Dungeon Master: Ranger Weapons

Similarly to Eldritch Knights, rangers don't get much love in the magic item department. For this reason, I hope to provide similar advice for magic items specifically for rangers. I went over a lot of stuff that carries over and for that reason I would recommend reading that first.

How to Limit Items

You can easily make the item only attune to a ranger. If you do this, the attunement should add features that only makes sense to the ranger class (such as improved hunter's mark or other features). This is because, just like with the Eldritch Knight, I don't like cutting out other classes completely. If the bow acts as a +1 bow in the hands of normal people but provides double damage from hunter's mark when attuned, it remains useful for others but still remains a uniquely ranger weapon.

The ranger has a spell list that is different from other classes. As a result, having the magic item enhance a particular spell or allow extra casting of a spell will cut out the other classes by its nature. In these cases, I'd probably add these kinds of benefits into the attunement section and only allow it be attuned by a ranger to make it explicit. Since it enhances ranger spells, other classes wouldn't benefit anyway. It's just so I don't make a mistake when reading later and neither do the players. There are some cases, particularly with very powerful items, where you'll want to make sure a powerful effect is only able to be used if attuned. The effect may not be uniquely for rangers, and in this case I'd lift the attunement requirement. The spells, which are only available to a ranger, still makes it better in the hands of a ranger, but it still functions as a good item in the hands of others.

What to Target

Certain spells such as hunter's mark and swift quiver are the meat and potatoes of ranger builds for damage dealing. Enhancing these in some way greatly helps out the ranger and also helps target some of what makes the ranger unique. It also helps to make the item best employed by a ranger. Some examples are:

• Hunter's mark no longer requires the ranger to maintain concentration
• Swift quiver no longer requires the ranger to maintain concentration
• Certain amount of hunter's mark casts per a day
• Certain amount of swift quiver casts per a day
• When certain spells are cast while attuned to the item (possibly also within certain range of item), a spell slot is not expended (note that the ability to cast the spell is still needed)
• Damage or number of free attacks is doubled when using a certain ranger feature (hunter's mark, colossus slayer, giant killer)
• Choose an option from “superior hunter's defense”