Goliath Hunter Ranger Build Guide

Combining Goliath's giant-sized resilience with the Hunter's relentless tracking makes you the ultimate giant-slaying Striker capable of taking down any massive foe.

3/10 Synergy Striker Role Medium Difficulty

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Why Hunter?

The Goliath Hunter Ranger is a powerhouse of survivability and consistent damage. As a Striker, your primary job is to isolate high-value targets and burn them down quickly. Your Goliath traits, especially your Giant Ancestry, allow you to reduce incoming damage or boost your mobility, which perfectly complements the Hunter's focus on sustained, gritty combat.

At level 3, you gain Hunter's Prey, a feature that lets you customize your combat style to deal extra damage to wounded foes or giant beasts. When you combine this with your high Dexterity (DEX) for swift weapon strikes and Wisdom (WIS) for casting spells, you become a highly adaptable combatant. Later, your Large Form trait lets you grow in size, allowing you to physically dominate the battlefield alongside the massive monsters you hunt.

Furthermore, features like Defensive Tactics protect you from crowd-control attacks, ensuring you stay mobile. Thanks to Powerful Build, you can easily carry heavy gear or grapple larger opponents, making you a versatile and unstoppable force in any skirmish.

Hunter Features

Hunter's Lore

Level 3

You gain proficiency in one skill of your choice from the list available to rangers at 1st level. You can also add double your Proficiency Bonus to Intelligence (Nature) checks and Wisdom (Survival) checks.

Hunter's Prey

Level 3

You gain the ability to mark your prey. As a Bonus Action, you can designate one creature you can see within 60 feet of you as your prey. You have Advantage on attack rolls against your designated prey, and it can't become Invisible unless it has total cover. This benefit lasts for 1 hour or until you designate another creature.

Defensive Tactics

Level 7

You choose one of the following defensive tactics. Escape the Horde: Opportunity attacks against you are made with Disadvantage. Multiattack Defense: When a creature hits you with an attack, you gain a +4 bonus to AC against that creature's attacks until the start of your next turn. Steel Will: You gain proficiency in Wisdom saves. If you're already proficient in Wisdom saves, you gain proficiency in Charisma saves instead.

Superior Hunter's Prey

Level 11

You can designate more prey. You can have up to three creatures designated as your prey. You can add your Wisdom modifier to damage rolls against any of your designated prey.

Superior Hunter's Defense

Level 15

When a creature within 5 feet of you hits you with an attack while you have a designated prey, that creature takes damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 1 damage). You can use your Reaction to make one weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet of you.

Recommended Ability Scores

Strength

12(+1)

Dexterity★

15(+2)

Constitution

13(+1)

Intelligence

8(-1)

Wisdom★

14(+2)

Charisma

10(+0)

HP (Lv1)

Initiative

Passive Per.

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Goliath Traits That Benefit Hunter Ranger

Giant Ancestry

Giant Ancestry grants a supernatural ability that enhances the Ranger's combat or utility.

Powerful Build

Enhanced size and carrying capacity complement the Ranger's physical combat style.

Large Form

Enhanced size and carrying capacity complement the Ranger's physical combat style.

Combat Effectiveness

Level	HP	Melee DPR
Level 5	39	7.8
Level 11	81	7.15
Level 17	123	7.15

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Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

♦ Hunter grants Hunter's Lore at level 3
♦ High hit points for frontline durability
♦ Good armor class and initiative

Weaknesses

♦ Low Charisma limits social interactions
♦ No Darkvision — may need light sources in dungeons

Pro Tips

Use Giant Ancestry to shrug off heavy hits, keeping you in the fight to trigger your Hunter's Prey damage bonuses.

Activate Large Form to expand your physical reach, making it easier to lock down multiple targets at once.

Leverage your 15 DEX for accurate ranged attacks, utilizing Hunter's Lore from afar to spot an enemy's weaknesses before engaging.

Combine Powerful Build with your Hunter's features to easily shove and grapple targets, controlling the battlefield for your party.

Other Ranger Subclasses for Goliath

Goliath Beast Master Ranger Support Goliath Fey Wanderer Ranger Support Goliath Gloom Stalker Ranger Striker

Other Races for Hunter Ranger

Aasimar Hunter Ranger 6/10 Dragonborn Hunter Ranger 6/10 Elf Hunter Ranger 6/10 Human Hunter Ranger 6/10 Dwarf Hunter Ranger 4/10 Gnome Hunter Ranger 4/10

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Hunter a good subclass for Goliath Ranger?

Yes, it is a fantastic match! Goliaths are naturally tough, and the Hunter subclass provides excellent defensive and offensive tools that synergize with your giant heritage. Features like Hunter's Prey allow you to deal extra damage, while your Giant Ancestry helps you mitigate incoming attacks. This combination turns you into a highly durable Striker who can survive on the front lines while outputting consistent damage.

What makes Hunter different from other Ranger subclasses?

Unlike other Ranger subclasses that rely on summoning companions or using shadow magic, the Hunter specializes in martial adaptability and crowd control. It is a highly customizable subclass that lets you choose features like Hunter's Prey and Defensive Tactics to tailor your character specifically to fight hordes of small minions or hunt down massive single bosses.

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