PDA

View Full Version : Yet Another Beast Master Sub-Class (5e)



Rusty Killinger
2016-06-26, 10:29 PM
So, like a lot of people, I was very disappointed in the beast master. I know that 5e is making less of an emphasis of summoned creatures and followers and such, but the RAW beast master is just embarrassing. When I went looking for fixes I found apologists claiming that everything was fine because of how good level 11 was, and others telling everyone to use poisonous snakes because of sketchy calculation. We had an oft-quoted tweet from the developers telling us not to play the rules that the developers sold us. (Of course that tweet contained less than a tweet on what to do instead, thanks guys.) Then we got an alternate class with more hit points than a barbarian and the ability to make vengeful spirit attacks or something. None of that got me any closer to my goal. I just want to pick up my loyal wolfy BFF at third level, go adventuring while feeling on par with my party members, and not have to take the one "good" animal companion.

Goals:

In general this should be the defensive compliment to the offensive hunter. Beast master damage shouldn't be great, but having an extra ally clogging up the battlefield and taking a few hits for the team should make up for it.
Give animal companion the ability to move and attack independent of the ranger's actions, because of course that should be a thing.
Remove the dependence on animal stat blocks in other books (many of which haven't been written yet). Either everybody writing monsters accurately takes the beast master into account, or you accumulate a lot of unbalanced options over time. That leads to a lot of hand-wringing over optimal choices, and leaves players feeling like they need to pick "the best" option instead of the one they want. When Pathfinder did animal companions they made stat blocks for animal companions separate from the monster versions. That seems like the best option.
Give the ranger the option to give up some offense to give the pet a powerful attack. Because yelling "Pickachu, I choose you!" and watching your pet wreck people is awesome.
Spread the usefulness over the levels more evenly. I don't care how great RAW is at 11, having dead levels from 3-10 is not OK.
Specify a few odds and ends so that players and DMs don't have to guess. Things like rests and healing, control if the ranger is unconscious, etc..




Level
Features
Attack Bonus
Damage Die
Special Attack Save
Hit Points
Armor Class
Save Bonus
Skills


3rd
See text
+4
1d6
13
12
15
+2
+4


4th
-
+4
1d6
13
16
15
+2
+4


5th
-
+5
1d6
14
20
16
+3
+5


6th
-
+5
1d6
14
24
16
+3
+5


7th
Evasion, Empowered Attacks
+6
1d8
14
28
16
+3
+5


8th
-
+6
1d8
14
32
16
+3
+5


9th
-
+7
1d8
15
36
17
+4
+6


10th
-
+7
1d8
15
40
17
+4
+6


11th
Relentless Endurance, Loyalty
+8
1d10
15
44
17
+4
+6


12th
-
+8
1d10
15
48
17
+4
+6


13th
-
+9
1d10
16
52
18
+5
+7


14th
-
+9
1d10
16
56
18
+5
+7


15th
Grit
+10
1d12
16
75
18
+5
+7


16th
-
+10
1d12
16
80
18
+5
+7


17th
-
+11
1d12
17
85
19
+6
+8


18th
-
+11
1d12
17
90
19
+6
+8


19th
-
+11
1d12
17
95
19
+6
+8


20th
-
+11
1d12
17
100
19
+6
+8



Ranger's Companion: At third level, you can spend 8 hours meditating in a natural environment to obtain a beast companion. This process can be repeated to obtain a different companion or if your companion is killed. The beast must be small or medium, and native to the area. Once you know the beasts type determine the following properties:

If the beast's speed is less than 20' it becomes 20', if it's speed is more than 40' it becomes 40'. It retains any special movement types.
Pick a damage type for the beast's attacks appropriate to the beast; slashing, piercing and bludgeoning.
The beast gains two power attacks from below. The power attacks must be appropriate to the creatures type. For instance a creature with no natural venom cannot make a poison attack.
Pick two skills from the following list appropriate to the beast: Athletics, Acrobatics, Intimidation, Perception, Performance, Stealth and Survival. The beast's bonus to it's skills is 2+your proficiency bonus.

Your companion takes it's turn on your initiative. As a free action you can give your beast simple verbal commands which it will follow to the best of it's ability. It can move up to it's distance and take one action limited to dash, dodge, disengage or a basic attack. A basic attack deals one damage die with no attribute bonus. The damage die starts as a 1d6 but increases at 7th, 11th and 15th level. A beast can also use it's reaction to make a basic attack as an AOO.

The companion has hit dice equal to your ranger level to use during a short rest. These are d8s and are rolled without an attribute bonus. The companion recovers all hit points and half of it's hit dice during a long rest. When it is reduced to 0 hp it makes death saving throws as a character would. If the ranger is unconscious then control of the ranger's companion goes to the DM. If the ranger can't command the companion, then it can't make power attacks, but will continue to fight the ranger's enemies and defend the ranger's allies.

Power Attacks:
As an action you can command your animal companion to make one of it's power attacks (in addition to it's basic attack). Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can make one weapon attack yourself when you command your beast to take make it's power attack. Options:
Grab: Make an attack that deals 2 dice of damage. If the attack hits the target must make a strength save. On a failed save the target is grappled and the companion can immediately drag the target up to half it's movement.
Multi-attack: Make an attack that deals 2 dice of damage against one creature and make a second attack that deals 1 die of damage against a second creature within reach.
Poison: Make an attack that deals 1 die of piercing damage. If the attack hits the target must make a constitution save. On a failed save the target is poisoned for 1 hour.
Rampage: Make an attack that deals 2 dice of damage. If the target is reduced to 0 hp, the companion can immediately move half it's distance and attack an additional target for 2 dice of damage.
Terrify: Make an attack that deals 1 die of damage. If the attack hits or misses, the target must make a wisdom save or be frightened of the companion for 1 minute. The target repeats the saving throw at the end of each of it's turns to end the effect. This can only be used once every 24 hours on the same target.
Trip: Make an attack that deals 2 dice of damage. If the attack hits the target must make a dexterity save or be knocked prone.

Companion Skills:
The beast cannot speak, only understands simple commands, and keeps it's (probably very low) intelligence score. But it can still use skills to contribute to the party.
Athletics: Can be used to resist grapples and shoves, or to climb if the beast is physically capable of climbing.
Acrobatics: Can be used to resist grapples and shoves, or navigate difficult terrain.
Intimidation: At it's masters command the beast will bare it's teeth, growl, extend it's claws and otherwise attempt to scare a target creature.
Perception: If the companion perceives a stealthed creature or another threat it will bark, point or otherwise indicate the danger to it's master.
Performance: The companion can do several tricks and can contribute to it's master's, or another creature's, performance.
Stealth: The companion make's it's own stealth check and can act on a surprise round independent of it's master.
Survival: The companion can hunt wild game and follow tracks (visually or by scent).

Companion Stats:
The following stats are all in the block above. 4 hp per level of ranger, and 5 hp per level starting at level 15. It's armor class is 13+your proficiency bonus. It bonus to all saves is equal to your proficiency bonus. Attack damage is 1d6 and increases to 1d8 at 7th, 1d10 at 11th, 1d12 at 15th. Attack bonus is equal to the rangers proficiency bonus plus two. The attack bonus increases by an additional +1 at 7th, 11th and 15th level. The saving throw for all power attacks is 11+your proficiency bonus. The bonus for skills is 2+your proficiency bonus.

Evasion: At level 7, when the companion is subject to an effect that deals half damage on a dexterity save, it instead takes no damage on a successful save and half damage on a failed save.

Empowered Attacks: At level 7, the companion's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage.

Relentless Endurance: At level 11, When the companion is reduced to 0 hp but not killed outright, it can drop to 1 hp instead. It can't use this feature again until it finishes a long rest.

Loyalty: At level 11, When the companion makes a saving throw to avoid being frightened or charmed, it has advantage on that saving throw.

Grit: At level 15, the companion's hit points increase to 5hp per level, and the hit points recovered by hit dice increases to 1d8+2 (instead of 1d8).



Additional work:
Endless agonizing over balance.
I should add some example animal companions instead of just telling everyone to do it themselves.
Possible new feature: vengeance. When the ranger reaches 0 hp the pet gets some extra offense. Limit 1/day
I should come up with more power attacks.
Possible new feature: If there are more power attack options, pets should learn more as they level.
Is a speed difference a big deal? Should I just set it to 30?
I haven't given out attributes, and instead skipped to derived stats. Does that matter? Is there a case I've missed?
What happens if you cast speak with animals on your animal companion and send him on a complicated mission?

wilhelmdubdub
2016-08-09, 02:38 PM
I like that. I would like to take the flying sword as my companion, however I realize it is a construct. I think it would be funny for it to "play dead" like in toy story when other people are around and when someone tries to get away it flies 50ft after them.