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Beastmaster Ranger How Does the Companion Communicate?
How does a Beastmaster ranger's companion communicate? Telepathic link with the ranger? Empathic link with the ranger? Squawks and growls that only the ranger understands? Cultured British accent?
I figured that would be the answer. The ranger in my party has a falcon companion. "Falcor" gets called on to scout ahead pretty often, and the question of how much information he can relay to the party comes up from time to time.
I've been ruling that he uses squawk, pecks and the occasional line drawn in the dirt to get his point across, and I wondered if there was anything in the RAW on the topic.
I don't think they really do. They probably get used to working with their "master" like animals in the circus, but that's about it. The lion knows when you want him to dance, but he can't really help you finish your sudoku.
__________________ Stranded in Michigan's upper peninsula and trying to use the magic of the internet to roll dice and pretend to kill things.
Pip pip, cheerio lads! Once more into the breach and all that, eh?
__________________ "If people bring so much courage to this world the world has to kill them to break them, so of course it kills them. The world breaks every one and afterward many are strong at the broken places. But those that will not break it kills. It kills the very good and the very gentle and the very brave impartially. If you are none of these you can be sure it will kill you too but there will be no special hurry."
-- Ernest Hemingway, "A Farewell to Arms" Burning Empires:Boldaq Keep on the Shadowfell
If Xena doesn't answer your question then you need to look to older sources, in this case, Beastmaster! The Beastmaster (1982)
We have a hawk using ranger in a group i run and people ask him every frickin game if he can use him "beastmaster sight" to see through the hawk's eyes and scout ahead. Every game i have to tell everyone it doesnt work that way.