Best Feats for Hunter Ranger 5e
by Prince Phantom
You would think that a subclass that provides such a wide array of options would make for one of the coolest and most customizable characters in the game. In reality, the features all feel like either something that should be on the base Ranger kit, or are ripped straight from another class entirely. This ironically leaves Hunter feeling like the most generic subclass possible.
The thing is, the subclass isn’t mechanically bad, it’s probably right dead center in comparison to the rest of the Ranger subclasses. The options are just so bland that it is hard to find much synergies with feats beyond what a normal Ranger would take, but let’s see what we can manage.
Best Feats for Hunter Ranger 5e
Sharpshooter/Crossbow Expert (ASAP): More than most other subclasses, the Hunter is really encouraging us to play at range. The options for ranged combat are simply better than the ones for melee. Volley in particular is very strong in some combats where enemies are clumped together, Horde Breaker is much easier to find times to use when we can pick our targets freely, and Escape the Hoard means we can escape melee combat without much concern. You definitely don’t have to play ranged, but it is optimal. Crossbow Expert first if you get a feat at level 1, Sharpshooter first otherwise.
Magic Initiate (Lv 8): I’m begging and pleading to add some semblance of flavor to this subclass, and gaining a familiar plus a few cantrips tastes like a steak dinner in comparison to the tofu we’re normally served. It just feels very thematically appropriate for the Hunter to have a falcon or something that helps them hunt and scout. As for cantrips, pick your favorite of the ones that don’t depend on your intelligence.
Fey Touched (Lv 8): Perhaps a bit of a fey theme is more your style, in which case you’ll be just fine picking this up instead of Magic Initiate. I do believe that a familiar is stronger than what Fey Touched offers, especially because we might not even need the Wisdom bump. None of our features key off of Wisdom, so while I still wouldn’t dump it, you don’t have to invest in it as much as some other subclasses do. Still, Misty Step and Silvery Barbs both fill very important niches in our spellcasting, and you may value that more, especially if someone else in your party already has a familiar, as multiples of them provide diminishing returns.
War Caster (Lv 8): If you do decide to play in melee, War Caster might be a necessity. Far too many Rangers ignore their spellcasting. Rangers actually have a very well designed spell list, with options that are useful at all levels of play, which we love since we are only a half caster. Concentrating on a spell like Entangle or Spike Growth can really trivialize the right encounter, and we have too few slots to be wasting them by losing concentration. Depending on your weapon load out, your hands might also be full, meaning spellcasting is mostly impossible for you without this feat.
Ritual Caster (Lv 12): Even Hunters that largely ignored their Wisdom should still probably have a 13 in it, so we shouldn’t have any trouble picking this up. Doing so grants us access to the vast majority of ritual spells assuming we can find them to put in our book. Hopefully your party has a friendly Wizard who already has most of these spells, so you can just copy their homework and instantly increase your utility capabilities dramatically.
Resilient (Lv 12): Take this either for Constitution or Wisdom, depending on which you need help with more. As always, Constitution helps our concentration checks, but Wisdom saves are typically more debilitating. You’ll know which is more important for your character and your campaign.
Sentinel (Lv 12): If you are trying to do the Whirlwind Attack feature as a basis for your damage output, Sentinel helps keep our enemies in places so we can repeat the Whirlwind Attack round after round. It’s not foolproof, as we only get one reaction per round, but every bit of help is appreciated.
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