D&D General Which Ranger Companion Solution Do You Prefer/Use

[doctorbadwolf]

Simple query

I’m just curious what solution folks prefer.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I’ll wait to vote

But my wife likes using 2024 but the primal companion is replaced by an expert sidekick. She also used the revised BM for years and it was good, but she wanted to switch to 2024 and the dm for that campaign offered some class fixes that might make her either switch to pure ranger (she’s currently more Druid) or make Druid the smaller part of her build, and companion as expert is a big pet of that.

I’ve seen people propose using the Battlesmith as a model for the BM, complete with at-will healing and giving the beast a protective reaction and making its attacks deal force damage. I’ve also seen proposals that suggest that freeing up the rangers action economy solves the issues with the subclass, or that making the beast share spell effects with you from level 3 does so.

I have different ideas as well, such as letting the beast help, disengage, or dash, as a bonus action (no requirement on your actions) and adding the steel defender’s protective reaction, so the beast can always at least give you advantage every single round of combat.

I also like the idea of giving the BM find familiar. No buffs to the spell, just let them have a secondary magic beast pet that is more for utility.

A friend suggested using find familiar but opening the choices up to any beast, fey, or monstrosity, with a 4 or lower intelligence, under a certain CR, and removing the non-attacking clause. That seems more complicated and needs more testing than other options, however, so it isn’t one I super like.

One I do kinda potentially like is to copy and rewrite either summon beast or Find Steed, give the resulting spell to BM with 1/day free cast, complete with “it gains more stuff if you cast as at level 4” and general scaling by spell level. for SB you’d modify it to the spell to last indefinitely like find steed.

 

[Dragonhelm]

I think the 2024 version is okay, as it simplifies things. At the same time, it takes a few things away from certain animal types.

What I want is a way to have a ranger with a tiger animal companion. I played such a character in 2e and would like to see that represented in 5e. I just don't know how to do that with the RAW.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I think the 2024 version is okay, as it simplifies things. At the same time, it takes a few things away from certain animal types.

What I want is a way to have a ranger with a tiger animal companion. I played such a character in 2e and would like to see that represented in 5e. I just don't know how to do that with the RAW.

Right. So…let’s see, if the beast of the land were medium, and had a pounce, would it be good as a tiger, or is there other stuff it would need?

 

[Horwath]

how to have a tiger companion?

your beast have HP equal to 5 plus 5×your ranger level, if that amount is higher than average HP of the beast in MM or other books, you can tame that beast, Tiger has 37HP, that means 7th level.

 

[Dragonhelm]

Right. So…let’s see, if the beast of the land were medium, and had a pounce, would it be good as a tiger, or is there other stuff it would need?

That mostly does it.

The only other thing I wish I could do with this is make the tiger large so my character can ride it.

I'm pondering about the enlarge spell, which would give a Battle Cat transformation vibe. Not sure on that.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

That mostly does it.

The only other thing I wish I could do with this is make the tiger large so my character can ride it.

I'm pondering about the enlarge spell, which would give a Battle Cat transformation vibe. Not sure on that.

Yeah I think rangers riding their companion is completely cromulent and not at all broken. Say, Small, then it can be medium at level 6, and large at level 11ish.

But tbh I would like there to be a mount option built in to begin with. (And as I said in another thread a little while ago, I’d want several Beast of XYZ options and each one would have choices between Roles like Skirmisher, Guardian, Ambusher, Mount)

Anyway yeah I’m totally behind large companions.

 

[Charlaquin]

Assuming what I think is “best” and what I actually use are two different things, which would be more in line with the intent of the question for me to answer with?

 

[Horwath]

Yeah I think rangers riding their companion is completely cromulent and not at all broken. Say, Small, then it can be medium at level 6, and large at level 11ish.

But tbh I would like there to be a mount option built in to begin with. (And as I said in another thread a little while ago, I’d want several Beast of XYZ options and each one would have choices between Roles like Skirmisher, Guardian, Ambusher, Mount)

Anyway yeah I’m totally behind large companions.

I don't see why it cannot be large beast from level 3?

warhorse is a good example.

just needs it's HP,AC, speed, damage to be balanced.

AC: 14
HP:20
Speed 60ft, Bonus action Dash
Damage: 1d6+4, attack +6,

 

[Minigiant]

But tbh I would like there to be a mount option built in to begin with. (And as I said in another thread a little while ago, I’d want several Beast of XYZ options and each one would have choices between Roles like Skirmisher, Guardian, Ambusher, Mount)

That's what I do.

2024 +

Beast of the Cave: (Beast of the Land with burrow instead of climb, Darkvision 90ft, +WIS AC, Tremorsense, and 1d10 attack)
Beast of the Depths: (Beasts of the Sea that deals bonus Psychic damage instead of grapple)
Beast of the Parks: (Tiny Beast of the Land, d4 HD, and 1d6 attack with 2d6 "sneak attack")
Beast of the Road: (Beast of the Land with higher Speed instead of climb, Large size and 1d6 attack)