Beast Warden

The subclass known as Beast Warden among Rangers is alternatively referred to as "Warden of the Wilds" by those who dwell in harmony with nature. Wardens embody the magical essence of nature, embodying the more martial aspect of the Druidic orders. They harness the elemental forces to protect others from harm and tap into their inner primal strength, enhancing their ferocity and resilience. Devoted guardians of the natural realm, Wardens unleash their formidable might upon any who provoke nature's wrath. Often, they forge a powerful bond with a beast companion, forming an unstoppable team.

Ranger’s Companion

At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in its stat block or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher. Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points.

The beast obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). You can use your action to verbally command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you don't issue a command, the beast takes the Dodge action. Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can make one weapon attack yourself when you command the beast to take the Attack action.

If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself. The beast never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack.

While traveling through your favored terrain with only the beast, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.

If the beast dies, you can obtain a new companion by spending 8 hours magically bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you and that meets the requirements.

Barbed Strike

At 3rd level when you hit a creature with a weapon attack (ranged or melee), you can expend one ranger spell slot to summon a writhing mass of thorny vines at the point of impact which deal piercing damage to the target, in addition to the weapon‘s damage. The extra damage is 1d6 for a lst-level spell slot, plus 1d6 for each spell level higher than 1st, to a maximum of 5d6.
In addition, the target must make a Strength saving throw against your Spell save DC, or be restrained by the magical vines until the end of your next turn. A Large or larger creature has advantage on this saving throw.

 

Friend of Nature

At 3rd level, your spirit is boned to nature itself, granting you the ability to commune with all living beings within it. You gain proficiencies in Animal Handling, Nature and Survival.

The Ties That Bind

At 7th level your dedication to the ideals of nature have caught the attention of the nature spirits and they have bestowed a small portion of the power that is usually reserved for Druids upon you- Choose two cantrips from the Druid list, you can cast these cantrips at will.
In addition, you can prepare a list of Druid or Ranger spells equal to your Wisdom modifier each day for casting. The spells must be of a level for which you have spell slots. You can also change your list of prepared spells when you finish a long rest. Preparing a new list of druid or ranger spells requires time spent in prayer and meditation: at least 1 minute per spell level for each spell on your list.

Exceptional Training

Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn.

In addition, the beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Druidic Wild shape

Starting at 7th level you can use your bonus action to magically assume the shape of a beast with a challenge rating as high as your ranger level divided by 3, rounded down, that you have seen before. You can use this feature twice. You regain expended uses when you finish a long rest. You can stay in a beast shape for a number of hours equal to half your ranger level (rounded down). You then revert to your normal form unless you expend another use of this feature. You can revert to your normal form earlier by using a bonus action on your turn. You automatically revert if you fall unconscious, drop to 0 hit points, or die. Beginning at level 17th, you can your Wild Shape ability up to four times per long rest. While you are transformed the following rules apply:

 

1. Your game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the beast, but you retain your alignment, personality and Intelligence, Wisdom , and Charisma scores. You also retain all of your skill and saving throw proficiencies, in addition to gaining those of the creature. If the creature has the same proficiency as you and the bonus in its stat block is higher than yours, use the creature's bonus instead of yours. If the creature has any legendary or lair actions, you can't use them.
2. When you transform, you assume the beast’s hit points and Hit Dice. When you revert to your normal form, you return to the number of hit points you had before you transformed. However, if you revert as a result of dropping to 0 hit points any excess damage carries over to your normal form- For example, if you take 10 damage in animal form and have only 1 hit point left, you revert and take 9 damage. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce your normal form to 0 hit points, you aren’t knocked unconscious.
3. You can't cast spells, and your ability to speak or take any action that requires hands is limited to the capabilities of your beast form. Transforming doesn't break your concentration on a spell you've already cast, however, it does prevent you from taking actions that are part of a spell such as call lightning, that you've already cast.
4. You retain the benefit of any features from your class, race, or other source and can use them if the new form is physically capable of doing so. However, you can‘t use any of your special senses, such as dark vision, unless your new form also has that sense.
5. You choose whether your equipment falls to the ground in your space, merges into your new form, or is worn by it. Worn equipment functions as normal but the DM decides whether it is practical for the new form to wear a piece of equipment, based on the creature‘s shape and size. Your equipment doesn't change size or shape to match the new form, and any equipment that the new form can't wear must either fall to the ground or merge with it. Equipment that merges with the form has no effect until you leave the form.

Barbed Fury

By 11th level you are so suffused with nature's energy that all your weapon strikes carry a small fragment of nature's wrath with them. Whenever you hit a creature with a weapon, thorny barbs emerge from your weapon (quiver coated in thorns if ranged attack) and the creature takes an extra 2d6 piercing damage. If you also use your Barbed Strike with an attack, you add this damage to the extra damage of your Barbed Strike.

 

Bestial Fury

Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action.

Bladed Spell

Beginning level 15, the Flame Arrows and Lightning Arrow spells can now apply their effects to melee weapon attacks and weapons, as well as ranged weapon attacks, arrows and quivers. Upon reaching 17th level you can apply this ability to either the Swift Quiver spell or Conjure Volley spell (can only used one effect on a spell and need a long rest to regain the ability). In addition, when casting any of the above spells, you can choose a number of creatures up to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of one creature) to not be effected by the spell.