I'm a big fan of underdogs and have so far enjoyed every Beast Master I've played. I don't play with any of the UA add-ons, specifically because through playtesting I've found Beast Masters to be quite adequate. This document is meant to give non-UA Beast Masters something to chew on and some ideas on how to make the most out of your character. This is by no means exhaustive (I'm not going to go through every single animal type, class feature, spell, etc.) but I'm going to point out a few things that have helped me become a Master of Beasts at my table. Feel free to provide your own feedback in the same vein, but don't take my sarcastic comments to heart. Of course, these will all work with UA as well, but if you're interested in challenging yourself, I suggest trying without to level 15 at least first!
Expectations vs. Reality
Expectation: This is a Pokemon that will level up with me and be my friend forever and eventually be able to kill Dragons!
Reality: This is akin to a high-HP Familiar that can help in combat in various strategic ways. You will lose this Beast regularly, so come up with names if you want but if you've created a background where you and Rex the loyal Mastiff are forever searching for his lost bone and it's the only driving force behind your character's motivations... you're in for a surprise.
Maximizing Effectiveness
A few important things you have to remember about what makes the Beasts effective:
They dodge automatically each round, if you only move them and don't use your action to get them to do anything else. (Disadv to attack the Beast, Adv on Dex saves)
They automatically make Attacks of Opportunity reactionary attacks.
Your Proficiency Bonus is added to the Beast's AC, Attack Bonus, Skills, and Damage Rolls.
So let's take a quick look at a few specific specimens at Level 3:
So right away, you'll notice that the AC is actually decent for these Beasties. It'll only get better as your Proficiency increases, too.
How do I use these Beasts?
In the opening round you have one objective with your beast: Dodge, and then move them as far into the field of battle as possible. On the far side of your opponents, but within attacking range. Your objective is to get your Beast an Attack of Opportunity every round you possibly can and be an "ally" for the Rogues in your party so they can get their Sneak Attacks very reliably.
After this, the enemy is going to do one of two things, either attack or move away.
If they attack, your Beast benefits from Dodge and a decent AC. At +4 attack bonus vs. AC 16, the chances of a hit will only be 20%. At AC 17, 16%. This is likely a much lower percentage chance than almost any other PC on the field and most smart enemies won't strike your Beast. If they do, you're completely fine with it - every shot they take is a shot that your team has avoided.
If they move, this is where you start to shine. Your Attack of Opportunity is going to be very effective. A Wolf with Pack Tactics will hit AC 14 91% of the time, dealing an average of 10 dmg and forcing the target to make a Strength save or be knocked prone. A Crab will hit AC 14 65% of the time and immediately Grapple the target, stopping them in their tracks completely. A Giant Poisonous Snake will hit AC 14 80% of the time and do around 20 avg damage. Regardless of how this turns out, you want to continually strike each round, any extra effects are icing on the cake.
Continue this strategy each round, Dodging and moving into the back row and within reach of as many enemy targets as possible. The whole point of this strategy is to make your chip damage consistent. An additional 7.5-20 damage each round can be very potent, don't underestimate it!
So what about Area attacks? This is obviously the biggest weakness of the Beast, which is why your primary objective is to get as close to the enemy's rear line as quickly as possible, as close to your enemies as possible, and hopefully out of any area-effects that your enemy might use against you.
This strategy will work at any level, with preference for the Beast to either scout far ahead of the party, or in a flanking position, far from the center mass of where your party may be grouped up.
Spell Synergies
Beast Bond is very effective for this strategy. Add advantage to your Beast's attacks is quite a bit more powerful than Hunter's mark (avg. 3.5) if the Ranger is only attacking once per turn. Crabs can lock down opponents more reliably and the other heavy hitters will start to crit once in a while as well.
Zephyr Strike can have some added value. If the enemy ignores your Beast and keeps charging forward at you, Zephyr allows you to disengage, run away, strike, and still get your Beast back into position to trigger another Attack of Opportunity.
Key Levels
By level 9 you'll have some 3rd level spells and your animals will now have 16-19 AC, and on their way to doing anywhere from 9.5-22 magical damage per round in chip. Pass Without Trace is a solid 2nd level spell, and if you combine it with a good Beast, you'll be looking at least a +18 to Stealth at this point. Spike Growth just adds insult to injury at this point - damage when they try to escape your Beast and damage when they move. It's a great way to lock down the battlefield completely. Combine that with Plant Growth and there's not going to be much that your enemies can do at all - this works great with the 10ft reach of the Giant Poisonous Snake as it can stay 10ft away and still get those Attacks of Opportunity.
At level 15 you get Share Spell, which I won't go through in it's entirety here, but some things to think about:
Guardian of Nature is very solid and can give you both advantage on attacks.
Cure Wounds at range and for double the effectiveness.
Protection from Energy and Stoneskin can further add to the tankiness of both of you.
Tree Stride allows you to move up to 500ft per turn with your Beast
If you're planning on Multiclassing:
Mage Armor is 13 + Dex + Proficiency Bonus. A typical dex-focused Beast will have 22+ AC with this spell
Armor of Agathys for both the Ranger and the Beast can be very useful in fending off attacks
True Strike - possibly actually useful???
Crusader's Mantle around you and your Beast
Double Haste
Enlarge reduce to literally clog up the battlefield completely
Warding Bond - share HP and add to the AC
Heroism - 5 Temp HP to you and your beast every turn
Sanctuary that allows you both to completely avoid combat if needed
Shield of Faith - +2 AC times two
But what about DRAGON BREATH?
Of course, despite all of your positioning efforts, a Dragon will decide eventually that it will turn around and just Breathe everything into your Beast. Or some Lich will just PWK the thing straight off the top. That's ok! Remember, it's replaceable! And any Dragon Breath or PWK or sortie of blows that does 80+ dmg on a replaceable charmie is a win in your books, every time!
So when do my beasts get to attack???
Up until now, they should be attacking quite regularly as they clog up the field of battle and use their reactionary attacks. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t attack with them - it’s just not what I was focused on for strategy in this little guide.
One strategy I will note - with Flyby, you can use the Help action with a Flying Snake (or other similar beast) to give out free advantage to people. This works especially well if you’ve got something like Elven Accuracy to take advantage of those strikes.
This seems very accurate (I know you've done hard work with the maths, but you know not everyone listens to that....). I do enjoy beast master, they are fun. The thing I sometimes find bothersome is the beast limit. The actual size and Cr is fine, but it's limited to beasts. I was lucky and was allowed a psuedodragon as they fit within every limit except the type. It's all about small nudges to make yourself feel like you can do more with your beast.
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'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
This seems very accurate (I know you've done hard work with the maths, but you know not everyone listens to that....). I do enjoy beast master, they are fun. The thing I sometimes find bothersome is the beast limit. The actual size and Cr is fine, but it's limited to beasts. I was lucky and was allowed a psuedodragon as they fit within every limit except the type. It's all about small nudges to make yourself feel like you can do more with your beast.
Yeah, I am a rules stickler, but remember that lots of campaigns have unique beasts too! Chat with your DM to craft some unique beasts that give you the kind of flavour you’re looking for 🙂
I think a Kobold (Pack Tactics) or Goblin (bonus action Disengage) would work well with this approach.
I now have in mind a Kobold slinger (with a shield for AC17 out of the box, not RAW but hey this is just a concept) with a stirge for a companion. The stirge can fly in at 40' speed, dodge (it also has a tasty AC16), then when it gets its opportunity attack it attaches, thus auto hitting (blood drain) on its next turn.
Would require an accommodating DM, but I doubt it would be overpowered.
People really do forget that the best gets an opportunity attack. This works well for a fight where people are trying to get in good positions but not in a fight where you have mindless monsters attacking whoever's in front.
And I do forget that the beast is Dodging if not attacking.
I really believe that your beast should benefit from your Hunter's Mark though. You "mystically mark them" but the animal you have "magically bound to" can not use it. This and if you are Two-Weapon Fighting you can't attack as bonus action due to wording on how you use your action to command your beast to attack. It should have been worded something like "when you take the attack action, you can forgo an attack to let your animal companion make an attack instead". This way Two-Weapon Fighting would not be wasted once you hit level 5+. (Not perfect but I tried).
The character's backstory: Itsy came from the Underdark. He and his clan had to fight off a group of undead that ultimately pushed them out of their home. They fled to the surface and came across a group of adventurers. After a fight, Itsy was the only one left. Before Itsy was killed he grovelled for his life. They spared him, but left him all alone. Before they left, Itsy pointed them in the direction of the undead.
Itsy trained to survive on his own. He lived mostly in trees near the coast and lived off of fish. Once he barely escaped a shark encounter. He came across a sign post seeking help from adventurers. Itsy didn't really trust adventurers, but decided perhaps it would be better to join them than to run from them forever. It was an awkward encounter when a Kobold showed up to help. He almost had to grovel again, but in the end he was able convince them to let him help.
The idea is he wants a companion, because he wants a friend/family again. And he will buff the heck out of his companion, because he doesn't want it to die.
I play a Kobold to get pack tactics with my companion. I could either go with a Giant Crab for a better tank, or a Giant Wolf Spider for a better mount. I think I'm going with the crab, but I also had a character name pun for the spider. Character name: Itsy, Companion Name: Bitsy (Spider)
The build is Beast Master for 16 levels and Life Cleric for 4 levels. Feel free to throw the cleric levels in at any point that seems appropriate for your character's story. The benefits of life cleric are not only the amazing healing, but also access to a 6th level spell slot and certain spells: Shield of Faith (shareable spell), Warding Bond, and Aid. Generally I will use the 6th level slot to cast Aid on myself, my crab, and one other party member. Shield of Faith and Warding Bond give a total boost of +3 AC.
Finally my idea is to collect magic items to buff the crab, rather than myself. In Adventurers League, your companion, familiar, etc shares your attunement slots. But I don't really need any attunement items for myself. Just a +3 bow is plenty. So I'll try to find and give my crab a Ring of Protection, Bracers of Defense, and Belt of Storm Giant Strength It could really be any belt. I'm just using this as the most cheesy example.
Now it is Super Crab! 29 Strength and 27 AC with all the items and spells. At level 17, the crab's attack is +17 (+9 STR, +6 my Prof, +2 its Prof) to hit for 1d6+15 damage. I could happily trade one of my two sharpshooter attacks to give it two of those attacks, but for the purposes of Itsy's story, it would probably be more appropriate to continue having it dodge to protect itself while I attack and it gets opportunity attacks. Itsy is good at healing too, so against weaker opponents, I may let the crab fight.
Thoughts?
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there are a few beasties i think might also be considered that you did not mention, though they are a bit werider:
the giant frog has some bad armor class and to hit numbers, however any creature that is hit will automatically be restrained giving anyone in the party advantage on attack rolls against that target, and their other traits are really useful for exploration
the fastieth (from ebberon: rising from the last war) has good numbers for attack rolls and damage rolls and armor class, as well as the additional speed necessary, and one might argue that beasts do not need your command to use their bonus action, thus allowing an occasional extra doge for more defense, and also it has some ludicrously high speed, but not nearly the same utillity as these other pets mentioned (common enough in ebberon, especially if your character is an halfling)
the deep rothe, an variant on the cow stat block found within volo's guide to monsters has decent damage and to hit values, plus they act as an effective pack mule and mount and they can also cast dancing lights and communicate with eachother using magical flashing lights (classified by dnd beyond as an language) (common in the underdark, so an underdark character can defenetly attain one)
the cave badger is an variant of the giant badger and is found within the out of the abyss module, it has an 15 ft burrow speed and 60 ft tremmorsense and can create tunnels when using their burrowing speed, giving it really good utillity overall (deep gnomes use them all the time, so a character from the underdark, especially an deep gnome should probably be able to attain one)
also there is one thing you are slightly wrong about, you must use your action to command your pet to take the doge action at 3rd level, and starting at 7th level you must use your bonus action to do so, automatic doge taking is something only the steel defender gets. (oh wait nevermind the erratra fixed this apparently, alongside exceptional training now making your beast's attacks magical, i should probably put a post it note in my PHB to remind me of this) (i wonder why the erratra never enabled the beastie to take hide?)
also if possible, you could potentially train your friend to be proficient in light armor, thus making studded leather giant poisonous snakes and fastieth's the lil fellas with the highest armor class out of them all
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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
I have to tell myself not to compare damage output numbers of the beast master compared to the hunter. Instead, I compare the damage output numbers of the beast master to the baseline fighter or baseline paladin (without smite). In this comparison the beats master more than keeps up! If you choose a pure damage output beast, like either snake, the deep rothe, or fastieth, then they can surpass the other baseline classes. Many of the beasts have either tremor sense or blind sight, so fog cloud becomes extra useful! If you never command your beast to attack then it is at least an extra target for the enemies on the battle field with an AC that rivals the fighter and paladin (with barding), and can help with flanking (if using it) and assisting with sneak attack. The beats that are worth commanding to attack that aren't pure damage dealers have added things they provide with the attack, like knockdown, grapples, and the retrained condition. Remember that even though you aren't, the beast is taking the attack action, so it can just grapple (if it doesn't automatically on a hit) and then drag enemies away or up in the air (if the beast is flying). Melee rangers benefit well from a flying beast for a good ranged attack option, and ranged attack rangers benefit from the bigger melee beasts for protection and tactical positioning.
Also, and I don't want to get into a silly RAW discussion here, but the beast should be making death saving throws. If any creature other than a PC should be allowed to make death saving throws it is the beast companion.
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I'm a big fan of underdogs and have so far enjoyed every Beast Master I've played. I don't play with any of the UA add-ons, specifically because through playtesting I've found Beast Masters to be quite adequate. This document is meant to give non-UA Beast Masters something to chew on and some ideas on how to make the most out of your character. This is by no means exhaustive (I'm not going to go through every single animal type, class feature, spell, etc.) but I'm going to point out a few things that have helped me become a Master of Beasts at my table. Feel free to provide your own feedback in the same vein, but don't take my sarcastic comments to heart. Of course, these will all work with UA as well, but if you're interested in challenging yourself, I suggest trying without to level 15 at least first!
Expectations vs. Reality
Expectation: This is a Pokemon that will level up with me and be my friend forever and eventually be able to kill Dragons!
Reality: This is akin to a high-HP Familiar that can help in combat in various strategic ways. You will lose this Beast regularly, so come up with names if you want but if you've created a background where you and Rex the loyal Mastiff are forever searching for his lost bone and it's the only driving force behind your character's motivations... you're in for a surprise.
Maximizing Effectiveness
A few important things you have to remember about what makes the Beasts effective:
So let's take a quick look at a few specific specimens at Level 3:
So right away, you'll notice that the AC is actually decent for these Beasties. It'll only get better as your Proficiency increases, too.
How do I use these Beasts?
In the opening round you have one objective with your beast: Dodge, and then move them as far into the field of battle as possible. On the far side of your opponents, but within attacking range. Your objective is to get your Beast an Attack of Opportunity every round you possibly can and be an "ally" for the Rogues in your party so they can get their Sneak Attacks very reliably.
After this, the enemy is going to do one of two things, either attack or move away.
Continue this strategy each round, Dodging and moving into the back row and within reach of as many enemy targets as possible. The whole point of this strategy is to make your chip damage consistent. An additional 7.5-20 damage each round can be very potent, don't underestimate it!
So what about Area attacks? This is obviously the biggest weakness of the Beast, which is why your primary objective is to get as close to the enemy's rear line as quickly as possible, as close to your enemies as possible, and hopefully out of any area-effects that your enemy might use against you.
This strategy will work at any level, with preference for the Beast to either scout far ahead of the party, or in a flanking position, far from the center mass of where your party may be grouped up.
Spell Synergies
Beast Bond is very effective for this strategy. Add advantage to your Beast's attacks is quite a bit more powerful than Hunter's mark (avg. 3.5) if the Ranger is only attacking once per turn. Crabs can lock down opponents more reliably and the other heavy hitters will start to crit once in a while as well.
Zephyr Strike can have some added value. If the enemy ignores your Beast and keeps charging forward at you, Zephyr allows you to disengage, run away, strike, and still get your Beast back into position to trigger another Attack of Opportunity.
Key Levels
By level 9 you'll have some 3rd level spells and your animals will now have 16-19 AC, and on their way to doing anywhere from 9.5-22 magical damage per round in chip. Pass Without Trace is a solid 2nd level spell, and if you combine it with a good Beast, you'll be looking at least a +18 to Stealth at this point. Spike Growth just adds insult to injury at this point - damage when they try to escape your Beast and damage when they move. It's a great way to lock down the battlefield completely. Combine that with Plant Growth and there's not going to be much that your enemies can do at all - this works great with the 10ft reach of the Giant Poisonous Snake as it can stay 10ft away and still get those Attacks of Opportunity.
At level 15 you get Share Spell, which I won't go through in it's entirety here, but some things to think about:
If you're planning on Multiclassing:
But what about DRAGON BREATH?
Of course, despite all of your positioning efforts, a Dragon will decide eventually that it will turn around and just Breathe everything into your Beast. Or some Lich will just PWK the thing straight off the top. That's ok! Remember, it's replaceable! And any Dragon Breath or PWK or sortie of blows that does 80+ dmg on a replaceable charmie is a win in your books, every time!
So when do my beasts get to attack???
Up until now, they should be attacking quite regularly as they clog up the field of battle and use their reactionary attacks. Of course, this doesn’t mean you can’t attack with them - it’s just not what I was focused on for strategy in this little guide.
One strategy I will note - with Flyby, you can use the Help action with a Flying Snake (or other similar beast) to give out free advantage to people. This works especially well if you’ve got something like Elven Accuracy to take advantage of those strikes.
Enjoy!
This seems very accurate (I know you've done hard work with the maths, but you know not everyone listens to that....). I do enjoy beast master, they are fun. The thing I sometimes find bothersome is the beast limit. The actual size and Cr is fine, but it's limited to beasts. I was lucky and was allowed a psuedodragon as they fit within every limit except the type. It's all about small nudges to make yourself feel like you can do more with your beast.
'The Cleverness of mushrooms always surprises me!' - Ivern Bramblefoot.
I'll worldbuild for your DnD games!
Just a D&D enjoyer, check out my fiverr page if you need any worldbuilding done for ya!
Yeah, I am a rules stickler, but remember that lots of campaigns have unique beasts too! Chat with your DM to craft some unique beasts that give you the kind of flavour you’re looking for 🙂
Inspiring stuff!
I think a Kobold (Pack Tactics) or Goblin (bonus action Disengage) would work well with this approach.
I now have in mind a Kobold slinger (with a shield for AC17 out of the box, not RAW but hey this is just a concept) with a stirge for a companion. The stirge can fly in at 40' speed, dodge (it also has a tasty AC16), then when it gets its opportunity attack it attaches, thus auto hitting (blood drain) on its next turn.
Would require an accommodating DM, but I doubt it would be overpowered.
People really do forget that the best gets an opportunity attack. This works well for a fight where people are trying to get in good positions but not in a fight where you have mindless monsters attacking whoever's in front.
And I do forget that the beast is Dodging if not attacking.
I really believe that your beast should benefit from your Hunter's Mark though. You "mystically mark them" but the animal you have "magically bound to" can not use it. This and if you are Two-Weapon Fighting you can't attack as bonus action due to wording on how you use your action to command your beast to attack. It should have been worded something like "when you take the attack action, you can forgo an attack to let your animal companion make an attack instead". This way Two-Weapon Fighting would not be wasted once you hit level 5+. (Not perfect but I tried).
You can find my published homebrew Spells here.
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ModeratorI really like this guide! It has given me some ideas to optimize it without sacrificing really any role play potential.
AL-legal build: https://ddb.ac/characters/33416910/2iULPG
The character's backstory: Itsy came from the Underdark. He and his clan had to fight off a group of undead that ultimately pushed them out of their home. They fled to the surface and came across a group of adventurers. After a fight, Itsy was the only one left. Before Itsy was killed he grovelled for his life. They spared him, but left him all alone. Before they left, Itsy pointed them in the direction of the undead.
Itsy trained to survive on his own. He lived mostly in trees near the coast and lived off of fish. Once he barely escaped a shark encounter. He came across a sign post seeking help from adventurers. Itsy didn't really trust adventurers, but decided perhaps it would be better to join them than to run from them forever. It was an awkward encounter when a Kobold showed up to help. He almost had to grovel again, but in the end he was able convince them to let him help.
The idea is he wants a companion, because he wants a friend/family again. And he will buff the heck out of his companion, because he doesn't want it to die.
I play a Kobold to get pack tactics with my companion. I could either go with a Giant Crab for a better tank, or a Giant Wolf Spider for a better mount. I think I'm going with the crab, but I also had a character name pun for the spider. Character name: Itsy, Companion Name: Bitsy (Spider)
The build is Beast Master for 16 levels and Life Cleric for 4 levels. Feel free to throw the cleric levels in at any point that seems appropriate for your character's story. The benefits of life cleric are not only the amazing healing, but also access to a 6th level spell slot and certain spells: Shield of Faith (shareable spell), Warding Bond, and Aid. Generally I will use the 6th level slot to cast Aid on myself, my crab, and one other party member. Shield of Faith and Warding Bond give a total boost of +3 AC.
Finally my idea is to collect magic items to buff the crab, rather than myself. In Adventurers League, your companion, familiar, etc shares your attunement slots. But I don't really need any attunement items for myself. Just a +3 bow is plenty. So I'll try to find and give my crab a Ring of Protection, Bracers of Defense, and Belt of Storm Giant Strength It could really be any belt. I'm just using this as the most cheesy example.
Now it is Super Crab! 29 Strength and 27 AC with all the items and spells. At level 17, the crab's attack is +17 (+9 STR, +6 my Prof, +2 its Prof) to hit for 1d6+15 damage. I could happily trade one of my two sharpshooter attacks to give it two of those attacks, but for the purposes of Itsy's story, it would probably be more appropriate to continue having it dodge to protect itself while I attack and it gets opportunity attacks. Itsy is good at healing too, so against weaker opponents, I may let the crab fight.
Thoughts?
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there are a few beasties i think might also be considered that you did not mention, though they are a bit werider:
the giant frog has some bad armor class and to hit numbers, however any creature that is hit will automatically be restrained giving anyone in the party advantage on attack rolls against that target, and their other traits are really useful for exploration
the fastieth (from ebberon: rising from the last war) has good numbers for attack rolls and damage rolls and armor class, as well as the additional speed necessary, and one might argue that beasts do not need your command to use their bonus action, thus allowing an occasional extra doge for more defense, and also it has some ludicrously high speed, but not nearly the same utillity as these other pets mentioned (common enough in ebberon, especially if your character is an halfling)
the deep rothe, an variant on the cow stat block found within volo's guide to monsters has decent damage and to hit values, plus they act as an effective pack mule and mount and they can also cast dancing lights and communicate with eachother using magical flashing lights (classified by dnd beyond as an language) (common in the underdark, so an underdark character can defenetly attain one)
the cave badger is an variant of the giant badger and is found within the out of the abyss module, it has an 15 ft burrow speed and 60 ft tremmorsense and can create tunnels when using their burrowing speed, giving it really good utillity overall (deep gnomes use them all the time, so a character from the underdark, especially an deep gnome should probably be able to attain one)
also there is one thing you are slightly wrong about, you must use your action to command your pet to take the doge action at 3rd level, and starting at 7th level you must use your bonus action to do so, automatic doge taking is something only the steel defender gets. (oh wait nevermind the erratra fixed this apparently, alongside exceptional training now making your beast's attacks magical, i should probably put a post it note in my PHB to remind me of this) (i wonder why the erratra never enabled the beastie to take hide?)
also if possible, you could potentially train your friend to be proficient in light armor, thus making studded leather giant poisonous snakes and fastieth's the lil fellas with the highest armor class out of them all
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
I have to tell myself not to compare damage output numbers of the beast master compared to the hunter. Instead, I compare the damage output numbers of the beast master to the baseline fighter or baseline paladin (without smite). In this comparison the beats master more than keeps up! If you choose a pure damage output beast, like either snake, the deep rothe, or fastieth, then they can surpass the other baseline classes. Many of the beasts have either tremor sense or blind sight, so fog cloud becomes extra useful! If you never command your beast to attack then it is at least an extra target for the enemies on the battle field with an AC that rivals the fighter and paladin (with barding), and can help with flanking (if using it) and assisting with sneak attack. The beats that are worth commanding to attack that aren't pure damage dealers have added things they provide with the attack, like knockdown, grapples, and the retrained condition. Remember that even though you aren't, the beast is taking the attack action, so it can just grapple (if it doesn't automatically on a hit) and then drag enemies away or up in the air (if the beast is flying). Melee rangers benefit well from a flying beast for a good ranged attack option, and ranged attack rangers benefit from the bigger melee beasts for protection and tactical positioning.
Also, and I don't want to get into a silly RAW discussion here, but the beast should be making death saving throws. If any creature other than a PC should be allowed to make death saving throws it is the beast companion.