Beastmaster (Alternative)
Beastmasters are the tag team duo of the wilds. Using their primordial magics to create a lifelong bond with a faithful animal companion, beastmasters will hunt, track, swim, climb, and thrive together. If a poacher finds themselves attacked by a wolf or hawk, they should keep an eye out for their master knocking an arrow in the brush.
Faithful Friend
At 3rd level, you gain a faithful animal companion that is trained to fight alongside you. Choose a size Medium or smaller Beast with a challenge rating of 1⁄4 or lower. The beast’s hit points are equal to the hit points listed in its stack block or 5 times your Ranger Level plus the beast's constitution modifier and your wisdom modifier.
As your Faithful Friend, you add your proficiency bonus to the beast’s AC and attack rolls. Your beast also gains proficiency in Strength and Dexterity saving throws.
When your beast completes a short rest, it regains all of its hitpoints. If reduced to zero hit points in combat, the beast rolls death saving throws as a player character normally would. If your Faithful Friend dies, you can obtain a new companion by magically bonding with a beast that isn’t hostile to you and that meets the size and challenge rating requirements over the course of a long rest.
Animal Combat Training
While in combat, your faithful friend shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only action it takes on its turn is the Dodge action, unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take one of the actions in its stat block or the Dash, Disengage, or Help 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.
Primordial Spirit
Beginning at 7th level, the magical bond between you and your beast grows, enhancing it with primordial magics, 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, your beast's attacks now count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance.
Beastial Storm
Starting at 11th level, your companion can use its action to make a melee attack against each creature of its choice within 5 feet of it, with a separate attack roll for each target.
Additionally, your beast now adds your proficiency bonus to its damage rolls.
Unbreakable Bond
At 15th level, the bond between you and your beast is perfected. Your Faithful Friend gains proficiency in one additional saving throw of your choice, and when your beast is subjected to an effect that allows it to make a saving throw it is proficient in to take only half damage, you can use your reaction to call out to them to reduce the damage to zero if they succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail.
Alternative Beastmaster Ranger by /u/Valerion
Artist Credit: "Scout" by Katerina Poliakova. ArtStation.The following homebrew is yet another attempt at solving the Beastmaster problem. Valerion is not responsible if your combat doggo, noperope, or party parrot bites you.
Special thanks to the Discord of Many Things and its wonderful community for the feedback in developing this subclass.
