Rangers split the difference between fighters and druids in Dungeons & Dragons. They wield weapons and nature-themed magic in concert and make natural survivalists. They can fulfill a great many roles in a party. Rangers are well-suited as melee warriors, ranged combatants, secondary healers, scouts, and more, but they need good feats to realize their true potential in these roles.
Versatility and customization are vital for building the best ranger possible, including their weapons, spells, and certainly feats, some of which have helped transform the ranger from a bad class to an impressively powerful one. Ranger characters can now focus on their weapon skills, bolster their spellcasting, or enhance their utility outside combat with these outstanding 5e feats.
Updated on August 11, 2024 by Mayra Garcia: As half-casters, rangers are versatile warriors, but they can always be better thanks to the best ranger feats. These feat options stand out from others because they have the potential to turn a 5e ranger from a nature explorer to an amazing warrior. This list of the best 5e ranger feats has also been updated to include even more options and to adhere to CBR’s current publication standards.
20 Keen Mind Doesn’t Optimize Combat
Player’s Handbook pg. 167
- +1 INT
- Always recognize north
- Always knowing when it will be sunset or sunrise
- Recall anything that happened in the last month
Keen Mind is one of the many feats that don’t grant any advantages in combat. This feat increases Intelligence by 1, allows a ranger always to know which way is north, and how much time is left for sunrise or sunset, and gives them the ability to remember anything that happened in the last month.
All these abilities aren’t really useful in combat — and the +1 on Intelligence goes against the Dexterity/Wisdom-based build of most rangers. However, it’s still a good option for Rangers. While it offers very few advantages in battle, it perfectly fits the idea of an explorer with expertise in investigation and tracking, so it allows for great roleplay.
19 Resilient Makes Sure Rangers Don’t Lose Concentration Too Easily
Player’s Handbook pg. 168
- +1 any ability and proficiency in that ability’s saving throws
D&D rangers do relatively well with saving throws. They have proficiency in Strength and Dexterity, reducing the damage they take from many sources. Using Wisdom for their spellcasting helps protect them from many mental effects. However, rangers can struggle with their Constitution saving throws.
This puts D&D rangers at peril from many of the game’s more deadly attacks. On top of that, it weakens their Concentration checks. Rangers only have a few spell slots. They need to maintain Concentration on those buffs or battlefield traps they use. Resilient (Constitution) helps by giving proficiency in Constitution saving throws. Its Constitution bonus can even increase a ranger’s hit points. Still, the Resilient feat is a niche one that doesn’t boost a ranger’s skills or damage output, so it ranks last among the best ranger feats.
18 Dual Wielder Only Works For Sword-Oriented Rangers
Player’s Handbook, pg. 165
- +1 AC if wielding two melee weapons

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The Dual Wielder feat isn’t always useful for rangers, so it has a modest rank among the best ranger feats in D&D 5e. Still, not all rangers need to use a longbow to fight; some of them get up close and personal with rapiers or shortswords, like rogues. That’s when Dual Wielder becomes one of the better ranger feats.
Melee-oriented rangers can take this feat, so they get a +1 to their AC when wielding two melee weapons, which is vital for front-line attackers. This feat even allows a character to use two-weapon fighting even if their melee weapons are not light, giving the ranger more options without having to compromise.
17 Piercer Ensures Arrows Do Serious Damage With Every Shot
Tasha’s Cauldron Of Everything, pg. 80
- +1 in STR or DEX
- Reroll piercing damage dice
- One additional damage dice when critical
Most rangers use piercing damage with their weapons, most of all longbows, shortbows, and crossbows, or perhaps a pair of shortswords for melee builds. This means Piercer ranks among the best feats for rangers who want to boost their damage output without having to find a rare +3 weapon.
Piercer allows a ranger to re-roll one damage die that’s doing piercer damage, and do so once per round. If a 1 becomes a 6, for example, a weak attack becomes deadly at lower levels. This feat also gives the ranger +1 to either Dexterity or Strength, which is highly relevant, and finally, Piercer lets the ranger roll one extra damage die when critting with piercing damage.
16 Athlete Optimizes A Ranger’s Movement
Player’s Handbook pg. 165
- +1 DEX
- 5 feet to stand up
- Climbing doesn’t halve speed
The Athlete feat turns any character into a capable sportsperson, which permeates through their skill set. This feat increases its holder’s strength or Dexterity by 1 (with a maximum of 20), it ensures standing up only uses 5 feet of movement and climbing doesn’t affect speed. Additionally, it allows them to jump after a 5-foot run, instead of a 10 feet run as it is the rule.
Athlete is a good feat for any Dungeons and Dragons martial class that must prioritize Dexterity, so a ranger will find it quite useful. Not only it amps Dexterity up, but it also optimizes speed use, which can come quite handy when moving around the battlefield to use ranged attacks.
15 Skill Expert Works Well For Wilderness Survival Scenarios
Tasha’s Cauldron Of Everything pg. 80
- +1 any ability
- Proficiency in one chosen skill
- Expertise in one chosen skill
Skill Expert allows a character to add a +1 to any ability score. However, its main boon comes from the utility it gives a ranger. Skill Expert lets a player choose any one skill to gain proficiency in. They then gain Expertise in any skill they’re proficient with. This doubles a character’s proficiency bonus for that skill.
Rangers have a lot of use for skills. Their natural abilities emphasize Athletics, Stealth, Survival, Perception, and more. Rangers can combine their skills and spells to be invaluable in some out-of-combat situations. With Expertise from Skill Expert, a ranger can set themselves up, so they rarely fail checks like Stealth. This is especially relevant for wilderness survival sequences in any campaign or one-shot, where a ranger can truly shine. Skills like Nature, Survival, and Perception are bound to shine in such a situation.
14 Fade Away Is A Nice Touch For A Gnome Ranger
Xanathar’s Guide To Everything pg. 74
- +1 DEX or INT
- Reaction to become invisible when taking damage
The Fade Awat feat grants two great benefits. First, it increased Dexterity or Intelligence by one (with a maximum of 20). Then, it grants invisibility. After taking damage, the user can use their reaction to become invisible until their next turn or until they attack an enemy. The only prerequisite to get this feat is to be a Gnome.
Granted, gnomes aren’t the most common race for rangers, but this doesn’t mean the combo wouldn’t work. In fact, a forest gnome works great for a Ranger build since this race gets a +1 DEX and can speak with small beasts. These traits combined with the invisibility advantage of Fade Away would make a very powerful Ranger.
13 Great Weapon Master Boosts Damage With Heavy Weapons
Player’s Handbook pg. 167
- Extra attack when critical
- Trade -5 on attack roll to add +10 damage
Rangers are one of D&D5e‘s best combat classes. Some players pigeonhole them into specific roles. Many think that rangers can only fight well with ranged or Finesse weapons. However, there’s nothing forcing rangers to use Dexterity. They can build for Strength and some of the game’s heaviest weapons.
A ranger with a greatsword and the Great Weapon Master feat should be feared. The feat’s large damage bonus helps rangers push their impressive hitting power higher. It also has synergies with some builds. A Beast Master ranger can have their Primal Companion knock an enemy prone and then make several powerful attacks with advantage.
12 Mobile Is Best-Suited For Skirmisher Rangers
Player’s Handbook pg. 168
- +10ft speed
- Dashing on difficult terrain without a problem
- No opportunity attacks
The Mobile feat adds ten feet of movement to any character who takes it. This is convenient for most combatants. However, it’s invaluable for both melee and archery rangers. Ten feet more movement lets a bowman evade their enemies or a sword-wielder close the gap with their foes.
Rangers also benefit from another of Mobile’s features. It lets characters ignore opportunity attacks from enemies they’ve attacked in melee. Lots of ranger spells suit a skirmishing playstyle. A ranger with Mobile can slip past frontline enemies and hit vulnerable opponents hard. It’s a decent effect to have, but rangers really want better spellcasting and damage output in most cases, so Mobile ranks a bit modestly among the best ranger feats. It’s hardly worthless, but serious ranger players can still do better.
11 Gift Of The Chromatic Dragon Adds Much-Needed Elemental Damage To A Ranger’s Attacks
Fizban’s Treasury Of Dragons, pg. 17
- 1d4 of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage
- Resistance to acid, cold, fire, lightning, or poison damage
Gift of the Chromatic Dragon is one of the best ranger feats for anyone who wishes to take advantage of all their rapid-fire attacks. Rangers get multi-attack at level 5, like the martial classes, and the Crossbow Expert feat lets them use a bonus action to attack for a third time. Anything that adds damage to each attack will scale well in that case.
Gift of the Chromatic Dragon lets a ranger touch their weapon to make it deal 1d4 damage of a chosen type, which can get up to 3d4 extra damage per turn with the right build. The options are acid, poison, cold, fire, and lightning damage. In addition, this feat lets the ranger use a reaction to grant themselves resistance to one of those five damage types if an attack of that type hits them.
10 Magic Initiate Expands A Ranger’s Arcane Options
Player’s Handbook pg. 168
- Two cantrips and a 1st-level spell
D&D Rangers don’t get many spells to begin with. Any features that improve their spellcasting are invaluable. The Magic Initiate feat is one of the best ways to do this. It gives a character two cantrips and a single first-level spell from another class’s spell list. The only caveat is that the character has to cast it with the same ability score as that class.
The ranger is a Wisdom caster. As a result, the obvious choice is to choose from the druid or cleric lists. These contain many useful spells for any ranger playstyle. However, there are sensible choices on any class’s spell list. Magic Initiate can make a ranger much more versatile, though this feat isn’t recommended if the party already has a cleric or druid in it, of course.
9 Tough Boosts A Ranger’s HP For Survivability
Player’s Handbook pg. 170
- Hit points increase by twice the level and +2 per level

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Tough is one of D&D 5e‘s most straightforward feats. It provides two hit points per level when taken and gives another two hit points for every level afterward. This bonus can seem insignificant, but it’s the equivalent of four points in Constitution. Any character benefits from being harder to kill, most of all front-liners such as barbarians, fighters, and paladins.
This is especially true of the D&D ranger. The class doesn’t get heavy armor like fighters and paladins and has fewer hit points than the barbarian. Despite this, rangers are often frontline combatants in their party. They can also struggle to raise Constitution alongside their attacking and spellcasting ability scores. Tough is an ideal way to keep their hit points up without too much investment.
8 Observant Grants Investigation Expertise
Player’s Handbook pg. 168
- +1 INT or WIS
- Lip-reading abilities
- +5 passive Perception and Investigation
Observant doesn’t grant an advantage in combat, but it’s great when it comes to being alert to the surroundings. This feat increases Intelligence or Wisdom by 1 and adds a +5 bonus to both passive Wisdom and passive Intelligence. Additionally, it allows a character to become an expert at lip-reading as long as they can see a creature’s mouth and understand their language.
Observant is a perfect feat for rogues, but it also gives rangers certain advantages. While it doesn’t add anything for combat mechanics, the +5 bonus on passive skills as well as the +1 on Wisdom could be the difference between a successful role and a blunder.
7 Skulker Turns A Ranger Into A Stealthy Menace
Player’s Handbook pg. 170
- Ranged attacks won’t reveal position
- Hiding expert
As long as they already have a Dexterity of 13 or higher, the Skulker feat allows its users to hide from any creature when they are lightly obscured from it. Additionally, when a character with the Skulker feat makes a ranged attack from a hidden position, it doesn’t reveal their position if this fails. Finally, Skulker eliminated the disadvantage on Wisdom checks in dim light.
Skulker works particularly well with the Gloom Stalker ranger since this archetype privileges stealthy attacks. A ranger with the possibility of acting from the shadows at all times will always have advantage in combat and this feat ensures they don’t lose it after fumbling a roll.
6 Lucky Can Always Bail A Ranger Out Of Trouble
Player’s Handbook pg. 167
- Three luck points.
- A luck point can add an extra d20 in attack rolls, ability checks, or saving throws.
- A luck point can change the outcome of an attack against the barbarian
Lucky is a good choice for any character. It gives a character three luck points. The character can use those luck points to reroll any ability check, attack roll, or saving throw. Luck points can also force enemies to reroll successful attacks, which is doubly useful if an enemy just rolled a critical hit and the ranger can’t afford to take so much damage.
Lucky is considered one of D&D 5e‘s best feats. Any class benefits from it, and this includes rangers. Lucky helps their powerful attacks hit, potentially averts devastating spells, and can give them confidence in fighting powerful enemies alone. That said, while Lucky is flexible, it’s not specialized for what rangers do, so the most ranger-friendly feats are still better than Lucky, no matter how popular Lucky may be among D&D players.
5 Shadow Touched Is Ideal For Stealthy Ranger Builds
Tasha’s Cauldron Of Everything pg. 80
- +1 INT, WIS, or CHA
- Learn Invisibility
- Learn one 1st-level spell from Illusion or Necromancy school

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Rangers don’t have to be stealthy trackers and predators. However, it’s a popular choice on both aesthetic and mechanical grounds. Shadow Touched is the perfect feat for those characters. It lets a character cast Invisibility and a first-level spell from the Necromancy or Illusion schools.
As a half-caster, the ranger doesn’t get a lot of spells. Getting Invisibility and another choice is a significant boon to their spellcasting. Illusion spells can synergize well with the stealthier aspects of a ranger’s kit. There are fewer good Necromancy options available. Whatever a player chooses, free spellcasting is never a bad thing. If the party lacks a rogue character, then a ranger with the Shadow Touched feat is the next best thing. Thus, Shadow Touched ranks fairly high among the best ranger feats, yet it’s still outclassed by the four best options.
4 Fey Touched Helps Rangers Use Cool New Spells And Escape Danger
Tasha’s Cauldron Of Everything pg. 79
- +1 INT, WIS, or CHA
- Learn Misty Step
- Learn one 1st-level spell from Divination or Enchantment school
Fey Touched is a similar feat to Shadow Touched. However, it gives a character Misty Step rather than Invisibility. In addition, the first-level spell has to be drawn from the Divination or Enchantment schools. These choices synergize well with the rest of a ranger’s kit.
Misty Step suits a skirmisher like the ranger. They can teleport behind an enemy’s front line to wreak havoc on weaker enemies. It also makes a good panic button should an enemy close with a bow-wielding ranger. The Divination and Enchantment schools offer plenty of buffs that a ranger benefits from. Most often, it’s squishy spellcasters like sorcerers, wizards, and warlocks who need Misty Step as a quick escape when monsters mob them, but a ranger will want that option too if they’re a dedicated archer.
3 Elven Accuracy Is Excellent For Ensuring Every Attack Hits
Xanathar’s Guide To Everything pg. 74
- +1 DEX, INT, WIS, or CHA
- Reroll one attack
The Elven Accuracy feat is only available to elves and half-elves. However, it’s a vicious choice for archery-focused rangers, and it’s likely that a ranger will be an elf anyhow. This feat allows a character to add a +1 to Dexterity, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma, most of which are highly relevant to typical ranger builds. The Elven Accuracy feat also allows them to roll three dice and choose the best when they have advantage.
Elven Accuracy doesn’t work with Strength attacks. However, it’s still invaluable for many types of rangers. Characters who prefer ranged attacks, Finesse weapons, or magic can all hit far more reliably with Elven Accuracy. A ranger’s kit has plenty of tools to give them advantage and trigger this feat often, and it even increases their odds of scoring a critical hit, which is always a fine bonus. Players shouldn’t rely too much on critical hits even with this feat in effect, but it’s still worth taking this feat for. In the long run, Elven Accuracy is sure to contribute plenty of critical hits and boost the ranger’s average damage accordingly.
2 Crossbow Expert Turns Mediocre Crossbows Into Incredible Weapons
Player’s Handbook pg. 165
- No need to load crossbows
- No disadvantage on ranged attacks on melee distance

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Crossbows are a popular choice for rangers. They combine an effective hunter’s aesthetic with high-ranged damage. However, crossbows require feats to work well in 5e. The Crossbow Expert feat removes the Loading trait from crossbows. This is almost mandatory for a character with Extra Attack who wants to use them.
Crossbow Expert has other benefits, such as mitigating the disadvantage from wielding a ranged weapon in melee. This stops rangers from needing to carry backup weapons should enemies get close. It also lets a character use their bonus action to fire a hand crossbow again, allowing a ranger to crank out damage with astonishing speed. It almost makes them feel like a fighter using Action Surge, and everyone knows how good Action Surge is. That makes Crossbow Expert one of the best ranger feats of all, but one is even better.
1 Sharpshooter Bypasses Cover And Deals Extra Damage With Each Attack
Player’s Handbook pg. 170
- No disadvantage in long-range
- Ranged attacks ignore half and lower cover
- Chance to take -5 on attack rolls to do +10 damage
Sharpshooter is one of the most common feats for a ranger to take. Rangers often like to hang back and use ranged weapons against their foes. Sharpshooter is a powerful pick for characters who prefer this fighting style thanks to the many advantages it brings.
Sharpshooter mitigates many weaknesses of ranged attacks. It ignores half cover and three-quarters cover, meaning a ranger has to worry less about lines of sight. It also mitigates disadvantage on attacks at long range. Its best feature, however, is its dramatic damage boost. Sharpshooter lets a ranger hit enemies much harder in return for a light accuracy penalty. More specifically, a character with the Sharpshooter feat can accept a -5 penalty to their to-hit roll in exchange for a massive +10 to the damage dealt. Once a ranger has a high to-hit roll and perhaps other perks such as advantage, the Sharpshooter feat is an excellent way to dispatch foes in a hurry. It’s no wonder Sharpshooter is at the top among the best ranger feats.