Split Soul Ranger

Through years of experience in nature you have grown attuned to the mystical energy that binds all natural phenomenon. Through this connection, your soul can be shared with a select species of beast, creating a deep bond between you and your beastly companion. This bond is mystical in origin but can grow stronger and more versatile through training. 

Beastly Companion

At level 3, you gain a beast companion that accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a beast that is no bigger than Large and that has a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower. Follow the beast's normal stat block with the following exceptions: 

• Add your proficiency modifier to its attack rolls, and any saving throws and skills it is proficient in in place of its own
• The beast does not have Multiattack

As you level, your companion will grow alongside you. In addition to rolling your own hit point increases when levelling, roll increases for your animal companion using the hit dice listed on the creature’s ordinary stat block. When you gain ability score improvements at 4th, 8th, 12th, 16th, and 19th levels, your animal companion may increase any one of its physical ability scores by 1.

Your companion will take its turn directly following your initiative. On your turn, you may instruct the beast to direct its movement. You may also use your Bonus Action or Action to instruct the beast verbally or somatically to perform the Attack, Dash, Disengage, Dodge, Hide, or Help option. Once the beast has been instructed to perform an action, it will continue to perform that action until it is no longer able to be performed or until its master gives a different instruction. You may use your Extra Attack to instruct your beast to attack on your turn. 

Without instruction, your companion will naturally take the Dodge action or the Disengage action to avoid areas of effect. If you are incapacitated your beast companion will ignore any instruction to find and protect you. 

Roll 1d6 to determine a personality trait and flaw of your beast companion. You cannot roll the same number for each. Pick one to re-roll if the same number is rolled. 

Trait: 

1. I am friendly to those who are friendly to my master. 

2. Unless otherwise instructed, I watch over my master when my master sleeps. 

3. I am well behaved in public. 

4. I am courageous in battle. 

5. I am a wild spirit and will often feed myself. 

6. I will listen to others if instructed... for about an hour.

 

Flaw: 

1. I dislike everybody but my master. 

2. I often fall asleep if not busy. 

3. If I see available food, I will eat it. 

4. If I am badly hurt, I will sometimes disengage from battle. 

5. I am your companion for a reason. Take care of me. 

6. I do not like being away from my master. 

Soul Siphon

At level 3, you may approach your beast companion and cut your hand, bleeding some of your soul into your companion. This fully replenishes its health but takes half of your maximum health and inflicts one level of exhaustion upon yourself. 

Diligent Training

At level 7, extensive time spent training with your beast companion has resulted in it learning specific battlefield maneuvers exclusive to its species. Mechanics of Diligent Training are run utilizing training points to begin each maneuver. Your ranger has an amount of training points equal to two times his Wisdom modifier. Each maneuver requires your beast's reaction and your bonus action in addition to training points. To recover training points, make an animal handling check during a short rest. This check divided by 4 and rounded up is the amount of points your ranger receives. Make this check twice during a long rest. If your beast rests while your ranger does not, regain 1/2 of the training points. 

The beast naturally learns 3 maneuvers, 2 at level 7 and 1 additional maneuver at level 9. You may retrain and replace any maneuver at a level in which ability scores are rewarded. Only one maneuver may be enacted at a time. Maneuvers fall under multiple categories and can only be taught to beasts that fulfill the necessary requirements. 

Maneuver save DC = 8 + your proficiency bonus + your wisdom modifier

General Maneuvers: The following maneuvers can be taught to all beasts that fulfill the maneuver requirements. 

     Territorial Response, Meat Shield, Deadly Grasp, Play Dead, Mounted Combat

Predatory Maneuver: Ambush can be taught to predators. 

Micro Maneuver: Close Combat can be taught to beasts that are small or tiny.

Arial Maneuvers: Arial View can be taught to beasts with natural fly speeds. 

 

Training has also altered your beast's personality slightly. You may re-roll either your companion's trait or flaw.

Ambush

For 1 maneuver point your beast is instructed to hide. When you instruct your beast companion to attack an enemy from which it is hidden, your beast's attack has advantage and, on a hit, deals d6 sneak attack damage equal to 1/5 your player level rounded down (minimum of 1). If your beast was not hidden, these benefits are negated and your training point is lost. 

(lvl 14 deals 2d6, lvl 15 deals 3d6)

Arial View

For 1 training point your beast companion is able to direct you to one specific enemy. Upon enacting this maneuver, your companion will fly 15ft in the air, or as high as the area allows, and follow an enemy target on the enemy's turn. This will distract the enemy and give advantage on one attack against that enemy for the next turn. Your companion can see and follow invisible enemies, allowing you to identify their location and attack without disadvantage but without advantage upon a successful Perception check contested by the enemy's Stealth check. Once you have gained the Feral Senses ability, your beast will provide advantage upon attacks. 

Close Combat

For 2 training points your beast may enter the same 5ft square as any enemy of the size medium or larger and take cover between the enemy's legs, on their back, or near them in general. Your beast will follow the enemy during the enemy's turn. From this position, your beast may attack the enemy it is hiding under for 1/2 physical damage rounded down, but may not attack any other enemy or use its movement speed.

The enemy your beast is hiding under may attack your beast after completing a successful Dexterity check contested by your beast's Dexterity check. This attack is done at disadvantage.

Any other enemy who attacks your beast has a chance to hit the enemy it is hiding near. If the number shown on the attack roll die is 10 or lower the enemy will take 1/2 damage. If the die roll is 10 or lower but with proficiency hits your beast, both take 1/2 damage.  If the roll, including proficiency, equals exactly the AC of the enemy cover, the enemy takes 1/2 damage and your beast takes none. If the die roll is less than 10 and the total roll is the enemy's AC, it takes full damage.

Your beast must use its reaction to continue this maneuver. This maneuver ends upon a successful hit on your beast that does not also injure its cover. This attack pushes your beast 5ft opposite of the direction of the attack or, if that is not possible, in any direction decided upon by your DM. Spells that do not utilize attack rolls are not affected by this maneuver. 

 

Deadly Grasp

For 2 training points your beast will attempt to grapple an enemy one size larger than themselves or smaller within their melee range. Your beast makes a Strength check against the enemy's Athletics check. If the enemy fails, it takes 1d6 bludgeoning damage and is considered grappled. The enemy may continue to make Strength checks to break free on their turn. Your beast must use its reaction to continue grappling and continue applying the 1d6 bludgeoning damage on its turn. 

Meat Shield

For 1 training point your beast refuses to let you take damage. Your companion circles your ranger at a distance of 5ft. Roll 1d4 upon an attack that will hit the ranger. If the result is an odd number, it hits your beast companion instead. Small and tiny companions will only block 1/2 of the damage. 

Mounted Combat

For 3 training points so long as your beast's size is equal to your ranger's, you many mount your beast and begin mounted combat for a number of rounds equal to 1d4. If your ranger is at least one size smaller than your beast, then you can utilize mounted combat for 1d4 turns without decreasing damage from your beast. While in mounted combat you use your mount's movement speed, you attack with advantage, and your ranged attacks ignore half cover. However, your beast is tired from carrying you and deals half damage. 

Play Dead

For 1 training point any beast that is not a predator can fool enemies into believing it has fallen in battle. After taking damage, your beast may play dead. Enemies must make an Insight check competed by your beasts Deception check. Enemies who fail the check will treat it as a fallen enemy and as long as your beast spends one round without moving, its next attack is with advantage. 

Territiorial Response

For two training points your beast will follow you throughout the battlefield protecting you. Your beast is considered to be within 5ft of you in every direction as it is circling you. Any enemy who comes within 10ft of you will provoke an opportunity attack from your beast. This opportunity attack will reduce the enemy movement speed to 0 upon the first hit. Your beast is able to complete 1d4 opportunity attacks until this maneuver ends but may take no other reaction besides opportunity attack until it ends. When moving through the battlefield, you must leave enough room for your companion on all sides. 

Death's Door

At level 11, your connection to your beast companion has grown so strong that you are able to telepathically communicate with it after falling in battle. After falling unconscious you may still instruct your beast as normal. However, you cannot command it to perform training maneuvers. 

If you allow your companion to return to your fallen body, your beast will protect it at all cost. While it is within 5ft of your body and conscious, you have advantage on death saving throws and your beast will protect you from damage. It will attack any enemy who approaches and will throw itself atop your body to protect you from any damage. Your beast will take 1/2 of the damage you would take in your place. 

If your beast companion falls in battle, you may approach its body and give it advantage on death saving throws so long as you are conscious within 5ft of it. You will also go into rage following your companion falling unconscious. Rage will last 1 minute or until your companion gets up. 

     Rage: 

• You have advantage on Strength checks and Strength saving throws.
• Add +2 to all melee attack and damage rolls
• You have resistance to bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage.

Altered Connection

At level 11, you may disconnect from your beast companion. Your companion will leave without turning hostile, never to be seen again. 

You connect with a new beast that can have a CR of 1. However, you have not had enough time to train the new companion and are only able to teach two training maneuvers. 

Cosmic Connection

At level 15, when your ranger or beast is affected by a spell, you may choose to channel the spell into the other when within 30ft of one another. This can be done when either the ranger or beast is unconscious but not when both are.