Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Hriston" data-source="post: 6664407" data-attributes="member: 6787503">Sure, I was addressing the concerns of others who were saying that the beast was too easily killed in combat, but when I look at the boosts the beast gets to AC and HP it seems like it could do alright as long as it isn't just going toe to toe with major damage dealers. Someone with more experience than me running a Beast Master could probably speak to that better.I don't think the trade-off between Hunter and Beast Master need only be seen in terms of combat effectiveness. At level 3 the Hunter gets something like 1d8 damage under certain circumstances. What does the Beast Master get? Since the beast's attack comes at the expense of the Ranger's there isn't a reliable gain there except in terms of special abilities, like the panther and wolf abilities that knock an opponent prone. One bonus is the possibility of the beast making an opportunity attack, which could make up for the Hunter's 1d8, but this requires you to put the beast in harm's way which raises the survivability issue again. The obvious gain that the beast gives the Beast Master, however, is outside of combat, in the exploration pillar. Most beasts have heightened senses and can help detect hidden threats in and out of combat, especially with the bonus they get by adding the Ranger's proficiency to their Perception. In fact any skills the beast is proficient with benefit in this way, so the opportunities for the beast to help in the exploration pillar are probably as varied as the creativity of the Ranger's player.Of course this is much harder to quantify than combat strength, so I can see why someone would see the Beast Master as the inferior choice. I also think it probably requires a more nuanced approach to take advantage of the benefits of the Beast Master, both in combat and out.</blockquote>

Verification