D&D 5E "Houndmaster" Fighter

[Guest 6801328]

I don't really care too much about niche protection for the Beastmaster. His niche sucks.

But it's HIS dammit!

 

[Fenris-77]

But it's HIS dammit!

Then he should take better care of it. His niche is getting gentrified whether he likes it or not.

 

[Weiley31]

But it's HIS dammit!

Even the Beastmaster understands he isn't capable of providing the love the niche needs.

 

[Laurefindel]

Then he should take better care of it. His niche is getting gentrified whether he likes it or not.

He's trying... I think

The last "update" in the variant feature UA is starting to look nice. Nice enough to hold to his niche at any case.

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

I'm currently re-writing the PHB for my table use. I have a fighting style for this type of character (only fighters have fighting styles in my version)

Fighting styles

Archery: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls you make with ranged weapons. Point blank: You do not have disadvantage on the attack roll with ranged or thrown while within 5 ft of a hostile creature. Defense: +1 AC while you are wearing armor. Dueling: +2 damage with 1-handed weapons. Great Weapon: Reroll once 1-2 on two-handed weapon damage roll. Houndmaster: Gain a mastiff Companion using your WIS modifier to determine its HP. Interception: When a creature you can see hits a target that is within 5 ft of you with an attack, you can use your reaction to reduce the damage the target takes by 1d10 + your proficiency bonus. Two-Weapon Fighting: +1 critical range with dual 1-handed weapons.

For reference, here's my rules for Companions, using the the new beast master/battle smith/ wildfire druid pet template.

Companion: Companions are loyal friends of the adventurer; they are not paid to join your adventure. They use the following rules:

• The companion is generally a creature of CR 1 or lower.
• Add your proficiency bonus to the companions unarmored AC, spell attack rolls and DC and all proficient rolls if it is higher than the the creature’s.
• Its HP maximum equals the companion’s CON modifier + one of your modifiers (generally, CHA) + five times your class level and 1 Healing die per companion level.
• The only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or to take the Dash, Disengage, Help, or Hide action.
• The companion use the normal rules for healing and dying.
• The companion gains all its racial specific features if its ancestry is different than the one in its stat block . As an example, NPC guard, written as Humanoid (any) , can be a dwarven guard or a gnome guard, gaining the special traits of the race.

 

[BookBarbarian]

Doesn't the Battlesmith's Steel Defender already tread on the Beastmaster's niche while doing a much better job of it?

I like the idea of the houndmaster but as an English Mastiff owner I am probably biased.

 

[delphonso]

If you want to stick with a single hound, I'd look at the features a Cavalier gets and change them from riding to being adjacent to the dog. Charge/trample could be grapples by the dog giving advantage to the fighter.

I think the ranger is unsatisfactory to transition to the fighter. The fighter's main ability is multiple attacks, and a subclass should cater to that. Advantage is one way (Samurai, Cavalier) or more crits (Champion). The goal should be to find a way for a fighter's attacks to benefit from having a dog around.