Beastmaster Rangers (with direct link)

[LightPhoenix]

So the webpage appears to be broken, but if you're logged in to DDI, you can access the article directly here.

Two new companions - simian and horse. Amusingly, e Horse Ranger makes a fairly decent cavalry unit. Also a bunch of level two utilities specific to each animal companion.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Looks good. Definitely makes a Horse Companion primo for a mounted character.

 

[TerraDave]

now watch him climb this rope

As per raw, is there any things to stop a halfling ranger from riding his pony, I mean horse, in narrow underground places?

 

[Kralin Thornberry]

As per raw, is there any things to stop a halfling ranger from riding his pony, I mean horse, in narrow underground places?

You mean other than common sense?

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

As per raw, is there any things to stop a halfling ranger from riding his pony, I mean horse, in narrow underground places?

Well, is there still a -2 penalty for mounts underground? I don't recall. That aside being mounted isn't always that great an option. I guess a character could insist on riding his medium sized companion around EVERYWHERE, but that means he's got to be a beast master AND he's got to take a specific beast. Beast attack powers are no great shakes so I really don't think that part means a hill of beans. The character gains a high speed and a vulnerability to area damage basically. The mount/bc can still be useful in other standard BC ways, but it can't fly, spiderclimb, etc. Plus of course when the player gets off it he's not gaining anything else.

I think maybe it is a small power upgrade, but Vidalis Griffonmaster is way better. Things will mostly balance out. At worst nobody is complaining that Beast Master is a big fat overpowered charop favored option... (though honestly I think it gets less respect than it deserves).

 

[MrMyth]

Tight corridors is usually the issue with mounts underground. Interestingly enough, the utility power for the horse ranger in the article helps them bypass the normal downsides of squeezing once an encounter, so it certainly seems designed to help with that issue.

Now, if you get to a small enough hole that your mount cannot physically get through it... that's a problem. Or, say, you need to drop down a 30' hole or something. You might be able to work out some sort of rope pulley system, but are probably off investing in some magical options.

A charm or ritual to shrink the horse, for example. Or convincing your mage to cast Slimy Transmutation on your pal, and convincing him that he's better off staying like a frog for a few minutes than trying to fight it off. And hope you don't have a horse explode out of your pocket halfway down the winding stairwell!

Or train your pony to enjoy resting in your wizard's Leomund's Secret Chest (he bought a stable-sized one, right?) Summon it before you go down a hole, have the pony hop inside, and then resummon it down below so he can rejoin you.

In general, I expect you can probably get through 95% of adventures without running into a scenario where your mount will be really unable to proceed. And if you can figure out in advance a few tricks to help you in those situations, you should be able to do just fine.

 

[Klaus]

As per raw, is there any things to stop a halfling ranger from riding his pony, I mean horse, in narrow underground places?

Nope, nothing.

You could reskin a Medium Equine companion as a riding dog, a wolf (and then reskin the halfling as a goblin), etc.