I think one of the best things in the book are the optional Ranger features:
Deft Explorer (replaces Natural Explorer)
- At level 1, you get two additional languages and expertise in one skill.
- At level 6, your walking speed increases by 5 and you get a climb/swimming speed equal to your walk speed
- At level 10, you get some temp hit points (1d8 + your wisdom modifier) and you can remove exhaustion on a short rest.
Primal Awareness (replaces Primeval Awarness)
Gives you some extra spells to play around with that you can cast for free once per day:
Level 3: Speak with animals
Level: 5 Beast Sense
Level 9: Speak with Plants
Level 13: Locate Creature
Level: 17 Commune with Nature
Nature's Vale (Replaces Hide in Plain Sight)
Allows you to essentially cast greater invisibility on yourself until the start of your next turn.(you can only use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest)
Favoured Foe (Replaces Favourite Enemy)
When you hit a creature, you can mark it for 1 minute or until you lose concentration. Once per turn you can add 1d4 to a damage roll. This becomes 1d6 at level 6 and 1d8 at level 14 (you can only use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest)
Outside of favoured foe, which is basically just a worse hunter's mark that still takes concentration, I really like these changes – they're not game changing buffs, but I think they finally give Ranger a niche that justifies its existence in 5E outside of the grandfather clause.
