I was thinking I wanted to play a druid, Maybe healy/buffy. But then I realized druid has no animal companion. Never noticed before due to never reading druid. I kinda wanna have one just because I love having a wolf friend by my side. But idk how I should do it.
Anyone can have a pet or mount and have a good rapport with it by just having a Trained animal and the Animal Handling skill. You could always see if you could convince the DM to take a look at Valenar Animals.
You could take the Magic Initiate feat and learn Find Familiar. If UA is allowed in your campaign, you could use the Wildfire Druid subclass, or use the Wild Companion option from the Class Feature Variants (not live yet in DDB, but relatively easy to implement as homebrew). Note both these UA options will only give you temporary companions.
You could also do what I thought you were inquiring about in the heading. Take three levels of Ranger, and build your druid around those. I have a new to game player in my group who started out as a Druid, Circle of the Moon because of the wild shape benefits (wolf is their preferred shape). When they learned of the animal companion option some rangers get, they took a 2nd level as Druid, then began training with the party's ranger. When three ranger levels are gained it's not clear which way this character will go, but given the relative ease 5e handles multi classing, Druid Rangers (Drangers? Drugers? Rangids?) I think are probably pretty common specifically for the animal companion feature.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
The biggest thing that the player needs to realize, is that if they have ever played a previous edition that had Animal Companions, 5E is going to make them regret that. It doesn't mean they can't be played, but in previous editions Companions were pretty powerful... and now, they are better for role-play and some basic assistance... they are generally not helpful in a fight and can soak up a lot of healing if you aren't careful... which not only reduces totally party healing, but makes you focused on healing your pet instead of doing more useful things to help the party (like dealing damage or using control abilities).
Yeah. I'm not after a companion for power. I just love them for rp. I also love pack leader type character. In pathfinder there's a pack leader archetype, but my group doesn't play pathfinder much so I never got to try it. Could I successfully do that with ranger dip or would druid dip be better?
Don't know the pack leader too well, but from what I'm gathering, I think you'll find something close to what you want via a Ranger Beastmaster and a Druid Circle of the Shepherd, and not so much dip as go back and forth with both in parallel.
That said, I only half like the Circle of the Shepherd, and have been mulling a home-brew solution to my problem with it where I'd take the two main aspects of the Circle (druid's relationship with animals and the channeling of "nature's" energy; magic through animal totems) and make them separate. One circle specializes in fostering and allying with actual animals, the other is more shamanic dealing with spiritual energy that manifests in "animal" forms. The former I think is what you're going for.
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Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I was thinking I wanted to play a druid, Maybe healy/buffy. But then I realized druid has no animal companion. Never noticed before due to never reading druid. I kinda wanna have one just because I love having a wolf friend by my side. But idk how I should do it.
If power isn't a concern, Urchin literally starts with a pet mouse.
Druids also have summon spells like summon beast or conjure animals. The flavor would be its the same friend each time or it's family. they would stay for awhile but have to leave or scatter to heal once the spell ends.
That being said I am a fan of beastmaster. Tasha's has more survivability but phb has more utility. A phb wolf has a passive perception of 21(with keen senses). Poisonous animals can actually provide combat benefits even if they are never at risk. Bats can get 60' blindsight (combined with beast sense allows 120' max blindsight ranged attacks.)
The thing with PHB1 beastmaster (an fizban's drake tamer) is that the real deal isn't having an attack animal to kick the crap out of stuff for you, it's conniving your way into a mount that gives you mobility options.
Take the mastiff; it has all your dog things you'd expect, but it also makes for a perfectly servicable mount that you can take into dungeons and let's you play at being mongol horse archer with your halfling.
Or if you're determined to be a real deal monster: take a steeder. not as fast per se but it has spider climb and 120 feet of night vision. thus allowing you to meander out of reach of whatever and peppering it with arrows. As a bonus you never ever have to worry about climbing ever again.
The thing with PHB1 beastmaster (an fizban's drake tamer) is that the real deal isn't having an attack animal to kick the crap out of stuff for you, it's conniving your way into a mount that gives you mobility options.
Take the mastiff; it has all your dog things you'd expect, but it also makes for a perfectly servicable mount that you can take into dungeons and let's you play at being mongol horse archer with your halfling.
Or if you're determined to be a real deal monster: take a steeder. not as fast per se but it has spider climb and 120 feet of night vision. thus allowing you to meander out of reach of whatever and peppering it with arrows. As a bonus you never ever have to worry about climbing ever again.
Male steaders are no longer valid PHB pets because wotc cant decide creature type standards. They actively changed the legacy version too. Same with tressym.
The giant wolf spider still works though and all your other points stand.
I think this is the best answer. Work with your DM! It's fun to have an animal companion along your travels as long as your DM permits it. It could be a family animal or maybe a wounded creature you found along your travels. Most reasonable DMs (including myself) would have no issues with it.
I was thinking I wanted to play a druid, Maybe healy/buffy. But then I realized druid has no animal companion. Never noticed before due to never reading druid. I kinda wanna have one just because I love having a wolf friend by my side. But idk how I should do it.
Anyone can have a pet or mount and have a good rapport with it by just having a Trained animal and the Animal Handling skill. You could always see if you could convince the DM to take a look at Valenar Animals.
The druid spells Animal Friendship, Beast Bond, and later on Awaken should help you accomplish this.
You could take the Magic Initiate feat and learn Find Familiar. If UA is allowed in your campaign, you could use the Wildfire Druid subclass, or use the Wild Companion option from the Class Feature Variants (not live yet in DDB, but relatively easy to implement as homebrew). Note both these UA options will only give you temporary companions.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
You could also do what I thought you were inquiring about in the heading. Take three levels of Ranger, and build your druid around those. I have a new to game player in my group who started out as a Druid, Circle of the Moon because of the wild shape benefits (wolf is their preferred shape). When they learned of the animal companion option some rangers get, they took a 2nd level as Druid, then began training with the party's ranger. When three ranger levels are gained it's not clear which way this character will go, but given the relative ease 5e handles multi classing, Druid Rangers (Drangers? Drugers? Rangids?) I think are probably pretty common specifically for the animal companion feature.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
The biggest thing that the player needs to realize, is that if they have ever played a previous edition that had Animal Companions, 5E is going to make them regret that. It doesn't mean they can't be played, but in previous editions Companions were pretty powerful... and now, they are better for role-play and some basic assistance... they are generally not helpful in a fight and can soak up a lot of healing if you aren't careful... which not only reduces totally party healing, but makes you focused on healing your pet instead of doing more useful things to help the party (like dealing damage or using control abilities).
Yeah. I'm not after a companion for power. I just love them for rp. I also love pack leader type character. In pathfinder there's a pack leader archetype, but my group doesn't play pathfinder much so I never got to try it. Could I successfully do that with ranger dip or would druid dip be better?
Don't know the pack leader too well, but from what I'm gathering, I think you'll find something close to what you want via a Ranger Beastmaster and a Druid Circle of the Shepherd, and not so much dip as go back and forth with both in parallel.
That said, I only half like the Circle of the Shepherd, and have been mulling a home-brew solution to my problem with it where I'd take the two main aspects of the Circle (druid's relationship with animals and the channeling of "nature's" energy; magic through animal totems) and make them separate. One circle specializes in fostering and allying with actual animals, the other is more shamanic dealing with spiritual energy that manifests in "animal" forms. The former I think is what you're going for.
Jander Sunstar is the thinking person's Drizzt, fight me.
I see. That could work.
I think find familiar is a great route I never though of, especially with the fey option. good job.
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If power isn't a concern, Urchin literally starts with a pet mouse.
Druids also have summon spells like summon beast or conjure animals. The flavor would be its the same friend each time or it's family. they would stay for awhile but have to leave or scatter to heal once the spell ends.
That being said I am a fan of beastmaster. Tasha's has more survivability but phb has more utility. A phb wolf has a passive perception of 21(with keen senses). Poisonous animals can actually provide combat benefits even if they are never at risk. Bats can get 60' blindsight (combined with beast sense allows 120' max blindsight ranged attacks.)
The thing with PHB1 beastmaster (an fizban's drake tamer) is that the real deal isn't having an attack animal to kick the crap out of stuff for you, it's conniving your way into a mount that gives you mobility options.
Take the mastiff; it has all your dog things you'd expect, but it also makes for a perfectly servicable mount that you can take into dungeons and let's you play at being mongol horse archer with your halfling.
Or if you're determined to be a real deal monster: take a steeder. not as fast per se but it has spider climb and 120 feet of night vision. thus allowing you to meander out of reach of whatever and peppering it with arrows. As a bonus you never ever have to worry about climbing ever again.
Male steaders are no longer valid PHB pets because wotc cant decide creature type standards. They actively changed the legacy version too. Same with tressym.
The giant wolf spider still works though and all your other points stand.
I think this is the best answer. Work with your DM! It's fun to have an animal companion along your travels as long as your DM permits it. It could be a family animal or maybe a wounded creature you found along your travels. Most reasonable DMs (including myself) would have no issues with it.
Too bad for them I own the PHB and Tome of Foes where matters are much more straight forward :P