While others argue that it is really not a “must-have” spell, many people find it helpful for improving their spelling.

Which of these best describes Hunter’s Mark?

Hunter’s Mark

You gain a glimpse into the future, and can choose one outcome. The DM tells you what will happen, and then you must make a decision. You gain a glimpse into the future, and can choose one outcome. The DM tells you what will happen, but you have the final say on what happens. ..

You choose a creature, and any attack you do does an extra 1d6 magical damage, matching whatever type of damage you do. If the creature has a magical ability that allows it to resist damage from non-magical sources, the damage is reduced by half.

Is there anything more frustrating than trying to hit something with an arrow and having it just bounce off? Well, according to some experts, there might be - magical piercing. This phenomenon occurs when an arrow hits something so hard that it actually pierces through the object and into the ground or another surface. While this may seem like a rare occurrence, some experts say that it’s actually quite common. And while it may not always be possible to achieve magical piercing, learning how to do so can make hitting your target much easier. ..

Is it possible to hit something with a warhammer? Magical Bludgeoning, etc. ..

Your hunter’s mark gives you an extra advantage on perception and survival checks when trying to track your target. This is a nice bonus to a spell that already has great effects with its first effect.

Hunter’s Mark Uses

Hunter’s Mark is an exclusive Ranger spell meant for them, with their few spell slots from being a half-caster class.

Rangers use their bonus action at the beginning of their turn to cast Hunter’s Mark on a target.

The secondary effects of Hunter’s Mark can help a player track a target.

Situational abilities are very specific to the situation in which they are used. ..

The ranger’s tracking skills are well suited for tracking down prey, but they can also be used to track down clues and tracks in the environment. This is especially useful when the ranger is looking for clues as to where someone might be hiding or where something might be hidden.

The primary effect of this weapon is the additional 1d6 damage per attack. This is great at lower levels, however it does not stack at higher levels.

The spell duration can be increased by spending additional spell slots.

Hunter’s Mark can give you an increased 3.5 average damage per turn for an hour. This can help close the gap on your opponent, and extra attack allows this to pay off even more.

Hunter’s Mark is a great choice for ranged characters as it makes concentration easier.

Hunter’s Mark Build Ideas

This spell is popular among ranger mains, and a few builds might really benefit from its effects.

Hunter’s Mark is an excellent tool for Wood Elves thematically and mechanically. This is due to the Elves being primarily trackers and scouts, which makes Hunter’s Mark ideal for them.

Variant humans can work mechanically by gaining the Sharpshooter feat at level 1. This allows for more accuracy and eventually a chance at an even larger damage output. ..

Tabaxi are a unique race that is both mechanically and thematically related to hunters. They have the dexterity bonus, which makes them good at using tools, and the ability to track prey with their hearing.

Gloomstalker Ranger

The Gloomstalker is a unique multiclass that is known for its insane damage output on the first turn of combat. This makes it ideal for surprise attacks and high dexterity.

A 3rd-level ranger who has taken the Gloomstalker feat and is using a longbow can make ranged attacks with advantage. ..

The first player in the game goes first, due to a +7 bonus to Initiative. ..

When they cast Hunter’s Mark on a creature, it becomes difficult for the creature to hit them with attacks. ..

If they hit the creature, it will do 1d8+4 piercing damage, plus 1d6 magical damage. ..

With Dread Ambusher, an additional attack can be made on the first turn. If it hits, that’s an additional 2d8+4 piercing, plus 1d6 magical piercing.

A level 3 Gloom Stalker using this can do 3d8+8 piercing and 2d6 magical piercing, or 21.5 piercing and 7 magical piercing, or 28.5 damage total on average.

At Level 5, the extra attack granted by the upgrade increases damage even further. ..

Your target takes 4d8+8 piercing and 3d6 magical piercing damage from all your attacks.

This is 36 average damage per turn.

This can be even more lethal with a Rogue Multiclass. Maybe throw in sneak attack which an Assassin can trigger reliably, due to you gaining advantage if you’re ahead of a creature in the order.

The Gloomstalker is a creature that allows more often than not. ..

Hunter Ranger

If you do not have Xanathar’s Guide to Everything as an option, then a Hunter Ranger can still make Hunter’s Mark shine.

The Giant Killer feature gives the creature a chance to miss you a lot, or to maintain concentration on each hit, which can result in crazy damage outputs. This means that each attack will add hunter’s mark to the damage.

The Colossus Slayer is a unique weapon that allows players to take down large, powerful creatures with ease. This weapon is perfect for players who are looking to take down big bosses or enemies in the game. The Colossus Slayer is a great tool for players who want to get the most out of their character.

If the creature is already damaged, you can do an additional d8 damage once per turn. ..

If another party member hits a creature first, or you attack it on your first turn, every subsequent round has you doing 2d8+4 piercing and 1d6 magical piercing.

This is a 16.5 damage total piercing.

Extra Attack at Level 5 increases your damage by 3d8+8 piercing and 2d6 magical piercing every round.

This is the average damage that a character can deal in a single turn.

This new ability will make the game more even-keeled, after three or four turns of combat.

Another Ranger Spell Option: Zephyr Strike

You create a temporary copy of yourself that you can use as an action. The copy lasts for up to 1 minute, and has the same statistics and abilities as the original.

This means that for the duration of the encounter, you will not provoke opportunity attacks from the other party. ..

You can choose to gain both an advantage and an extra d8 of force damage on your turn. If it hits, you gain 30 feet of movement.

The Xanathar’s Guide to Everything has given us a spell that is exclusive to rangers. ..

Zephyr Strike is a powerful melee spell for Rangers, as it avoids opportunity attacks and deals extra damage on a hit. Additionally, after an attack, you gain 30 feet of movement speed. ..

This ability allows you to function as a rogue swashbuckler, with the added bonus of being able to take two weapon fighting actions.

Zephyr Strike is less effective than Hunter’s Mark when used on a single attack, but the other bonuses make up for it.

This spell is better than Hunter’s Mark, but each shine in its own situations.

If you’re playing a melee ranger, take Zephyr Strike, if ranged take Hunter’s Mark, since each works in its own area of play. ..

These two spells are much better than any of the other first round concentration spells because they’re the best combat spells for the 1st-level spell slots.

Detect Magic is a great ability, but it is best used by those with more spell slots. Fog Cloud is a nice ability, but it is best used by those who can see in the dark.

Other Concentration Spells

Concentration spells like Haste and Invisibility are more important to half-casters than other classes, because they rely on Concentration to function.

Growth spells can be a great way to change the battlefield in your favor. Spike Growth is especially helpful because it allows you to move through difficult terrain and deal extra damage while inside or moving into the area. ..

This spell works best in areas with few people or creatures, as it cannot be used if the caster makes a perception check to see what is hazardous.

The Silence spell is great if you’re up against enemy spellcasters, as it can help you to stop them from casting their spells. However, this spell is situational, as most spellcasters only start appearing until late tier 2 or early tier 3 play.

Conjure Animals is a spell that is pretty infamous. And the majority of the time, DMs allow players to pick the animals, despite the rules stating otherwise. ..

A wolf pack can be a powerful tool for adventurers, but it can also be a bit of a headache if you’re trying to use them effectively. With 8 additional wolves, you may need to make some decisions about what to do with them.

This might be the first option that can really outpace Hunter’s Mark for your concentration.

The Conjure Woodland Beings spell is an improvement on the Conjure Animal Spell, allowing you to summon Fey instead. And, like the Conjure Animal Spell, it can be used in a very similar way. ..

Swift Quiver outperforms Hunter’s Mark by 5th level, with a spell slot and a much smaller duration.

The Elephant in the Room

In high levels of play, Ranger falls off drastically in terms of power. ..

Multiclassing is a great way to customize your ranger character and make them unique. Most rangers multiclass once they reach level 5, since those are the levels where all the best abilities are. ..

Are rangers and rogues the same class? In many ways, they are. Both classes have a strong focus on ranged combat and are excellent at taking down enemies from a distance. However, there are some key differences between the two classes that should be taken into account when choosing which one to play. First and foremost, rangers are much more versatile than rogues. They can fill any role in a party, from front-line fighter to support character. Rogues, on the other hand, are limited to being thieves or assassins. This means that if you want to be a well-rounded player, you should choose a ranger over a rogue. Another important difference between the two classes is their ability to specialize in certain areas of combat. Rangers have access to many different skills and abilities that make them good at taking down enemies from afar, such as Archery and Survivalism. Rogues, on the other hand, have few skills that allow them to do this effectively and must instead rely on their stealth abilities or quick attacks. This means that if you want to be successful in combat, you should choose a ranger over a rogue. ..

Ranger/Fighter? Ranger/Paladin? Both work if the other is more heavily concentrated on.

Ranger is one of my favorite classes, but I found that they can be quite underpowered at higher levels.

Ranger levels 5 and up will only be able to get a level 2 spell slot.

That means that only Spike Growth and Zephyr Strike will be able to compete with Hunter’s Mark for the spell slot at that level. Something to think about!

Final Thoughts

Rangers rely on Hunter’s Mark to track and hunt their prey. This spell allows the ranger to see any creature within a certain radius, regardless of whether or not that creature is visible to the naked eye. ..

Zephyr Strike is a secondary weapon that can be replaced with the Aegis Shield. ..

Both options are great, but the best option is the one that provides the most secondary effects.

Hunter’s Mark is an essential spell for a reason: it works very well.

That was pre-Xanathar, but even now, Hunter’s Mark still remains a reliable and viable option for any Ranger in 5th edition.