Of all the core Dungeons & Dragons classes, rangers are often overlooked or misunderstood by the casual players. Most associate the ranger class with Aragorn or Legolas from Lord of the Rings -- expert hunters, skilled with a blade or a bow. Some might even think of the dark elf Drizzt from the Forgotten Realms. However, the casual fantasy fan's understanding of the ranger beyond that is more obscure and difficult to determine.
The following characters might all fall into the ranger archetype. When crafting your ranger, therefore, you might want to consider these characters when crafting your character. They embody some or many of the traits most commonly associated with the ranger, for better or worse. When crafting your Dungeons & Dragons character, you might want to use these as a model for your creativity.
Rambo (Rambo)
John Rambo is a Green Beret from Vietnam who just wanted to return home. However, a series of events triggers his inner survivalist, pitting him into a one-man war against a small town -- before the US government channeled that monstrous force against enemies of the United States in several gory sequels. John Rambo is the ultimate 80s action star, and, yes, he would be a Ranger in Dungeons & Dragons.
You might want to take a couple of levels in Barbarian to gain that Rage ability, but the two classes are diametrically opposed. Rambo's preferred enemies are humanoids. You'll want to focus on Rambo's ability to survive in any situation. Focus on archery weapons -- if your DM allows it, guns count as archery weapons. Your subclass is that of the hunter, with a background of being a soldier. One key element to Rambo, however, is setting traps beforehand. Determine with your DM beforehand how they plan on using traps in-game. Spells like Longstrider, Hunter's Mark and Pass Without a Trace will make you the ultimate killing machine.
Din Djarin (Star Wars)
Din Djarin might be the iconic star of Star Wars: The Mandalorian, but who is he as a warrior? He's a wandering figure, armed with a gun and great wit. However, this man's greatest weapon isn't his guns or tech, nor is it Grogu, his iconic child companion. Rather, Din is famous for his Beskar Armor, a nearly impenetrable defense, and his strict adherence to Mandalorian honor.
Din might work best as either a Hunter or a Monster Slayer. Hunters do gain some good defensive tactics that might amp up how skilled Din is regarding defensive capabilities. Humanoids are his preferred enemies. For fighting style, go with defense. The increased AC will benefit Din and make him far harder to hit. Rangers aren't known for their heavy armor, but if you have the strength, amp up the strength.
Punisher (Marvel Comics)
The Punisher is, in essence, the ultimate killer of all evildoers. While Punisher might appear similar to Rambo, there's a distinct difference here. The Punisher is centered entirely on archery. No trap setting or anything complicated. Just shoot to kill.
Creating the Punisher means pure damage output rangers. Favored enemy? Humanoid. Fighting style? Archery. Your subclass will be Monster Slayer, all so you can study and perfectly slaughter any adversary in your path. However, it is the Punisher's Ranger Spells that will best benefit him. Hunter's Mark will be instrumental in combat.
Toriko (Toriko)
Toriko is a monster hunter who searches the world for new monsters to hunt...to turn into food. Obviously, a monster hunter who just wants to produce the best food ever is an entertaining character to play, but Toriko is unique in that he really doesn't use too many weapons. Just raw physical power. So how do you make this character? Let's discuss.
First off, you'll want to take the Tavern Brawler Feat. Monstrosities are your favored enemies. If you are choosing to give your Toriko-counterpart a one-handed weapon, go with Dueling. Otherwise, use Thrown Weapon Fighting to make yourself a master of improvisation. As for your subclass, use Monster Slayer. You're going to need a LOT of strength and dexterity, but you'll also need some of your Ranger Spells to augment your abilities.
Nightcrawler (Marvel Comics)
Nightcrawler might be everyone's favorite blue-skinned, teleporting mutant from the X-Men, but he's also a typical ranger/swashbuckler. To play a Nightcrawler, you're going to need to multiclass just a little.
Nightcrawler, as a Tiefling, is a perfect rogue/ranger multiclass. You will need at least three levels in Rogue to gain the Swashbuckler subclass. Then, you're going to want to focus on Ranger. Dueling fighting style, any favored enemy. For the ranger subclass, you'll want Horizon Walker, which allows you to teleport around during battle, just like Nightcrawler. Add to that sneak attack damage when you emerge behind adversaries, and you'll have a devastating character.
Swarm (Marvel Comics)
You wouldn't associate Spider-Man villain Swarm with the Ranger class in Dungeons & Dragons. However, a recent augmentation to the Ranger class can help you bring the Swarm to life: the Swarmkeeper subclass.
Ultimately, the most crucial way to create a character inspired by Swarm is to involve the Swarmkeeper subclass. This allows you to manifest tons of insects all over your body, which can help augment your attacks, use your swarm to do tasks for you, and any other number of grotesque possibilities with your pet bees. Use Archery as your fighting style, but the rest is up to you.
D (Vampire Hunter D)
One of the greatest vampire hunters of all time, D is also one of the best examples of a ranger around. What are D's most iconic features? He hunts vampires, wields a sword, and uses his hand to inflict damage on all those around him.
So D's favored enemy is the undead. He uses a dueling fighting style with one singular longsword. His subclass is that of the hunter. So far, he's literally a vampire hunter, trained to combat any and all vampires. However, when dealing with his hand, which can suck and devour all before him, things become complicated. You might be able to create a wind suction in your hands using rope and flavor-text with your DM. However, a vampire hunter ranger should already be enough when playing a character inspired by D.
Harley Quinn (DC Comics)
Yes. Harley Quinn is a perfect ranger -- if, of course, you multiclass Ranger and Bard. As a boisterous, charismatic figure in Gotham's crime scene, she's at once a walking force of destruction and a pretty hilarious character.
For Bard, you're going to want at least three levels. You're going to want the College of Eloquence and the Vicious Mockery cantrip. As for Ranger, you're going to want humanoids as your favored enemy and Dueling as your fighting style -- with that giant mallet of yours. As for your subclass, you're going to want the Beastmaster so that you can run into battle alongside your babies: the Hyenas.
