These cunning individuals, adept at manipulating opponents, are mainly composed of forcibly raised Farstrider rangers of Quel'Thalas. They now enjoy nothing more than sowing dissension and hatred within the enemy ranks. They are capable of dark magic and their poisoned arrows are feared by the living.

Restriction: Forsaken Only

A dark ranger is as much a breed of undead as it is a subclass. They are, almost universally, female high elves that have been raised as members of the forsaken in service to the Banshee Queen Sylvanas Windrunner. Very recently the sole human dark ranger, Nathanos Blightcaller, has taken to teaching other human members of the forsaken his dark arts.

Restriction: Slaves to their Torment

The twisted nature of undeath coupled with the dark powers that the dark rangers pursue supersedes the connection to the wilds that most hunters can use. They do not gain the Tame Beast ability at 3rd level, as any beast they would try to bond with is driven away by their dark nature.

Dark Magic

When you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you are able to weave necrotic magics into your attacks. You gain shadow points, which can be spent to cast spells. To cast one of these spells, you use its casting time and other rules, but you don't need to provide material components for it. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for spells cast using this feature.

You have a number of shadow points equal to your hunter level divided by 3, rounded up. You must spend a number of shadow points equal to the spell's level to cast it. When you spend a shadow point, it is unavailable until you finish a short or long rest, at the end of which you regain all your expended shadow points.

You are initially able to cast the spells fog cloud and silent image. At higher levels, you learn to cast additional spells, as shown in the Dark Magic Spells table.

Hunter Level - Spells

3rd - Cause Fear, Charm Person

7th - See Invisibility, Silence

13th - Shadowburn, Vampiric Touch

19th - Blight, Charm Monster

Black Arrows

Also at 3rd level, you gain the ability to cast a curse on your weapons, infecting your targets with a deadly disease. When you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can expend 1 focus die to deal extra poison damage equal to the amount rolled and the target is poisoned until the end of your next turn.

The maximum number of focus dice you can expend with this ability increases as you level: 2 focus dice at 7th level, 3 dice at 11th level, and 4 focus dice at 15th level.

Extra Attack

Beginning at 5th level, you can attack twice, instead of once, whenever you take the Attack action on your turn.

Plague-Dipped Arrows

Also at 5th level, you gain the ability to infect your weapons with the plague. As an action you can make a ranged weapon attack, targeting a point you can see within range of your weapon. A burst of purple smoke lightly obscures a 10-foot cube at the location. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there, it must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes poison damage equal to 1d8 + your hunter level and has disadvantage on saving throws against poison and disease until the start of its next turn. On a successful save, the creature takes half damage, but suffers no other effects.

The DC for the saving throw is equal to 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier. You can use this ability a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1) and regain expended uses on a short or long rest.

Dark Minions

Starting at 7th level, when a humanoid or beast that has the poisoned condition caused by your Black Arrows dies within 60 feet, you can use your reaction to animate it, causing it to stand up immediately with a number of hit points equal to your hunter level. The creature uses the Skeleton statistics. It remains animated for 1 hour, after which time it collapses and dies.

In combat, the skeleton's turn is immediately after yours. It obeys your mental commands, and the only action it can take is the Attack action, making one melee attack.

Deadly Poison

At 11th level, the taint of the plague infests your weapon attacks. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon attack, the creature takes an extra 1d8 poison damage. In addition, your hunter features ignore resistance to poison damage and treat immunity to poison damage as resistance instead. Additionally, your black arrows can cause the poisoned condition even on creatures with immunity to the poisoned condition.

Wailing Arrow

When you reach 15th level, you can fire an attack that unleashes the wail of a banshee. As an action, make a ranged attack towards a point you can see within range of your weapon. Roll a number of focus dice equal to your maximum number of focus dice; these dice are not expended. Each creature in a 30-foot radius sphere the point that can hear must make a Constitution saving throw or take an amount of necrotic damage equal to the number rolled, or half that on a success. This attack has no effect on constructs and undead.

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