D&D 5E If all Rangers had an animal companion ...

[Swarmkeeper]

I said no, but only that I wouldn't want to force an animal companion on someone just because they want to play a Ranger.

I think a neat idea would be to come up with some Sidekick stat block and progression for an Animal Companion per the 5e Essentials Kit. Maybe that type of Sidekick is only available to Rangers (or maybe also Barbarians, Druids, Nature Clerics, and Oath of the Ancients Paladins).

 

[Guest 6801328]

Sure, they can die, but your magic sword can get stolen too.

Ok, but how often do magic weapons get stolen in D&D versus pets/companions/henchmen dying? The DM doesn't even have to try to kill your pet; in my experience it happens all the time from AoE or environmental damage.

Add unlike the sword, the pet rules can easily be written so that you can easily acquire a new one. (Granted, it would still be super sad.)

But can you? What if you're on a ship at sea; how are you going to find a new dire wolf (or whatever your pet was)? It's precisely because its so common for pets to die (especially compared to, say, magic weapons being stolen...) that in the cases where characters do get pets (Paladin steed, Wizard familiar, Beastmaster companion) WotC made it a "spirit" that can be re-summoned. Which I find cheesy and unsatisfying, personally. "Computer-gamey" as you say. And it results in no cool roleplaying/storytelling about how your pet was acquired. You just...cast a spell.

I'm not really suggesting that abstract/plot-proof pets (or magic weapons) fit with D&D. I'm just pointing out that there's an advantage to having them, in games where they do fit, like Dungeon World and The One Ring.

 

[Crimson Longinus]

Ok, but how often do magic weapons get stolen in D&D versus pets/companions/henchmen dying? The DM doesn't even have to try to kill your pet; in my experience it happens all the time from AoE or environmental damage.

About equally often? And the ranger pet should be treated like they were a PC, with similar death saves etc. And they should be tough enough that they cannot easily 'accidentally' be killed. We are not talking about a familiar or just some companion animal here, we are talking about one that is fully combat capable and thus should be able to be as tough as the PCs. And in my experience magic weapons get lost, stolen and confiscated far more often than the PCs get killed.

But can you? What if you're on a ship at sea; how are you going to find a new dire wolf (or whatever your pet was)?

You aren't. You might be able to find some other animal though. And it's not like you could replace the magic sword that was dropped in the sea in such conditions either. And of course the class should be built in such way that it is just weaker without the pet instead of completely useless.

It's precisely because its so common for pets to die (especially compared to, say, magic weapons being stolen...) that in the cases where characters do get pets (Paladin steed, Wizard familiar, Beastmaster companion) WotC made it a "spirit" that can be re-summoned. Which I find cheesy and unsatisfying, personally. "Computer-gamey" as you say. And it results in no cool roleplaying/storytelling about how your pet was acquired. You just...cast a spell.

I'm not really suggesting that abstract/plot-proof pets (or magic weapons) fit with D&D. I'm just pointing out that there's an advantage to having them, in games where they do fit, like Dungeon World and The One Ring.

I know why that is done, but as you said, it is unsatisfying. Just make it so that that pet doesn't easily get killed in the first place and don't make replacing them particularly difficult.

 

[DnD Warlord]

About equally often? And the ranger pet should be treated like they were a PC, with similar death saves etc. And they should be tough enough that they cannot easily 'accidentally' be killed. We are not talking about a familiar or just some companion animal here, we are talking about one that is fully combat capable and thus should be able to be as tough as the PCs. And in my experience magic weapons get lost, stolen and confiscated far more often than the PCs get killed.
.

rangers currently get 1d8+con mod hp per level. Give the animal companion the basic animal HD. Then give it a bonus 5hp per ranger HD over the number the animal has...

give the animal the Rangers prof if it is better then the basic animal.
Put magic items in games that effect animals...

mall set now no “oops I killed your wolf”

 

[Guest 6801328]

About equally often? And the ranger pet should be treated like they were a PC, with similar death saves etc. And they should be tough enough that they cannot easily 'accidentally' be killed. We are not talking about a familiar or just some companion animal here, we are talking about one that is fully combat capable and thus should be able to be as tough as the PCs. And in my experience magic weapons get lost, stolen and confiscated far more often than the PCs get killed.



You aren't. You might be able to find some other animal though. And it's not like you could replace the magic sword that was dropped in the sea in such conditions either. And of course the class should be built in such way that it is just weaker without the pet instead of completely useless.


I know why that is done, but as you said, it is unsatisfying. Just make it so that that pet doesn't easily get killed in the first place and don't make replacing them particularly difficult.

I guess we just play differently. I’ve seen countless mounts/familiars/henchman/companions die, and zero magic weapons stolen.

In any event, this feels like arguing for the sake of arguing. I was just pointing out that different games approach this differently, with different pros and cons.