This is going to be long so buckle down. It appears that the ranger class has been an after thought in some of the recent RPGs. Much like 5e ranger, this new ranger appears to have been just thrown together with just a hodgepodge of random feats and skills that don’t synergize at all. Not to mention the main staples of the class are paltry compared to other classes.
First, lets look at hunt target. It looks OK at first glance but when you look deeper you realize it doesn’t give you much of anything. The first part gives you a +1,+2 on your second and third strikes respectively. Not bad, but you will only occasionally get a second strike and rarely ever a third. Especially if you are taking the animal companion feat route. Which is really the only one worth taking. This also costs an action so no matter what you are only getting at most two attacks in the first round. More than likely it will only be one if you’re melee focused. The only way to get 2 ranged is by using a bow. Of course, the ranger gets no feats for bow use. The crossbow feats are OK but using them you’re only getting 1 attack every other round with a heavy or one a round with a light.
Second benefit it gives you is you do not suffer the second range increments. Sounds nice, but hunt target has a max range of 100 feet. There is only the short bow that has a range of less than 100ft. Again, we get no feats for bows, so makes this pretty pointless.
Thirdly the +2 to seek and track. Great fluff, but little else. You may use that 3 maybe 4 times in an entire campaign.
The fighter can get the benefits of your +1, +2 just by taking a feat. He can also use it on any target and split attacks how he sees fit. He also is doing it better than you because he is better trained in weapons and has the feats to back it up. So, the staple ability of the class is done better by another class just by taking a feat. Awesome.
You would have to add something to the hunt target to make it remotely decent. Possibilities are doing an extra die of damage, or set number of extra damage per hit, make weapons keen against the target, or make your attacks deadly.
The feats in general a ranger can take are atrocious. You have random two weapon attacks mixed with crossbow and snare feats. Not enough of any of them build out your character. I will say the animal companion feat tree is worthwhile. If you want rangers to use crossbows you need to add a feat allowing them to reduce the reload time by one. Snare feats or worthless because snares in combat or even traveling and resting are ineffective at best.
The abilities at lvl 5, 9, and 11 are to situational and underpowered to the same level abilities other classes get. Trackless step, no one cares use survival to cover your tracks. Natures edge even with snares is to situational to matter. Wild stride would be OK if you are unhindered by all forms of difficult/hazardous terrain normal or magical. This is supposed to be a lvl 11 ability.
The best way to make a ranger is to pump all the feats you can into multiclass fighter and take the animal companion feats when you cant take fighter feats.
TLDR: Rangers are again on the bottom rung and need a complete overhaul
