D&D 5E Did anyone try beastmaster with no action for beast attack?

[Mephista]

I didn't have an issue, but that's because the Ranger wasn't using the Power Attack feats and the Paladin and Fighter of the group were (fourth member was a bard). Combine with the Beastmaster needing to save his spells for healing the Beast, it worked out alright.

 

[The Grassy Gnoll]

I roll a die.
6 beast attacks
4-5 beast helps
2-3 beast dodges
1 beast "licks its balls" either metaphorically or actually

 

[77IM]

Early in 5e, I .played in a group where the ranger's companion worked this way through sheer misunderstanding of the rules, in fact the rest of the party mocked the guy mercilessly for being weak,

 

[jodyjohnson]

The companion can make perception checks (often with advantage), move, react, block movement, be a target, heal a limited amount on a short rest (I'd like to see this fixed), heal to full on a long rest, make death saves, and act as a replacement character any rounds where you character is down. That's just at 3rd.

For the price of not making an extra attack some rounds or an extra 1d8 once per turn. And sometimes it can allow you two reaction attacks.

The current default pet is a Giant Poisonous Snake with an average damage per attack higher than a greatsword and a better attack bonus than available with point buy (+8 attack, 10' reach, 8 (1d4+6) plus DC 11 Con save for 12 (3d6+2) poison, half with a save). AC 16 is pretty respectable with 18 hp. (DM basic rules, p.27 or Appendix A, MM)

 

[Mistwell]

Yeah we've tried it that way, and it's worked OK. A tad overpowered I'd say, but we didn't notice too much harm.

 

[Zaran]

I've been playing the rules as written. At 3rd and 4th level, it was annoying because I couldn't have my wolf (That I befriended at 2nd level) attack at the same time I did. At 5th level, I can share my attacks with it though and that makes it better. I still have the issue that it will not survive many area effect spells. Everything else seems to be ok. For any of the subclasses, I feel just a minor tweak or two would go a long way to satisfy complaints.

On the subject of this thread. While it makes since to have the pet have it's own turn, it means the ranger's player gets twice as many actions at low levels. I think it wouldn't be too bad to make an animal companions actions take the bonus action of the ranger up.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

And the way Hunter's Mark is a spell makes for a very strange decision; it effectively blocks all other choices, since that extra damage is a cornerstone of making a ranger combat viable. I realize it was designed as a kind of bonus, but it's really essential, kind of a spell slot tax. It's just so much better than any other spell.

Eh? Hunter's Mark is usually a poor use of concentration in non-trivial fights, compared to things like Swift Quiver, Entangle, Conjure Animals, and Spike Growth.

 

[Remathilis]

Would command as a bonus action work? (I realize its overpowered compared to twf...)

Also, isn't the issue also that most animal companions are very fragile? Would upping its hp help?

 

[AverageCitizen]

What if beasts could be commanded to fight an enemy, in which case they helped/hindered/dodged until they were ordered to do otherwise, but they also had a special attack ability that recharged on a 5-6? So every three turns or so they attack, otherwise they help, and then later as the BM gets the standard class features they can also help for free (no action to set them to it) and attack for free (in addition to the recharge ability)?

 

[Giltonio_Santos]

Thanks for all replies! For now, I'll rule that the beast acts as an NPC under my command unless the player spends his action to command it. From what I'm seeing here, I believe that many people agree with me that it just standing there doing nothing unless commanded otherwise is stupid, and I'm not interested in the Unearthed Arcana ranger. In any case, I don't think the game will break if the ranger gets some additional DPR.