Those who attack from a distance in Dungeons & Dragons have a major advantage in combat situations because they rarely find themselves amidst the fray. Rangers, as the class name suggests, specialize in ranged attacks, taking enemies out from afar and keeping themselves safe in the meantime.
While taking a feat can sometimes feel like a gamble, there are some that are almost impossible to turn down where Rangers are concerned. These options that not only make a Ranger’s attacks more powerful, but can maintain the safe distance they like to keep, enhance their cover and even make them more difficult to hit.
Sharpshooter Lets a Ranger Hit Harder and Ignore Cover
Mastering the impossible shot is a dream come true for a Ranger, and with the Sharpshooter feat, they can do just that with ease. Sharpshooter negates the disadvantage on long-ranted attacks, and any attack made with a ranged weapon ignores half and three-quarters cover. To make this feat even sweeter, the Ranger can choose to take a -5 penalty on their attack roll with a ranged weapon to add +10 additional damage if it hits. Because a well-built Ranger has the stats to guarantee incredibly high attack rolls, that significant amount of damage will almost be a given, and they’ll barely notice the penalty.
Skulker Makes It Easy to Hide – and Stay Hidden
Even a well-built Ranger is bound to miss a perfectly-aimed shot sometimes, but that doesn’t mean they have to risk giving away their position. Skulker guarantees that, even when a ranged shot misses the target, their position isn’t revealed when they are hidden. The Ranger can also attempt to hide from a creature, even when they are only lightly obscured, which could mean the difference between up close and personal melee battle and slipping even deeper into the shadows for a better vantage point.
Skulkers also don’t suffer disadvantage on Wisdom checks involving sight when the light is dim. This makes lining up the perfect shot in a dimly lit area is that much easier to manage.
Alert Helps a Ranger Help Their Party
Getting the jump on enemies before they see the party coming can give everyone a major advantage, and sometimes it’s the Ranger’s job to see that done. Alert guarantees the Ranger won’t be surprised (so long as they are conscious), and unseen creatures don’t gain advantage on their attacks just because the Ranger doesn’t see them. The Ranger also gains a +5 initiative bonus, potentially putting them closer to the start of the round in combat. Having the first shot against enemy targets can help determine which way the battle will go, possibly even ending it before it really has a chance to begin.
Additional Options for Rangers
Crossbow Expert is another useful option, as it no longer imposes loading time on crossbow use and negates the required distance to take a shot. This means a Ranger who happens to find himself in melee range can still take advantage of their ranged weapon without disadvantage because they’re too close. They can also use their bonus action to make a crossbow attack if they use their action to make a one-handed melee attack.
Keen Mind makes the Ranger an even more valuable asset to the rest of the party, especially when it comes to navigating terrain and tracking enemies. Not only does the Keen Mind feat grant an Intelligence score increase, but the Ranger always knows which way is north, approximately what time it is and can recall anything they’ve seen or heard in the last month with remarkable accuracy.
For Rangers looking to deal even more damage, consider Poisoner, which grants proficiency with the Poisoner’s Kit. This allows the Ranger can apply poison to weapons or ammunition using a bonus action instead of an action. It allows poisoned weapons and ammunition to ignore poison resistance.
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