Ranger Subclass – Spectral Warden

Ranger Subclass: Spectral Warden

(“Those who hunt what death forgot.”)

In the haunted corners of the world — where the veil between life and death thins — the Spectral Wardens walk. These elite rangers are trained to sense, track, and banish spirits, revenants, and other incorporeal horrors. They learn rites from lost orders such as the Crimson Church of Saint Arath, forge radiant sigils into their weapons and blades, and bear lanterns whose flames burn with ghostlight.

Spectral Wardens serve as both hunters and custodians in whatever realm the undead linger. They ensure the restless dead remain bound within the realm and that no vengeful spirit slips free into the world beyond. Some even trade relics and ectoplasmic residues with Nevets the Alien Wizard, who values their grim expertise.

Spectral Warden Features

Ranger Level Feature

• 3rd Ghostslayer’s Rite, Spirit Sense, Ghostlight Lantern
• 7th Ethereal Step
• 11th Warding Sigils
• 15th Final Exorcism

Traits

• Grave-Hardened. The Ranger has advantage on saving throws against being frightened or charmed by undead or fiends.
• Hunter of the Damned. The Ranger’s weapon attacks deal an extra 7 (2d6) radiant damage to undead, fiends, and shapechangers.
• Silvered Arsenal. The Ranger’s crossbow bolts and blades are treated as magical and silvered.
• Grave Sense. As a bonus action, The Ranger can sense the presence of undead within 60 feet until the end of his next turn.

Actions

• Multiattack.  makes two attacks with his crossbow or short sword.
• Repeating Crossbow. Ranged Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, range 80/320 ft., one target.
  Hit: 9 (1d10 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) radiant damage if the target is undead or fiend.
• Sanctified Cut: Short Sword or Daggers. Melee Weapon Attack: +8 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target.
  Hit: 7 (1d6 + 4) piercing damage plus 7 (2d6) radiant damage against cursed creatures.
• Blessed Bolt (Recharge 5–6). The Ranger fires a glowing bolt of sanctified silver.
  The target must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw or be restrained by radiant chains until the end of its next turn (undead have disadvantage).

Bonus Actions

• Shadow Step (3/Day). The Ranger moves up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space in dim light or darkness without provoking opportunity attacks.

Reactions

• Witch-Hunter’s Parry. When hit by a melee attack, The Ranger adds +3 to his AC against that attack.

Level 3: Ghostslayer’s Rite

Your weapon becomes an extension of your will against the undead. When you choose this archetype, you learn a rite of banishment—a secret invocation etched into your weapon.

You can imbue your weapon (or a piece of ammunition) with radiant energy as a bonus action, causing it to deal extra radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum +1) once per turn.

This radiant damage ignores resistance and immunity of undead and incorporeal creatures.

When striking a ghost or ethereal being, your attacks count as magical for overcoming resistance and may affect creatures on the Ethereal Plane as if they were material.

“Every swing leaves a scar of sunlight.” — Inscription found on a Warden’s silver stake.

Level 3: Spirit Sense

When you reach a Ranger level specified in the Spirit Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spells prepared.

Ranger Level	Spells
3	Disguise Self
5	Rope Trick
9	Fear
13	Greater Invisibility
17	Seeming

You gain an uncanny perception of the dead.
As an action, you can detect undead or spirits within 60 feet of you for 1 minute. You sense their presence and general direction, even if they are invisible or ethereal. You can use this feature a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier per long rest.

If you already have a creature’s ectoplasmic residue or a personal item, your sense instead pinpoints the spirit’s exact location.

Level 3: Ghostlight Lantern

You craft or receive a Ghostlight Lantern, a relic passed down by ancient Wardens.

The lantern emits pale blue flame that reveals invisible and ethereal creatures within its 30-foot radius (as if under see invisibility).

You can focus the lantern’s light as a bonus action to force one incorporeal creature in its beam to make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier) or be drawn partially into the Material Plane, losing resistance to nonmagical attacks until the start of your next turn.

You can use this focus ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus per long rest.

Level 7: Ethereal Step

You learn to mirror your quarry’s movement between worlds. As a bonus action, you can step through the veil, becoming ethereal until the start of your next turn (as if under etherealness, but only for yourself).
While ethereal, you can move through creatures and objects as if difficult terrain. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, regaining all uses after a long rest.

“Hunt the ghost by walking their path.” — Warden proverb.

Level 11: Warding Sigils

You inscribe runes of sanctity and entrapment.

When you finish a long rest, you can mark up to three objects or surfaces within 30 feet with spectral sigils.

When an undead or fiend enters within 10 feet of a marked object, it must make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency + Wisdom modifier) or be repelled 10 feet backward and take radiant damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

You can also cast magic circle once per long rest without material components, centered on one of your sigils.

Level 15: Final Exorcism

Your mastery of the veil allows you to purge even the most stubborn haunts.
When you strike a creature with your Ghostslayer’s Rite, you may channel your Ghostlight Lantern’s full power to attempt to banish its soul.

The target must make a Charisma saving throw (DC = 8 + your proficiency + Wisdom modifier).

On a failed save, an undead or fiend is banished or destroyed outright if its CR is lower than your Ranger level.

On a success, the creature takes 6d10 radiant damage and cannot become ethereal or invisible until the start of your next turn.

Once you use this feature, you cannot do so again until you finish a long rest.

“When the final light shines, no spirit lingers.” — Last words of Warden Liraen the Still-Hearted.

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