A wizard with a constitution bonus of +1 would have 77 hit points at level 15. A companion would have 60 hit points.
Sure, but your average Sorcerer or Wizard is usually going to have a good higher level AC and a bunch of reaction options they can use themselves (and more slots to use them with) such as Shield, plus they can be effective at a safer range, whereas an animal companion needs to be in close range to deal damage.
actiually their high armor class value is one of the few redeeming qualities about the companion, since you add your proficiency bonus to their armor class, especially if you manage to train your companion in some light or medium armor you can easily get an companion who starts out with an armor class of 18 and has an armor class of 24 at 17th level, even if you lack the nessesary resources to grant such equipment to your friend you can at the upper end of the spectrum start with 16, even 17 in the case of the giant crab, for their AC
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
By tier 3 play the companion can easily have some of the best (static) armor class in the party.
Players should talk with their DMs about making some adjustments or additions to a (medium or smaller and CR 1/4 or lower) beast as well. Give them a couple of saving throw proficiencies, give them another skill proficiency or two (athletics is always good), give them some kind of extra little effect they can do, like auto grapple on a hit, a "helping attack", bonus action hide, or reaction opportunity attack that triggers when an enemy enters the companion's reach. The only requirements for the companion are beast type, CR 1/4 or lower, and medium or smaller. DMs have the ability and power to do all kinds of tweaks to monsters, NPCs, and other creatures, why not a blood hawk with flyby, a bear that hugs (grapples ) on a hit, or a raven with an intelligence score of 10, a wisdom score of 14, and proficiencies those saving throws saving throws? Also, I believe that the giant poisonous snake and wolf should be CR 1/2 creatures but they calculated the CR based on the saving throw for their abilities (poison and knock down) and not their attack modifier. Long story short, if playing a beast that's not one of those two, bump up their main stat for to-hit and damage (strength or dexterity) a few points. That helps tremendously!
A wizard with a constitution bonus of +1 would have 77 hit points at level 15. A companion would have 60 hit points.
Sure, but your average Sorcerer or Wizard is usually going to have a good higher level AC and a bunch of reaction options they can use themselves (and more slots to use them with) such as Shield, plus they can be effective at a safer range, whereas an animal companion needs to be in close range to deal damage.
actiually their high armor class value is one of the few redeeming qualities about the companion, since you add your proficiency bonus to their armor class, especially if you manage to train your companion in some light or medium armor you can easily get an companion who starts out with an armor class of 18 and has an armor class of 24 at 17th level, even if you lack the nessesary resources to grant such equipment to your friend you can at the upper end of the spectrum start with 16, even 17 in the case of the giant crab, for their AC
The companions can level up too ?? I don't think they can but, if they do it, I wanna try choosing an octopuss as my pet. Noone could expect how useful is an octopuss in a dungeon. They can enter in any closed chamber/hall silently. And they can live with no water for an entire week...... amazing ??
Beast companions are pretty weak compared to a PC, or even compared to summoned creatures later on. For a long time, they'll just be an extra opportunity attack and a meat shield. If you want to equate it to having an extra lower level PC on your side who can't do much, its definitely not awful.
Beast Master Ranger does get a bad reputation for being a bit weak at early levels, and the animal companion being a bit frustrating in the way it takes away the ranger's attack or does next to nothing. But its fun for roleplaying, and for fun offbeat strategies:
1. be a small race, and ride on a wolf, deer, or even a flying companion if your dm allows it.
2. Make your Ranger tanky, and have a flying snake or owl nibble your enemies to death for you with flyby attacks.
3. If your DM approves, wear a tiny companion on your neck as a fake piece of jewelry or fur. Have it surprise enemies on occasion in fights or roleplay interactions, or multiclass into rogue so it can intimidate your enemies to let you proc sneak attacks.
I really see the best potential for having fun with Beast Master to just game the weird things you can do with a better familiar, and maybe just use it as a base for multi-classing.
An often overlooked beast companion is the Giant Crab. Despite being CR1/8, it has the highest base AC (15, 17 at level 3, 21 at level 17) of possible beast companions. You can also buff its AC with magic items. Just have the giant crab run up and start dodging. Movement and the dodge action require no action from the Ranger.
And when it hits a creature with its attack, it can grapple them. If an enemy moves away from it, it can make an opportunity attack and grapple them. And it can grapple two targets up to size category large.
A multiclass idea would be life cleric. You could add healing to your repertoire, as well as more buffs for your companion such as Shield of Faith, Aid, and Warding Bond
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An often overlooked beast companion is the Giant Crab. Despite being CR1/8, it has the highest base AC (15, 17 at level 3, 21 at level 17) of possible beast companions. You can also buff its AC with magic items. Just have the giant crab run up and start dodging. Movement and the dodge action require no action from the Ranger.
And when it hits a creature with its attack, it can grapple them. If an enemy moves away from it, it can make an opportunity attack and grapple them. And it can grapple two targets up to size category large.
A multiclass idea would be life cleric. You could add healing to your repertoire, as well as more buffs for your companion such as Shield of Faith, Aid, and Warding Bond
Blindsight is also really useful. I guess the giant crab gets overlooked because there aren't enough coast-themed rangers out there.
An often overlooked beast companion is the Giant Crab. Despite being CR1/8, it has the highest base AC (15, 17 at level 3, 21 at level 17) of possible beast companions. You can also buff its AC with magic items. Just have the giant crab run up and start dodging. Movement and the dodge action require no action from the Ranger.
And when it hits a creature with its attack, it can grapple them. If an enemy moves away from it, it can make an opportunity attack and grapple them. And it can grapple two targets up to size category large.
A multiclass idea would be life cleric. You could add healing to your repertoire, as well as more buffs for your companion such as Shield of Faith, Aid, and Warding Bond
Blindsight is also really useful. I guess the giant crab gets overlooked because there aren't enough coast-themed rangers out there.
an companion that gets extra overlooked is the Giant Frog that will not only automatically grapple their victim on a hit but also impose the restrained condition, meaning that the victim gets disadvantage on all attack rolls and dexterity saving throws
also if you can afford some training and barding, an fastieth or giant poisonous snake with studded leather will have 1 point higher AC while also out shadowing the martial characters in the party for damage
By tier 3 play the companion can easily have some of the best (static) armor class in the party.
Players should talk with their DMs about making some adjustments or additions to a (medium or smaller and CR 1/4 or lower) beast as well. Give them a couple of saving throw proficiencies, give them another skill proficiency or two (athletics is always good), give them some kind of extra little effect they can do, like auto grapple on a hit, a "helping attack", bonus action hide, or reaction opportunity attack that triggers when an enemy enters the companion's reach. The only requirements for the companion are beast type, CR 1/4 or lower, and medium or smaller. DMs have the ability and power to do all kinds of tweaks to monsters, NPCs, and other creatures, why not a blood hawk with flyby, a bear that hugs (grapples ) on a hit, or a raven with an intelligence score of 10, a wisdom score of 14, and proficiencies those saving throws saving throws? Also, I believe that the giant poisonous snake and wolf should be CR 1/2 creatures but they calculated the CR based on the saving throw for their abilities (poison and knock down) and not their attack modifier. Long story short, if playing a beast that's not one of those two, bump up their main stat for to-hit and damage (strength or dexterity) a few points. That helps tremendously!
there is no garantee that your DM will do this however, and also outside using the unearthed arcana version of the beast master or your DM letting your beast get levels in an actiual class (something that is according to jeremy crawford an valid use of the rules, but not something your DM has to do) you cannot increase the ability scores of your beast companion.
It is weird that they made it so that you get to add your own proficiency bonus to the saving throws the companion is proficient in, and then they forgot to make any beasts of CR 1/4th or lower that are actually proficient in any kind of saving throw, so yeah that is kind of an nessesary fix
also like there are plenty of valid companions that do already posses auto-grapple and/or flyby, if all you are looking for is those traits you could easily pick a animal that gets them (of course you are suggesting you give away these traits so as to give the animal a fighting chance and let an player pick an fun thematic choice that reinforces those ideas, i get that, just sayin)
Giving an monster or beast levels in a class are in the same section of rules in the DMG as modifying or creating stat blocks. And either option are a least, if not more, within the confines of legit in my mind.
The shadowfell raven can mimic sounds it has heard, such as a person whispering, a baby crying, or an animal chittering. It can also imitate the voice and words spoken by someone up to a sentence or two. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Actions
Beak.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
The mountain dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, and the target is Grappled. Until this grapple ends, the target is Restrained, and the mountain dog can't bite another target.
I also believe the subclass should function mechanically like a controlled mount in the mounted combat rules. The beast and ranger’s turn happen at the same time. They overlap one another. And intertwine. The ability of this alone makes the beast far more than a weak half party member. It makes the beast an direct extension of the ranger. Controlling when and how the beast attacks, uses the help action, moves, or whatever, adds to the ranger’s function within the party, which is what a subclass is supposed to do. As an example, think of how the help action works with a familiar. The familiar can help the caster on their next attack against a specific target, which may not happen until several turns later in the initiative, if the target is still alive or within line of sight. A companion that is commanded by the ranger to use the help action can help the ranger on THAT turn, their turn, which happen at the same time. Same for attacking. The ranger can command their giant crab to attack an enemy hiding behind a rock. When the target is grappled, it can be dragged by the crab from behind the rock, giving the ranger a clear shot. This all happens in the same turn in initiative.
I also believe the subclass should function mechanically like a controlled mount in the mounted combat rules. The beast and ranger’s turn happen at the same time. They overlap one another. And intertwine. The ability of this alone makes the beast far more than a weak half party member. It makes the beast an direct extension of the ranger. Controlling when and how the beast attacks, uses the help action, moves, or whatever, adds to the ranger’s function within the party, which is what a subclass is supposed to do. As an example, think of how the help action works with a familiar. The familiar can help the caster on their next attack against a specific target, which may not happen until several turns later in the initiative, if the target is still alive or within line of sight. A companion that is commanded by the ranger to use the help action can help the ranger on THAT turn, their turn, which happen at the same time. Same for attacking. The ranger can command their giant crab to attack an enemy hiding behind a rock. When the target is grappled, it can be dragged by the crab from behind the rock, giving the ranger a clear shot. This all happens in the same turn in initiative.
to clarify, are you just asking for the ranger and companions turns to coincide instead of happening after eachother, or are you also asking for the ranger's companion not to be tied to your own actions?
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
The former is the way I read, interpret, and play the interaction of their turns. Maybe a better example would be with movement.
The ranger can command the beast to move 10 feet and wait by a door, then the ranger can themself move 10 feet to look around a corner, then command the beast to move 20 feet and stand next to the ranger, then they could both move down the hall each with their remaining movement.
For actions, an example would be a ranger and a panther companion are fighting an orc in a bridge. The ranger and panther could both move next to the orc, the ranger uses a bonus action to command the panther to use the help action, and the ranger uses their attack action to try to shove the orc off the bridge, once with advantage from the help action, and if need be a second time with a straight roll.
Beast Master pets are pretty decent damage wise; for one of your attacks you can get multiple attacks from the pet at higher levels.
Every ranger subclass except monster slayer gets an extra attack-like feature at level 11, so damage wise beast master is average.
except for the black sheep of the family that is the monster hunter ranger that gets an counterspell abillity instead, and also the fact that it is arguably more flexible than any of the others since other than having an living companion within earshot it has no requirements, no needing to fight at least 3 opponents or having to miss once to activate the feature, also depending on what kind of animal you have your companion can do much more damage than you per-hit while also being much more accurate than you, an fastieth will at 3rd level have +8 to hit and deal 1d8 + 6 damage, with each increase of proficiency bonus increasing both of those numbers by 1, an giant poisonous snake will be able to deal similarly high numbers against any opponent not immune or resistant to poison dealing 1d4 + 6 + average damage of 6 if the target suceeds on their con save or average of 12 if they fail
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i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Not even Hunters require you to be fighting three enemies or a foe to miss you to activate their class features unless you took two specific abilities that are generally ignored by most people anyway.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
actiually their high armor class value is one of the few redeeming qualities about the companion, since you add your proficiency bonus to their armor class, especially if you manage to train your companion in some light or medium armor you can easily get an companion who starts out with an armor class of 18 and has an armor class of 24 at 17th level, even if you lack the nessesary resources to grant such equipment to your friend you can at the upper end of the spectrum start with 16, even 17 in the case of the giant crab, for their AC
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Yes to this!
By tier 3 play the companion can easily have some of the best (static) armor class in the party.
Players should talk with their DMs about making some adjustments or additions to a (medium or smaller and CR 1/4 or lower) beast as well. Give them a couple of saving throw proficiencies, give them another skill proficiency or two (athletics is always good), give them some kind of extra little effect they can do, like auto grapple on a hit, a "helping attack", bonus action hide, or reaction opportunity attack that triggers when an enemy enters the companion's reach. The only requirements for the companion are beast type, CR 1/4 or lower, and medium or smaller. DMs have the ability and power to do all kinds of tweaks to monsters, NPCs, and other creatures, why not a blood hawk with flyby, a bear that hugs (grapples ) on a hit, or a raven with an intelligence score of 10, a wisdom score of 14, and proficiencies those saving throws saving throws? Also, I believe that the giant poisonous snake and wolf should be CR 1/2 creatures but they calculated the CR based on the saving throw for their abilities (poison and knock down) and not their attack modifier. Long story short, if playing a beast that's not one of those two, bump up their main stat for to-hit and damage (strength or dexterity) a few points. That helps tremendously!
The companions can level up too ?? I don't think they can but, if they do it, I wanna try choosing an octopuss as my pet. Noone could expect how useful is an octopuss in a dungeon. They can enter in any closed chamber/hall silently. And they can live with no water for an entire week...... amazing ??
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
The companion stays the same but gets an ever increasing ranger proficiency bonus added to many of its features.
Beast companions are pretty weak compared to a PC, or even compared to summoned creatures later on. For a long time, they'll just be an extra opportunity attack and a meat shield. If you want to equate it to having an extra lower level PC on your side who can't do much, its definitely not awful.
Beast Master Ranger does get a bad reputation for being a bit weak at early levels, and the animal companion being a bit frustrating in the way it takes away the ranger's attack or does next to nothing. But its fun for roleplaying, and for fun offbeat strategies:
1. be a small race, and ride on a wolf, deer, or even a flying companion if your dm allows it.
2. Make your Ranger tanky, and have a flying snake or owl nibble your enemies to death for you with flyby attacks.
3. If your DM approves, wear a tiny companion on your neck as a fake piece of jewelry or fur. Have it surprise enemies on occasion in fights or roleplay interactions, or multiclass into rogue so it can intimidate your enemies to let you proc sneak attacks.
I really see the best potential for having fun with Beast Master to just game the weird things you can do with a better familiar, and maybe just use it as a base for multi-classing.
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ModeratorAn often overlooked beast companion is the Giant Crab. Despite being CR1/8, it has the highest base AC (15, 17 at level 3, 21 at level 17) of possible beast companions. You can also buff its AC with magic items. Just have the giant crab run up and start dodging. Movement and the dodge action require no action from the Ranger.
And when it hits a creature with its attack, it can grapple them. If an enemy moves away from it, it can make an opportunity attack and grapple them. And it can grapple two targets up to size category large.
A multiclass idea would be life cleric. You could add healing to your repertoire, as well as more buffs for your companion such as Shield of Faith, Aid, and Warding Bond
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Blindsight is also really useful. I guess the giant crab gets overlooked because there aren't enough coast-themed rangers out there.
an companion that gets extra overlooked is the Giant Frog that will not only automatically grapple their victim on a hit but also impose the restrained condition, meaning that the victim gets disadvantage on all attack rolls and dexterity saving throws
also if you can afford some training and barding, an fastieth or giant poisonous snake with studded leather will have 1 point higher AC while also out shadowing the martial characters in the party for damage
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
there is no garantee that your DM will do this however, and also outside using the unearthed arcana version of the beast master or your DM letting your beast get levels in an actiual class (something that is according to jeremy crawford an valid use of the rules, but not something your DM has to do) you cannot increase the ability scores of your beast companion.
It is weird that they made it so that you get to add your own proficiency bonus to the saving throws the companion is proficient in, and then they forgot to make any beasts of CR 1/4th or lower that are actually proficient in any kind of saving throw, so yeah that is kind of an nessesary fix
also like there are plenty of valid companions that do already posses auto-grapple and/or flyby, if all you are looking for is those traits you could easily pick a animal that gets them (of course you are suggesting you give away these traits so as to give the animal a fighting chance and let an player pick an fun thematic choice that reinforces those ideas, i get that, just sayin)
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Giving an monster or beast levels in a class are in the same section of rules in the DMG as modifying or creating stat blocks. And either option are a least, if not more, within the confines of legit in my mind.
Razor Falcon
Small beast, unaligned
Armor Class
14
Hit Points
2 (1d6 - 1)
Speed
10 ft., fly 60 ft.
STR
5 (-3)
DEX
18 (+4)
CON
8 (-1)
INT
2 (-4)
WIS
14 (+2)
CHA
6 (-2)
Saving Throws
Dex +6, Wis +4
Skills
Perception +4
Senses
passive Perception 14
Languages
—
Challenge
1/4 (50 XP)
Keen Sight.
The razor falcon has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight.
Flyby.
The razor falcon doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when it flies out of an enemy's reach.
Actions
Razor Beak.
Melee Weapon Attack: +6 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6 (1d4 + 4) slashing damage.
Shadowfell Raven
Tiny beast, unaligned
Armor Class
12
Hit Points
1 (1d4 - 1)
Speed
10 ft., fly 50 ft.
STR
2 (-4)
DEX
14 (+2)
CON
8 (-1)
INT
10 (+0)
WIS
14 (+2)
CHA
6 (-2)
Saving Throws
Int +2, Wis +4
Skills
Investigation +2, Perception +4, Stealth +4
Senses
darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 14
Languages
understands Common
Challenge
0 (10 XP)
Mimicry.
The shadowfell raven can mimic sounds it has heard, such as a person whispering, a baby crying, or an animal chittering. It can also imitate the voice and words spoken by someone up to a sentence or two. A creature that hears the sounds can tell they are imitations with a successful DC 12 Wisdom (Insight) check.
Actions
Beak.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 4 (1d4 + 2) piercing damage.
Mountain Dog
Medium beast, unaligned
Armor Class
11
Hit Points
9 (2d8)
Speed
40 ft.
STR
14 (+2)
DEX
12 (+1)
CON
10 (+0)
INT
3 (-4)
WIS
14 (+2)
CHA
7 (-2)
Saving Throws
Dex +3, Con +2
Skills
Athletics +4, Perception +4
Senses
passive Perception 14
Languages
—
Challenge
1/4 (50 XP)
Keen Hearing and Smell.
The mountain dog has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.
Actions
Bite.
Melee Weapon Attack: +4 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 5 (1d6 + 2) piercing damage, and the target is Grappled. Until this grapple ends, the target is Restrained, and the mountain dog can't bite another target.
I also believe the subclass should function mechanically like a controlled mount in the mounted combat rules. The beast and ranger’s turn happen at the same time. They overlap one another. And intertwine. The ability of this alone makes the beast far more than a weak half party member. It makes the beast an direct extension of the ranger. Controlling when and how the beast attacks, uses the help action, moves, or whatever, adds to the ranger’s function within the party, which is what a subclass is supposed to do. As an example, think of how the help action works with a familiar. The familiar can help the caster on their next attack against a specific target, which may not happen until several turns later in the initiative, if the target is still alive or within line of sight. A companion that is commanded by the ranger to use the help action can help the ranger on THAT turn, their turn, which happen at the same time. Same for attacking. The ranger can command their giant crab to attack an enemy hiding behind a rock. When the target is grappled, it can be dragged by the crab from behind the rock, giving the ranger a clear shot. This all happens in the same turn in initiative.
to clarify, are you just asking for the ranger and companions turns to coincide instead of happening after eachother, or are you also asking for the ranger's companion not to be tied to your own actions?
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
The former is the way I read, interpret, and play the interaction of their turns. Maybe a better example would be with movement.
The ranger can command the beast to move 10 feet and wait by a door, then the ranger can themself move 10 feet to look around a corner, then command the beast to move 20 feet and stand next to the ranger, then they could both move down the hall each with their remaining movement.
For actions, an example would be a ranger and a panther companion are fighting an orc in a bridge. The ranger and panther could both move next to the orc, the ranger uses a bonus action to command the panther to use the help action, and the ranger uses their attack action to try to shove the orc off the bridge, once with advantage from the help action, and if need be a second time with a straight roll.
Every ranger subclass except monster slayer gets an extra attack-like feature at level 11, so damage wise beast master is average.
except for the black sheep of the family that is the monster hunter ranger that gets an counterspell abillity instead, and also the fact that it is arguably more flexible than any of the others since other than having an living companion within earshot it has no requirements, no needing to fight at least 3 opponents or having to miss once to activate the feature, also depending on what kind of animal you have your companion can do much more damage than you per-hit while also being much more accurate than you, an fastieth will at 3rd level have +8 to hit and deal 1d8 + 6 damage, with each increase of proficiency bonus increasing both of those numbers by 1, an giant poisonous snake will be able to deal similarly high numbers against any opponent not immune or resistant to poison dealing 1d4 + 6 + average damage of 6 if the target suceeds on their con save or average of 12 if they fail
i am soup, with too many ideas (all of them very spicy) who has made sufficient homebrew material and character to last an thousand human lifetimes
Not even Hunters require you to be fighting three enemies or a foe to miss you to activate their class features unless you took two specific abilities that are generally ignored by most people anyway.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.