BookBarbarian
Expert Long Rester
I completely agree with you there. I'll be really interested to see what you come up with.
D&D 5E The Revised Ranger, Revised...
I completely agree with you there. I'll be really interested to see what you come up with.
trinculolives
Villager
I really don't like that all companions are four-footed fey spirits in the form of beasts.
Being able to have birds or snakes or crabs, or whatever else, as companions is fun and interesting. I don't see the point of reducing all these options down to four-footed beasts.
Edit: ah yes, what's the idea with requiring 24 hours before re-summoning your companion? I've seen this in other homebrews too and I don't get it. Is it just a carry-over from previous editions? Re-summoning or gaining a new companion at the end of a long rest, as the PHB suggests, is the reasonable way to do it. I mean, a Beastmaster without a beast has access to 0% of his class's archetype features. Why should we increase the amount of time during which this subclass is doing absolutely nothing for the PC?
If anything, I'd suggest that you be able to re-summon your companion at the end of a short rest.
Being able to have birds or snakes or crabs, or whatever else, as companions is fun and interesting. I don't see the point of reducing all these options down to four-footed beasts.
Edit: ah yes, what's the idea with requiring 24 hours before re-summoning your companion? I've seen this in other homebrews too and I don't get it. Is it just a carry-over from previous editions? Re-summoning or gaining a new companion at the end of a long rest, as the PHB suggests, is the reasonable way to do it. I mean, a Beastmaster without a beast has access to 0% of his class's archetype features. Why should we increase the amount of time during which this subclass is doing absolutely nothing for the PC?
If anything, I'd suggest that you be able to re-summon your companion at the end of a short rest.
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Mechanically, it seems like the fair thing to do at first glance. There's always been some sort of semi-permanent or at least temporary loss for getting your companion killed in every version of the animal companion ever released. There's a VERY good reason for it:
If you view the companion from an entirely mechanical standpoint, you've essentially just doubled your hit points and put them in a different body. A body you can throw heedlessly into the front lines. Or send straight into a trap to set it off. You have a fearless, suicidal body-guard who will do whatever you want. And if/when he dies? Just bring him back in tip-top shape after you take a nap! No biggy, no psychological trauma or anything... we'll just send him off a cliff this time. That's what summons are for.
But if there's even the slightest hint of loss when you get your best friend killed? All of a sudden, your companion matters. He isn't a suicidal summon anymore. I think 24 hours is just long enough to make people cautious, but doesn't really affect the game. If he dies? You're sad for ONE DAY and all of a sudden your best friend is magically back. You've got to remember that even just mechanically speaking, the companion is a MASSIVE BOON. You're essentially getting a second character! Something has to make people slightly cautious with it, otherwise it’s just a pen-and-paper video game character.
You're right! I love the idea of a ranger with a giant snake companion, super cool- I've played that character before! It's just difficult to make work with the simplified version I cooked up. I don't want the companions to be chosen based on their stats. Be honest, you don't pick a crab because you've always wanted to be “the crab-ranger”... you pick a crab because he has the best AC among animals with a CR of 1/4 and he can grapple stuff. And then you have to FORCE your character to try to make the slightest bit of sense to your DM.
DM: “Why… do you have a giant… crab… friend? Now be honest…”
PC: “I wanted a panther but... well, ya see, he’s an amphibious tank with clamps for hands. 'Nuff said, amiright?”
Adaptable/Instinctive Combatant
Your familiarity with the tools of your craft have made you a highly reactive and adaptable fighter, even in unknown and complex environments. You seamlessly switch between combat roles, quickly utilizing a multitude of different weapons to suit your immediate needs, and can deny your enemies the advantage of terrain. Beginning at 2nd level:
• Whenever you make a weapon attack, you may draw the weapon you wish to attack with as part of the attack. You must still drop or stow objects as normal, if you don’t have the hand(s) free to use the weapon.
• When making a ranged attack against a hostile creature you are within 5 feet of, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll.
• Your ranged attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you.
• When you damage a creature with a melee weapon attack, that creature has disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you until your next turn.
This is being considered as a REPLACEMENT for the Fighting Styles class feature. It is essentially the UA 'Close-Quarters Shooter' Fighting Style minus the +1 Attack Bonus and with the addition of the melee ability. It does not count as a fighting style. It doesn't grant any direct attack or damage bonuses, it just greatly increases versatility. It should stack with the benefits of fighting styles without conflict, if you multiclass. The Hunter archetype will still get a fighting style choice later on (probably level 3). This should reduce the reliance on feats for certain people. You can throw nets at 5 feet without disadvantage. Also, you can throw as many thrown weapons as you have attacks. It also incentivizes staying in medium-range combat instead running away to snipe people from as far away as possible.
Thoughts?
Your familiarity with the tools of your craft have made you a highly reactive and adaptable fighter, even in unknown and complex environments. You seamlessly switch between combat roles, quickly utilizing a multitude of different weapons to suit your immediate needs, and can deny your enemies the advantage of terrain. Beginning at 2nd level:
• Whenever you make a weapon attack, you may draw the weapon you wish to attack with as part of the attack. You must still drop or stow objects as normal, if you don’t have the hand(s) free to use the weapon.
• When making a ranged attack against a hostile creature you are within 5 feet of, you do not have disadvantage on the attack roll.
• Your ranged attacks ignore half and three-quarters cover against targets within 30 feet of you.
• When you damage a creature with a melee weapon attack, that creature has disadvantage on opportunity attacks against you until your next turn.
This is being considered as a REPLACEMENT for the Fighting Styles class feature. It is essentially the UA 'Close-Quarters Shooter' Fighting Style minus the +1 Attack Bonus and with the addition of the melee ability. It does not count as a fighting style. It doesn't grant any direct attack or damage bonuses, it just greatly increases versatility. It should stack with the benefits of fighting styles without conflict, if you multiclass. The Hunter archetype will still get a fighting style choice later on (probably level 3). This should reduce the reliance on feats for certain people. You can throw nets at 5 feet without disadvantage. Also, you can throw as many thrown weapons as you have attacks. It also incentivizes staying in medium-range combat instead running away to snipe people from as far away as possible.
Thoughts?
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