Bonded Guardian Conclave

Many rangers feel far more comfortable around animals than they do with other humanoids. To this end, they form strong and lasting bonds with a particular animal which becomes a true companion to the ranger and the ranger to it. The ranger and their companions bond strengthens even further with time and magic.

Ranger’s Companion

At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. Add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls, as well as to any saving throws and skills it is proficient in.

The beast obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can command the beast where to move (no action required by you). You can use your bonus action to command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you don't issue a command, the beast takes the Dodge action.

If you are incapacitated or absent, the beast acts on its own, focusing on protecting you and itself. The beast never requires your command to use its reaction, such as when making an opportunity attack.

Your animal companion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your companion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, an animal companion also adds your proficiency bonus to its Armor Class, saving throws, attack bonus, and damage rolls. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in its stat block or 12 HP, whichever is higher. For each level you gain after 3rd, your animal companion gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly. Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points.

Your animal companion gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws.

Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. You can increase one of your companion’s ability scores by 2, or you can increase two of its ability scores by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.

Your animal companion also gains the benefits of your Favored Enemy feature, and it uses the favored enemies you selected for those features.

Your companion shares your alignment and has a personal trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The ranger who travels with me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life.”

 

 d6 Trait

1 I’m dauntless in the face of adversity.

2 Threaten my friends, threaten me.

3 I stay on alert so others can rest.

4 People see an animal and underestimate me. I use that to my advantage.

5 I have a knack for showing up in the nick of time.

6 I put my friends’ needs before my own in all things.

 

d6 Flaw

1 If there’s food left unattended, I’ll eat it.

2 I growl at strangers, and all people except my ranger are strangers to me.

3 Any time is a good time for a belly rub.

4 I’m deathly afraid of water.

5 My idea of hello is a flurry of licks to the face.

6 I jump on creatures to tell them how much I love them.

 

While traveling through your favored terrain with only the beast, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.

If the beast dies, you can obtain a new companion by spending 8 hours magically bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you and that meets the requirements.

Bond of Magic

When you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if the beast is within 30 feet of you. In addition, the beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Greater Coordination

Beginning at 11th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use your reaction to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn.

Storm of Claw and Fang

Starting at 15th level, your companion can use its action to make a melee attack against each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it, with a separate attack roll for each target.