Best Rangers Spells in D&D 5e
If you are a regular DnD enthusiast, you will be familiar with the Rangers in the world’s most famous tabletop game, but knowing all about the best Rangers spells is another thing altogether. This is more prominent for this class, considering they do not have much in the name of spells or cantrips. To put it simply, your choices going into the game as a spell-enthusiast Ranger is quite restrictive.
Rangers usually have Druid flavoring, so you can expect a decent summoning and damage mix, which is not something to be overlooked or taken lightly. You can get a lot out of the Rangers spell list, but knowing the best ones take ample experience and theoretical knowledge. This is where we come in to provide the best Rangers spells you can opt for on your next DnD campaign.
Ranger Spell Lists 5e
Best Ranger Spells 5e
Let’s look at the best Ranger spells in the DnD world:
1. Hunter’s Mark
A go-to spell for low-level Rangers, the Hunter’s Mark is a tremendously useful spell that can buff up damage against any opponent. It also has a few useful non-combat tracking bonuses, making it worthy of being kept at your disposal throughout the campaign if you happen to be a Ranger.
The Hunter’s Mark is cast as a Bonus Action, making it the biggest advantage you can get out of this spell. You can say goodbye to sacrificing your attacks only to cast a spell.
This spell is ideal for almost any combat encounter, but there’s only one condition: make sure you remember to cast it before making an attack.
2. Spike Growth
One of the biggest advantages in any combat encounter is controlling the battlefield and having sway over it. This is especially accurate if there are multiple enemies. Hinder the enemy’s movement, and your party gets a chance to maneuver into an ideal position and quickly gain the upper hand over the enemies.
Considered one of the greatest early game spells, your Ranger character can use Spike Growth to accomplish just that. Covering a 20-foot-long radius,
Spike Growth turns the area into a difficult terrain, dealing 2d4 damage every time a creature moves 5 feet within the area. The spell is camouflaged to make it look like natural ground, which essentially means that unsuspecting creatures have to make a Perception check to notice the danger.
3. Pass Without Trace
Sure, Rogues are the quintessential stealth class, but Rangers are also equipped to excel in this regard. Rangers can replace the Rogues’ Expertise ability with some useful skills that can even the playing field or tip it in their favor.
This spell is a tremendously useful spell that lets the Ranger give a +10 bonus to Stealth checks employed by creatures within 30 feet, and affected creatures can leave no tracks from which their passage can be effectively traced.
4. Swift Quiver
If you are a Ranger who leans into their name and puts ample emphasis on ranged weapons, this spell is a 5th-level blessing that significantly increases a caster’s damage potential by a minute. It also offers a limitless supply of non-magical weapons and lets you use a bonus action to fire two in the same turn.
This could mean firing up to 4 times in a turn for a battlefield which can be improved if it were fired from a magical bow. Couple this with the extra damage of the Sharpshooter feat, and you can have a devastating effect on the battlefield, dealing huge damage while remaining at a safe distance.
5. Wrath of Nature
This is one of the most attractive high-level battlefield management spells that your Ranger character will have access to. With various useful effects, the Wrath of Nature acts nearly as a mobile lair for the caster, offering various useful bonuses that can turn the terrain against their enemies while still letting the Ranger use their Actions as they prefer.
The only tiny hindrance to the Wrath of Nature’s viability is its stipulation that it can turn things such as grass, rocks, or vines against the foe.
Try to have a discussion with your Dungeon Master about how this could translate into other terrain types like deserts and sea-based settings. This can solve the problem, making it one of the Ranger’s most effective choices for a top-tier spell.
6. Goodberry
This 1st-level transmutation spell has a casting time of 1 action and a touch-specific range. With V and M components and an instantaneous duration, this one is a great choice!
You will see nearly 10 berries appear in your hand, which are infused with magic for the stipulated duration. You can use one action to consume one berry which restores 1 HP.
The berry offers ample nourishment to sustain a creature for a whole day. This one is a tricky Rangers spell since the berries lose their potency if not consumed within 24 hours of casting the spell.
7. Absorb Elements
Rangers are not necessarily always as good at tanking as the other combat classes. They lack the get-out-of-jail-free card that Rogue classes possess with the Evade ability. That being said, their role as damage-dealers often puts Rogues in harm’s way in battles.
This spell offers a nice bit of elemental protection for Rangers in the first few levels, especially useful in cases of forewarning of the types of creatures that might come up. The bonus of elemental damage on all melee attacks can also be helpful if the opponent is in close range.
8. Conjure Animals
This 3rd level Conjuration spell lasts up to an hour and is dependent on concentration. It has a range of 60 feet and a casting time of 1 action. With V and S components, this one is one of the most used spells for Rangers. When you cast this spell, you summon one of the following:
- 1 beast with challenge rating of 2 or less
- 2 beast with challenge rating of 1 or less
- 4 beast with challenge rating of 1/2 or less
- 8 beast with challenge rating of 1/4 or less
Every beast summoned with this spell are spiritual alternatives of beasts. They do not fall unconscious but at 0, they’re gone. With their own initiative, they don’t necessarily attack enemies unless commanded. A Ranger can only upgrade this to a 5th-level spell.
9. Zephyr Strike
While it might be more situational than other Rangers spells, Zephyr Strike happens to be the perfect choice for members focused on a melee build. It lets the caster move swiftly through the battlefield and offers a nice bonus to damage as well.
This prevents you from incurring opportunity attacks for a minute while maintaining concentration. You can choose to make an attack, whether ranged or melee, and that gives an extra 1d8 force damage, 1 advantage on attack rolls, and an added 30 feet of movement in that turn. It will be perfect if you are a quick-moving, melee-based combatant.
10. Fog Cloud
Belonging to 1st level Conjuration, Fog Cloud is a spell that can be used by Sorcerer, Wizards, Druids, And Rangers. The spell has a casting time of 1 action and has a range of 120 feet. With V and S components, it lasts for up to an hour, based on concentration.
With this, you can create a sphere of fog extending from a twenty feet radius from a targeted space. The fog moves around corners and makes the area obscure during the stipulated time frame.
The radius amps up for each level above the 1st that the spell is cast at. This will disperse when a wind moving at least 10 miles/ hour goes through the fog. The fog allows Rangers to choose where combat is the most violent. Blocking off escape, allowing stealth, or forcing low-health foes into a terrible situation can be facilitated with this spell. Lastly, it lasts long!
Extra: Summon Beast
Requiring concentration for 1 hour and having material components valued at 200 GP, Summon Beast can materialize a corporal beast with a stat block.
The beast can be an air, land, as well as a water creature, with unique abilities, having darkvision, understanding the Ranger’s languages, and knowing hefty attacks. It can be upcast for greater beast stats and multi-attacks.
With this, you get a magical beast companion, utility on all terrains, and the strategic upper hand whenever needed. The only downside is that the hit points don’t scale, and multi attacks only trigger when upcast at levels 4 and 5.
Conclusion
That’s about it for the best Rangers spells list. They are all great fun and must be tried out as and when the opportunity arises. We hope this article helps you along the way if you want to experiment with Rangers. Good luck, and happy questing!
