D&D 5E PC Animal Companion. Would you allow it?

[Creamsteak]

If someone says they want to play an ape, I make up a 20-level ape progression. (Extra Attack is renamed to Going Bananas.) I'd just let the ranger take the other ranger subclass instead and just roleplay it as the ranger's companion. I'd do the same thing if someone wanted to play a wizard's familiar, too. Why not encourage out-of-the-box thinking?

So basically Winston from Overwatch. Just build it off a totem barbarian.

 

[Langy]

Yes, but not directly. First, the Ranger would be built as the other subclass; second, the Animal Companion would be a (homebrew) animal-as-a-PC race with normal class levels (probably in Fighter, Rogue, or Barbarian).

In other words, the idea of the player's character being an animal companion would just be role-play, while the actual character is simply a normal PC but with a specific race.

 

[TwoSix]

So basically Winston from Overwatch. Just build it off a totem barbarian.

Solid chassis for it, yea.

 

[AchwardSilence]

Personally, if I were playing an ape and had to take a character class, I'd go Rogue, Theif or maybe Swashbuckler. A kleptomaniac grappler, and a mean drunk. Alternatively, I'd make him a Ranger and give him a kitten companion named Bubbles.

 

[AaronOfBarbaria]

Yes, but not directly. First, the Ranger would be built as the other subclass; second, the Animal Companion would be a (homebrew) animal-as-a-PC race with normal class levels (probably in Fighter, Rogue, or Barbarian).

In other words, the idea of the player's character being an animal companion would just be role-play, while the actual character is simply a normal PC but with a specific race.

This is how I would handle it too - though depending on exactly what sort of animal the player was wanting to be, I might encourage other classes to be used to, because I think something like a large awakened cat with sorcerous powers is cool.