Ravenloft: The Horrors Within introduces two new subclasses, and the Hollow Warden Ranger is one of the standouts.
Rangers have had a reputation for getting the short end of the stick. In D&D 5E, this was true up to the release of Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, when they finally had some toys to play with that kept the pace. But. In 5.5E they still carry some of that reputation, even if it’s a little less deserved.
People still try to find ways to make them min/maxed, which is harder to do with a Class that kind of wants you to roll stats and see where the vibes take you instead of sitting on a mathematically rhythmic power escalation graph for those who measure the fun they have playing the class by comparing the numbers they roll to the potential numbers they could be rolling. But the Hollow Warden Ranger, in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, might just satisfy both ends of the spectrum. Aside from that? It’s just cool. Let’s check it out.
The Hollow Warden Ranger – A Guardian In The Dark
Hollow Warden Rangers have a sort of built-in folk horror kind of vibe. Antlers and bone. Fur and fang and claw; but like, in a way that would be wrapped around a wooden statue in flickering firelight that serves as a warning. Not a “warrior of nature” kind of way. There’s something dark about the aesthetics here, though of course, I’m sure people will find whatever flavor they want.
The point is, the Hollow Warden Ranger is a Ranger that draws power from the ancient terrors that lurk deep within the old places of the earth. It’s a soulslike vibe. But what about practical abilities? Well in a nutshell, this subclass is a melee masterclass in what a Ranger could look like. And it all revolves around using the Ranger’s “Favored Enemy” to do something besides cast Hunter’s Mark.
The core of the class is a level 3 feature called Wrath of the Wild. When using it, you draw power from the strange and ancient horrors of the land and spend a Bonus Action (and a use of your Favored Enemy feature) to transform into a spooky melee powerhouse of a Ranger.
While transformed, you gain a +1 bonus to your AC (this improves to +2 at level 11), you gain a 10-foot fear aura that only affects creatures of your choice (they have to save at the start of your turn or be Frightened until the start of your next turn), but most importantly you gain the ability to make an Opportunity Attack against a creature that damages you or one of your allies.
Already you’re a melee beast. You are harder to hit, but whenever you or a friend gets hit, you just attack back. And most of the subclass enhances your transformation, making it so that you can do more with your battle form, instead of just making the number go incrementally higher, which I’m a fan of.
But I have to mention how amazing the Hollow Warden Spells are as well. The list of bonus spells you get from this class is small, but mighty: Wrathful Smite, Alter Self, Phantom Steed, Dominate Beast, and Steel Wind Strike. Each one feels like it adds to your ability to either play with melee or be a cool spooky wrathful apparition of the most primal places of the world. 10/10 no notes.
Higher Levels Feel Anything But ‘Hollow’
It would be enough to just have a Ranger that isn’t all about casting Hunter’s Mark. I think that improves the vibes of the Ranger so strongly that you can feel people’s orifices unclenching. However, the Hollow Warden keeps going at higher levels.
At level 7 Hungering Might makes you more resilient, granting your Wisdom modifier as a bonus to Constitution saving throws (including Concentration checks), as well as the ability to regain hit points once per turn whenever you hit someone while both Bloodied and in Wrath of the Wild form. Pretty spicy.
At level 11, Rot and Violence deepens your transformation, adding on more effects. For one, when a creature fails its save against your fear aura, in addition to being Frightened, it also can’t regain Hit Points or take Reactions until the start of your next turn. Huge debuff, it makes you a threat that enemies have to deal with or avoid. But then you also can, for free, use either the Sap or Slow Weapon Masteries in addition to whatever other weapon mastery property you’re using with the weapon you’re wielding. I love this piece of tech for a melee-focused subclass.
Finally at level 15, Ancient Might provides you with benefits even when you’re not in Wrath of the Wild Form. With Ominous Strikes, you deal extra damage whenever you hit with an attack roll against a creature that is Frightened. Persistent Wrath lets you survive being reduced to 0 hit points while in Wrath of the Wild Form, instead regaining twice your Ranger level in hit points. And Timeless makes you immune to Exhaustion. All in all, just an incredible subclass, easily my favorite Ranger subclass in 5.5E.
Check out the Hollow Warden Ranger (and six other spooky subclasses) in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within!
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Source: Bell of Lost Souls
