D&D 5E Thoughts on a DM ruling for Beastmaster Ranger

[bedir than]

I noted that this isn't how it's worded but he says that you have to read the PHB by the letter and that the letter doesn't specify what the next companion can be

This phrase makes me think the table will have a lot rules disputes

 

[Vaalingrade]

What's the specific concern here? That you're going to not get to choose the companion you get, or that the companion is going to be unbalanced for the game?

Because as long as you get to pick and you're being thoughtful of the rest of the group, as you seem to be, what's stopping you from declaring you go out and tame a specific appropriate critter?

 

[iserith]

I've already got your first goal: Go the nearest Jungle Primeval and navigate flawlessly via Natural Explorer (Forest), tracking with the help of your wolf companion's keen senses to find yourself a tyrannosaurus rex. Feed your wolf to the t-rex to make it your new companion. (I've seen players do this in combo with animal friendship.)

 

[Weiley31]

Well, guess it's time to tame that 7 headed Hydra now.

I call the middle head Bitey.

 

[Redwizard007]

Honestly, if your beast was the equivalent of a wildshaped moon druid at your level it wouldn't exactly break the game.

 

[Asisreo]

I've already got your first goal: Go the nearest Jungle Primeval and navigate flawlessly via Natural Explorer (Forest), tracking with the help of your wolf companion's keen senses to find yourself a tyrannosaurus rex. Feed your wolf to the t-rex to make it your new companion. (I've seen players do this in combo with animal friendship.)

As funny as that sounds, I don't think the campaign world even has T-rex's lol.

I also realized animal friendship doesn't necessarily make a creature non-hostile. It just charms them and convinces them that you mean no harm. I guess it's always up to the DM.

Feeding your animal companion to a different beast is definitely something for a comedy campaign, though. Love that.

 

[iserith]

As funny as that sounds, I don't think the campaign world even has T-rex's lol.

I also realized animal friendship doesn't necessarily make a creature non-hostile. It just charms them and convinces them that you mean no harm. I guess it's always up to the DM.

Feeding your animal companion to a different beast is definitely something for a comedy campaign, though. Love that.

Yeah, the trick with animal friendship is that it at least puts you in the best position. It's not attacking you and doesn't expect to be harmed by you and isn't hostile. It's also charmed which means you have advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature. A speak with animals spell will sort out the communication at which point you can try to work out some kind of arrangement. Hopefully you're able to do it and in 8 hours you have a new companion. As you say, it's definitely going to be up to how the DM wants to resolve it though. This is how I would do it and have seen it done. It's also how I replaced my dead boar Belvedere with a cursed three-eyed mountain goat named Bafomet that constantly screamed.

 

[Amros]

I also noted how it might be broken and he said they "need" the buff anyways which I disagree with. I'm not against being stronger but interparty balance is something that I, as a fellow DM, am very wary of.

If power level is his only concern, or the bigger one, after playing several Beastmasters I can tell you that you only need a bit more beast survivability. Nothing more. You can try to talk to him and implement these changes:

• Beast HP is 5 x Ranger Level + Wis mod instead of only 4 x Ranger Level. It has a number of Hit Dice equal to your Ranger Level.
• If the beast doesn't have any Saving Throw Proficiency, give it 2. For example, a Wolf can be proficient in Dex and Wis Saves.
• Don't let your beast die at 0 HP, it's not a random critter. Treat it as a special NPC or Sidekick at let it roll Death Saving Throws.

If your DM still goes with "choose any beast", then just choose with care as Vaalingrade said.