D&D 5E Find Steed: the problem and a solution

[Fion]

When he says it fights like a normal mount he means like a none intelligent mount, even though it is intelligent. The rules for independent intelligent mounts are not the normal rules, the normal rules are for riding normal beasts like Warhorses, the rules for riding for riding sentient being that act indepenently are a rules EXCEPTION to the normal rules which are for normal mounts (and Paladin find steed mounts).

Perphaps this should go into the next errata or Q&A.

As for Ranger companions the solutions are simple, 1) offer stronger companions that qalifify as possible ranger mounts, better stats and perhaps innate tricks. special ranger spells that work on companions to buff them, and lastly a fighting style opinion that allows you to gain advantage on an enemy when your companion attacks it for example.

Oh I'll note that A Paladin's mount does have a movement advantage thanks to share spell, when your mounted spells like Misty Step, Tree Stride, Haste (all of which are accessible via Oaths) apply both to you and your mount at no extra cost.

This why the Fey Knight (or better yet, a Elderin Fey Knight) is the second coolest teleporter after Shadow Path Monks.

Exactly, while intelligent it doesn't act like an intelligent mount as per the Mounted Combat Rules, and thus is only capable of Dash, Disengage & Dodge actions while mounted. However the confusion lies in the second tweet that basically says the exact opposite, that when unmounted steeds summoned via this spell ARE intelligent creatures with their own initiative and actions. This is where the error lies in my mind, allowing what is obviously intended to be a mount, not a companion, to generally surpass the Beastmaster Ranger archetype in all ways until late in the game. I think Find Steed very clearly needs an Errata or Q&A clarification so that one spell, without requiring a slot, doesn't completely supersede an entire class archetype.

Errata or Q&A fixes to Beastmaster would be nice but I doubt it'll happen. While WotC occasionally tweaks the details of a specific spell or rule, they greatly prefer to add new options to classes instead of altering old ones. We've already seen this 'fix for the ranger' in their non-spellcasting class option. I think the community is going to have to work very hard to get them to actually make alterations to the archetype. Thankfully there are plenty of wonderful and reasonably balanced homebrew options out there to buff the archetype.

 

[Inconnunom]

Errata or Q&A fixes to Beastmaster would be nice but I doubt it'll happen. While WotC occasionally tweaks the details of a specific spell or rule, they greatly prefer to add new options to classes instead of altering old ones. We've already seen this 'fix for the ranger' in their non-spellcasting class option. I think the community is going to have to work very hard to get them to actually make alterations to the archetype. Thankfully there are plenty of wonderful and reasonably balanced homebrew options out there to buff the archetype.

We have not seen a fix yet. The spell-less ranger came out much earlier than when they released statements saying they are retooling the class and are unhappy with the design. There are other tweaks that may come before the end of the year. They even mentioned that if they feel particularly productive they will put several out at one time.

 

[Fion]

I hope you're right Inconnunom.

 

[gyor]

I'm betting there will be something for rangers in Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide.

 

[Saeviomagy]

When he says it fights like a normal mount he means like a none intelligent mount, even though it is intelligent. The rules for independent intelligent mounts are not the normal rules, the normal rules are for riding normal beasts like Warhorses, the rules for riding for riding sentient being that act indepenently are a rules EXCEPTION to the normal rules which are for normal mounts (and Paladin find steed mounts).

I submit that the rules for riding mounts that act independently AND the rules for controlled mounts are both the normal rules. Further I say that even a common riding horse can be allowed to act independently although the results of allowing that are unlikely to be beneficial for the average D&D adventurer unless they're trying to run away.

Saying otherwise indicates that a horse in d&d is some kind of mindless robot... which is exactly the problem with the beastmaster rules: that their companion is worse than a typical free-willed specimen of it's kind, because it's hamstrung to only act when the beastmaster spends actions.

 

[Inconnunom]

I hope you're right Inconnunom.

Talk about Ranger starts at 7:30 to 11:30
http://dnd.wizards.com/articles/features/state-game