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5E Beast Companion Mechanics.
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<blockquote data-quote="MostlyHarmless42" data-source="post: 7848551" data-attributes="member: 6845520"><p>The class upgrades for each different version of the ranger should not be ignored either, nor the default actions taken by the pet. This matters a bit longer term, and has some pros and cons. I'll list both for consideration and some thoughts after.</p><p></p><p>PHB Ranger Beast Master:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Companion takes no action on it's turn other than reactions without a command from the ranger (the source of many grim pet lobotamy jokes on here back when the ranger was being discussed more actively). As <em>your</em>action your pet can Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge or Help. With the Attack, you get one attack yourself at 5th level. Their new "Ready Companion" ability lets them make one attack as a bonus action.<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">This means at 3rd level, you can do any of the following:<ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You attack once and have they attack once as your bonus action</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your pet attacks twice as both your action and bonus actions.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 5th level, you can either get one attack and they attack twice, or you get two attacks and they attack once.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 11th level, this becomes either two attacks from you and one from your pet, or one from you and three from your pet. Again all using your action as the Attack action and your Bonus Action.</li> </ul></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You also get the ability to make your pet Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help as your bonus action at 7th level.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You can Share Spells at 15th level.</li> </ul><p>Revised Ranger:</p><ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your pet acts on its own, and can have it's own action, reaction, and (hypothetically, pending on what the DM allows), bonus actions. Should be noted (due to the 5th level ability), most of the time the pet be using its reaction every turn to attack.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The pet also gained the benefits of your favored enemies (which was +2 and +4 damage in the revised ranger).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">The 5th level ability lets your pet attack as a reaction against a target next to it when you use your action to Attack. This comes at the cost of getting Extra Attack, so could be relevant if your pet isn't with you, or can't be in range of a monster that round.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">You pet has advantage on all saving throws at 7th level, not just proficiency.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Your pet basically gets whirlwind attack at 11th level.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">At 15th level your pet gets effectively Uncanny Dodge from the rogue class. Note that this again is in competition with their attack from the 5th level ability.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">It should also be noted that the revised ranger <em>can</em> bring their pet back from the dead as an 8 hour (and 25g) ritual).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Pet options were also more limited (albeit whether the DM chose to follow this particular rule was varied table to table as their was a sidebar about precisely this in the document).</li> </ul><p>Overall, I'd still give the slight power edge to the Revised Ranger, mostly in terms of keeping their pet alive (due to the advantage on saves and save proficiency), though damage output was higher as well due to ability score increases (especially if the DM was willing to allow the pet to take feats, albeit this was not as written by default), and the favored enemy damage. That said, neither version at any point gives their pet magical weapons, which is something <em>not</em> to be ignored. The PHB version with these new enhanced versions may actually pull ahead in damage if the Ranger has a magic weapon in the long run.</p><p></p><p>I'd say I'm a big fan of the proposed enhancements to the new version (the most important change being the addition of hit dice). The only thing I feel is missing is perhaps a spell, ability, or official magic item that allows pets to gain magical attacks (perhaps why the spell Magic Weapon is being added to their spell list?), and to let the pet automatically take the dodge action by default if no command is given.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="MostlyHarmless42, post: 7848551, member: 6845520"] The class upgrades for each different version of the ranger should not be ignored either, nor the default actions taken by the pet. This matters a bit longer term, and has some pros and cons. I'll list both for consideration and some thoughts after. PHB Ranger Beast Master: [LIST] [*]Companion takes no action on it's turn other than reactions without a command from the ranger (the source of many grim pet lobotamy jokes on here back when the ranger was being discussed more actively). As [I]your[/I]action your pet can Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge or Help. With the Attack, you get one attack yourself at 5th level. Their new "Ready Companion" ability lets them make one attack as a bonus action. [LIST] [*]This means at 3rd level, you can do any of the following: [LIST] [*]You attack once and have they attack once as your bonus action [*]Your pet attacks twice as both your action and bonus actions. [/LIST] [*]At 5th level, you can either get one attack and they attack twice, or you get two attacks and they attack once. [*]At 11th level, this becomes either two attacks from you and one from your pet, or one from you and three from your pet. Again all using your action as the Attack action and your Bonus Action. [/LIST] [*]You also get the ability to make your pet Dash, Disengage, Dodge, or Help as your bonus action at 7th level. [*]You can Share Spells at 15th level. [/LIST] Revised Ranger: [LIST] [*]Your pet acts on its own, and can have it's own action, reaction, and (hypothetically, pending on what the DM allows), bonus actions. Should be noted (due to the 5th level ability), most of the time the pet be using its reaction every turn to attack. [*]The pet also gained the benefits of your favored enemies (which was +2 and +4 damage in the revised ranger). [*]The 5th level ability lets your pet attack as a reaction against a target next to it when you use your action to Attack. This comes at the cost of getting Extra Attack, so could be relevant if your pet isn't with you, or can't be in range of a monster that round. [*]You pet has advantage on all saving throws at 7th level, not just proficiency. [*]Your pet basically gets whirlwind attack at 11th level. [*]At 15th level your pet gets effectively Uncanny Dodge from the rogue class. Note that this again is in competition with their attack from the 5th level ability. [*]It should also be noted that the revised ranger [I]can[/I] bring their pet back from the dead as an 8 hour (and 25g) ritual). [*]Pet options were also more limited (albeit whether the DM chose to follow this particular rule was varied table to table as their was a sidebar about precisely this in the document). [/LIST] Overall, I'd still give the slight power edge to the Revised Ranger, mostly in terms of keeping their pet alive (due to the advantage on saves and save proficiency), though damage output was higher as well due to ability score increases (especially if the DM was willing to allow the pet to take feats, albeit this was not as written by default), and the favored enemy damage. That said, neither version at any point gives their pet magical weapons, which is something [I]not[/I] to be ignored. The PHB version with these new enhanced versions may actually pull ahead in damage if the Ranger has a magic weapon in the long run. I'd say I'm a big fan of the proposed enhancements to the new version (the most important change being the addition of hit dice). The only thing I feel is missing is perhaps a spell, ability, or official magic item that allows pets to gain magical attacks (perhaps why the spell Magic Weapon is being added to their spell list?), and to let the pet automatically take the dodge action by default if no command is given. [/QUOTE]
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