Beast Master (Lifebound Partner)

Author's Note: This is a work in progress. As a modified Beast Master Ranger, this subclass seeks to implement some of the ideas from Tasha's Primal Companion alternate class feature - beast survivability, permanence, and customization - while retaining the meaningful choice of picking an actual beast to serve as your companion, rather than a stat-block disguised as a shapeshifting spirit. I'd rather replace the subclass with a series of alternate Beast Master class features, but DDB doesn't support that right now.

 

The Beast Master archetype embodies a friendship between the civilized races and the beasts of the wild. While some Best Masters choose to work with a variety of creatures, others bond with one creature for life. The bond between the two can transcend even death, and manifests in ways as varied as nature itself.

Lifebound Partner

At 3rd level, you form a powerful, magical bond with a trusted animal companion. The bond ties you to each other permanently and cannot be broken. Your companion bears primal markings in a design of your choice as a symbol of your bond. The bond restricts you from voluntarily acting maliciously toward your companion.

Bonded Partner

Choose a beast that is no larger than Medium and 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 5 + five times your ranger level, whichever is higher. It has a number of Hit Dice (d8s) equal to your Ranger level, and can spend them during a short rest to regain hit points.

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.

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.

Your bond binds your companion to you for life, tying its soul and vitality to yours through your magic. Its lifespan increases or decreases to match your own. At any time, you may touch your partner and spend a spell slot to restore 1d8 HP per level of the spell slot expended, plus your spellcasting modifier. When reduced to zero hit points, your companion becomes stable without needing to make saving throws.

If your companion's body is destroyed, its spirit remains bound to yours. You may consume two level 1 spell slots, or a 2nd level spell slot (or higher) to summon it forth in a new body. Its body is permanent unless destroyed, and must match the criteria for a Bonded Companion. Summoning a body different from your partner's original body will have side effects as determined by your DM.

If you die, all effects of your bond are removed from your partner.

Two as One

You and your partner have mastered fighting as a single unit. You gain special abilities when working in concert with it.

Pick one of the options below.

Back to Back

You and your partner have survived all perils by defending each other. You have each taken a plethora of blows for the other, and you'd each give your life to save the other.

When you and your Lifebound partner are within 5 feet of each other and one of you is attacked by a creature visible to the other, the other may use their reaction to interfere with the attack. The interferer may choose to either impose disadvantage on the attack roll, or force the attack to target them instead.

Your partner gains +1 AC and becomes proficient in Constitution saving throws.

Natural Familiar

Your interactions with your Lifebound partner have been instrumental to understanding nature's secrets, and it is able to channel some of your magical power through your bond.

While you are within 100 feet of your partner, you may communicate with it telepathically. It answers any questions you ask to the best of its ability, and can send images and sounds to you through your bond. Additionally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch or self, your partner can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell. Your partner must be within 100 feet of you when the spell is cast. If the spell requires an attack roll, you use your attack modifier for the roll. Spells with a range of self cast in this way take effect on your partner instead of you.

You partner gains proficiency in Wisdom saving throws, and its Passive Perception increases by 2.

Partners in Crime

You and your partner have relied on planning and wiles to make your way through the wilderness.  You cooperate naturally, weaving diversions for one another to attack or escape at will.

As a bonus action, you can signal your partner to attempt to hide from a creature, or use the help to distract a creature within 5 feet of it that you can both see. You have advantage when attacking a creature your partner is distracting, and can retreat from its threat area without taking an opportunity attack. The distracted creature has disadvantage on Perception checks until its next turn.

Your partner gains proficiency in Intelligence saves, and all attacks of opportunity against it are made at disadvantage.

Trusty Steed

Requires your beast companion to be at least one size larger than your character, and to be able to serve as a mount.

Your Lifebound Partner has served as your mount for as long as you have been together. The two of you move as one, even the lightest nudge serving as direction.

Your partner functions as a trained mount. It is considered an intelligent mount, but always follows your directions. While mounted on your partner, you may direct it to take the [action]Dodge[\action], [action]Dash[\action], or [action]Disengage[\action] action without consuming your own action. You are able to direct your partners movement using touch - nudges with your feet, pulls at the reins, etc. - instead of verbal commands.

Your partner gains proficiency with barding and becomes proficient in Dexterity saving throws.

Exceptional Training

Beginning at 7th level, on any of your turns when your Lifebound partner doesn’t attack, you can use a bonus action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Help action on its turn.

In addition, the beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage, and your Lifebound partner adds your proficiency bonus to the DC of all of its abilities that require saving throws.

Bestial Fury

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

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.