KillerKain
2017-02-12, 11:59 PM
Small intro: I'm a pretty new DM and much newer to all of D&D is a friend who is one of my players. The group is about half way through level two and this friend read through his choices and like many others the current BM left a bad taste in his mouth, but he really wanted to have the beast to go with his wood elf ranger as it really fits his character. He wanted something that was more focused on the bond between him and the beast since the current one seems a bit weak and has more focus on changing out pets basically ditching the one that he built up a relationship with if he wants something stronger. This is based off of UA's Revised ranger, but trying to make it more about the bond the ranger has with their pet.
Since I am about a year into D&D total (all 5e) and about 1 month into being a DM any suggestions would be welcome.
Beast Bonded Archetype (I don't much care about the name)
After years of tracking his quarry and surviving off of the land as a beast would, the hunter gains a link to nature that rivals that of the druids. With the spirit of nature ingrained into the ranger, he is able to call upon the forces of nature to bind his soul to a beast making an inseparable bond
@ Level 3- You can spend 4 hours calling to the forces of nature. While in this meditative state all your checks and saves are made at disadvantage. As the ranger settles onto the ground & sends out strands of his energy, any living creature able to sense them can probe them then either ignore them or attempt to bind with it. If multiple creatures attempt to bind then the ranger must pick based on what little he can sense about the beasts. Once bound to the energy the beast travels at its fastest pace to reach the ranger & the soul binding is sealed on sight.
This beast's proficiency bonus mirrors the ranger's and is applied to its AC, damage bonus, 2 skills of your choice, and All Saving Throws. The companion obeys your commands as best as it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. Your beast gets a movement and an action each turn. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own (up to the DM). For each level you gain after 3rd, your animal companion gains maximum HP bonuses equal to yours and gains hit dice of it's own of the same type as yours.
Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.
After being bound to a beast, the ranger gains access to soul spells granted by the pact.
1) Soul Call - If the bound beast dies, the ranger can tap into the ever present link to call the beast back from death. In this hour long ritual the ranger sacrifices a gem worth at least 25 gold & takes 2 levels of exhaustion to bring the beast back in a new body. If the ranger has the original body he is able to complete the ritual in half the time and take only 1 levels of exhaustion.
2) Soul Share - As a bonus action the ranger extends part of his soul through the bond to heal his beast. Roll 1 hit die, the amount rolls is transferred from the ranger to the beast. The ranger can not use this if he does not have any hit dice to spend.
@ level 5 - Strengthened Bond
You and your beast have been through thick & thin deepening the bond that links you both together. During the Ranger's turn they can cast a spell through their pet instead of themselves. In addition any non offensive spell with a range of self that the ranger casts also affects their beast.
possible alternatives: (one or multiple) 1) Once a day the ranger can take on their beast's shape and abilities. (druid beast shape rules). 2) With the strengthened bond in place the ranger is able to benefit from the concentration of their beast. The ranger is able to either have two concentration spells active at once, or have advantage on concentration checks. 3) The beast is so much a part of the ranger that the ranger can bond with his beast hiding the beast as a design on the ranger's clothing or a tattoo on their skin as an action. The beast appears at an unoccupied space next to the ranger or clothing / armor if the design is damaged, the armor/clothing the beast is on is removed from the ranger's body, or the ranger uses an action to release the beast.
@ level 7 - Inspiring Presence - While you are within 100 feet of your beast and you take the attack action, on your beast's next turn it can make a second attack equivalent to an off hand attack when it also uses the attack action.
@ level 11 - Soul Resonance - As an action your beast can force a thread of the bond that links you both into an enemy on a successful hit. This does no damage, but each successful attack made against this target by the ranger or his beast does an extra 1d6 psychic damage. This affect can only be applied to a target once and fades after 24 hours. This can be done a number of times equal to the ranger's wisdom modifier per long rest.
@ level 15 - Not a clue - that's not the name of an ability.....I really have no clue
Any suggestions, ideas, or so on would be great (unless it's just use the UA Beast Master....that does not help)
Since I am about a year into D&D total (all 5e) and about 1 month into being a DM any suggestions would be welcome.
Beast Bonded Archetype (I don't much care about the name)
After years of tracking his quarry and surviving off of the land as a beast would, the hunter gains a link to nature that rivals that of the druids. With the spirit of nature ingrained into the ranger, he is able to call upon the forces of nature to bind his soul to a beast making an inseparable bond
@ Level 3- You can spend 4 hours calling to the forces of nature. While in this meditative state all your checks and saves are made at disadvantage. As the ranger settles onto the ground & sends out strands of his energy, any living creature able to sense them can probe them then either ignore them or attempt to bind with it. If multiple creatures attempt to bind then the ranger must pick based on what little he can sense about the beasts. Once bound to the energy the beast travels at its fastest pace to reach the ranger & the soul binding is sealed on sight.
This beast's proficiency bonus mirrors the ranger's and is applied to its AC, damage bonus, 2 skills of your choice, and All Saving Throws. The companion obeys your commands as best as it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. Your beast gets a movement and an action each turn. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own (up to the DM). For each level you gain after 3rd, your animal companion gains maximum HP bonuses equal to yours and gains hit dice of it's own of the same type as yours.
Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.
After being bound to a beast, the ranger gains access to soul spells granted by the pact.
1) Soul Call - If the bound beast dies, the ranger can tap into the ever present link to call the beast back from death. In this hour long ritual the ranger sacrifices a gem worth at least 25 gold & takes 2 levels of exhaustion to bring the beast back in a new body. If the ranger has the original body he is able to complete the ritual in half the time and take only 1 levels of exhaustion.
2) Soul Share - As a bonus action the ranger extends part of his soul through the bond to heal his beast. Roll 1 hit die, the amount rolls is transferred from the ranger to the beast. The ranger can not use this if he does not have any hit dice to spend.
@ level 5 - Strengthened Bond
You and your beast have been through thick & thin deepening the bond that links you both together. During the Ranger's turn they can cast a spell through their pet instead of themselves. In addition any non offensive spell with a range of self that the ranger casts also affects their beast.
possible alternatives: (one or multiple) 1) Once a day the ranger can take on their beast's shape and abilities. (druid beast shape rules). 2) With the strengthened bond in place the ranger is able to benefit from the concentration of their beast. The ranger is able to either have two concentration spells active at once, or have advantage on concentration checks. 3) The beast is so much a part of the ranger that the ranger can bond with his beast hiding the beast as a design on the ranger's clothing or a tattoo on their skin as an action. The beast appears at an unoccupied space next to the ranger or clothing / armor if the design is damaged, the armor/clothing the beast is on is removed from the ranger's body, or the ranger uses an action to release the beast.
@ level 7 - Inspiring Presence - While you are within 100 feet of your beast and you take the attack action, on your beast's next turn it can make a second attack equivalent to an off hand attack when it also uses the attack action.
@ level 11 - Soul Resonance - As an action your beast can force a thread of the bond that links you both into an enemy on a successful hit. This does no damage, but each successful attack made against this target by the ranger or his beast does an extra 1d6 psychic damage. This affect can only be applied to a target once and fades after 24 hours. This can be done a number of times equal to the ranger's wisdom modifier per long rest.
@ level 15 - Not a clue - that's not the name of an ability.....I really have no clue
Any suggestions, ideas, or so on would be great (unless it's just use the UA Beast Master....that does not help)