Beast Master REVISED

The kidnapper crashes through the underbrush, holding onto his prize for dear life as death stalks behind him.  Bursting through the trees, he curses his luck and skids to a halt at the top of a tall, foreboding cliff face.  Turning to face his pursuer, he clutches his dagger to his young captive's throat, barking an order to stand down.  Seemingly defeated, the ranger sets down his bow and holds his hands in the air.  The kidnapper sneers, suspecting he has outplayed his victim's would-be rescuer.  

A strangled yelp is the last thing heard as his chest is pierced by two long, slender fangs.  He coughs blood, cursing internally.  He had completely forgotten about the ranger's spider companion.

Affinity to Nature

You gain proficiency in the Animal Handling skill.  If you already have the Animal Handling skill, you gain proficiency in another skill of your choice.

Loyal Partner

At 3rd level, you gain a loyal beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a beast of size Large or smaller 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. Its hit point maximum equals the hit point number in its stat block or four times your ranger level, whichever is higher, and it gains hit dice equal to your ranger level.  Like any creature, it can spend Hit Dice during a short rest to regain hit points.

Your companion obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can verbally command it where to move (no action required by you). You can use your bonus action to verbally command it to take the Attack, Dash, Disengage, or Help action. If you don't issue a command, the beast takes the Dodge action. Once you have the Extra Attack feature, you can replace one of your weapon attacks (maximally once per turn) with one of your beast's attacks (this does not use your beast's 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.

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.

*Note: In this way, your beast can be commanded to use its attack using your bonus action in addition to replacing one of your attacks with one of its attacks.  When multi-attack is unlocked at level 11, three total attacks can be made by the beast in one turn.

Lessons of the Feywilds

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

In addition, when you and your beast companion are within 30 feet of one another, you become immune to the frightened condition.

Fury of the Wild

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

Eternal Bond

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.

Additionally, when you or your beast companion take damage and are within 30 feet of each other, you can choose to divide the damage equally between the two of you.  This occurs after resistances are calculated, and the split damage is not affected by resistances.*

Finally, your beast companion's life span is now tied to your own.  It ages roughly as you do (unless it would normally live longer), however any untimely demise you suffer does not kill it.

*For example, if your beast is hit with an attack dealing 30 damage, you may split the damage 15 to your companion and 15 to you.  If any of the damage inflicted to your companion is of a type you would normally resist, you still take 15 total damage and the damage is not halved.  If, however, you are hit with a spell causing 30 points of damage of a type you normally resist, 15 damage is split between you and your beast companion, one taking 7 damage and one taking 8 damage.