You take on a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Your DM may set size and CR limits as they deem fit. The creature uses its ordinary stat block except for the following:
- Add your proficiency modifier to its attack rolls, and any saving throws and skills it is proficient in in place of its own.
- Its hit point maximum at this level is equal to its ordinary hit point number OR four times your ranger level, whichever is higher..
The beast obeys your commands as best it can with the skills it possesses. In combat the beast acts during your turn to follow any commands you give it. The beast may move up to its full movement for free as part of fulfilling a command. You may spend your action and the beast’s reaction to verbally command the beast to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge or, if appropriate, Hide or Help action. Once your beast has begun following a command, it will continue to pursue that course of action until instructed otherwise. For example, if you have commanded your beast companion to attack a target, it will continue attacking that target each turn thereafter without the necessity of you using your action to command it. You will, however, need to command it to target a new enemy if the one it was targeting falls. After you have gained the Extra Attack feature you may split your weapon attacks between yourself and your beast companion when taking the Attack action on your turn.
If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast will ignore previous commands and attempt to find or protect you to the best of its ability.
If the beast has a reaction available, it will make attacks of opportunity as a creature normally would.