Beast Master Variant

A variant to the 2014 Beast Master

Wild Empathy

You can add your Charisma Modifier to Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks you make.

You can treat monstrosities as beasts for the purposes of choosing targets for a spell or ability, and you can make Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks to interact with them as you would a beast. Monstrosities have advantage on skill checks and saving throws if targeted or interacted with in this fashion, and you have disadvantage on skill checks and saving throws to interact with them in this fashion.

Animal 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 has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Add your Wisdom Modifier 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, but it gains extra Hit Dice equal to one-fourth of your Rangel level (rounded down), each coupled with a bonus equal to the beast's Constitution modifier. Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points, and regains half their maximum Hit Dice upon completion of a long rest.

Due to your supernatural bond with your companion, you are often on the same page. It takes its turn on your initiative, moving and acting on its own. You do not need to speak, sign or use your Action to command your companion.

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 a long rest summoning and/or bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you and that meets the requirements. You must be in the beast's natural environment to summon it, as it comes to you after hearing your call.

Exceptional Training

Beginning at 7th level, you may become companions with more powerful beasts. When you summon and/or bond with a new beast, you may now choose one of challenge rating 1/2 or less.

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

Devoted Link

Starting at 11th level, whenever you vast a spell targeting yourself, you may choose to also target your animal companion at no additional cost, treating a range of self as a range of touch.

Additionally when you cast a spell with a range of touch, your animal companion can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. The beast must be within 100 feet of you, and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your companion's melee attack modifier for the roll.

Lastly, due to the strength of your supernatural bond, your animal companion has advantage on Wisdom saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.

Masterful Training

Beginning at 15th level, you may become companions with incredibly powerful beasts. When you summon and/or bond with a new beast, you may now choose one of challenge rating 1 or less.