Beast Master With a Stronger Bond

This subclass is a modification to the existing Beast Master Archetype, instead of a replacement for it.

Three key elements were chosen to define the "flavor" of the Beast Master Archetype:

• Companion is not a normal beast
• Act as one
• Bonded

Three specific issues with the existing Archetype were identified and addressed, guided by these key elements:

• Low companion HP, when melee combat is required to use features
• Two "characters", but only one action
• Don't trivialize the bond

To address these issues, the Beast Master Archetype gains the following modifications:

1. Bonded Companions have a max HP equal to their Fixed Hit Point total at Character Level
   • e.g. A beast with 1d8 Hit Dice, and a CON of 12, would gain 6 HP/Character Level
2. New Ability "Together as one", available at Level 3
   • Once per round, while within 5 feet of the target, either the player or their companion may take their reaction to grant their bonded partner advantage on either:
     • one attack roll
     • one skill check they share proficiency in
   • At Level 11, this changes to all attack rolls and/or skill checks against that target, during that turn
3. The bond is strengthened:
   • A Bonded companion makes Death Saving Throws like a player
     • It now takes 1 downtime week to establish a new bond
   • The player loses access to their Beast Master Archetype features (until they atone) if they break their bond by:
     • Not actively trying to heal or protect a critically wounded companion
     • Abusing their companion
     • Treating their companion as expendable

In the spirit of the key "flavor" elements, there all also some new suggested options included with this Archetype:

• Growth
• Inseperable
• Inheritance

 

Ranger’s Companion

At 3rd level, you begin to feel a mystic "pull" whenever you are alone. Taking one downtime week, you may follow this sense into the wild to discover an abnormal beast that you forge a mystical bond with. This beast will become your bonded companion, following you on your adventures and fighting alongside you. Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and that has a challenge rating of 1/4 or lower. The beast will replace it's existing proficiency bonus with your own. In addition, add your proficiency bonus to it's AC and damage rolls. Its hit point maximum equals the creature's Fixed Hit Point value (Hit Dice Value/2 + 1 + CON mod) times your character level. Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points. This beast is able to make Death Saving Throws like a player.

Your companion acts based on signals (sounds, rhythms, or gestures) made by you, during your initiative. Signaling your companion to move is a free action. You gain the Command action which you can use to have your companion make an Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you do not use a Command action on your turn, then your bonded companion may Dodge as a reaction. Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you may make one weapon attack when you Command your companion to make an Attack action.

You and your bonded companion share a new reaction Together as one.

Your beast companion does not prevent you from using any Ranger feature that requires you to be alone.

The bond compels both you and your companion to remain near, and to defend each other. If you are incapacitated, you may control the beast without a Command but the beast's actions must be used to protect or aid you. Your beast companion may not move away from you while you are incapacitated, unless the only remaining threat is at range, and that threat is actively endangering you. If you are separated from your companion and unable to communicate, you no longer control your companion, and instead the DM will resolve your companion taking actions that allow it to track and return to you. At the DM's discretion, if you do not actively try to aid your companion when they are critically wounded, or treat your companion as expendable, they may rule that you have broken your bond. You will lose access to your Beast Master features until you achieve atonement, after which you will need to forge a new bond. 

If your beast companion dies, you must again use a downtime week to find and forge a new bond.

• Command
  • You take this action to signal your bonded companion to make either an Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help action. You may also use Dash when issuing a Dash Command. If you use a Command action, but do not make an attack or Dash during that action, you may Dodge as a reaction.
• Together as one
  • Once per round, while within 5 feet of the target, you or your companion may use their reaction to grant advantage to either:
    • One attack roll made by the other companion
    • One skill check made by the other companion, if you share proficiency in it
  • Starting at level 11 this will grant advantage to all attack rolls and shared skill checks made by that companion, against that target, during that turn.

Exceptional Training

Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your beast companion doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to Command your companion to take a Dash, Disengage, or Help action.

In addition, the beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.

Bestial Fury

Starting at 11th level, when you command your beast companion to take the Attack action, the beast can make two attacks, or it can take the Multiattack action if it has that action.

Together as one now applies to all related attacks and skill checks during that turn.

Share Spells

Beginning at 15th level, 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.

Inseparable

A Beast Master is compelled to never willingly separate themselves from their bonded companion. This includes:

• Commanding their bonded companion to follow other party members
• Commanding their bonded companion to stay behind, or wait somewhere
• Commanding their bonded companion to chase something that they are not also pursuing

Distance of separation is ultimately at DM discretion, but should be permitted as long as the two companions are still capable of communicating. This means that the range can be extended using other means, such as magic, as long as the effect is persistent and allows relatively responsive communication. If the magical means ends, for any reason, and the pair is now separated, it should be treated as an unwilling separation.

The DM may need to make an exception to this rule if, for whatever reason, the bonded companion is not capable of following to a place where the Beast Master is or must go. The party should absolutely be allowed and encouraged to try and find an alternative first, but this “feature” is not intended to obstruct normal gameplay. However, when permitting such an exception, the bonded companion should become VERY irritable, and the Beast Master should feel VERY guilty about it.The DM may choose to require a minor form of atonement to placate the bonded companion, once they have rejoined.

If the Beast Master and the bonded companion are ever unwillingly separated:

• Both the Beast Master and the bonded companion are compelled by their bond to try and find each other when they are able.
• They both are considered to have expertise (2 times proficiency bonus) when using Nature or Survival to track their bonded partner.
• They have advantage on any skill check related to directly tracking or finding their bonded partner.
  • A skill check using this advantage should not discover any other information; even if there is additional useful information available. While using this advantage, the focus of the bond causes any information unrelated to their partner to be ignored.

Growth

A Beast Master’s bonded companion grows in size as it gains hit dice:

• For every hit dice a bonded companion has, greater than it’s normal monster entry, it will grow a little larger than it would normally be.
• Once a bonded companion gains a new hit dice, and has at least three times it’s normal hit dice, the player may choose to declare that their bonded companion has grown one size category. Their bonded companion is considered the minimum size in that category's range, and will grow no larger.

Inheritance

Starting at ranger level 5 a Beast Master's bonded companion can choose a new proficiency in a saving throw, skill, or language, from those that their bonded ranger has. They can choose an additional proficiency every 2 levels after 5th.

Starting at ranger level 7, the bonded companion also gains all their bonded ranger's Ability Skill Improvements, including those gained from feats (though not the feats themselves).