In the PHB source book, Ranger's Companion states "On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). You can use your action to attack, dodge etc."
However, when I add this archetype to my DnD Beyond character, in my stat sheet it says "command the beast where to move (no action required by you) OR take an attack, dodge etc."
Which one do I use? Action economy seems really weak when my whole action is consumed to have the beast act. I understand that there are replaceable options from Tasha's, but why does Beyond have two different wordings for the PHB page 93 reference?
What is shown on your character sheet on DnDBeyond is a quick summarization of the class feature. This case is particularly confusing but if there is any doubt always defer to the actual source book.
Yes, commanding your Ranger's Companion to do anything other than move and Dodge takes your Action. This is indeed a heavy cost on your action economy and is why many similar features, including the alternative Beastmaster feature Primal Companion, use your bonus action instead.
In the PHB source book, Ranger's Companion states "On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). You can use your action to attack, dodge etc."
However, when I add this archetype to my DnD Beyond character, in my stat sheet it says "command the beast where to move (no action required by you) OR take an attack, dodge etc."
Which one do I use? Action economy seems really weak when my whole action is consumed to have the beast act. I understand that there are replaceable options from Tasha's, but why does Beyond have two different wordings for the PHB page 93 reference?
I'm not following the difference, but when in doubt, go with the text in the rulebook.
The difference is the source book explicitly states you use your action to tell it to attack, but your character sheet on Beyond uses the word OR, which implies you can tell it to do anything, including attacking, WITHOUT using your action.
Try adding the archetype to your character sheet on the website, then read the skill and you will see what I mean.
The difference is the source book explicitly states you use your action to tell it to attack, but your character sheet on Beyond uses the word OR, which implies you can tell it to do anything, including attacking, WITHOUT using your action.
Try adding the archetype to your character sheet on the website, then read the skill and you will see what I mean.
Fangeye already answered this. The character sheet has brief summaries that DDB staff wrote themselves based on the actual rules text. These short summaries are often useful, occasionally confusing, and never authoritative. The book text is the rule.
In this particular case the summary is especially confusing as it doesn't tell us what the action cost is to command the Ranger's Companion to Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help. It simply tells us that commanding it to move requires no action from the player.
Thankfully the text for this feature in the Player's Handbook tells us it takes an Action to command the Ranger's Companion to Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help.
Sorry it's been a while but thanks for this. I thought it was a pretty big slip up for the character sheet summary but been using the sourcebook as a final rule. Unfortunately I'm regretting my choice to play a vanilla beastmaster ranger. Went archer archetype and I'm feeling particularly useless to be honest.
Previous character was an artificer with the companion and felt infinitely more useful.
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In the PHB source book, Ranger's Companion states "On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). You can use your action to attack, dodge etc."
However, when I add this archetype to my DnD Beyond character, in my stat sheet it says "command the beast where to move (no action required by you) OR take an attack, dodge etc."
Which one do I use? Action economy seems really weak when my whole action is consumed to have the beast act. I understand that there are replaceable options from Tasha's, but why does Beyond have two different wordings for the PHB page 93 reference?
What is shown on your character sheet on DnDBeyond is a quick summarization of the class feature. This case is particularly confusing but if there is any doubt always defer to the actual source book.
Yes, commanding your Ranger's Companion to do anything other than move and Dodge takes your Action. This is indeed a heavy cost on your action economy and is why many similar features, including the alternative Beastmaster feature Primal Companion, use your bonus action instead.
I'm not following the difference, but when in doubt, go with the text in the rulebook.
The difference is the source book explicitly states you use your action to tell it to attack, but your character sheet on Beyond uses the word OR, which implies you can tell it to do anything, including attacking, WITHOUT using your action.
Try adding the archetype to your character sheet on the website, then read the skill and you will see what I mean.
Fangeye already answered this. The character sheet has brief summaries that DDB staff wrote themselves based on the actual rules text. These short summaries are often useful, occasionally confusing, and never authoritative. The book text is the rule.
In this particular case the summary is especially confusing as it doesn't tell us what the action cost is to command the Ranger's Companion to Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help. It simply tells us that commanding it to move requires no action from the player.
Thankfully the text for this feature in the Player's Handbook tells us it takes an Action to command the Ranger's Companion to Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help.
Sorry it's been a while but thanks for this. I thought it was a pretty big slip up for the character sheet summary but been using the sourcebook as a final rule. Unfortunately I'm regretting my choice to play a vanilla beastmaster ranger. Went archer archetype and I'm feeling particularly useless to be honest.
Previous character was an artificer with the companion and felt infinitely more useful.