Warforged Ranger 5e D&D Guide

These mechanical marvels possess the grace of a thousand elven gazelles and the unyielding endurance of an unbreakable boulder.

Clad in a harmonious blend of organic materials and interlocking metallic plates, the Warforged Ranger is a sight to behold. Their form, reminiscent of a forest spirit’s dream, is a testament to the synergy between nature and the artifice.

As a guardian of the wild, the Warforged Ranger possesses an innate bond with the creatures that roam the lands. They communicate with woodland critters through a language all their own—a symphony of clicks, whirs, and soothing whispers.

Yet, amidst their connection to nature, the Warforged Ranger never forgets their origins.

Creating a Warforged Ranger

Warforged

Warforged were constructed to battle in the Last War and are seen as the outcome of an improved battle machine. These sentient soldiers blend organic and inorganic materials, usually constructed with wood or metal.

Even with their rough exterior, Warforged can still feel emotion and pain. Since the war has ended, most wander without objectives, their only wish now being to once again serve a higher purpose.

Note: These features can be slightly changed or modified if some variations don’t fit your character.

Warforged Subraces

There were older models of Warforged, but most didn’t survive the war or were destroyed due to their low building quality.

Ranger Class Features

Hit Points

Proficiencies

Ranger Conclaves

Upon reaching level 3, Rangers can choose to emulate the training and ideals of a specific conclave, granting them certain conclave-only features.

Beast Master – Becoming a Beast Master is to be the embodiment of friendship between the civilized races and the beasts throughout the world.

You’ll be united with a beast, focusing on fighting monstrous foes that threaten civilization and the wilderness as Ranger and beast.

Join the Beast Master conclave means committing yourself to this very simple ideal as you establish a partnership with an animal, becoming its companion and friend.

Fey Wanderer – Fey Wanderers are surrounded by the mystique of the fey, which could’ve come from various events such as eating a shining fruit, swimming in a magic spring, or acquiring a boon from an archfey.

How you acquired your magic doesn’t matter, all that matters is that you’re now a Fey Wanderer, a Ranger representing both the fey and the mortal realms.

You are filled with joy enough to brighten the hearts of those around you while also possessing great martial powers which strike fear in your enemies. You are the embodiment of the fey, their mirth, and their fury.

Gloom Stalker – Gloom Stalkers feel at home in the darkest places in the world, often found in primeval forests, deep under the earth, in gloomy alleyways, or anywhere else the light dims.

While most people enter these areas with trepidation, Gloom Stalkers venture bravely into the darkness, destroying threats before they can reach the outside world.

Many Gloom Stalkers can often be found in the Underdark, but they are willing to go to any place where evil hides in the shadows.

Horizon Walker – Rangers known as Horizon Walkers guard the world against threats that originate from distant planes or those who seek to destroy the mortal realm with fierce magic.

You’ll often hear of them seeking out planar portals, keeping watch over them, and even venturing into the Inner and Outer Planes to pursue their foes.

Horizon Walkers are great allies to many forces found in the multiverse – especially benevolent dragons, elementals, and fey – that work together to preserve life and the order of each plane.

Hunter – Hunters seek to master weapons in order to protect civilization from terrors that live in the wilderness.

These Rangers are taught specialized fighting techniques to use against these threats, ranging from terrifying dragons, hordes of orcs, towering giants, and rampaging ogres.

Monster Slayer – Monsters Slayer Rangers have dedicated themselves to hunting down wielders of grim magic and creatures of the night. They’ll often seek out dragons, evil fey, fiends, vampires, and other magical threats to vanquish.

Monster Slayers were trained in supernatural techniques for the sole reason of destroying and overcoming the powers of these monsters, becoming experts at defeating and unearthing mighty, mystical foes.

Swarmkeeper – Swarmkeepers are Rangers who feel a deep connection to the environment around them, reaching out through the magical connection they have to the world and bonding with swarms of nature spirits.

Many Swarmkeepers are hermits or outcasts, keeping mostly to themselves and attending to their swarms rather than taking on the burdens and discomforts of others.

Other Swarmkeepers enjoy building bustling communities they see as mutually beneficial to all those who form a part of their swarm.

Drakewarden – Drakewardens have their link to the natural world embodied by a draconic spirit, with the physical form of a drake.

As your power grows, so does your drake, turning from a meager four-legged companion to a majestic winged creature, strong and large enough to be ridden. The Drakewarden will also gain powerful draconic powers.

Combining Ranger With Warforged

Determining Your Ranger Subclass

Choosing your ideal subclass is subjective, but if your objective is optimization, try understanding what your character wants to do and what stats fit best with their subclass.

Optimal Warforged Subrace

Luckily, for those who struggle to pick between subraces, the Warforged don’t have any distinct subraces. 

They do, however, have their standard race, which comes with an increased Constitution (2) score and gives you a choice to increase one other ability score by 1.

If you’re looking to optimize your build, you can go with ability scores that Rangers often use (mainly Dexterity followed by Wisdom, but Strength also helps).

Since Warforged have such high Constitution and inherent AC bonuses, you will actually be more tanky than traditional Rangers, allowing for some strategies that wouldn’t have been possible without it.

Your Warforged Ranger Background

Your Warforged Ranger needs a unique background that will affect its choices, as well as the way it sees the world and what it wants to achieve.

Start by asking yourself some basic questions: Where were they born, and where did they come from? Do they have any goals, bonds, or ideals, and what are their flaws? Where do they belong in social circles and society as a whole? What inspires them?

Place of Birth

Think of the environment a Warforged Ranger grew up in and how it affected them physically and emotionally and eventually shaped their view of the world.

Try to make their place of birth and upbringing correspond with their personality traits, ideals, bonds, and flaws – this will truly bring their character alive.

Note: The birthplaces of races are usually mentioned in the Player’s Handbook or some of its expansion books.

Characteristics and Personality Traits

(Short outline of characteristics; are they proud, violent, or angry, and how does their class affect their personality).

Warforged Ranger Examples:

• I have a lesson for each situation drawn from observing nature.

• I always watch over my friends as if they were all a litter of newborn pups.

Ideals, Bonds, and Flaws

Ideal – Express one ideal that is a driving force in a Warforged Ranger’s life – their conviction, ethical principle, and moral standing (probably something about nature).

The natural world is more important than any and all the constructs of civilization.

Bonds – Think of a single bond that your Warforged Ranger has to an event, person, or place. Bonds will tie them to their background and can inspire bravery or stimulate memories driving them against their ideals.

I’m still seeking the enlightenment I pursued in my seclusion, which still eludes me.

Flaws – Choose a single flaw for a Warforged Ranger – their unhealthy compulsion, greatest fear/weakness, or most vile vice.

I have a ‘tell’ that reveals when I’m lying.

Inspiration

Inspiration can be used by the DM to reward you for playing according to your bond, personality traits, ideals, and flaw.

I once served those of flesh, but I have realized how important nature is, and protecting it is my duty above everything else.

Note: If you’re struggling to create your background or just don’t want to think, the Player’s Handbook has well-thought-through backgrounds that you can use for your character or use as a mold.

Supplies and Gear For Warforged Rangers

Rangers start with the following equipment, together with the equipment from their background. Choosing equipment based on your situation and your character’s proficiencies is the easiest way to go about things.

• (a) Scale mail or (b) Leather armor
• (a) Two shortswords or (b) Two simple melee weapons
• (a) Dungeoneer’s pack or (b) Explorer’s pack
• Longbow and quiver of 20 arrows

You can decide how your character came about these goods – whether they stole, inherited, or purchased them some time back – adding to your character’s background.

Note: By using your starting wealth, you can buy your own equipment (5d4 x 10 GP for Rangers).

Final Thoughts

Warforged were initially created to act as soldiers, and for that reason, they can become exceptional Rangers.

Even though their stats complement martial classes like the Fighter or Barbarian the best, with but a little training, they can become great Rangers.

Warforged are the perfect blend of defense and offense if they become a Ranger. In other words, this makes them great for a party that needs adventurers to fill more than one role.

You might also be interested in the following:

• Warforged Barbarian
• Warforged Fighter
• Triton Paladin