Martial Power: Beast Mastery

[Rechan]

I totally agree, but it seems like the beast gets very few options to actually do anything. Like I said, it all seems balanced, but a little stagnant on the battlefield when the beast doesn't do anything until you use an encounter power (and maybe not even then).

~

You can let the beast use your attack action instead of you doing it. Can also make OAs. I'd say that's worth something.

You can use your beast to play interference for the Wizard, for instance.

 

[Lab_Monkey]

I think the really interesting option for beast masters is when they're not actually built like beast masters.

See here:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4t...rcher-why-shouldnt-i-beast-master-ranger.html

If you're building an archer, be a beast master. You gain options, if nothing else the ability to set up flanks for your allies. You lose almost nothing now that the Martial Power Paragon Paths are available.

 

[RefinedBean]

Without attacking, the Beast can:

1. Flank with you and other allies.
2. Make OAs
3. Go places and do things you can't (example: spider can climb up walls, raptor can fly)
4. Take actions on your turn that leave you free to do other things (deliver something to an ally, harry a fleeing enemy)
5. Give hugs (bear only)
6. Did I mention that it can flank with all your allies?!

A party's Defenders and a melee Rogue are going to LOVE your beast to death. One more creature to flank with means more Combat Advantage, higher portion of attacks hitting, and higher chance to get Sneak Attack off each round.

On top of that, as Rechan so wisely pointed out, your companion is great to run interference on the few minions or "lesser" enemies that get out over to your ranged attackers.

I love the Beastmaster to DEATH, can't wait to try it out, especially with a Tactical Warlord in the party as well.

 

[Doctor Proctor]

Okay, I understand that you can use your Standard to make the Beast attack, but what about other things like move actions? Do you use your move action to allow the Beast to move, or do they have their own separate move actions?

I don't play a Ranger myself, but we have an Archer in our party. He might like something like this...

 

[Rechan]

Okay, I understand that you can use your Standard to make the Beast attack, but what about other things like move actions? Do you use your move action to allow the Beast to move, or do they have their own separate move actions?

Move Action: Your beast companion or both of you take an action. The move action need not be the same.

 

[Sphyre]

I totally agree, but it seems like the beast gets very few options to actually do anything. Like I said, it all seems balanced, but a little stagnant on the battlefield when the beast doesn't do anything until you use an encounter power (and maybe not even then).

There are many advantages, but not so many that it makes them overpowered. None of them are overt - which is the key to making them not ZOMG Rangerzilla.

This is not a complete list, but a lot to think about:

• Flanking partner (for you if you're melee, or your allies if you're ranged)
• Defend action allows both you and your pet to defend, and get a bonus when adjacent
• Move action allows you both to move
• pet's attack bonus goes up 1/level. Higher chance to hit than you, with lower damage (no magic weapons) More consistent damage vs harder to hit opponents.
• At epic levels there's a feat to command your pet to attack as a minor action (don't move? Command him twice and attack once yourself, even if the wording was meant to imply once, you still get one attack yourself plus your pets attack)
• Hunter's quarry is easier to peg on the opponent of your choice (Especially at range for a ranged ranger)
• Pet can make opportunity attacks that you otherwise couldn't (Especially ranged rangers)
• Melee rangers can get a + 2 mod damage attack
  [*]When you go down your pet defends you.
  [*]Pets can scout for you
  [*]Pet feats allow cool things and bonuses you couldn't get without them.
  [*]powers you choose that use them, while situational can be quite strong or useful.
  [*]A meat shield that has quite a bit of hitpoints. Essentially the equivalent of 6 extra healing surges per day (2 surges from the pet itself, and 4 'effective' surges from hp from max hit points of the pet that your character otherwise wouldn't have as a resource to soak up damage before dying. Note also that you can use your healing surges to heal your pet as if it had spent them as a minor action while adjacent to it)

There are a few things there that net extra offense and damage (flanking and opportunity attacks i think are the biggest ones)
There are a few things in there that net more survivability of the character (extra hp source i think is the biggest one)
There are a few utility things in there. (scouting can be amazing depending on which companion you choose)

I can understand thematically, where you might think "well I didn't order my companion to attack the last three rounds, and no one provoked an opportunity attack that I could command it to take one, my companion isn't very much of a threat, now is it?" but that's a choice you could change by dedicating an action every once and a while to order it to attack rather than ignoring it. It's still having quite an effect whether or not it's getting to attack every round.

 

[Baumi]

How do you keep the damage of your beast comparable at higher level, since there seems to be no magic "weapon" enchantment and damage doesn't increase with level besides the slow Attribute rises?

 

[Rechan]

Let's compare.

Lvl 14 wolf: +18 to hit (+14 (lvl) +4 (Stat adjust)).
Lvl 14 Ranger: +19 to hit (+6 (stat) +7 (level) + 2 (weapon prof) + 4 (Magical item))

Lvl 14 Standard Monster (1 for each role)
Cyclops Impaler AC: 28
Drider Fanglord AC: 26
Warthorn Battlebriar AC: 28
Mindflayer Infiltrator AC: 27
Cyclops Rambler AC: 29
Boneclaw AC: 30

Not too bad.

A PC's to-hit goes up a few ways: 1/2 level, stats, feats, and magical items. While PCs get a +1/half level, the animal companion gets a +1 every level. Feats can increase the PC's to-hit for certain circumstances, so that gives a MISC that I haven't accounted for (too much variance). Stats increase at the same rate as animal companions (however, PCs get to set their starting stats, so push goes to the PC). I think the variance + magic items balances out with the animal companion's by-level plusses.

 

[andarilhor]

Also gain little benefits.

Boars gain speed when charging, and do more damage on a charge.

Snakes and lizards get a bonus to opportunity attacks.

Wolves get +Wisdom Bonus to attacks when they have Combat Advantage.

And each one of then has one or two trained skills. There is a ranger feat which allows to buy more trained skills for your beast. For example, cats is the only one with stealth.

 

[DracoSuave]

How do you keep the damage of your beast comparable at higher level, since there seems to be no magic "weapon" enchantment and damage doesn't increase with level besides the slow Attribute rises?

The powers that use the beast's attacks have other factors: your weapon, your own attributes, etc.