D&D’s New Hollow Warden Ranger is An All-Natural Nightmare

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Dungeons & Dragons will soon be returning to the Domains of Dread with Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, a new player and DM-facing supplement coming out in June and available for pre-order now from local game stores, D&D Beyond and on Amazon.

A major part of the book, however, is the inclusion of seven new Ravenloft subclasses, all of which are steeped in horror. One of these new entries is the Hollow Warden Ranger, a terrifying wanderer of the wilds who can tap into the darker forces of nature to transform their body into an unspeakable killing machine. It’s an interesting concept and one we haven’t really seen before in D&D 5E.

So are these new wretched Rangers worth venturing into the deep woods with? Below, we track down all the details.

What is a Hollow Warden Ranger?

Hollow Warden Rangers are mysterious and rarely seen figures who haunt the deepest and darkest corners of the wilds. These relentless hunters draw their power from unspeakable, bloodthirsty entities of thorn, bark and root who dwell within the fallow soil of these forgotten places. A Hollow Warden Ranger’s communion with these beings allows them to literally transform their bodies, granting them razor sharp claws, bark-like hides and a terrifying, otherworldly presence. They use these abilities to take on anyone foolish enough to try and enter their shadowy domains.

It’s essentially a folk horror take on the classic Ranger trope from D&D, moving away from the typical defender of the wild and instead tapping into a darker part of nature steeped in decay, death and rot.

What are the main features of the Hollow Warden Ranger?

Below are all the features that the new subclass is given. Please note that this information is taken from the Horror Subclasses Unearthed Arcana playtest which was released in May 2025, so some of these Features may change when Ravenloft: The Horrors Within is finally released (we’ll update this page with a complete list once the book is available).

Level 3: Hollow Warden Spells

When you reach a Ranger level specified in the Hollow Warden Spells table, you thereafter always have the listed spell prepared.

Ranger Level	Spells
3	Wrathful Smite
5	Spike Growth
9	Phantom Steed
13	Hallucinatory Terrain
17	Awaken

Level 3: Wrath of the Wild

You draw on the strange and ancient horrors of the land for power. When you cast Hunter’s Mark, you transform, gaining the following benefits for the duration of the spell:

Ancient Armor. You gain a bonus to your AC equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1). Your body is wreathed in rotten bark or beastly bristles.

Unnerving Aura. When an enemy starts its turn within a 10-foot Emanation originating from you, it makes a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failed save, it can take either an action or a Bonus Action on this turn, not both. Your shadow lengthens and twists around you, or you sprout unnatural growths like bloody antlers or putrid fangs.

Level 7: Hungering Might

You gain a bonus to Constitution saving throws equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of +1).

In addition, once per turn when you hit a creature with an attack roll while you are transformed using Wrath of the Wild, you regain a number of Hit Points equal to 1d10 + your Wisdom modifier, provided you are Bloodied when you hit.

Level 11: Rot and Violence

Your dedication to eldritch forest beings alters you further. When transformed using Wrath of the Wild, you gain the following additional benefits:

Eerie Aura. When a creature fails its saving throw against your Unnerving Aura, it also takes Necrotic, Poison, or Psychic damage (your choice) equal to your Ranger level. This damage ignores Resistance.

Strangling Roots. When you hit a creature with an attack roll using a weapon, you can activate the Sap or Slow mastery property in addition to a different mastery property you’re using with that weapon.

Level 15: Ancient Endurance

You become wholly suffused with the forest’s ancient power, granting you the following benefits:

Persistent Hunt. If you drop to 0 Hit Points while transformed using Wrath of the Wild and don’t die outright, you can expend a level 4+ spell slot (no action required). Your Hit Points then instead change to an amount equal to five times the level of the spell slot expended.

Timeless. You have Immunity to the Exhaustion condition.

Is the Hollow Warden Ranger worth playing?

The concept of the Hollow Warden Ranger is definitely an interesting one, and the idea of gaining powers from dark and bloodthirsty woodland entities has a ton of roleplaying potential. That being said, the actual mechanics feel a little shallow and uninspired, highlighting a lot of the problems that already exist with D&D 5.5E Ranger (namely an over reliance on Hunter’s Mark). The end result is a subclass that offers a bit of an AC buff and the ability to frighten enemies, but doesn’t feel like it packs much of a punch otherwise. Of course, it’s possible, that we may some tweaks before the new subclass is finally released into the wild, but for now it definitely feels more than a little hollow.

You’ll soon be able to see the new subclasses for yourself in Ravenloft: The Horrors Within, which is coming out in June and available for pre-order now from local game stores, D&D Beyond and Amazon.

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