level, you can roll one additional weapon damage die when determining the extra damage for a critical hit with a melee attack.
- This increases to two additional dice at 13th level and three additional dice at 17th level.
Skilled
By 13th level, whenever you make an ability or skill check that lets you add your proficiency bonus, you can treat a d20 roll of 9 or lower as a 10.
Master Execution
Starting at 17th level. Your blade is an extension of yourself, and you can freely take down even the mightiest of enemy's with a good strike. To begin this move you must roll all of your current amount of melee attacks against a single creature, without rolling there damage. If at least one of those hits against a creature with less then half of there hit points remaining. You can attempt a perception check (This will take a bonus action) to glance over your enemy while in combat to see vital weak spots in there armor. If your hit was a Critical hit, you have advantage on your perception check. If you rolled high or low (Gm dependent) determines weather or not the enemy has advantage, disadvantage, guaranteed success, or guaranteed failure against the saving throw. The enemy must either make a Dexterity or Constitution saving throw against your save dc. (Save dc is 8 + Proficiency modifier + Dexterity Modifier) or be struck down where they stand. If they fail there saving throw, they are killed outright. If they succeed they take the lowest rolled damage out of the melee attack that hit them. After this, whether they fail or succeed, your turn is ended.
- You can do this an amount of times equal to your Dexterity modifier. Before needing a long rest to refill all uses.
- This attack can be made non-lethal if you so choose, the enemy will simply fall unconscious rather then dead.
Vanish
Starting at 15th level, you can use the Hide action as a bonus action on your turn. Also, you can't be tracked by non-magical means, unless you choose to leave a trail.
Elite Ranger
At the 18th level, You have become known amongst the few remaining Rangers of the North, as one of the best there ever was. Add a +4 increase to your Dexterity score, to a maximum of 24.
Master Parry
Finally at the 20th level, During your parry stance, you you can use parry Riposte any time someone misses an attack against you. Your parry stance now makes you impossible to be knocked prone by creatures up to one size larger then you. And if an enemy scores a critical attack against you, you no longer have to stop using parry stance.
Multiclassing
Prerequisites. To qualify for multiclassing into the Ranger of the North class, you must meet these prerequisites: Dexterity and Strength must both be 13 or higher.
Proficiencies. When you multiclass into the Ranger of the North class, you gain the following proficiencies:Light armor and Longsword
Back to Main Page → 5e Homebrew → Classes