Ranger "Pets" which can attack as you do: PHB1 Style Fix

[Pale Jackal]

First off, this is to allow Animal Companions who can attack every turn the Ranger does, as if they were a creature. The major advantage here is an increase in minion killing capability, so that's why some Ranger perks were removed, and some other advantages that companions could reasonably provide (i.e. flanking) were made into feats.


Rules:

To be a Beast Master, you lose Prime Shot, as well as the feat that comes with TWF or Archery Ranger Paths.

When declaring your Quarry, you may choose the enemy closest to your pet. Hunter’s Quarry damage is always dealt by your animal companion, instead of by you, and it makes its own attack, using your (complete) To Hit, and the To Hit and Defense targeted is based on the power you used. The companion attacks during your own standard action, and you declare targets before making any rolls. Your pet may make a Quarry attack if you move during your Standard Action, and may choose to forego a Quarry attack to Second Wind or take a Move action.

Your pet may move when you take a move action.

Your pet uses your defense values, and has max HP equal to your max HP. Healing Surges equal to your own -3. Speed of 6. (Pet type alters these slightly.)

If you’re unconscious, your pet moves towards to your square as quickly as possible. The pet will or will not provoke OAs, as the player wills. However, the pet cannot do anything other than move towards you until it is in your square. On your initiative count, even if you are unconscious, you may Quarry a target thus allowing your pet to attack or change targets, but the pet cannot leave your square of its own volition.


Feats: A Ranger may give up his Hide Armor proficiency to take one of the feats below for free. If he does this, he may choose to give up Leather Armor Proficiency as well for a free feat below. (I would do this for Martial Weapon Proficiency as well, but then they just take Bastard Sword Prof., and explicitly forbidding that seems too wordy.)

Battle Flow Prediction: Your companion may now attack either “immediately” before or after your own attack.

Opportunistic Hunter: Your companion may now make opportunity attacks. A successful attack does not count against your use of Hunter’s Quarry.

Bestial Flanking: Your companion can flank.

Empathetic Bond: You may spend a Minor Action to allow your companion to Second Wind as a free action.

Beast Types:
“Bear”: +1 HP per level. -1 Speed.
“Cat”: +1 Speed. -1 HP per level.
“Wolf”: No modifier.
Note: Pets are very low on an enemy’s attack priority list.


Let me know what you think. Too controller-y?

 

[KarinsDad]

We ran into the same issue. Here is our house rule:

For animal companions, the command actions are lowered by one and the move and defend actions can no longer be shared (i.e. if both PC and companion move, then it takes two actions, a move for the PC and a minor to command the companion, if both PC and companion defend, then it takes two actions, a standard for the PC and a move to command the companion). The standard action commands become a move action, the move action commands become a minor action, and the minor action commands do not change.

 

[Pale Jackal]

That has its merits. It certainly might be worthwhile to require a Minor to command your pet to move. Still, I'm wary of anything that encourages people to stand still. Also, when you choose to move, your pet can't attack, which is unfortunate from a flavor point of view. Of course, the fact that I turned opportunity attacks for companions into feats is one of my own concessions to balance.

 

[KarinsDad]

It certainly might be worthwhile to require a Minor to command your pet to move. Still, I'm wary of anything that encourages people to stand still.

Not a big deal for an Archer Ranger. They tend to not move around much anyway unless they get into melee.

Also, when you choose to move, your pet can't attack, which is unfortunate from a flavor point of view.

That's already the core rule. If the Ranger moves, the Pet cannot attack unless the Ranger gives up his attack.

With this rule, if the Ranger attacks and moves, the Pet cannot attack. But if the Ranger only attacks (and possibly does Hunters Quarry), the Pet can still get in an attack.

We tried it out for the first time tonight. The Pet attacked along with the Ranger attacking ~3 times in 3 encounters (they are in a dungeon). Most of that is because the player of the Ranger is protecting the Pet. She will attack sometimes with it, but mostly she tries to keep it out of harms way.

But with just a minor to move the Pet, there were combos like: minor to shift Pet away, minor to move Pet away, Ranger attacks. She could not do this with the core rules.

The player of the Ranger seemed to enjoy the game more since she could do more with the Pet. And only a little of that was actually attacks. Time will tell.

 

[Pale Jackal]

Not a big deal for an Archer Ranger. They tend to not move around much anyway unless they get into melee.

I've heard Archer Rangers can fall into the trap of "stay in place, shoot." However, I have no firsthand experience with them, but if it is true, then that seems like it could be uninteresting. Even if Archer Rangers are a blast to play, there's still Melee Rangers to worry about.

That's already the core rule. If the Ranger moves, the Pet cannot attack unless the Ranger gives up his attack.

I know, I browsed Martial Power at a local bookstore. I don't own it, and this was inspired by CapnZapp's thread. I'm not saying your solution is inferior to the Core rules, but those are my reservations about adopting such a solution.

Not to mention it'd require me buying Martial Power.

 

[KarinsDad]

I've heard Archer Rangers can fall into the trap of "stay in place, shoot." However, I have no firsthand experience with them, but if it is true, then that seems like it could be uninteresting.

This is no different than most other ranged PCs like a Wizard. Most ranged PCs should find cover (even soft cover from allies), fire away, and more or less stay put unless threatened or forced to move to find new targets (some ranged PCs like Warlocks can get a defensive bonus if moving, so that is an exception).

This is not uninteresting, it's just not melee.

Even if Archer Rangers are a blast to play, there's still Melee Rangers to worry about.

Actually, this house rule would often result in more movement for melee Rangers.

For example:

. . . . .
. . F . .
. P E R .
. . . . .
. . . . .

Say the PC Ranger and Pet have the Enemy flanked and the PC Fighter has the Enemy marked. In core rules, the Enemy may or may not stay put because only the Ranger flanks him. The Pet doesn't get an attack. The Ranger and Fighter get the same number of attacks regardless, so it is +2 for two attacks by the Ranger vs. the Fighter getting an extra attack. Either might be in the Enemy's best interest, but typically even with +2, fewer attacks are better.

With the house rule, he has a more serious choice. Stay put and do not get attacked by the Fighter's Combat Challenge, or stay in flank and allow 4 attack rolls (1 Pet, 1 Fighter, and 2 Ranger with Twin Strike) where 3 of these attack rolls have Combat Advantage.

He is more likely to move out of this situation which in turn is more likely to force the PCs to move as well.

The Pet does not get to attack in this case, but the Fighter does get an extra attack because of the Pet. Pros and Cons.


The real advantage of this house rule is that it both allows the Pet to be a more active participant and it is simple, without seriously unbalancing the Ranger PC.

 

[Fanaelialae]

The doubled chance from Twin Strike to proc Quarry seems better than having to roll separately for it. You could just give the Beastmaster an at-will equivalent to Twin Strike.

Something like:

Steel Fang Strike
At-Will
Martial, Weapon, Beast
Standard action
Melee weapon (Beast 1)
Target: One creature
Attack: Str vs AC
Hit: 1[W] damage
Effect: Your beast companion attacks the same creature or a different one
Attack: Beast's attack bonus vs AC
Hit: 1 + your Wis mod

(I gave the beast attack a wisdom bonus because it can't benefit from enhancement bonuses or feats like weapon focus. I think this puts it roughly on par with Twin Strike.)