Do you think WotC dropped the Tasha's beast master variant in our laps, dusted off their hands, and walked away from the subclass forever? Or do you think we'll see another errata for the player's handbook with a couple of the changes seen in Tasha's applied to it?
I'd like to see them errata in the action economy language, and universally applied ranger PB to skills and saving throws.
Probably for the subclass and variant there will be little changes in the future. At most there will probably be minor mistake corrections or sage advice rules interpretation. I also still think the original action economy was workable but it meant treating the pet like an "extra attack option" not a "always use" feature. Also, having the bonus action free means you can use other pet/companion options at the same time.(examples elemental gems, summon spells, and bag of tricks) so I don't think they will ever change the phb rangers action economy.
That doesn't mean there aren't are still ways to change them. Mostly spell additions new spells will be added to the ranger class and possibly the sub classes with new book releases. Also the original beast master will get new beast options as new books and modules come out. I fully expect wizards has played with the idea of a book dedicated to exploration and equipment. The demand for planar travel also seems to be high enough for a book about traveling the planes to happen eventually. When that happens there will probably be ranger specific spells or equipment showing up.
They will have an errata for the PHB soon anyway regarding races and alignment. That would be a perfect time to give the PHB beast master the last little bump it needs.
They will have an errata for the PHB soon anyway regarding races and alignment. That would be a perfect time to give the PHB beast master the last little bump it needs.
They haven't said that they are going to do that, as far as I know. WotC is over-reluctant to use errata for major things like fixing subclasses and changing the race system, so I would be very, very, very surprised if they did either of those things.
The PHB Beast Master is almost definitely staying as is, with you having to use TCoE if you actually want to use the new options.
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Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
I had an odd thought about how they might fix the Beastmaster.
What if the Beast Companion was not just flesh, but spirit? That would make it something like an oversized familiar. If the creature is physically killed the enemy still has to contend with a spiritual form of the animal that now does psychic damage instead? Only incapacitating or killing the Ranger will banish the spirit. If a Banishment spell was allowed to be cast upon it, the dispersal should be relatively short at most 4 rounds before it returns.
The spiritual form of the animal might also allow for something like merging with it's spirit type to obtain some temporary boost to abilities or states similar to what the Berserker does.
Lastly, instead of treating orders given to the creature as being required of an action, have the animal attack either as a helper for bonuses and/or during reaction in response to something like a guard me command? Just make it additional dice of damage, bonus to attacks or bonus to AC, damage reduction. And for pities sake make the command instinctive like an extension of your own self rather than being verbal. That way a silence spell doesn't neuter your beast.
I had an odd thought about how they might fix the Beastmaster.
What if the Beast Companion was not just flesh, but spirit? That would make it something like an oversized familiar. If the creature is physically killed the enemy still has to contend with a spiritual form of the animal that now does psychic damage instead? Only incapacitating or killing the Ranger will banish the spirit. If a Banishment spell was allowed to be cast upon it, the dispersal should be relatively short at most 4 rounds before it returns.
The spiritual form of the animal might also allow for something like merging with it's spirit type to obtain some temporary boost to abilities or states similar to what the Berserker does.
Lastly, instead of treating orders given to the creature as being required of an action, have the animal attack either as a helper for bonuses and/or during reaction in response to something like a guard me command? Just make it additional dice of damage, bonus to attacks or bonus to AC, damage reduction. And for pities sake make the command instinctive like an extension of your own self rather than being verbal. That way a silence spell doesn't neuter your beast.
Did you read the Primal Beast Option for the BM ranger? It's already essentially spirit of nature already. That's what Primal Beasts are in several Cultures. The are Spiritual Representations of an area given physical form, capability, and a natural form of wisdom.
Banishment does not change just because it's used on a spirit. it's either permanent or lasts based upon concentration broken or the spell being dropped. But The Beast Companion even being essentially spirit is still a thing entirely of the Prime material plane. In fact many undead monsters that would count as spirits actually are too. Though a few are planar things.
Also. your making a judgement call with the commands having to be verbal. there is actually nothing in the write up either in the original PHB or in the Tasha's version that actually says that there is any kind of actual verbal component to how the commands are given. Just what kind of actions they take up to actually give them. They could just as easily be hand signals or something otherwordly. This is a restriction your putting on them.
Do you think WotC dropped the Tasha's beast master variant in our laps, dusted off their hands, and walked away from the subclass forever? Or do you think we'll see another errata for the player's handbook with a couple of the changes seen in Tasha's applied to it?
I'd like to see them errata in the action economy language, and universally applied ranger PB to skills and saving throws.
Probably for the subclass and variant there will be little changes in the future. At most there will probably be minor mistake corrections or sage advice rules interpretation. I also still think the original action economy was workable but it meant treating the pet like an "extra attack option" not a "always use" feature. Also, having the bonus action free means you can use other pet/companion options at the same time.(examples elemental gems, summon spells, and bag of tricks) so I don't think they will ever change the phb rangers action economy.
That doesn't mean there aren't are still ways to change them. Mostly spell additions new spells will be added to the ranger class and possibly the sub classes with new book releases. Also the original beast master will get new beast options as new books and modules come out. I fully expect wizards has played with the idea of a book dedicated to exploration and equipment. The demand for planar travel also seems to be high enough for a book about traveling the planes to happen eventually. When that happens there will probably be ranger specific spells or equipment showing up.
I dont think so. I guess there is "two" different kind of BMs now. (and I dont think that is a bad thing)
They will have an errata for the PHB soon anyway regarding races and alignment. That would be a perfect time to give the PHB beast master the last little bump it needs.
Perhaps this will just get an overhaul in a couple of years when they introduce 5.5E.
They haven't said that they are going to do that, as far as I know. WotC is over-reluctant to use errata for major things like fixing subclasses and changing the race system, so I would be very, very, very surprised if they did either of those things.
The PHB Beast Master is almost definitely staying as is, with you having to use TCoE if you actually want to use the new options.
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I had an odd thought about how they might fix the Beastmaster.
What if the Beast Companion was not just flesh, but spirit? That would make it something like an oversized familiar. If the creature is physically killed the enemy still has to contend with a spiritual form of the animal that now does psychic damage instead? Only incapacitating or killing the Ranger will banish the spirit. If a Banishment spell was allowed to be cast upon it, the dispersal should be relatively short at most 4 rounds before it returns.
The spiritual form of the animal might also allow for something like merging with it's spirit type to obtain some temporary boost to abilities or states similar to what the Berserker does.
Lastly, instead of treating orders given to the creature as being required of an action, have the animal attack either as a helper for bonuses and/or during reaction in response to something like a guard me command? Just make it additional dice of damage, bonus to attacks or bonus to AC, damage reduction. And for pities sake make the command instinctive like an extension of your own self rather than being verbal. That way a silence spell doesn't neuter your beast.
Did you read the Primal Beast Option for the BM ranger? It's already essentially spirit of nature already. That's what Primal Beasts are in several Cultures. The are Spiritual Representations of an area given physical form, capability, and a natural form of wisdom.
Banishment does not change just because it's used on a spirit. it's either permanent or lasts based upon concentration broken or the spell being dropped. But The Beast Companion even being essentially spirit is still a thing entirely of the Prime material plane. In fact many undead monsters that would count as spirits actually are too. Though a few are planar things.
Also. your making a judgement call with the commands having to be verbal. there is actually nothing in the write up either in the original PHB or in the Tasha's version that actually says that there is any kind of actual verbal component to how the commands are given. Just what kind of actions they take up to actually give them. They could just as easily be hand signals or something otherwordly. This is a restriction your putting on them.
How about any errata for the higher level ranger abilities? Several people have said they with some optional stuff was put in Tasha's for those.