DnD 5e Ranger: Revised!

I know that a lot of people (including me) are unhappy with the ranger as presented in the PHB. The wait for a solution is over! Mike Mearls released a revised version of the ranger, levels 1-20. I, for one, am very happy after having read it.

Here is is: Revised Ranger!

This looks pretty neat! I know I'd be interested in the Beast Conclave.

Me too! It's not really much more powerful (if at all), but it doesn't rub me the wrong way, mechanically speaking.

I love this, i'm playing a 4th level Ranger in my home table and i was getting ready to multiclass after 5th. If i can get my DM to agree to let me use this I could keep going with the ranger without feeling completely gimped.

I've been playing 5e face to face, but only out of the three core books. What is that people don't like about the base Ranger? I do like the 2HD/lvl thing in the new one. That's kinda neat and old school.

And maybe this needs a different thread, but I've heard various people say this or that class is over or under powered. I'm curious what mechanical deficiencies other classes have too.

I'm running for middle schoolers as a volunteer at the public library and playing with college friends converting 1e and OSR modules, so rules are always sorta hazy. I don't get to see the gamer downsides that others complain about because neither group lives in the space that optimizers would consider optimal play or builds.

A lot of the abilities they gain are not useful in game. Old School Ranger issues:

1. Favored enemy had no combat bonuses until 20th level (and they sucked)

2. Natural Explorer is super limited, and becomes totally useless depending on where your campaign takes you

3. Beastmaster Ranger was awkward to play and made almost no sense. I can't attack when my companion does, but I can pay for a Mastiff and do that just fine, really?

4. Primeval Awareness was just weird, and not super useful (though I don't like the new one a whole lot either)

5. Two-Weapon Fighting (a staple ranger fighting style in DnD) is 100% incompatible with the Beastmaster Archetype

That's just off of the top of my head

And this newest one doesn't have 2 HD per level

The 2 HD/level was from an older attempt at revamping the ranger class, which stopped at level 5 or 10 (it was meant as a beta).

I think a major part of what made some people feel that the Ranger was deficient was that many of its abilities had requirements that were practically unusable in actual gameplay. For example, Primeval Awareness seems like it'd be a good ability to sense what monsters are in the area, but it used up a spell slot and ONLY told you if they were within a mile in any direction. At least the revised version includes beast speech, and while it limits awareness to your favored enemies, it at least gives you a better indication of where to start tracking.

Hide in Plain Sight was another ability that seemed good on the surface, but then you realized that you had to spend 1 minute prepping everything, you needed material components, and then a solid vertical surface to stand against. The revision allows for greater flexibility and provides more opportunities to actually use the skill.