The Tinker Ranger

[Yunru]

Bonus Proficiency: Beginning when you choose this archetype at 3rd level, you gain proficiency with Tinker's Tools.

Companion Construct: Starting at 3rd level, you craft yourself a construct to accompany you on your adventures. Your companion takes the form of a Beast or Construct with a maximum CR of 1/2, except it is a Construct. As you level up, the maximum CR increases, to a CR of 1 at 5th level, a CR of 2 at 9th level, a CR of 3 at 13th level, and a CR of 4 at 17th level. You can reconstruct your companion, either if it dies or to change it's form, with eight hour of tinkering. You companion always has the highest maximum hit points possible.

The construct obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative, though it doesn’t take an action unless you command it to. On your turn, you can verbally command the construct where to move (no action required by you). When you take the Attack action, you can forgo an attack to verbally command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help or Multiattack action.

Companion Upgrade: Starting at 7th level, you can integrate new hardware into your companion, giving it the benefit of an Ability Score Improvement (or a feat). You can reapply this feature, replacing your previous choice, when you construct a companion or with eight hours of tinkering.

Companion Independence: Beginning at 11th level, You don't need to use your action when command you companion to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help or Multiattack action.

Companion Spellcore: Starting at 15th level, whenever you cast a spell with a range of self, you can choose to instead apply the spell to your companion construct.

Additionally, when you cast a spell, you may channel it through your companion construct. Your construct is treated as having cast the spell, and maintains concentration separately from you for spells that require it.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I like it a lot mechanically. I think it captures the robot-buddy feel in a clean and elegant way, especially with all the modification abilities to distinguish it from the beast companion. Being mechanical also solves some of the flavor hangups of the beast: it suddenly makes sense that the companion doesn't act without a command, and that it can be "resurrected" cheaply without powerful magic.

As a ranger archetype, what are you going for here flavorwise? Because attaching tinker abilities to the wilderness guy seems a little odd. I'd almost be tempted to suggest strapping this subclass to the fighter or rogue instead.

 

[Yunru]

As a ranger archetype, what are you going for here flavorwise? Because attaching tinker abilities to the wilderness guy seems a little odd. I'd almost be tempted to suggest strapping this subclass to the fighter or rogue instead.

I was thinking of the "stereotypical" explorer with the cute scout drone.
But upon doing research that seems to just be a product of my imagination, the Mechinist from Final Fantasy, and Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn.

 

[TheCosmicKid]

I was thinking of the "stereotypical" explorer with the cute scout drone.
But upon doing research that seems to just be a product of my imagination, the Mechinist from Final Fantasy, and Aloy from Horizon Zero Dawn.

No, that works. I get it now. Not suited for every setting, but what is?

 

[Iry]

I love the mechanical flavor. But it can also be reskinned as a shaman-esque Spirit Pet for a more fantasy based setting.

 

[Gladius Legis]

I like it. One suggestion I'd make is at Lv. 3, allow you to use a bonus action for Dash, Disengage, Dodge and Help. Action would still be required for Attack and Multiattack. Other than that, the flavor's cool and it addresses the major issues with the PHB Beast Master (lack of hit points, difficulty of finding a replacement if it dies).

 

[Yunru]

I love the mechanical flavor. But it can also be reskinned as a shaman-esque Spirit Pet for a more fantasy based setting.

Yeah, it's quite easy to swap out thematic elements as long as you retain the a rational reason for why you can alter their form so freely. Spirits bound into a shape, machines that are ferorged, demons that can shapechange, the list can go on.

In direct news I will hopefully be releasing some more beast-like constructs to give this subclass some more options for companions (or any, looking at you CR 3).

EDIT: In fact, here's a fix for the Beastmaster, just based on the first feature:

Ranger's Companion: At 3rd level, you magically empower a beast, turning it into a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and fights alongside you. Choose a beast that has a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower (the hawk, mastiff, and panther as examples). Your beast companion takes on that form. As you level up, the maximum CR increases, to a CR of 1 after your 4th character level, a CR of 2 after your 8th level, a CR of 3 after your 12th level, and a CR of 4 after your 16th level. You can resurrect or change the form of your companion with a one hour ritual. You companion always has the highest maximum hit points possible.

Your companion obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative, though it doesn’t take an action unless you command it to. On your turn, you can verbally command it where to move (no action required by you). You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Help or Multiattack action. Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can make one attack yourself and command your beast companion to take an Attack or Multiattack action.

Bestial Fury: Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack or Multiattack action, it can take the Attack or Multiattack action twice instead.

 

[Yunru]

Babump. Might be able to actually play a Tinker Ranger in the distant future, so any kinks you guys can see that I might of missed?

 

[77IM]

My main concern would be that there aren't many options for constructs at low CRs -- you've basically got animated objects and modrons. The modrons are more complicated, but have precious few hit points. Even with Max HP, I would imagine a modron companion just getting smashed to pieces constantly. They also have a ton of attacks which may slow the game down.

It might be better balanced and more ranger-ish to allow the creation of clockwork animals (statistics of a beast, but of the construct type). That's probably easier than creating special custom constructs. An alternative path would be to just specify the base statistics of the "Companion Construct" as part of the subclass, and allow it to upgrade as the ranger levels up. E.g., it starts with Str, and Con of 14, Dex and Wis of 10, and Int and Cha of 4; 3d8 hit dice; AC 13 (natural armor); speed 30 ft.; darkvision 60 ft.; and a slam attack for 1d6 bludgeoning. Then, it gets 1 HD per ranger level, and there's a small menu of upgrades (higher damage blade attacks, chain-whip with finesse and reach, better armor, flight rockets or climbing claws, lightning sparks and laser beams, size increase, special senses, stealth mode) that you can apply as it grows, along with some ASIs. That kind of approach would make the subclass MUCH more complex, but easier to balance.

The double-concentration thing at lv15 looks scary at first but it's pretty hard to abuse given the ranger's spell list. I guess you could conjure twice as many woodland creatures or something. (Eek... your turn in combat would take 10 minutes!)

Also, instead of requiring an hour to rebuild the construct, I'd say you can do it "as part of a short rest." This way you can recover your own HP at the same time and you won't slow the party down by needing two hours (one for you to heal, one to do repairs). Plus if the group uses a house-rule that shortens or lengthens the time of a short rest, the construct repairs still match the new length.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’d love to see a rogue version, too, but otherwise I’d just repeat what [MENTION=12377]77IM[/MENTION] said.

Also, if you create a base stat block, it’s easier to just upgrade the pet, rather than changing what type of pet it is, which makes for a better homebrew BM fix, as well.