Dawnforged Feat - Friend of the Wild - Is my Bard OPed?

[ObsidianDark]

My 5e campaign has hit a snag. We just introduced the Dawnforged Homebrew and it's been great so far. But when our resident Bard wanted a new pet it kinda went haywire during a battle with a large Red Dragon.

Here are the questions:

Should this CR1 creature get Death Saves?
Can it be Healed via a Cleric or potion?
It's a giant spider(as per the MM or DMG), should it still get that wicked Con save vs poison with every bite attack?
Should the Bard have to sacrifice his action to make the spider(which has a 2 INT) attack, help, dash or disengage?

It just feels like my Bard wants to have an 'Extra PC' and all the moves and actions this implies instead of just a little animal companion.

Please help.

End my pain....

[Ziegander]

Without having any idea what the feat says or does, I'm not sure my feedback is helpful at all, but...

In order:
1) Technically all creatures should get Death Saves, DMs merely have the option to deprive monsters of them in order to speed up play. So, almost definitely, yes.
2) Yes. At least by a Cleric. A Cleric could heal any creature with its spells, including its enemies should they choose. There's absolutely no reason to rule that it can't heal an NPC spider. I could understand if feeding a giant spider a healing potion were just too awkward to work properly, but pouring it onto/into whatever food the spider eats ought to work.
3) Why would it not? If the feat doesn't say it removes any attacks and if the feat says to choose any CR 1 creature, then, yes, it definitely does.
4) What does the feat say about this? If nothing, then it should be completely under the DMs control, but if the DM makes it more stupid than he would if it were attacking the players, then the DM is screwing up and being a jerk. If the feat has guidelines for this, then follow whatever the feat says.

[GalacticAxekick]

Should this CR1 creature get Death Saves? Yes. There are no rules on this, but even important NPCs are given death saves. They serve to keep characters involved in the game even after they've been defeated, so that players (as well as allies and enemies) can return for later events.


Can it be Healed via a Cleric or potion? Absolutely. There's no rule or reason for these to only effect humanoid creatures.


It's a giant spider(as per the MM or DMG), should it still get that wicked Con save vs poison with every bite attack? This is tricky. When Rangers acquire animal companions, they have a restricted list of companions with no venoms or similar tools, and so there is no official ruling on this.

I'd keep it, but limit its uses per rest, the same way a Dragonborn's breath weapon is limited. Animal companions with multiattacks lose their multiattacks, but I don't want to totally neuter your spider.


Should the Bard have to sacrifice his action to make the spider(which has a 2 INT) attack, help, dash or disengage? Ranger companions role initiative separately and act on their own. If you allow your Bard's companion to do the same, you're giving your Bard Ranger features for free.

So yes, your Bard should have to sacrifice his action.



Keep in mind, Rangers can't acquire companions with a challenge rating higher than 1/4, typically. Giving your Bard a CR 1 companion is asking for imbalance.

[Ziegander]

I'd keep it, but limit its uses per rest, the same way a Dragonborn's breath weapon is limited. Animal companions with multiattacks lose their multiattacks, but I don't want to totally neuter your spider.

Ranger companions role initiative separately and act on their own. If you allow your Bard's companion to do the same, you're giving your Bard Ranger features for free.

So yes, your Bard should have to sacrifice his action.



Keep in mind, Rangers can't acquire companions with a challenge rating higher than 1/4, typically. Giving your Bard a CR 1 companion is asking for imbalance.

They're using a set of homebrewed feats as published. If they want to further houserule on those feats, sure, adjusting monster special attacks per rest, or limiting their CR, or their other features is fine, but... it's pretty tacky to allow a feat into the game, have a player take it, and then make adjustments to it after it's in play and you don't like it.

But that's why I said, without knowing what the feat says or does, any feedback isn't likely to be super beneficial.

[ObsidianDark]

Friend of the Wild Prerequisite: 8th level You gain an animal companion that can be trained and which improves as long as you travel together. Choose a beast of CR 1 or lower. This new animal companion adds a number of extra Hit Die to its health equal to 1/2 your level and adds half of your proficiency bonus to its attack and damage rolls, Armor Class, and saving throws. These numbers increase as your level and proficiency bonus increases. The GM must approve your choice.

Thanks for the insights. This is helping. I think I need a group ruling, as he is also citing the Dawnforged Ranger(beastmater skill tree):

Alpha Bond (Beast Master). At 9th level, once the
Beast Master has used an action to command his companion
to attack, he may use a bonus action on subsequent
turns to continue the attack.

[Ziegander]

If the Dawnforged Ranger (Beastmaster) has to use its action to command its companion to attack, then... wow, that feat is some kind of special. Incredibly vague and very powerful.

Are Dawnforged Ranger companions under the DMs control unless the Ranger chooses to command their companion to do something different? If so, I suppose that's not as bad, but if Ranger companions do nothing until commanded, then this feat definitely needs further house rule clarifications.

[ObsidianDark]

If the Dawnforged Ranger (Beastmaster) has to use its action to command its companion to attack, then... wow, that feat is some kind of special. Incredibly vague and very powerful.

Are Dawnforged Ranger companions under the DMs control unless the Ranger chooses to command their companion to do something different? If so, I suppose that's not as bad, but if Ranger companions do nothing until commanded, then this feat definitely needs further house rule clarifications.

yeah.
it would give you the ability to use your bonus action to either cast web or bite/poison attack someone every round in addition to your own actions.
maybe if the poison was a once a day thing.
IDK
group rulings await I guess.

Thanks for all the help guys. :P

[Ziegander]

yeah.
it would give you the ability to use your bonus action to either cast web or bite/poison attack someone every round in addition to your own actions.
maybe if the poison was a once a day thing.
IDK
group rulings await I guess.

Thanks for all the help guys. :P

Your party is at least 8th level and you seem unduly worried about a DC 11 Con save vs 2d8 poison damage. :smallconfused:

[ObsidianDark]

Your party is at least 8th level and you seem unduly worried about a DC 11 Con save vs 2d8 poison damage. :smallconfused:

my primary concern is that he's trying to get 2 actions, two bonus actions, 2 AofOs and 2 movements every round while the other players only get 1 each. While not using an attunement slot or burning any sort of action at all. I think it might just be a broke feat but I'd like to try and save it somehow.

[Ziegander]

my primary concern is that he's trying to get 2 actions, two bonus actions, 2 AofOs and 2 movements every round while the other players only get 1 each. While not using an attunement slot or burning any sort of action at all. I think it might just be a broke feat but I'd like to try and save it somehow.

If you even allow it, I would rule it as it stands. The feat says nothing about controlling the companion, so the DM has complete control over this NPC that you have made stronger and friendly to you. The Ranger has a special ability to command their companion, but you do not. You can try Animal Handling (with disadvantage because your Giant Spider isn't an animal) using your action, but you might (will likely) fail. Maybe during downtime, spending weeks/months and gp, you can train your Spider a couple tricks, but it's dumb, so not too many and none very complicated.

Otherwise, it's just an NPC that follows the Bard around that you control and that is stronger than a normal Giant Spider. "Can be trained," says the feat, of course, it also says "animal" companion, even though it later goes on to allow any Beast. *shrug* The feat really should have outlined wtf "can be trained" means, because now you have to do that work, and, yeah, I'd argue the feat itself, even had it explained that, is really strong.

[JNAProductions]

Talk to your player-explain how you feel this feat is more powerful than you expected, and discuss ways to nerf it to make it more reasonable.

Don't just declare "This feat is now weaker"-that's a recipe for an upset player. Talk to them.