My Ranger character recently reached Level 16 (Ranger 15/Sorcerer 1, actually). It's a Beast Master, and I've been having trouble keeping my Animal Companion alive. Who'd know a 60 hp sidekick would have trouble surviving Tier 3 content? 🤪
Anyway, the problem is strictly their Hit Points. The companion is a miniature displacer beast (panther that can cast Blur 1/day), wearing a +1 Half-Plate barding (AC 23) and with pretty good saves after my proficiency modifier is applied (Dex +7, Con +5, Wis +7, when there's a Paladin around it can hardly fail saves).
Thought of False Life, Aid, and Armor of Agathys, but those are pretty much out of my reach since I'm aiming towards Ranger 19/Sorcerer 1, and every Level outside of Ranger already drains 4 hp out of its potential. The Inspiring Leader feat came to mind, but sneaking 10min speeches in between encounters all the time for the pet's survival sounds kind of cheese, and it would also require a casting of Speak with Animals every time for the beast to understand me (maybe if I find a druid to Awaken it, that would be mitigated). Tried finding some magic items, Amulet of Health doesn't help since they only have 3 HD and their HP is only based on my Ranger level now. Getting Magic Initiate to be able to cast Aid 1/day does increase that by 5 for 8 hours, but I'm trying to get something more than that. I'm mostly free on feat choices since my Dexterity is also at 20. Its even got a Wish casted a couple of adventures back, and now both the Ranger and the beast are permanently resistant to Slashing damage, it helps.
So, can you suggest more ways (other feats, magic items, other spells, etc.) to increase Hit Points or grant it Temporary ones? (no Homebrew, since it's AL :) ) Thank you for your time in advance!
I presume you can't switch to using the optional Primal Companion from Tasha's? It uses 5 + 5x(Ranger level) for HP which for you would be 80.
Yeah, that would be an option, but Tasha's is not yet included as a source for the Historic Adventurers League. And even so, I wouldn't do it for this current build, since it would prevent the Belt of Giant Strength my animal companion is currently using (and relying heavily on to be useful) from improving its attacks.
I do have a Wisdom-based Ranger build planned to use the Tasha's options though, involving Shillelagh and all. :) Though even then I'd try to find a way for it to be less vulnerable to Power Word: Kill (which happened the very last adventure I've played xD). I'd be happy if the Death Ward inclusion in the Ranger's spell list that the Unearthed Arcana had planned made its way into Tasha's, but it didn't.
I guess the next best option then - if it can use magic items - is Amulet of Health.
And my Ranger has one! 🤣 Though it doesn't really help. Due to Animal Companion HP calculations, you have to go with whichever is higher among:
1. The pet's HP on its own. And since it's HD don't increase, it would be stuck at 3d8+12 (with the Amulet of Health, that comes to 25 regularly, or 29 if we max the 1st HD) 2. The Ranger's level x 4, which is usually way higher, though takes no regard to the beast's Constitution.
That's why the Ranger himself is actually wearing the Amulet (increasing HP by a total of 64 so far, pretty good, wish the beast could have that :~ ). So I guess I'm stuck looking for Spells and Feats. Don't know if any Magic Item can help unless it's something that gives me charges to cast Aid or something similar.
Since it is AL, See buying potions and spells on page 3 of the Season 9 player content. You should have about 1600 gp per level in Tier 3. This would about 10 potions of Greater Healing. Or you could talk with your table mates about keeping your pet alive.
Also where did you get the pet? I don't recall giving out a mini displacer beast in any book, or module I have ran.
Since it is AL, See buying potions and spells on page 3 of the Season 9 player content. You should have about 1600 gp per level in Tier 3. This would about 10 potions of Greater Healing. Or you could talk with your table mates about keeping your pet alive.
Also where did you get the pet? I don't recall giving out a mini displacer beast in any book, or module I have ran.
Good catch! Hadn't done this up to now, but I'll keep a healthy dose of Potions of Greater Healing handy. Will only get two of them right now since I've spent a lot of gold on a Scroll of Revivify and a Scroll of Raise Dead after the traumatizing Power Word: Kill last game. xD
Got the pet from Fai Chen, he was present in the last event we had in the Discord server I play the most in (DaddyWarbux). The only real difference from a regular panther is the fact that it is able to cast Blur once a day, also helps with survivability a bit. I retired the old wolf I had been using so far.
Could you rely on someone else to cast Aid for you? It's a fairly common spell.
There's also tactics. You could be a little more cautious and treat it like a skirmisher, darting in only when it has a good opportunity to strike.
This is a weird area because you can't use homebrew but you have a displacer beast companion in magic armor wearing a belt of giant strength which is all essentially homebrew. I guess there's some weird AL content going on here or something? Maybe there's some more of that non-homebrew homebrew content that you can leverage in there somewhere.
Aid does seem to be the most viable option for the moment. I wish it was something my character was able to do on his own, but I guess Clerics are fairly common in most sessions.
And yeah, the specific companion I ended up upon is a quite strange one, but really composed of various rulings that end up making it legal for AL. Like Companions and Familiars being able to attune to items (but that consuming one of MY attunement slots, this one I think is an AL-specific ruling by the admins, don't know if it is written anywhere in the books), armor is regularly available as barding (doubling weight and quadrupling costs, and if you check the DMG, it does say that magical armor adapts to its wearer anatomy in most cases, excluding only some armors specifically made to be worn by dwarves for example). The real different part of it is really it being a promotional thing from an AL event (the Fai Chen part, which only changes the Blur thing over a regular panther really). It is strictly AL-legal even though I'm used to it raising some eyebrows.
Skirmishing does sound good now that I think about it. I think I'll put more trust in its high AC after it manages to drop an opponent prone after a successful Pounce. Maybe the disadvantage on attacks due to being prone will be enough for it to avoid taking hits while it gets out of range. This fits especially well since it will probably be able to move 20ft straight and get yet another Pounce the next turn.
Fai-chen sells some crazy stuff. And you can give up you slot to your pet. I was assuming the OP got some stuff during Season 8 where you could spend treasure points and go to the magic Wal-mart. You can get a Gambling Addiction from Fai-Chen. Also In some cons WOTC sends out a Package. The package contains the Fai-chen Store, and bonus certificates. The certificates are either given out to the players or DMS who are playing AL. I had to build a thief/fighter build so I could use my pistol without penalty.
OP you choice now is go with what your original build would be, or change it to protect the beast. You are currently Tier 3 historical. See if you can pull up season 9 AL players guidv9.2 forgotten realms.pdf. The AL DM Guide v9.1 forgotten realms. And the content catalog for season 9. Those may help.
Hello, there!
My Ranger character recently reached Level 16 (Ranger 15/Sorcerer 1, actually). It's a Beast Master, and I've been having trouble keeping my Animal Companion alive. Who'd know a 60 hp sidekick would have trouble surviving Tier 3 content? 🤪
Anyway, the problem is strictly their Hit Points. The companion is a miniature displacer beast (panther that can cast Blur 1/day), wearing a +1 Half-Plate barding (AC 23) and with pretty good saves after my proficiency modifier is applied (Dex +7, Con +5, Wis +7, when there's a Paladin around it can hardly fail saves).
Thought of False Life, Aid, and Armor of Agathys, but those are pretty much out of my reach since I'm aiming towards Ranger 19/Sorcerer 1, and every Level outside of Ranger already drains 4 hp out of its potential. The Inspiring Leader feat came to mind, but sneaking 10min speeches in between encounters all the time for the pet's survival sounds kind of cheese, and it would also require a casting of Speak with Animals every time for the beast to understand me (maybe if I find a druid to Awaken it, that would be mitigated). Tried finding some magic items, Amulet of Health doesn't help since they only have 3 HD and their HP is only based on my Ranger level now. Getting Magic Initiate to be able to cast Aid 1/day does increase that by 5 for 8 hours, but I'm trying to get something more than that. I'm mostly free on feat choices since my Dexterity is also at 20. Its even got a Wish casted a couple of adventures back, and now both the Ranger and the beast are permanently resistant to Slashing damage, it helps.
So, can you suggest more ways (other feats, magic items, other spells, etc.) to increase Hit Points or grant it Temporary ones? (no Homebrew, since it's AL :) ) Thank you for your time in advance!
Art Portfolio
I presume you can't switch to using the optional Primal Companion from Tasha's? It uses 5 + 5x(Ranger level) for HP which for you would be 80.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
Yeah, that would be an option, but Tasha's is not yet included as a source for the Historic Adventurers League. And even so, I wouldn't do it for this current build, since it would prevent the Belt of Giant Strength my animal companion is currently using (and relying heavily on to be useful) from improving its attacks.
I do have a Wisdom-based Ranger build planned to use the Tasha's options though, involving Shillelagh and all. :) Though even then I'd try to find a way for it to be less vulnerable to Power Word: Kill (which happened the very last adventure I've played xD). I'd be happy if the Death Ward inclusion in the Ranger's spell list that the Unearthed Arcana had planned made its way into Tasha's, but it didn't.
Art Portfolio
I guess the next best option then - if it can use magic items - is Amulet of Health.
Mega Yahtzee Thread:
Highest 41: brocker2001 (#11,285).
Yahtzee of 2's: Emmber (#36,161).
Lowest 9: JoeltheWalrus (#312), Emmber (#12,505) and Dertinus (#20,953).
And my Ranger has one! 🤣 Though it doesn't really help. Due to Animal Companion HP calculations, you have to go with whichever is higher among:
1. The pet's HP on its own. And since it's HD don't increase, it would be stuck at 3d8+12 (with the Amulet of Health, that comes to 25 regularly, or 29 if we max the 1st HD)
2. The Ranger's level x 4, which is usually way higher, though takes no regard to the beast's Constitution.
That's why the Ranger himself is actually wearing the Amulet (increasing HP by a total of 64 so far, pretty good, wish the beast could have that :~ ). So I guess I'm stuck looking for Spells and Feats. Don't know if any Magic Item can help unless it's something that gives me charges to cast Aid or something similar.
Art Portfolio
Since it is AL, See buying potions and spells on page 3 of the Season 9 player content. You should have about 1600 gp per level in Tier 3. This would about 10 potions of Greater Healing. Or you could talk with your table mates about keeping your pet alive.
Also where did you get the pet? I don't recall giving out a mini displacer beast in any book, or module I have ran.
No Gaming is Better than Bad Gaming.
Good catch! Hadn't done this up to now, but I'll keep a healthy dose of Potions of Greater Healing handy. Will only get two of them right now since I've spent a lot of gold on a Scroll of Revivify and a Scroll of Raise Dead after the traumatizing Power Word: Kill last game. xD
Got the pet from Fai Chen, he was present in the last event we had in the Discord server I play the most in (DaddyWarbux). The only real difference from a regular panther is the fact that it is able to cast Blur once a day, also helps with survivability a bit. I retired the old wolf I had been using so far.
Art Portfolio
Could you rely on someone else to cast Aid for you? It's a fairly common spell.
There's also tactics. You could be a little more cautious and treat it like a skirmisher, darting in only when it has a good opportunity to strike.
This is a weird area because you can't use homebrew but you have a displacer beast companion in magic armor wearing a belt of giant strength which is all essentially homebrew. I guess there's some weird AL content going on here or something? Maybe there's some more of that non-homebrew homebrew content that you can leverage in there somewhere.
My homebrew subclasses (full list here)
(Artificer) Swordmage | Glasswright | (Barbarian) Path of the Savage Embrace
(Bard) College of Dance | (Fighter) Warlord | Cannoneer
(Monk) Way of the Elements | (Ranger) Blade Dancer
(Rogue) DaggerMaster | Inquisitor | (Sorcerer) Riftwalker | Spellfist
(Warlock) The Swarm
Aid does seem to be the most viable option for the moment. I wish it was something my character was able to do on his own, but I guess Clerics are fairly common in most sessions.
And yeah, the specific companion I ended up upon is a quite strange one, but really composed of various rulings that end up making it legal for AL. Like Companions and Familiars being able to attune to items (but that consuming one of MY attunement slots, this one I think is an AL-specific ruling by the admins, don't know if it is written anywhere in the books), armor is regularly available as barding (doubling weight and quadrupling costs, and if you check the DMG, it does say that magical armor adapts to its wearer anatomy in most cases, excluding only some armors specifically made to be worn by dwarves for example). The real different part of it is really it being a promotional thing from an AL event (the Fai Chen part, which only changes the Blur thing over a regular panther really). It is strictly AL-legal even though I'm used to it raising some eyebrows.
Skirmishing does sound good now that I think about it. I think I'll put more trust in its high AC after it manages to drop an opponent prone after a successful Pounce. Maybe the disadvantage on attacks due to being prone will be enough for it to avoid taking hits while it gets out of range. This fits especially well since it will probably be able to move 20ft straight and get yet another Pounce the next turn.
Art Portfolio
Fai-chen sells some crazy stuff. And you can give up you slot to your pet. I was assuming the OP got some stuff during Season 8 where you could spend treasure points and go to the magic Wal-mart. You can get a Gambling Addiction from Fai-Chen. Also In some cons WOTC sends out a Package. The package contains the Fai-chen Store, and bonus certificates. The certificates are either given out to the players or DMS who are playing AL. I had to build a thief/fighter build so I could use my pistol without penalty.
OP you choice now is go with what your original build would be, or change it to protect the beast. You are currently Tier 3 historical. See if you can pull up season 9 AL players guidv9.2 forgotten realms.pdf. The AL DM Guide v9.1 forgotten realms. And the content catalog for season 9. Those may help.
No Gaming is Better than Bad Gaming.
I haven't thought about it too much, but maybe there's a way to get a warding bond on the animal companion?
If your sorcerer is divine soul, you could buy scrolls.
Nice catch! Unfortunately I'm Draconic Bloodline, but I could buy scrolls nonetheless and hope someone in the party can cast them on my pet. :D
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False Life is a Sorcerer spell. You could easily cast that at a higher level and it would affect you and the beast, so that’s a very nice combination.
Also, Guardian of Nature Great Tree on you and your companion is also nice. 10 HP and impedes people around them.
Add on some Stoneskin or Protection from Elements if you’re worried.
When it’s not Blurred, just make it dodge and play battlefield controller. It shouldn’t get hit in tier 3 play much while dodging and 23 AC.