Revised Ranger update

[Yunru]

It means "fight alongside" as in, in my opinion, giving the help action to the Ranger it's next to. Which is the focus of the 7th level ability. Running in, attacking the thing near the Ranger, and then running out using the disengage action as a bonus action from the Ranger is also another favored tactic from that 7th level ability.

Then it's not fighting, by definition.

 

[Gradine]

So "Fight alongside" doesn't mean "fight alongside" it means "briefly help and then run away"?

Well, you could use the deliberately obtuse and literal meaning of "fight alongside" or the much more broad and commonly understood usage of the phrase. I "fight alongside" my party's wizard, but they're not actually at my side hacking away at yuan-ti with me.

 

[Yunru]

Well, you could use the deliberately obtuse and literal meaning of "fight alongside" or the much more broad and commonly understood usage of the phrase. I "fight alongside" my party's wizard, but they're not actually at my side hacking away at yuan-ti with me.

They aren't?
They're still casting spells, removing hit points, disabling abilities, enhancing allies, etc.

Suggesting that Helping once per round is anything equivalent to that? That's being obtuse.


To approach this from another angle, lets look at the paragon of Ranger: Dritz.
Does he have his companion skulk away at the edges? No, his companion is right their, tearing orcs and whatnot limb from limb.

 

[Eric V]

Well, you could use the deliberately obtuse and literal meaning of "fight alongside" or the much more broad and commonly understood usage of the phrase. I "fight alongside" my party's wizard, but they're not actually at my side hacking away at yuan-ti with me.

Well, maybe he thought it implied the animal companion doing a bit more than what a wizard's familiar does...

Whatever. There's no convincing people. The "high levels of dissatisfaction" with the class seem to have mysteriously become high levels of satisfaction; animal companions don't seem to die much when played; and the features of the Beastmaster are on par with every other Ranger subclass. So, there's nothing to complain about.

 

[Gradine]

They aren't?
They're still casting spells, removing hit points, disabling abilities, enhancing allies, etc.

Suggesting that Helping once per round is anything equivalent to that? That's being obtuse.

Suggesting that the Beastmaster Ranger's pet should be anything equivalent to an entire other PC is being obtuse.

 

[Yunru]

Suggesting that the Beastmaster Ranger's pet should be anything equivalent to an entire other PC is being obtuse.

Gee it sure is a good thing that I never even hinted at that then, isn't it?

 

[cbwjm]

So much salt in this thread...

 

[Parmandur]

They aren't?
They're still casting spells, removing hit points, disabling abilities, enhancing allies, etc.

Suggesting that Helping once per round is anything equivalent to that? That's being obtuse.


To approach this from another angle, lets look at the paragon of Ranger: Dritz.
Does he have his companion skulk away at the edges? No, his companion is right their, tearing orcs and whatnot limb from limb.

You mean his magical item...?

 

[Yunru]

You mean his magical item...?

Yes, I mean the character who's animal companion (item or otherwise) inspired almost the entirety of the modern day beastmaster.

 

[Eric V]

Yes, I mean the character who's animal companion (item or otherwise) inspired almost the entirety of the modern day beastmaster.

"Well, technically, that's a magical item...you can't expect that to follow the same rules as a Ranger with a real, live animal companion, you know. I know that's what inspired you to play a Beastmaster, but it's not the game's fault that you misunderstood what was going on with Drizzt."