Evolutionist

This subclass was inspired from The Eidolist class (created by poundtown00) seen on Pinterest. It was originally a class on its own but I took some concepts and incorporated it with the ranger's beast conclave.

The Evolutionist archetype embodies a unique between a civilized race, the beasts of the wild, and a sprinkle of Darwinism.  Empowered from each adventure, your beast and ranger slowly evolve into the ultimate predator.

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Ranger’s Beast 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.  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 its proficiency bonus to the beast's AC, attack rolls, and damage rolls. Your animal companion gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws. 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.  Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.  

The beast obeys your commands as best as it can. It takes its turn on your initiative. On your turn, you can verbally command the beast where to move (no action required by you). You can use your 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 make one weapon attack yourself when you command the beast to take the Attack action. The animal companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one.

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 gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you. 

Your animal companion gains the benefits of your Favored Enemy feature, and of your Greater Favored Enemy feature when you gain that feature at 6th level. It uses the favored enemies you selected for those features.

When using your Natural Explorer feature, you and your animal companion can both move stealthily at a normal pace.

You can have only one animal companion at a time. If your animal companion is ever slain, the magical bond you share allows you to return it to life. With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 25 gp worth of rare herbs and fine food, you call forth your companion’s spirit and use your magic to create a new body for it. You can return an animal companion to life in this manner even if you do not possess any part of its body. If you use this ability to return a former animal companion to life while you have a current animal companion, your current companion leaves you and is replaced by the restored companion.

Your companion shares your alignment, and has a personality 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

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Dynamic Duo

Beginning at 7th level, your beast has evolved to the point where magic flows in its blood.  Attacks from your beast are considered magical.

You gain one more choice from the evolution table.

Fury of Claws and Fangs

Starting at 11th level you and your beast have learned to how to choreograph your attacks together.  When you crit on an attack roll your beast may make an attack using a free action.  Your beast must be within 5 feet of the target to take effect of this feature.

You also gain another evolution trait.

Always At Your Side

Your beast has never left your side and never will. Starting at level 15 you can use your action to Call your beast.  Your beast magically teleports to your side in an unoccupied space.  Your beast can teleport regardless of distance as long as you two are on the same material plane.

You gain one more choice from the evolutions table.

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Evolution Table

You gain 2 evolution traits starting at level 3. You can save your evolution points throughout your adventures, but you cannot reclaim your spent points.  Below is a list of possible evolutions starting at level 3.  At levels 7, 11, and 15 you gain another evolution trait. 

EVOLUTIONS

Exceptional Training: On any of your turns you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, Help, or Hide action on its turn.

Illumination: Your beast has grown luminescence stalks or glands. Using your bonus action you can command your beast to shed bright light in a 10 foot radius dim light for an additional 10 feet.

Improved Damage: One of your beast's attacks are extremely deadly. Choose one attack that your beast can do naturally and increase the size of its damage die. Ex d6 turns into a d8. If this evolution is chosen more then once you must choose another form of your beast's attack, ex one evolution on a claw attack and one evolution on a bite attack.

Improved Natural Armor: Your beast has become proficient in protecting itself. Be it through scales or thick hide your beast gains a +2 to their AC.

Keen Smell: Your beast gains advantage on Wisdom (perception) checks that rely on smell.

Natural Attack: Your beast gains an additional natural attack if they can reasonably posses said body part.

• Bite: Your beast uses its sharp jaws to perform a bite attack. The bite uses the beast's STR modifier for attack and damage. The damage is 1d6 piercing +STR.
• Claws: Your beast reaches out with sharp claws to attack your enemies. The claw uses the beast's STR or DEX modifier for attack and damage. The damage is 1d6 slashing +STR or DEX.
• Gore: Your beast grows horn atop its head that can be used as a gore attack. The horns uses the beast's STR modifier for attack and damage. The damage is 1d6 piercing +STR.
• Slam: Your beast uses its hoofs, or sheer body weight to perform a slam attack. The slam uses the beast's STR modifier for attack and damage. The damage is 1d6 bludgeoning +STR.
•  Sting: Your beast has grown a stinger granting it a sting attack. The stinger uses the beast's STR or DEX modifier for attack and damage. The damage is 1d6 piercing +STR or DEX.
• Tentacle / Tail Slap: Your beast can use its tail to perform a slap attack. The tail uses the beast's STR or DEX modifier for attack and damage. The damage is 1d6 bludgeoning +STR or DEX.
• Tusk: Your beast has grown tusks protruding from its jaw. The tusks uses the beast's STR modifier for attack and damage. The damage is 1d6 piercing +STR.

Pack Tactics: You have trained your beast in cohesive attacks. Your beast has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if it has at least one ally within 5 feet of the creature. The ally cannot be incapacitated.

Skilled: Your beast has grown especially adept at performing certain tasks. Choose one skill from athletic, acrobatics, sleight of hand, stealth, survival, intimidation, or perception. Your beast can apply your proficiency bonus to that skill. This evolution can be chosen more than once but you must choose a new skill.

Spider Climb: Your beast has grown tiny claws or some kind of microscopic gripping layer of skin. Your beast now has a climbing speed equal to its movement.

Sure Footed: Your beast has advantage on STR and DEX saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.

Swift: Your beast has gained quicker reflexes or possibly more appendages. Your beast increases its movement speed by 10 feet.

Swim: Your beast has grown webbed hands, flippers, or a tail. Your beast now has a swim speed equal its movement speed.

EVOLUTIONS (level 7)

Amphibious: Your beast has grown gills or some other form of water breathing. Your beast can breathe both air and water.

Burrow: Your beast can use it's claws or other appendages to tunnel through the ground. Your beast gains a burrow speed equal to half its movement.

Chameleon Skin: Your beast has learned how to blend into its surroundings. Your beast has advantage on DEX (Stealth) checks made to hide.

Charge: If your beast moves at least 20 feet in a straight line towards the target and hits with either a gore or tusk attack, the target takes an additional 7 (2d6) damage.

Crush: Your beast has grown powerful muscles that allow it to crush those it has grappled. Whenever your beast successfully grapples a creature it deals damage equal to its STR modifier. When a creature that is currently grappled starts its turn, it takes damage equal to the modifier at the start of its turn.

Flight: Whether it be through wings, a magic cloud, or something else entirely your beast can now fly. It has a fly speed equal to its movement speed.

Growth: Your beast has grown in size, becoming one size larger. The beast gains a +2 bonus to STR and a +2 bonus to CON, not exceeding the maximum of 20. If your creature is now large sized it has disadvantage on Stealth rolls, but gains the reach property on its attacks. Your beast cannot gain the evolution if it is already considered large. You can choose this evolution again if your creature is not yet considered large. Ex if you started with a Weasel (tiny) you can take this the first time making it small. You can take it again making it medium, then a third time making it large.

Pounce: If your beast moves at least 20 ft. straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a STR (DC 10+ your beast's STR modifier) saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, your beast can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Poison: Your beast can secrete venom, granting it a poison attack. When your beast hits with either a claw or bite attack you can choose to apply its poison. The target must make a CON saving throw. On a failed save the target is poisoned for 1 minute. On a successful save the target is immune to poison for 1 hour. DC equals 10+ your beast's CON modifier

Rampage: Your beast has grown efficient in combat. When your beast reduces a creature to 0 hit points with a melee attack, it can take a bonus action to move up to half its movement speed and make another melee attack.

Spiked: Your beast has grown dangerous spikes covering its body. Whenever your beast is dealt melee damage the attacking creature takes piercing damage equal to your proficiency level. Attacks made with the reach trait are immune to this effect.

Tremorsense: Your beast has become attuned to the vibrations in the ground It gains tremorsense in a 15 foot radius.
 

EVOLUTIONS (level 11)

Blindsight: The eyes on your beast has improved. Your beast has blindsight out to a range of 60 feet.

Magic Resistance: Throughout the time it has spent with you your beast has grown adept to fighting magic. Your beast now has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects that would target it.

Psi Link:  Your beast has grown so close to you that the two of you can read each others thoughts.  You and your beast can communicate telepathically for a range up to 500ft.  Furthermore, with no action required, you can see through your familiar's eyes and hear what it hears until the start of your next turn, gaining the benefits of any Special Senses that your beast has. During this time, you are deaf and blind with regard to your own Senses.

Stench: Your beast produces a ghastly odor. Any creature that starts its turn within 5 feet of your beast must make a CON save. On a failed save that creature is poisoned for one minute. On a successful saving throw that creature is immune to poison for one hour. You are automatically immune to the stench, in fact it has kind of grown on you.

Swallow: The beast makes a bite attack against a creature one size smaller than itself that it is grappling. If the attack hits the target is swallowed and the grapple ends. The swallowed target is blinded and restrained. The target has total cover and is immune to effects outside the beast, ex fireball. The target takes 10 (3d6) acid damage. The target makes a STR save at the end of its turn to try to escape. The target can also escape if your beast reaches 0 hit points. Your beast can only swallow one target at a time.

Web: Your beast has grown a pair of spinnerets. Your beast can now make a ranged weapon attack. Range: 30/60 feet. On hit the target is restrained. As an action the target can make a STR check against your spellsave DC, breaking the web on a success. The webbing can also be attacked or destroyed. It has an AC of 10 and 5 hit points. The web is immune to bludgeoning, poison, or psychic damage. it is vulnerable to fire damage.

Evolutions (level 15)

Breath Attack: Your beast has gain the ability to exhale a destructive force of energy. You may choose your breath weapon from the options below. You can only choose this evolution once so your choice will be final. Creatures targeted by this attack must make saving throw. The targeted enemies take 4d6 damage on a failed save, and half as much on a successful save.  Recharge (5-6).

• Acid: 5 by 60 foot line (DEX save)
• Cold 30 foot cone (CON save)
• Fire 5 by 60 foot line or 30 foot cone (DEX save)
• Lightning: 5 by 60 foot line (DEX save)
• Poison: 30 Foot cone (CON save)

Elemental attack: Your beast deals an additional 2d4 damage of a chosen type on its natural attacks, bite, claws, etc. Choose one of the following types: Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning.

Invisibility: As a bonus action your beast can magically turn invisible for up to one hour or until it makes an attack. Any equipment the beast is wearing or carries is also invisible, saddles bags, etc. Only the Ranger can gain this effect as well (if mounted). After turning invisible your beast cannot do so again until it completes a long rest.

Regeneration: Your beast regain hit points equal to its CON modifier (minimum of 1) at the start of its turn. If your beast is currently taking damage from fire, acid, or any other damages occurring at the beginning of its turn, it can not regenerate hit points.

Teleport: As a bonus action your beast can magically teleport up to its movement speed. The space must be unoccupied and visible by your beast to teleport to. Any equipment the beast is wearing or carries teleports with it. Only the ranger can gain this effect as well (if mounted). Your beast can use this to an amount equal to its WIS modifier (minimum of one).

Untouchable: Your beast's hide has further thickened, giving it superior protection. Choose two damage types. Your beast has resistance to those two types.