Hunter’s Mark

Level 1 Divination spell available to Rangers. It marks a quarry for +1d6 on every weapon hit and lasts until Long Rest. The Ranger’s bread-and-butter damage buff.

Spell description: Mark a creature as your quarry to deal an additional 1d6 Slashing damage whenever you hit it with a weapon attack. If the target dies before the spell ends, you can mark a new creature without expending a Spell Slot.

Spell properties

• Damage: 1d6 per weapon attack against the target
• Damage type: Weapon damage
• Range: 18m (60ft)
• Duration: Until Long Rest
• Concentration spell
• Conditions applied: Hunter’s Mark. Extra damage on every weapon hit.
• Cost: Bonus Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Casting Hunter’s Mark at higher levels provides no additional benefits.

How to obtain Hunter’s Mark

• Ranger at Class level 2
• Oath of Vengeance (Paladin) at Class level 3
• College of Lore (Bard) at Class level 6 via Magical Secrets
• Bard at Class level 10 via Magical Secrets
• Source items: Grymskull Helm, Hunting Shortbow

When to cast Hunter’s Mark

This is the Ranger’s bread and butter. +1d6 on every weapon hit, and a bow Ranger firing two or three arrows a turn triples that bonus. It lasts until Long Rest and hops to a new target for free when yours dies, so one slot fuels the whole day.

The cost is Concentration, which means it competes with your other Ranger control, and it is doing nothing until you actually hit the marked creature. On an archer build it is close to always-on; on a caster it is not worth the slot.