D&D 5E The Future of the Ranger

[WayOfTheFourElements]

Sure.

I can also re-fluff Ranger spells to not be spells.

I can also just keep Playing the UA Scout Fighter.

So there are a couple of ways I can player the "Ranger" I want.

Herbs X times per day...yay?

A ranger with Thieves' Cant...yay?

 

[Xeviat]

Not quite true. There's a slight issue that, since the pet doesn't benefit from Hunter's Mark, the increase of damage is actually higher than the extra 1d8. There's also the opportunity loss of feats - a hunter using something like SS/CBM is more effective than a beastmaster with them. Fighting Styles and Favored Enemy (assuming revised) are also less effective on a Beastmaster than on a Hunter or Stalker.

Things look simple, but they're actually quite a bit more complicated than at first glance.

This is true, and I would give more weight to it if Hunter's Mark was a class feature and not a spell; the beast master is likely using more spells for healing their pet than they are for hunter's marking.

Fighting Styles don't stack with the pet, but the pet just needs to be compared to duelist damage or TWFing damage. 1d8+5 is the extra damage a Hunter with Horde Breaker can do at early levels; a giant poisonous snake deals 1d6+4 plus 3d6 poison (save half) +2 for your proficiency bonus at level 2; it also has a wopping +8 to hit. I'm using the most grossly overpowered example here (the giant poisonous snake should be CR 1/2 at a minimum, based on the CR calculator).

Here's a few decent companion animals, with a lvl 3 Ranger (the ranger could have +5 to hit, 1d8+5 (9.5) with AC 17 or 18 (depending on if they favor stealth or not) or or +5/+5 (w/bonus action) 1d6+3 (13) with AC 15 or 16 or +7 1d10+3 (8.5) with AC 15 or 16 ranged):

Wolf: +6 to hit, 2d4+4 (9) and chance to prone (bad chance, prof should have applied to DCs), with pack tactics for advantage to hit.
Panther: +6 to hit, 1d6+4 (7.5) and pounce for chance to prone and extra attack at 1d4+4 (6.5)
Giant Wolf Spider: +5 to hit, 1d6+3 (6.5) and 2d6 (7) (save half) poison.
Giant Centipede: +6 to hit, 1d4+4 (6.5) and 3d6 (10.5) (save for none) poison.

With the +2 prof damage, these are all probably too much. Now, the variant takes that away, but still, the spider has potential for 11.5 damage (or 8 on a save), and since you can target stack that's probably better than the hunter.

My original variant moved the exceptional training ability to 3rd level, as I treated the pet just like the chain warlock's familiar. If their attack is balanced against a ranger's weapon attack, then things could be balanced with help on the same target or an attack on a different target, akin to hordebreaker.

But, again, a large portion of the complaint is the pets not having their own actions. Having to direct it to attack breaks the simulationism for some. I understand and respect that. Then, the companions need to be stated for the ranger, not just grabbing the monsters from the book and hoping their balanced right (especially when some are balanced with terrible defenses and high offenses that are lost because they come with multiattack, or the ones with terrible HP that disappear with the way PHB did companion HP, or the ones with great HP that disappear ...)

 

[Connorsrpg]

I just wish Animal Companion was a feat.

 

[WayOfTheFourElements]

I just wish Animal Companion was a feat.

I've been considering that for a long time, but most feats don't scale with level. I can't figure out how to write it without making the feat overpowered.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I've been considering that for a long time, but most feats don't scale with level. I can't figure out how to write it without making the feat overpowered.

I think you have to do something like having a non-scaling feat along the lines of find familiar and find steed for characters who want an animal companion but don't want it to take up the bulk of their power budget, and then a scaling subclass for characters who do.

And I say "non-scaling", but a little bit of scaling might be okay. I'm looking at Inspiring Leader and Tough in particular. Scaling the companion's hit points seems like a good idea.

 

[Xeviat]

I think you have to do something like having a non-scaling feat along the lines of find familiar and find steed for characters who want an animal companion but don't want it to take up the bulk of their power budget, and then a scaling subclass for characters who do.

And I say "non-scaling", but a little bit of scaling might be okay. I'm looking at Inspiring Leader and Tough in particular. Scaling the companion's hit points seems like a good idea.

Scaling hp, ac, saves, skills, and damage would probably not be a problem. +2 to your primary class scales more at higher levels (since you have more damage, so the attack bonus matters more, or you have multiple attacks). Hp, AC, and saves matter just for survivability.

A feat could probably be balanced. I don’t think the pet would be able to do much damage, though.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk