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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Asisreo" data-source="post: 8122211" data-attributes="member: 7019027">You're misrepresenting the Beastmaster in your rant. While its true some options are more powerful than others, it should be intuitive enough that Rangers who want their beast to dominate in combat should choose from the pool of CR 1/4. Of these, there is quite a few good ones. First off, Wolves aren't even the most damaging companion. That would go to the Giant Poisonous Snake which out-damages even the Ranger themself up until, what? Level 11?,There are also several strong combat beasts that aren't always about damage like the Pteradon, Giant Frog, Giant Badger, Boar, and Giant Crab. If you choose anything with a CR less than 1/4, you're basically using it for out-of-combat uses. And those uses can be plentiful. Regular Hawks, while a beastmaster's companion, have a PP of 21 relying on sight. Owls have darkvision up to 120ft and are tiny, being able to fit through really small gaps for scouting. Ravens can take simple sounds and imitate them, allowing you to trick someone or gain info on what the Raven hears when it scouts. Giant Wolf Spiders get a +9 to stealth at level 3, giving them higher stealth than even a rogue with expertise at that point. Even if your beast isn't optimized for combat, they can still contribute quite a bit outside of combat. And the drawback for doing so? The base Ranger's damage, as if you didn't have them in combat anyways.</blockquote>