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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Fanaelialae" data-source="post: 8815944" data-attributes="member: 53980">Yeah, I think of this approach as the FFX Summoner approach (in that game a summon would replace the entire party, but otherwise was basically as you describe). It's not a bad option per se. I've considered creating powerful summon spells based on this design, which would essentially have the mage trade places with the summon until it ended.The main issue I have with it is that I think it falls short of the fantasy for some. If I'm playing a Beastmaster then riding the beast can be cool, but if I can't dismount and send the beast to go deal with something over there, while I deal with things here, the fantasy breaks. I'm not playing a Beastmaster but rather a Fighter with a higher than average movement speed.IMO, the problem with pet classes is that the pet is almost always tacked on as an afterthought, when IMO it ought to be the core concept.If I were to design it, I would probably make two primary pet classes. A Martial Unnamed Pet Class (MUPC) and a Summoner (Caster Pet Class).I would design the MUPC such that both the character and the beast are each relatively weak, but have teamwork abilities that boost their capabilities. They'd have a spiritual bond such that they could communicate without words, and would be difficult to kill while the other still stood (maybe automatic success on death saves while the partner is above 0 HP). If one were incapacitated, this would enrage the partner, boosting their capabilities. All of these play into the fantasy of playing a MUPC.For the summoner, I would have them bond an incorporeal spirit. This spirit would allow them to use special summoning spells that require an action from other casters to command, without having to expend those actions. They could expend spell slots to empower their summons and fuel special abilities. Multiple summons would be treated as a single monster using horde rules (so that your dozen skeleton archers don't bog down play). Since they're fundamentally more replaceable, summons would be balanced to be expendable.As for those who want a menagerie with distinct actions? IMO that's not particularly suitable for a game like D&D (outside of solo play). It's a team based game. You shouldn't be running your own team when you already have a team (made up of the other PCs).Once you have a fully fledged pet class and you want to create a weak variant like the Beastmaster Ranger, then fine. Because if you have Unnamed Pet Class and you choose Beastmaster instead, you're opting for a ranger with a pet, not the Pet Class (akin to opting for playing an Arcane Trickster instead of a Wizard).</blockquote>

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