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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Cernor" data-source="post: 6542254" data-attributes="member: 6780066">In my game I toyed with the idea of the beast master commanding their animal to attack using an action, at which point it continues attacking until the Ranger commands it to stop (with another action), or every foe is dead. However, having two attacks per turn at level 3 was a lot more powerful than I'd anticipated; even the party ranger said that it seemed too powerful. I went to the drawing board, and taking inspiration from the hunter's pet in WoW, I came up with three different "paths" the companion can take, each of which gets more powerful as you gain Ranger levels (in addition to the things the Beast Master already gets). My comments and thoughts are in parentheses.[Sblock]Your animal companion is no mere beast; its bond with you enhances its true nature and allows it to be more powerful than any of its kin. When you bond with an animal companion, choose whether it is Tenacious, Ferocious, or Cunning. If your old companion dies, you choose which trait your new companion has, which can be the same as before or different. Depending on which trait your companion exhibits, it gains the following abilities:TenaciousYour animal companion is one of unyielding strength and unparalleled endurance, capable of trading blows with even the most powerful of opponents. (This path is based on the barbarian, which focuses on survivability.)Your companion’s hit point maximum increases by an additional 7 when you reach levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18. (At level 3, your companion will have 4 x your ranger level (or its own base) hit points + 7. At level 6, it'll be 4 x ranger level +14, and so on. The extra HP helps it survive against the plentiful AoE attacks at high level, especially with its abysmal saves.)Beginning at level 3, your companion gains proficiency in Strength and Constitution saving throws. In addition, its AC increases by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier while not wearing any armour. It also gains the ability to use the Barbarian’s rage class feature with a damage bonus of +2 twice, regaining expended uses on a long rest. (Giving it Rage and an equivalent of Unarmored Defense makes it like a weaker barbarian. Its AC increases with your Wisdom modifier because legal companions' Con modifiers tend to range between +0 and +2. It can be improved as you level up, but to do so requires you to use your ASIs.)Beginning at level 6, your companion has advantage on Dexterity saving throws against effects it can see, such as traps and spells. If blinded, deafened, or incapacitated, it can’t gain this benefit. (Helps it survive when Fireballs are raining down into the mix, stolen directly from the barbarian's Danger Sense.)Beginning at level 9, your companion’s movement speed increases by 10 feet. If it has climb, swim, or fly speeds, those also increase by 10 feet. (I wanted this option to be a utility rather than combat-centric bonus. It makes the companion better at charging into the fray, escaping pursuit, and intervening if a weaker party member gets attacked.)Beginning at level 12, your companion gains resistance to cold, fire, and poison damage. (Mimicking the Totem Warrior [Bear]'s level 3 benefit, but only resisting a few types of damage common in nature stops it from replacing the Barbarian entirely. At this point your companion will have about 2/3 as much HP as a same-leveled barbarian, but will probably have the edge in AC.)Beginning at level 15, if your companion drops to 0 hit points while raging and doesn’t die outright, it makes a DC 10 Constitution saving throw. If it succeeds, it drops to 1 hit point instead. Each time this feature is used after the first, the DC increases by 5, resetting to 10 after your animal companion finishes a short or long rest. (This feature is less powerful for your companion than a barbarian, since your companion will have lower Con saves. It might make the first save, but the odds are it won't make more than 2.)Beginning at level 18, expended uses of your companion’s rage recover when it finishes a short or long rest. (Since the damage increase of your pet's rage remains at +2, the extra uses will still leave it trailing behind a barbarian of the same level.)FerociousYour animal companion’s ferocity and viciousness are matched by none, defeating foes through flurries of attacks. At level 3, your animal companion gains proficiency in Strength and Dexterity saving throws. (Based on the fighter, this path emphasizes combat effectiveness.)Your companion’s hit point maximum increases by an additional 6 when you reach levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18. (Again, increasing HP to give the companion a bit more staying power.)Beginning at level 3, your companion can use a bonus action and regain (your Wisdom modifier)d6 hit points. Once used, this ability recharges when you finish a short or long rest. (Basing this on Second Wind, but changing it so that you have to choose to increase its effectiveness.)It also gains one of the following benefits:* Your companion gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls.* Your companion gains a +2 bonus to damage rolls.* Your companion gains a +1 bonus to AC. (Considering changing this to proficiency with medium barding. I'm not sure the ruling about animal companions and barding though.)* When your companion rolls a 1 or 2 on a damage die, it can reroll the die and must use the new result, even if that result is a 1 or a 2. (I figured this made more sense than modifying the Protection fighting style, but it's still a bit iffy.)Beginning at level 6, when you order your companion to attack, it can make double the normal number of attacks. Your animal companion must finish a long rest before it can use this ability again. (Like Action Surge, but limited to a long rest to balance it against a fighter. Other ideas I had were having it recharge on a short rest, or have unlimited uses but every one after the first gives your companion a level of exhaustion.)Beginning at level 9, your companion’s attacks are considered magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to non-magical attacks and damage. (Why WotC didn't include this somewhere in the basic class is beyond me. Lacking the ability to penetrate resistance/immunity to non-magical weapons is a major pitfall of the Beast Master at higher levels.)Beginning at level 12, your companion can reroll any saving throw that it fails. If it does so, it must use the new roll, and it can’t use this feature again until it completes a long rest. (Gives it a second chance if it botches an important save. Not gaining new uses as you level up makes it inferior to the fighter ability.)Beginning at level 15, your companion can make three attacks when you command it to take the Attack action. (Beginning at level 11 your companion already has two attacks; this extra one provides an extra one to make it closer to a fighter. I'm not so sure about this because you'll be making four attacks per turn 5 levels before the fighter; on the other hand, the fighter will likely be dishing out more damage per attack, and can switch weapons based on the situation.)Beginning at level 18, your companion’s attacks score a critical hit on a roll of 19 or 20. (With the number of attacks your companion will be putting out, this is a pretty powerful boost. I'm trying to keep it on par with the level 18 feature that Tenacious gets, but I'm not sure if it's too powerful.)CunningYour companion is a master predator, dispatching its prey with one decisive strike, and dodging away from harmful blows. (This path is based on the rogue, with mitigation and avoidance being more important than dealing damage)At level 3, your animal companion gains proficiency in Dexterity and Intelligence saving throws.Your animal companion’s hit point maximum increases by an additional 5 when you reach levels 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, and 18.Beginning at level 3, your efforts at training your animal companion have paid off, giving your companion proficiency in two of the following skills: Athletics, Acrobatics, Intimidation, Perception, Stealth, or Survival. If you already add your proficiency bonus to a selected skill, you may double it. (This replicates the rogue's Expertise, but attempts to make up for most companions' lack of skills.)Additionally, your diligence has granted you to ability to communicate simple ideas with your animal companion, as though permanently under the effects of a Speak with Animals spell. (Makes the companion a more effective scout.)Finally, you have trained your companion to strike hard and fast. Once per turn it can deal an extra 1d6 damage when it hits an enemy if it has advantage on the attack roll. It does not need advantage if an enemy of that target is within 5 feet of it and isn’t incapacitated. This ability cannot activate if the attack roll has disadvantage. (Giving it sneak attack is a way to stop it being quite so weak in combat. Although combat isn't its forte, it can hold its own compared to the other paths.)Beginning at level 6, when your animal companion is hit by an attack it can use its reaction to halve the attack’s damage against it, provided it can see the attacker. (The first ability providing damage mitigation.)Beginning at level 9, your companion has advantage on attack rolls against any creature that hasn’t taken a turn in the combat yet. Any hit it scores against a creature that is surprised is a critical hit. Additionally, its sneak attack damage increases to 2d6. (This is probably its most powerful offensive ability, but keeps your companion weaker than the others in open combat.)Beginning at level 12, when your animal companion is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw to take half damage, it takes no damage on a successful saving throw and only half damage on a failed one. (Probably the more powerful mitigation ability. Rounds out your companion's defenses against incoming damage.)Beginning at level 15, your animal companion is always on the lookout for danger, giving it a +5 bonus to passive perception. It cannot be surprised, and does not grant advantage to attacks made by foes that are hidden from it. (Being a combination of Observant and Alert, I'm not sure about this. It not being surprised isn't as powerful as it might be because you have to give it orders to act, but its passive Perception skyrockets; being able to warn you also means you're sedlom going to be surprised.)Beginning at level 18, your companion adds its sneak attack damage to any attack it makes, provided that it doesn’t have disadvantage on the attack roll. Its sneak attack damage increases to 3d6. (Another offensive boost, but most of the Rogue skills and abilities are dependent on having opposable thumbs. This path was by far the hardest to build, especially considering it should be roughly equal to the other two.)[/Sblock]The benefit of doing it this way is that the companion is more powerful, better at taking hits, and simply more interesting than the companions as they are now. However, these changes may make them too powerful, and lacking extensive playtesting I can't be sure how it holds up.</blockquote>

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