Homebrew Ranger Archetype: Versatile Beast Master
Many rangers are more at home in the wilds than in civilization, to the point where animals consider them kin. Rangers of the Beast Master Conclave develop a close bond with a beast, then further strengthen that bond through the use of magic.
Beast Master Magic
Starting at 3rd level, you learn an additional spell when you reach certain levels in this class, as shown in the Beast Master Spells table. The spell counts as a ranger spell for you, but it doesn't count against the number of ranger spells you know.
Beast Master Spells
| Ranger Level | Spell |
|---|---|
| 3rd | find familiar |
| 5th | enhance ability |
| 9th | catnap |
| 13th | dominate beast |
| 17th | awaken |
Animal Companion
At 3rd level, you learn to use your magic to create a powerful bond with a creature of the natural world.
With 8 hours of work and the expenditure of 50 gp worth of rare herbs and fine food, you call forth an animal from the wilderness to serve as your faithful companion. Choose a beast that has a challenge rating of 1/2 or lower to be your animal companion. At the end of the 8 hours, your animal companion appears and gains all the benefits of your Companion's Bond ability. 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.
Companion's Bond
Your animal companion gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you.
Single Attack. The animal companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one. Your companion's attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming resistance and immunity to nonmagical attacks and damage.
Companion's Intuition. While you and your companion are within 5 miles of each other, your bond lets either of you know the other's direction and distance from them (in miles), and if the other's current hit points are at 0.
Actions in Combat. The companion obeys your commands as best it can. It shares your initiative, but you can choose if you or your companion takes their turn first each round. You determine your companion's actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. Your companion can't use its action to make attacks until you command it to, but it can move and take other actions and opportunity attacks as normal. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.
Attacks in Combat. You can use a bonus action on your turn to command your companion to attack a target that you can see. Your companion can use its action to attack that target until it or your companion dies, you call off your companion (no action required), or use a bonus action on your turn to command your companion to attack a different target.
Attack Modifier. The attack modifier of your companion's weapon attacks is equal to the attack's normal modifier or your ranger spell attack modifier, whichever is higher.
Saving Throw DC. If an ability, attack, or feature of your companion involves forcing a target to make a saving throw, the saving throw DC is equal to the normal DC or your ranger spell save DC, whichever is higher.
Ability Bonuses. Your animal companion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your Wisdom modifier. Your animal companion adds your Wisdom modifier (minimum of 0) to its AC, saving throws, and skills checks.
When you reach 11th level in this class, your companion also adds your Wisdom modifier to the damage rolls of its weapon attacks.
Maximum Hit Points & Hit Dice. Your animal companion's hit point maximum is equal to its normal maximum or 5 x your ranger level, whichever is higher. It also has a number of d8 hit dice equal to your ranger level, which it can spend during a short rest.
Personality. Your companion shares your alignment, and you determine its personality traits and flaws.
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."
Peerless Teamwork
Beginning at 11th level, you and your animal companion master hunting as one coordinated unit. When you or your companion hits a creature with a weapon attack, until the start of the attacker’s next turn, the other can roll a d6 and add the result to its next weapon attack roll against the same creature. Both you and your companion can each impart this benefit to the other once per round.
Share Spells
At 15th level, the magical bond between you and your companion deepens. When you cast a spell targeting yourself, you can also affect your beast companion with the spell if you can see your companion.
