Mouseferatu
Hero
You know, I've realized I may be overcomplicating this.
Obviously, I have no access to Wizards' research/playtest results. So they may well know something I don't about this. But let's break it down.
An ACo attack is roughly equivalent to a single weapon attack. It has more versatility, but it's also got limitations. I think it's fair to say that, overall and for the most part, they're equivalent.
I think it's actually okay that, for levels 3 and 4, it takes the ranger's action to command the ACo. You're still training/learning to work with the critter. So let's say that the beastmaster gets an ability at 5th level that says "You can now choose to command your ACo as a bonus action, rather than your normal action."
So, what, if anything, does that break?
* It would allow the ranger to "make an attack" when he's dashing, dodging, or disengaging. But we already have the rogue's cunning action as a precedent that doing so isn't game-breaking in and of itself, as long as you balance/account for it. So, since the beastmaster doesn't get the hunter's attack and damage and defensive options, I'm prepared to say it's okay for him--via his beast--to get what amounts to a less-useful version of cunning action.
* It would allow the ranger to "make an attack" when spellcasting. Well, we have the eldritch knight as precedent for allowing a single attack while also casting. True, the ek can only do that with cantrips until really high level, but the ek also has lots of combat spells. Most of the ranger's spells aren't damage-dealers. Most of the time, being able to command the ACo to attack while also casting a spell isn't going to provide all that much of a benefit. On the rare occasion it does, it's not so much of one that we can't call it a feature of the subclass and let it go. (It may be more an issue with multiclass casters, but I think trading at least three caster levels for the equivalent of a single weapon attack is probably a wash at best.)
* It would allow the ranger to make one more attack per turn than he should; three rather than two. We could handle that via my TWF-analogue, above, but I think there's a simpler and better way.
Don't give the beastmaster the extra attack feature. Training to work with the companion has taken the place of the combat training that would've sped up his attacks.
Make extra attack a 5th-level feature of the hunter subclass, when the beastmaster switches over to bonus actions. You now have both rangers making the same number of attacks: two with weapons for the hunter, one with weapon and one with beast for the beastmaster.
Hunter gets volley or whirlwind; beastmaster gets bestial fury.
What about 7th level? Obviously the current beastmaster ability has to be replaced if it's already a bonus action to command it. Well, that's when the hunter starts getting extra damage. So how about, "Due to extensive training, the ACo has learned how to maximize its effectiveness; all its attacks gain a bonus to damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1)."
I've spent a lot of word count here explaining my reasoning, but it's actually amazingly simple to execute.
At 3rd level, the companion works as written.
At 5th, it now only requires a bonus action to command--even to attack--but the ranger doesn't get a second attack of his own. (If we want to throw the TWF ranger a bone, we can say "If you are fighting with two weapons, you can make your off-hand attack as part of the same bonus action you use to command the ACo.)
At 7th level, the beast's attacks add your Wis modifier to damage.
Is he quite a match for the hunter in terms of damage dealt? No, but he's close, and he's more versatile, since he can attack while dashing or casting or whatnot.
Again, I haven't run any numbers. Also, it's 4 am. So by all means, if there are flaws here, point them out. This is an off-the-top-of-my-head work-in-progress at best.
Obviously, I have no access to Wizards' research/playtest results. So they may well know something I don't about this. But let's break it down.
An ACo attack is roughly equivalent to a single weapon attack. It has more versatility, but it's also got limitations. I think it's fair to say that, overall and for the most part, they're equivalent.
I think it's actually okay that, for levels 3 and 4, it takes the ranger's action to command the ACo. You're still training/learning to work with the critter. So let's say that the beastmaster gets an ability at 5th level that says "You can now choose to command your ACo as a bonus action, rather than your normal action."
So, what, if anything, does that break?
* It would allow the ranger to "make an attack" when he's dashing, dodging, or disengaging. But we already have the rogue's cunning action as a precedent that doing so isn't game-breaking in and of itself, as long as you balance/account for it. So, since the beastmaster doesn't get the hunter's attack and damage and defensive options, I'm prepared to say it's okay for him--via his beast--to get what amounts to a less-useful version of cunning action.
* It would allow the ranger to "make an attack" when spellcasting. Well, we have the eldritch knight as precedent for allowing a single attack while also casting. True, the ek can only do that with cantrips until really high level, but the ek also has lots of combat spells. Most of the ranger's spells aren't damage-dealers. Most of the time, being able to command the ACo to attack while also casting a spell isn't going to provide all that much of a benefit. On the rare occasion it does, it's not so much of one that we can't call it a feature of the subclass and let it go. (It may be more an issue with multiclass casters, but I think trading at least three caster levels for the equivalent of a single weapon attack is probably a wash at best.)
* It would allow the ranger to make one more attack per turn than he should; three rather than two. We could handle that via my TWF-analogue, above, but I think there's a simpler and better way.
Don't give the beastmaster the extra attack feature. Training to work with the companion has taken the place of the combat training that would've sped up his attacks.
Make extra attack a 5th-level feature of the hunter subclass, when the beastmaster switches over to bonus actions. You now have both rangers making the same number of attacks: two with weapons for the hunter, one with weapon and one with beast for the beastmaster.
Hunter gets volley or whirlwind; beastmaster gets bestial fury.
What about 7th level? Obviously the current beastmaster ability has to be replaced if it's already a bonus action to command it. Well, that's when the hunter starts getting extra damage. So how about, "Due to extensive training, the ACo has learned how to maximize its effectiveness; all its attacks gain a bonus to damage equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum 1)."
I've spent a lot of word count here explaining my reasoning, but it's actually amazingly simple to execute.
At 3rd level, the companion works as written.
At 5th, it now only requires a bonus action to command--even to attack--but the ranger doesn't get a second attack of his own. (If we want to throw the TWF ranger a bone, we can say "If you are fighting with two weapons, you can make your off-hand attack as part of the same bonus action you use to command the ACo.)
At 7th level, the beast's attacks add your Wis modifier to damage.
Is he quite a match for the hunter in terms of damage dealt? No, but he's close, and he's more versatile, since he can attack while dashing or casting or whatnot.
Again, I haven't run any numbers. Also, it's 4 am. So by all means, if there are flaws here, point them out. This is an off-the-top-of-my-head work-in-progress at best.
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