Ranger Beast Master: errata will add new features to your animal companion!

MechaTarrasque · Nov 1, 2018

I haven't had a chance to watch the video yet, so I am taking Zoltar at his word, but according to https://www.sageadvice.eu/2018/11/0...ll-add-new-features-to-your-animal-companion/:

In the last 6 minutes Crawford revealed two Ranger Changes coming in the next Errata for Beast Masters. Beast masters will be getting a feature to turn their animals attacks magical and beasts also will now take the Dodge action whenever they aren’t commanded to do anything.

gyor · Nov 1, 2018

Important changes.

pukunui · Nov 1, 2018

It's being talked about here: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?654668-Dragon-Q-amp-A-with-Jeremy-Crawford-10-30-18

Sorcerers Apprentice · Nov 1, 2018

So now they're starting to actually create new rules as errata? Didn't we already go down this rabbit hole in 4E?

Jefe Bergenstein · Nov 1, 2018

Kind of absurd they decide to finally issue errata, then completely miss the friggin point of what errata was needed...

Letting the stupid wolf bite every turn still isn't going to bring a beastmaster up to paladin tier. Come on WOTC. No half measures.

Pauln6 · Nov 1, 2018

But all the ranger needs is half measures lol. I consider paladins to be a fraction overpowered unless they're in a tough adventure with time constraints to prevent them resting. They're not massively overpowered but the last thing I'd want to see is rangers being beefed-up to their level. Rangers are already a more versatile class and any changes needed to beef them up are minor.

Give them Hunter's Mark as a free spell known and allow it to affect both Ranger and beast at the same time, give some beast healing/enhancing spells, let the beast heal when the ranger spends hit dice. And let the beast continue to act like an animal of its type when not instructed otherwise by its master.

CapnZapp · Nov 3, 2018

ehren37 said:
Kind of absurd they decide to finally issue errata, then completely miss the friggin point of what errata was needed...

Yep.

Now if just people would get that. Sigh.

CapnZapp · Nov 3, 2018

Pauln6 said:
Give them Hunter's Mark as a free spell known and allow it to affect both Ranger and beast at the same time, give some beast healing/enhancing spells, let the beast heal when the ranger spends hit dice. And let the beast continue to act like an animal of its type when not instructed otherwise by its master.

Already here you show much better design chops than Crawford likely will.

One concern you do not address, though: pet survivability against area attacks.

I would forward the idea to automatically give the Ranger a permanent Warding Bond (per the spell) between herself and her pet.

Pauln6 · Nov 3, 2018

I tend to prefer avoiding overtly magical solutions so might have given them something akin to the ranger spending their reaction for a one off effect similar to the spell.

UngeheuerLich · Nov 3, 2018

CapnZapp said:
Already here you show much better design chops than Crawford likely will.

One concern you do not address, though: pet survivability against area attacks.

I would forward the idea to automatically give the Ranger a permanent Warding Bond (per the spell) between herself and her pet.

How exactly would warding bond help with area attacks. If both gain half the t
Damage the other one resisted isn't that exact the same overall damage output. Or do you think the ranger should stay so far away that only the beast is ever affected by aoe?

against single targets it might prove useful though, because you don't need to add more straight hp.
what would be needed even more would be hit die sharing on short rests.