The 5 Best Races For Rangers 5e D&D

Rangers are deeply tied to nature, much like the Druid, and retain spellcasting capabilities, though not as powerful as full casters.

Races seasoned with the bow or accustomed to it fit the Ranger class nicely, and they should mostly focus on Dexterity and Wisdom.

Best Races for Rangers 5e D&D

5. Lizardfolk

Ability Score Increase – One score by 2 and a different one by 1 OR Three different scores by 1.

Age – Lizardfolk reach maturity at age 14, rarely living longer than 60 years.

Alignment – Lizardfolk are mainly Neutral, and their brutal natures are not due to Evil, only an animalistic instinct to survive.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium, Lizardfolk are slightly taller and bulkier than Humans, with colorful frills that make them look even bigger.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet and a swimming speed of 30.

Racial Features – Bite, Cunning Artisan, Hold Breath, Hunter’s Lore, Natural Armor, and Hungry Jaws.

Languages – Speak, read, and write, Draconic and Common.

Lizardfolk are hunters, meaning many of them naturally pick up bows, and with their Bite and Hungry Jaws features, they’re also covered when they get in melee range.

Lizardfolk even have Nature’s Intuition, which gives them two free skill proficiencies that will definitely help throughout an entire campaign.

4. Variant Human

Ability Score Increase – Two different scores by 1.

Age – Humans mature in their late teens and live less than 100 years.

Alignment – Any

Creature Type – Humanoid

Feat (Variant) – Gain one Feat of your choice.

Size – Medium, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet, and almost any varying Human weight.

Skills (Variant) – Gain proficiency in one skill you choose.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet.

Racial Features (Variant) – Depends on the Variant Human you chose.

Languages – Speak, read, and write Common and one language you 

Variant Humans give you one Feat of your choice as well as a skill proficiency for free, which already makes them incredibly valuable. 

You can even choose a Marked Variant Human if you don’t feel like taking the Feat, as there are a lot of excellent options that will fit well with your Ranger’s abilities.

3. Half-Elf

Ability Score Increase – Charisma by 2 and two scores you choose by 1.

Age – Half-Elves mature at age 20 and usually live to around 180 years of age.

Alignment – Half-Elves share their Elvish knack for Chaos, but their Human side makes them equally capable of being Good and Evil.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium, ranging from between 5 and 6 feet tall.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet.

Racial Features – Darkvision, Fey Ancestry, and Half-Elf Versatility.

Languages – Speak, read, and write Elven, Common, and one other language you choose.

Elves are already excellent Hunters, but when combined with a Human they inherit the best of both worlds.

In other words, Half-Elf Versatility helps you choose the most appropriate trait for your Ranger, and the Fey Ancestry gives you advantage against charms.

2. Tabaxi

Ability Score Increase – One score by 2 and a different one by 1 OR Three different scores by 1.

Age – Tabaxi mature similarly to Humans and live around 100 years.

Alignment – Tabaxi tend to lean towards Choas, but they are rarely Evil, mostly driven by curiosity.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium or Small, ranging from slightly below 5 feet to more than 6 feet.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet and a climbing speed equaling it.

Racial Features – Cat’s Claws, Cat’s Talent, Darkvision, and Feline Agility.

Languages – Speak, read, and write Common and one other language deemed appropriate by your DM.

Tabaxi are agile creatures that can easily position themselves in beneficial areas that give them a good line of sight without being spotted.

They even have ways of dealing with enemies in Melee, as they have the Cat’s Claws and Cat’s Talent features. Feline Agility is another great feature that will make scouting and quickly taking out enemies much easier.

1. Wood Elf

Ability Score Increase – Dexterity by 2.

Ability Score Increase (Wood Elf) – Wisdom by 1.

Age – Elves reach maturity at the same age as Humans do. They usually claim adulthood at around 100 years of age and live to be 750 years old.

Alignment – Elves adore freedom and lean towards gentle aspects of Chaos. Most Elves value other races’ freedom and are most often Good, yet some, like the Drow, do become Evil.

Creature Type – Humanoid

Size – Medium, ranging from under 5 feet to over 6 feet in height and having slender builds.

Speed – Base walking speed of 30 feet.

Racial Features – Darkvision, Elf Weapon Training (Wood Elf), Fey Ancestry, Fleet of Foot (Wood Elf), Mask of the Wild (Wood Elf), Trance, and Keen Senses.

Languages – Speak, read, and write Elven and Common.

Wood Elves are the masters of the bow, moving efficiently and even being able to hide away quickly using Mask of the Wild.

While it might be a bit overdone, Wood Elves continue to make an excellent choice when becoming a Ranger.

Final Thoughts

Rangers are known far and wide for their skills with the bow as well as their stealth, and the above-mentioned races excel in at least one aspect, some both.

Therefore, not only do these classes give you a lot of room to create your character, but they also give you some much-appreciated gameplay improvements.