In 5e D&D, the Ranger class is considered a “Half-Caster,” meaning they aren’t a magic based class, like a Wizard or Cleric, but they do have quite a bit of magic they can use. For a lot of people, this doesn’t fit their vision of what a Ranger should be. For many, myself included, Ranger’s like Aragorn or Robin Hood don’t have magic, and the idea of giving a Ranger magical abilities doesn’t match their character idea in their head.
I have one such player in my group, so here are some of the Ranger spells, and ways you could flavor them to not be magical, and just pretend they are mundane Ranger abilities. You could still follow all the same rules, but the vision in your head can match what you play at the table.
The spells are listed in what I consider easiest to explain as mundane, to more difficult. Then there are some spells that just won’t work.
PHB Spells
1st Level
Hunter’s Mark – You are focused on a particular enemy, and deal more damage as a result of that focus.
Longstrider – You just run really fast.
Alarm – You set a trap that makes noise if passed.
Animal Friendship – You simply have a way with animals, and are able to make them trust you. Probably by using some sort of food, and knowing what different animals see as signs of threat.
Goodberry – You grow/gather berries that are naturally healthy, and maybe don’t heal you per se, but give you a morale boost, so you continue adventuring. Like a fresh strawberry.
Cure Wounds – Simple First Aid, possibly using local herbs.
Detect Poison and Disease – There is the classic movie scene of someone tasting and spitting out water that has been poisoned.
Jump – You just get a really good jump in.
Ensnaring Strike – Along with your weapon is a net of thorny vines. Essentially one of Hawkeye’s trick arrows. The one labeled “grapple”
Hail of Thorns – You have another trick arrow, this one breaks off into pieces after being shot. Nothing is being grappled, just shrapnel hitting nearby targets.
Fog Cloud – Batman-esque smoke bomb. That leans more into the Artificer style, but if you are playing in a post-industrialized setting like Eberron, that could work really well.
Detect Magic
Speak with Animals
2nd Level
Find Traps – You are just good at noticing traps.
Lesser Restoration – You are a good healer. Essentially this is field medic ability.
Locate Animals or Plants – You know where certain animals or plants tend to grow/nest.
Pass without Trace – You are sneaky.
Barkskin – If you only use it on yourself, you can just treat this as you are more zoned in on the battle, as Armor Class is also affected by your Dexterity, your ability to dodge attacks.
Protection from Poison – You have the antidote to the poison, or know how to quickly and easily make an antidote.
Cordon of Arrows – You set a trap, probably tension/spring loaded.
Animal Messenger – Carrier Pigeon from WWII, Raven from Game of Thrones, or Owl from Harry Potter
Spike Growth – If your DM is flexible, this can work as granting you a meta-ability to say that the natural area is difficult terrain, with a spiky plant. Otherwise it’s just magic.
Beast Sense
Darkvision
Locate Object
Silence
3rd Level
Daylight – While it’s easy to make this mundane, such as a torch or lantern, it’s tough to make it need to then be a spell.
Conjure Barrage – You just shoot/throw multiple weapons at once.
Lightning Arrow – This can only work as a post-industrial trick arrow.
Conjure Animals – This gets a little too Disney Princess for me, but if you take the time during Downtime to say you’ve trained animals, like perhaps a flock of birds.
Protection from Energy – This can work as a Batman-esque prepared for anything utility belt, but it’s hard to rationalize it in fantasy.
Nondetection
Plant Growth
Speak with Plants
Water Breathing
Water Walk
Wind Wall
4th Level
Stoneskin – Like Barkskin, if you only use this on yourself, you are just really good at dodging attacks, or shaking them off. Works as a lesser form of Barbarians Rage.
Freedom of Movement – You can see how to walk through difficult terrain easier.
Grasping Vine – Unless you have an Indiana Jones style whip, or a large net, this won’t work. If you do have one of those, then this is just a cool attack.
Conjure Woodland Beings – If you’ve already done an adventure where you have positive relations with Fey then this can work, otherwise it’s just magic.
Locate Creature
5th Level
Commune with Nature – You simply study the surrounding area for a minute, perhaps climbing up a tree to get a good look around.
Swift Quiver – You prepull several arrows at once, and load them in quick succession.
Conjure Volley
Tree Stride
Xanathar’s Guide Spells
Snare (Lvl1) – Literally just a regular snare trap. There should be no problem with this.
Beast Bond (Lvl1) – This seems very similar to Animal Friendship, just one is a Charm, and the other is communicating simple emotions and concepts. So it seems like its just understanding animals nonverbal cues.
Zephyr Strike (Lvl1) – You run and dodge attacks, dealing super hard attacks on the way. Just a cool moment of epic action.
Healing Spirit (Lvl2) – Just cast it adjacent to yourself, and instead of a spirit, you are just a good healer again. Just more field medic ability.
Flame Arrows (Lvl3) – You set your arrow on fire before you shoot it.
Absorb Elements
Guardian of Nature
Steel Wind Strike
Wrath of Nature
Tasha’s Cauldron Spells
Summon Beast (Lvl2) – This is just Conjure Animals again. If you made that work, you can make this work.
Summon Fey (Lvl3) – This is just Conjure Woodland Beings again.
Summon Elemental
The Nerdd 