Pack leader (Improving companion system)

Want to feel like your companion is actualy useful and extension of yourself in combat and adventuring. With this subclass I wish to make Animal companion one of rangers greatest weapons.

Companion of the hunt

Starting at 3rd level. you can choose one creature from Beasts, Fey, dragon, or elemental creature types. Creatures CR must be 1/4 or lower (talk with your DM for exceptions.)

The creature does not have any of its special features (yet) and can only attack once.

The creatures HP is its Max hit die roll x your level. add your proficiency bonus to its AC, attack and damage rolls and to any skills and saving throws its proficient with.

Your companion gains levels with you gainin aditional hit die per level. Your proficiency chance also affects your companions profiency.

With 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 19th level your companion gains extra features. you may choose one of the following features once per level:

-Companion gains 2 attribute points 
- Companion learns one skill from WIS, DEX or STR skills (except Medicine or (sleight of hand*))
- Companion gains extra attack (this can be learn only once)
- Companion gains one of its special features.

* talk with your DM for special cases (Monkey)

If your companion becomes unconscious they have death saving throws like other heroes. Your companion does these with advantage if you are within 10ft. of them.
If your companion dies. After next long rest change your subclass to hunter subclass.

 

Pack Leader Tactics

As a pack leader, you have trained with your companion to have tactical maneuvers in combat and while adventuring.

You learn the spell Hunter's mark, it does not count against the number of your ranger spells. if you already had learned hunter's mark you may learn aditional spell of the same lvl.

as an action, you can issue a command to your companion that they will execute with the best of their ability. Talk with your DM that should you or DM control your companion in combat. Nevertheless the companion will always do as commanded.

COMMANDS:

Protect: You can issue yourself or another creature to be protected by your companion. Your Companion will stay within 10ft. of the target it protects. and if hostile greature enters within 10ft. of the protected target the companion will use its reaction to move in space between the hostile greature and protected target if possible. and make one attack. The companion will keep attacking the hostile creature until its dead/unconscious or leaves the 10ft. radius. If companion cant go space between hostile creature and protected target it will take up space whiting 5ft. of both. If more than one hostile creature enters the target radius the companion will attack the first hostile creature that enters the area and continues to attack targeted hostile creature.

Attack: You can issue a hostile creature that you and your companion can see to be target of your companion. after the command your companion will use its best of ability to get into combat range of the target and use its turns to attack the target creature until the either the target or your companion is dead,unconscious or your companion is given a new command. In combat when target creature is dead or unconscious your companion will attack the next target that you attacked this turn if not Commanded otherwise.

Halt: You order your companion to wait and hold still. It will do that no matter what, even if you, your allies or itself are attacked or damaged. it will However use dodge action to try to avoid harm.

Help: Your companion will use its skills and help action to best of their ability to try to help you out.

in combat if not given any commands your companion will use its turns to protect you.

If you are knocked unconscious your companion will stop anything it was doing or commanded to do and will protect you until you are conscious again or you or your companion is dead. 

If you die your Companion will go to grieving state staying next to your body and not taking any actions. If hostile creature tries to touch, move or interact with the body it will attack the hostile creature ferociously until its dead or stopped the interaction. If allies known to companion tries to move or interact with your body your allies first must make a persuation/deception check against your companion to be allowed to interact with the body. Your companion will not eat,drink or sleep while you are dead and will die to starvation and exhaustion eventualy if you are not revived.

note: your companion is not stricted to only follow commands and you can think also other ways to get assistance from your companion.

 

 

the pond of the pact

at 7th level you learn additional language depending on your companion's creature type: Sylvan if companion is beast or fey, Primordial if companion is elemental and draconic if companion is dragon. the companion also learns this language if they don't know it already.

If your companions intellect is less than 6 it becomes 6. you can communicate with your companion either through language or gestures and understand each other perfectly.

while your hunter's mark is active, it also benefits your companion. your companions attacks are count as magical as long as your hunter's marks is active.

Companions Bond

You have even deeper understanding with your companion. 

You learn spells Beast bond and Beast sense and they don't count against your known ranger spells

you may use the spells regardless of your companions creature type.

Mark of the Companion

Your adventures together have made your companion learn how to make enemies vulnerable to your attacks while assaulting them. Your companion can cast Hunter's mark on target creature which benefits you both. your companion is concentrating on the spell and it functions as normal to both of you. Your companion may use the spell once per short rest.

Ultimate pond between souls.

Your connection with your Companion knows no limits. 

as an action you merge with your companion for 1 minute. you must be withing 15ft. of your companion you both become ethereal and collide to each other. Your merged form appear middle way of the spaces between you and your companion. if the 5ft. space between them is not unoccupied the merged form appears 5ft. next to the space. If there is no free space in 5 ft. radius of the target merging space both you and your companion take 4d6 force damage and appear prone to your original positions expending the use.

in this merged form, you gain 1/4 your companions HP as temporary hit points. every creature is considered to be under hunter's mark spell for you and you will get your bonus damage die regardless of the attack type (spell or normal attack) you also gain +2 to your AC, to hit and damage made with your weapon attacks. you also gain an extra attack when you use your action to attack.

after 1 minute merged form vanishes and you and your companion appear in 15ft. radius of the merged form's last position.  divide all health loss from the merged form by two and deal that damage to you and your companion.

Companion of the hunt

Starting at 3rd level. you can choose one creature from Beasts, Fey, dragon, or elemental creature types. Creatures CR must be 1/4 or lower (talk with your DM for exceptions.)

The creature does not have any of its special features (yet) and can only attack once.

The creatures HP is its Max hit die roll x your level. add your proficiency bonus to its AC, attack and damage rolls and to any skills and saving throws its proficient with.

Your companion gains levels with you gainin aditional hit die per level. Your proficiency chance also affects your companions profiency.

With 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, 19th level your companion gains extra features. you may choose one of the following features once per level:

-Companion gains 2 attribute points 
- Companion learns one skill from WIS, DEX or STR skills (except Medicine or (sleight of hand*))
- Companion gains extra attack (this can be learn only once)
- Companion gains one of its special features.

* talk with your DM for special cases (Monkey)

If your companion becomes unconscious they have death saving throws like other heroes. Your companion does these with advantage if you are within 10ft. of them.
If your companion dies. After next long rest change your subclass to hunter subclass.

 

Pack Leader Tactics

As a pack leader, you have trained with your companion to have tactical maneuvers in combat and while adventuring.

You learn the spell Hunter's mark, it does not count against the number of your ranger spells. if you already had learned hunter's mark you may learn aditional spell of the same lvl.

as an action, you can issue a command to your companion that they will execute with the best of their ability. Talk with your DM that should you or DM control your companion in combat. Nevertheless the companion will always do as commanded.

COMMANDS:

Protect: You can issue yourself or another creature to be protected by your companion. Your Companion will stay within 10ft. of the target it protects. and if hostile greature enters within 10ft. of the protected target the companion will use its reaction to move in space between the hostile greature and protected target if possible. and make one attack. The companion will keep attacking the hostile creature until its dead/unconscious or leaves the 10ft. radius. If companion cant go space between hostile creature and protected target it will take up space whiting 5ft. of both. If more than one hostile creature enters the target radius the companion will attack the first hostile creature that enters the area and continues to attack targeted hostile creature.

Attack: You can issue a hostile creature that you and your companion can see to be target of your companion. after the command your companion will use its best of ability to get into combat range of the target and use its turns to attack the target creature until the either the target or your companion is dead,unconscious or your companion is given a new command. In combat when target creature is dead or unconscious your companion will attack the next target that you attacked this turn if not Commanded otherwise.

Halt: You order your companion to wait and hold still. It will do that no matter what, even if you, your allies or itself are attacked or damaged. it will However use dodge action to try to avoid harm.

Help: Your companion will use its skills and help action to best of their ability to try to help you out.

in combat if not given any commands your companion will use its turns to protect you.

If you are knocked unconscious your companion will stop anything it was doing or commanded to do and will protect you until you are conscious again or you or your companion is dead. 

If you die your Companion will go to grieving state staying next to your body and not taking any actions. If hostile creature tries to touch, move or interact with the body it will attack the hostile creature ferociously until its dead or stopped the interaction. If allies known to companion tries to move or interact with your body your allies first must make a persuation/deception check against your companion to be allowed to interact with the body. Your companion will not eat,drink or sleep while you are dead and will die to starvation and exhaustion eventualy if you are not revived.

note: your companion is not stricted to only follow commands and you can think also other ways to get assistance from your companion.

 

 

the pond of the pact

at 7th level you learn additional language depending on your companion's creature type: Sylvan if companion is beast or fey, Primordial if companion is elemental and draconic if companion is dragon. the companion also learns this language if they don't know it already.

If your companions intellect is less than 6 it becomes 6. you can communicate with your companion either through language or gestures and understand each other perfectly.

while your hunter's mark is active, it also benefits your companion. your companions attacks are count as magical as long as your hunter's marks is active.

Companions Bond

You have even deeper understanding with your companion. 

You learn spells Beast bond and Beast sense and they don't count against your known ranger spells

you may use the spells regardless of your companions creature type.

Mark of the Companion

Your adventures together have made your companion learn how to make enemies vulnerable to your attacks while assaulting them. Your companion can cast Hunter's mark on target creature which benefits you both. your companion is concentrating on the spell and it functions as normal to both of you. Your companion may use the spell once per short rest.

Ultimate pond between souls.

Your connection with your Companion knows no limits. 

as an action you merge with your companion for 1 minute. you must be withing 15ft. of your companion you both become ethereal and collide to each other. Your merged form appear middle way of the spaces between you and your companion. if the 5ft. space between them is not unoccupied the merged form appears 5ft. next to the space. If there is no free space in 5 ft. radius of the target merging space both you and your companion take 4d6 force damage and appear prone to your original positions expending the use.

in this merged form, you gain 1/4 your companions HP as temporary hit points. every creature is considered to be under hunter's mark spell for you and you will get your bonus damage die regardless of the attack type (spell or normal attack) you also gain +2 to your AC, to hit and damage made with your weapon attacks. you also gain an extra attack when you use your action to attack.

after 1 minute merged form vanishes and you and your companion appear in 15ft. radius of the merged form's last position.  divide all health loss from the merged form by two and deal that damage to you and your companion.