D&D 5E (2014) Paladin and Ranger Are Backward

[Pauln6]

I ruled that higher level spells just add +4 to damage to avoid crit stacking but I was wondering if paladin might be better balanced if they only got to burn higher level slots as often as their channel divinity.

 

[fearsomepirate]

An idea I've been coming back to a lot...the Ranger lacks something centrally thematic, right? Sure, you can fix casting. Subclass bonus spells and spell prep help a lot. Adding some better spells to the list (I mean, a 3rd-level AoE spell that does 3d8 non-scaling damage? Really?) helps, too. But it doesn't fix the underlying problem.

So here's an idea: drop the Beast Master subclass, and make the Companion a core class feature. I still think it needs revision, but if you want something to really make the Ranger stand out, "The Ranger is the one with the fighting animal buddy" sure beats, "the Ranger gets bonuses to rolls for which no rules actually exist."

Here's a sketch:

Same proficiencies & hit dice & PHB

• Magic: 1/2 caster, spells prepped = 1/2 level + WIS, 2 subclass bonus spells per tier
• Beast Companion, rewrite it to make the action economy less confusing (and not rely on your bonus action at all)
• Most of the Beast Master improvement schedule just becomes class features (e.g. at 11th level), scrub some of the Natural
• Explorer/Favored Enemy stuff to make room for subclass features
• Every subclass should have at least one Companion-related improvement on its schedule, maybe 7th level?

 

[doctorbadwolf]

An idea I've been coming back to a lot...the Ranger lacks something centrally thematic, right? Sure, you can fix casting. Subclass bonus spells and spell prep help a lot. Adding some better spells to the list (I mean, a 3rd-level AoE spell that does 3d8 non-scaling damage? Really?) helps, too. But it doesn't fix the underlying problem.

So here's an idea: drop the Beast Master subclass, and make the Companion a core class feature. I still think it needs revision, but if you want something to really make the Ranger stand out, "The Ranger is the one with the fighting animal buddy" sure beats, "the Ranger gets bonuses to rolls for which no rules actually exist."

Here's a sketch:

Same proficiencies & hit dice & PHB

• Magic: 1/2 caster, spells prepped = 1/2 level + WIS, 2 subclass bonus spells per tier
• Beast Companion, rewrite it to make the action economy less confusing (and not rely on your bonus action at all)
• Most of the Beast Master improvement schedule just becomes class features (e.g. at 11th level), scrub some of the Natural
• Explorer/Favored Enemy stuff to make room for subclass features
• Every subclass should have at least one Companion-related improvement on its schedule, maybe 7th level?

Definitely works for those of us who view the Ranger as just having a companion, yeah.

 

[Garthanos]

Definitely works for those of us who view the Ranger as just having a companion, yeah.

Cavaliers/Knights/Paladins with Squires do they use Diplomacy and use some team fighting feats?

 

[Minigiant]

I've always be for Companion class where the class is basically a rogue with a full on Companions instead of Sneak Attack and Evasion. That's how some MMOs did with their full on pet classes.You balance it by making the main PC weak or require active investment in the companion to make the companion work. Boy and his Dog, Princess and her Protector, Underboss and his Bodyguard, Old Knight and the young Squire.

Beastmaster rangers would multiclass into this class to make the Warrior-Beast-Combination work.

That's a different thing than the lack of snow or sand spells in the ranger list.

 

[cbwjm]

I do like the ideas of the Happy Fun Hour ranger. Choosing different terrains gave you abilities like increased movement or resistances, at 2nd level rather than spellcasting you had a choice of gain spellcasting, a beast companion, or martial exploits. Beastmaster was still a subclass, improving your beast companion. Subclasses that gained additional spells but didn't have the spellcasting feature instead gained 1/day uses of those spells.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I do like the ideas of the Happy Fun Hour ranger. Choosing different terrains gave you abilities like increased movement or resistances, at 2nd level rather than spellcasting you had a choice of gain spellcasting, a beast companion, or martial exploits. Beastmaster was still a subclass, improving your beast companion. Subclasses that gained additional spells but didn't have the spellcasting feature instead gained 1/day uses of those spells.

For folks who want a spell less ranger, that’s a good fit. Personally, I don’t like Spellcasting being the thing I have to sacrifice to get a functional beast companion.

However, I would have been okay with a class feature that let you pick a custom stat block beast as your familiar, let’s the familiar attack, and had basic ways to spend spell slots to buff that familiar. The BM sub would then give always-on buffs to the familiar.

Add a “when you get buffed your companion does as well” feature at some point, and you’ve got a ferocious team.