D&D Ranger Level Up – a step by step guide (5e)

I always found the level-up process to be one of the most enjoyable and rewarding nuances of any RPG, including Dungeons & Dragons.

It’s the feeling of seeing your character finally getting stronger after you spent so many hours slaying ferocious beasts, exploring dark dungeons, making new acquaintances, escaping from situations you couldn’t handle at your previous level, opening treasure chests filled with coins and jewels (and sometimes empty ones), and so on, that makes this part of the game so exciting.

When it comes to progress through levels in D&D there are quite a few things to remember and all the information you need are scattered on different pages of the Player’s Handbook (and sometimes on other manuals).

I’m pretty sure most of the players have already memorized all the pages they need to look at to level up their alter-ego, but for all the new players, for my friends that constantly ask me what to do when they have to level up and even for veterans who just want a tidy recap, I thought it would be handy to have a step by step guide to follow that will hopefully make the whole level-up process faster.

In this article, I’ll dive deep into the D&D Ranger level up process, and in particular what new abilities and feats you’d unlock, as well as any change of the character’s stats.

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D&D Ranger Level Up Advancement Table

Here’s a quick overview of the Ranger level up advancement if you want to get a sneak peek or if you need a quick recap.

Keep scrolling for a deeper description of each level.

1st Level – Ranger Starting Features & Abilities

Hit Points

• Basic Hit Points: 10 + Constitution (CON) modifier.
• Hit Dice: 1d10.

Proficiencies

• Armour: Light Armour, Medium Armour, Shields.
• Weapons: Simple weapons, Martial Weapons.
• Tools: None.
• Proficiency bonus: +2.
• Saving Throws: Strength (STR) and Dexterity (DEX).
• Skills: Choose three from Animal Handling, Athletics, Insight, Investigation, Nature, Perception, Stealth, and Survival.

Class Features

• Favoured Enemy
  You can choose a type of favourite enemy among aberrations, beasts, celestials, constructs, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, giants, monstrosities, oozes, plants, or undead and you will have advantage on Wisdom (survival) checks to track them, as well as on Intelligence checks to recall information about them.
• Natural Explorer
  You can choose a type of favourite terrain among arctic, coast, desert, forest, grassland, mountain, swamp, or the Underdark and you will have double proficiency on skills when you’re making an Intelligence or Wisdom check related to that favourite terrain, as well as other benefits.

2nd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Spells known: 2.
• Spell slots: +2 (1st level).
• Fighting Style
  You can adopt a particular fighting style as your speciality such as duelling, defence, great weapon fighting, and so on based on how you want to play your character.
• Spellcasting
  You learnt how to cast spells by using the magical essence of nature.

3rd Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level).
• Ranger Archetype
  You can choose your subclass between the Beast Master, the Hunter, the Drakewarden, the Fey Wanderer, the Gloom Stalker, the Horizon Walker, the Monster Slayer, the Swarmkeeper.
• Primeval Awareness
  You can expend 1 ranger spell slot to focus on the region around you and by doing so you will be able to feel the presence of certain types of creatures (aberrations, celestials, dragons, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead) within 1 mile of you.

4th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

5th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (1st level), +2 (2nd level).
• Extra Attack
  You can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you use the attack action on your turn.

6th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Favoured Enemy and Natural Explorer improvements
  You can choose one additional favoured enemy and terrain type based on the personal experience of your character.

7th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (2nd level).
• New Ranger Archetype subclass feature: this depends on which Ranger Archetype you have chosen for your Ranger.

8th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Land’s Stride
  You can now move through nonmagical difficult terrains without spending any extra movement.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

9th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +3 (3rd level).

10th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Natural Explorer improvements
  You can choose one additional favoured terrain type based on the personal experience of your character.
• Hide in Plain Sight
  You can spend 1 minute creating camouflage for your character by using what surrounds you, such as plants, dirt, mud, and so on. While you’re camouflaged you can try to hide by pressing your body next to a solid surface as big as you are and you gain a +10 bonus to Dexterity (Stealth) checks as long as you remain still.

11th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (3rd level).
• New Ranger Archetype subclass feature: this depends on which Ranger Archetype you have chosen for your Ranger.

12th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

13th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).

14th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Favoured Enemy improvements
  You can choose one additional favoured enemy type based on the personal experience of your character.
• Vanish
  You can use the Hide action as a bonus action and you can’t be tracked unless you leave a trail on purpose.

15th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level).
• New Ranger Archetype subclass feature: this depends on which Ranger Archetype you have chosen for your Ranger.

16th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

17th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Proficiency Bonus: +1.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (4th level), +1 (5th level).

18th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Feral Senses
  You can fight creatures you can’t see without taking disadvantage on your attack rolls against them.

19th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Spells known: +1.
• Spell slots: +1 (5th level).
• Ability Score Improvement: you can increase one ability score by 2 or increase two ability scores by 1. If you use the optional feats rule you can instead choose a Feat of your choice.

20th Level

• Hit Points: add 1d10 (roll or 6) + Constitution (CON) modifier to the current hit points.
• Hit Dice: one additional d10.
• Foe Slayer
  You can add your Wisdom modifier to the attack or damage roll of an attack against one of your favoured enemies.