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Message: <blockquote data-quote="OB1" data-source="post: 7479732" data-attributes="member: 6796241">Yes, but adding spells is an established practice in 5e, where revising a class isn't.  And, as you've pointed out, there is opportunity cost with it.  You want a powerful companion?  You have to pay for it with your limited selection of known spells and spell slots.First off, let me say that I don't think the UA Ranger is game breaking, I'm sure it works fine at most tables.  My concern with allowing it (along with most UA material) is that it is unfair to the choices and compromises players have to make with published material, which always feels brutal.  UA material always feels easy when choosing it.It's been a long time since I looked over the individual features of the class, but I remember thinking that it would be better balanced if it had spell casting taken from it, or given a 1/3 caster spell progression.  I'm looking for my pdf of the UA so that I can go over it again and answer you more directly.  Again though, my main reason for looking at spell solutions is that WotC has nixed the idea of doing a revised ranger, leaving new spells or a new subclass as the options for adding that style to the game.  Who knows, perhaps like the Hexblade subclass for Warlocks, there is a way with the Ranger to subclass in a companion that is meant to be more involved in combat.  Or maybe a combination of subclass and new spells.  Good idea, I'll change it.I almost made the enlarge portion optional, but decided that I liked the idea that to get the benefits you also get something that may or may not be beneficial, depending on the circumstance.  But I should make it incompatible with Enlarge.Thought about making this a 1 hour or 8 hour limit, but with the ABI increases that would be a lot of book keeping.  Instead of the saves, I'm now leaning towards being able to choose either Evasion or Stone Skin.As for the Tax, sure, a lot of Rangers will use once and then discard next level, but I can also see a Ranger who likes to constantly change her animal companion depending on the need of the day keeping this spell to use when she switches out the companion.  You might want a wolf spider in the underdark, a jaguar in the forest and a hawk on a wide open plain.  Yeah, I really wanted the Beast Master's 5th level spell to feel like a beast.  I'm sure this would be way too powerful a 5th level spell for WotC were it to be published, but not sure what I want to tone down.  Actually, that's probably true of most of these spells.  Like UA material, it's all overpowered from what would likely be published, but I think it's good to start big and then whittle down.</blockquote>

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