Animal Companion-based class

[stewstew5]

https://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/HyPTVJtA7

The bonded soul is a front and mid line combat class centered around an animal companion that improves as you level up, balanced by a low health pool for a combat class and relatively low progression for each the character and animal.

I was NOT trying to make a better beastmaster ranger with this class. I pay the ranger little mind, and was fairly unaware that the sub-class even existed (except for my signature, but that was from an online test that dealt mostly in fantasy tropes and not directly d&d from what I saw), though once I wisened up to it I did look to it once or twice (particularily with the wording of the Recall feature)

[Princesse]

Ranger beastmasters have their animal companion at level 3 which is a powerspike. How would you balance the fact that you have your at level one. Did you do the math to see if it does WAY more than let's say a barbarian with a greatsword, or maybe it's the opposite.
I'm working on a class like that and thats my main concern. I want to make the class weak without it's pet but not too weak, and strong with it but not overpowered.

[stewstew5]

Ranger beastmasters have their animal companion at level 3 which is a powerspike. How would you balance the fact that you have your at level one. Did you do the math to see if it does WAY more than let's say a barbarian with a greatsword, or maybe it's the opposite.
I'm working on a class like that and thats my main concern. I want to make the class weak without it's pet but not too weak, and strong with it but not overpowered.

Barbarian w/greataxe: 1d12 +5 STR (presuming minmaxes) +2 (rage) avg damage: 13

Bonded Soul w/dagger w/wolf: 1d4 + 5 +2d4 + 2 avg damage: 13

The reason I chose dagger was bonded souls should have a high dexterity , so using finesse weapons gives a higher minimum damage roll, and wolf because it was my reference point as a whole. As well, for health, let's presume that constitution is more vital for barbarians (as they have it as a saving throw and tanking as a primary role).

barb: d12 + 5 CON avg health roll: 11

bond: d6 + 3 CON +d6 + 2 CON avg health roll 13

so yea, they slightly outclass barbarian, but not by much, and they have to play carefully because one of them dying halves the other's health pool, giving them a quarter their overall health

[JNAProductions]

Rapier is also finesse and increases DPR by 2.
Shortsword increases by 1, if you're being cheap.

And Rage is a limited resource-especially low level.

[stewstew5]

Rapier is also finesse and increases DPR by 2.
Shortsword increases by 1, if you're being cheap.

And Rage is a limited resource-especially low level.

note that they are not proficient in those, unless you pick one of the two high high damage sub-classes. As well, more than two battles in a day at earlier levels is pushing a reasonably-sized party fairly hard.

But now that I see the stats, would changing the hit dice to a d4 balance it off, if the lose half your hit points effect was removed?