D&D General Beast Master Ranger Should Have A Familiar

[doctorbadwolf]

Dar is the original Beastmaster. The entire concept is based on him, just as the D&D Ranger is based on Aragorn. It was 3rd edition stupidity that tried to jam the two completely different archetypes together.

That might be true for your games. Everything I wrote was a general statement about familiars in a game. You are right, it is board game thinking if a player uses them as a piece of equipment. Which, in my opinion, is what the rules lean towards - equipment more than character.

I agree.

I like option 3 best. I would add two more options:

4) The familiar dies, and when it dies, it severely hinders the PC. Maybe two levels of exhaustion? You still get to use your beastmaster abilities, but there is a risk when summoning your familiar.

5) The familiar dies. You don't get it back until next level.

I can guess you won't be a fan of 4 & 5. But those are options.

5 would require the subclass to grant useful avilities that just require fighting alongside another creature. Otherwise, it is a subclass that sets you up for failure. A trap.

4 could work if not severe, because again your entire subclass is this pet. Or if it is relatively easy to avoid the pet dying while still actually getting benefit of your subclass.

Because tyis isnt novel writing, it is a game. The gameplay has to be good, too.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

@Minigiant the dnd familiar and animal companion are magical.

sidenote: The stark kids aren't rangers or beastmasters or anything related, they just have special pets.

In dnd, a ranger iether finds a magic critter or magically bonds with a critter and makes it magical.

 

[Minigiant]

@Minigiant the dnd familiar and animal companion are magical.

sidenote: The stark kids aren't rangers or beastmasters or anything related, they just have special pets.

In dnd, a ranger iether finds a magic critter or magically bonds with a critter and makes it magical.

The familiar starts magical. Itsa fey or fiend or celestial in beast shape.

The animal companion starts mundane. The ranger makes it magical. It has history being a beast before the ranger.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

The familiar starts magical. Itsa fey or fiend or celestial in beast shape.

The animal companion starts mundane. The ranger makes it magical. It has history being a beast before the ranger.

Cosmetic.

What is the point of this argument?

What does this distinction change about how the bm should work?

The familiar can be either way, just add somw flavor text.

 

[Minigiant]

Cosmetic.

What is the point of this argument?

What does this distinction change about how the bm should work?

The familiar can be either way, just add somw flavor text.

Beastmaster should get these spells

3 Enrage Animal/Magic Fang/Nature's Favor
5 Revive Beast
9 Train Animal/Heal Animal Companion
13 Greater Magic Fang
17 Animal Growth

And focused on working animals over pet animals.

 

[Minigiant]

Ultimately the Beastmaster and all rangers have the Druid Wildshape problem.

A ranger or druid would love to stick a dire wolf. But:

They are CR 1 and dont scale.
They arent factored into treasure
They arent factored into shops for barding, mundane nor magical.

So rangers have to rely on spells.

Unfortunately WOTC, most 3PPs, and most DMs create ranger spells.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I always kinda think it si strange that people object to the idea of a ranger companion thst is both a living animal and magical.

like...why wouldnt it be the case that you have bonded with your wolf buddy and now they can disapear to a demiplane when they get hurt badly, and you can summon them? You did a magic and now they are a magical living natural creature. Great!

I also have been thinking about it and i think that the falconer and the wolf-brother are two separate archetypes that deserve separate subclasses. Focus one on having a scout pet that can harry and help you skirmish but isnt going toe to toe, and focus the other on having a beefier hitter that stands next to you or your front line allies and eats enemy face.