Druid with a beast companion... Help?

[Inevitability]

So one of my players decided he'd like to play a druid with a beast companion. However, the player dislikes the idea of having to take several levels in ranger (which I agree on) as well as the idea of having to cast Animal Friendship one or more times per day.

This player, being the resourceful lad he is, suggested the following. His druid would lose Wild Shape and all related features, and instead gain all abilities of a beastmaster at the levels a beastmaster would normally gain those.

I am not too sure about the balance here, though. Would losing wildshape balance out what amounts to gaining an entire subclass? Should I remove abilities from one? Am I just being ridiculous?

[DersitePhantom]

Does this player want a beast companion purely for flavor reasons, or does he want to fight with it? Does he have a specific beast in mind? What druid subclass is he taking?

I'd be extremely hesitant to give an at-will damage feature to a full spellcaster class in exchange for one that can be used only a limited number of times.

If the player is okay with the beast having no real impact on combat, then taking the magic initiate/ritual caster feat and grabbing find familiar might work. Alternatively, they could get a beast companion simply through roleplay rather than as a class feature: have him meet a beast and go through the gradual process of earning its trust and bonding with it.

If they insist on a beast master style combat companion, then they're just going to have to multiclass, because that won't be even close to balanced.

[JellyPooga]

Alternatively, they could get a beast companion simply through roleplay rather than as a class feature: have him meet a beast and go through the gradual process of earning its trust and bonding with it.

This. Don't make it a class feature, make it an NPC that the Druid has to stay friendly with if he wants to get anything useful out of it. I've never been much of a fan of allies-as-class-features; an NPC is an NPC, not an integral part of a PC. Even familiars and homunculi, magically bound to their masters as they are, are still independent creatures with a will, such as it is, of their own; they just need less persuading than more conventional (non-magically bound) allies.

[Gurka]

Another alternative would be to offer him a modified version of the Ranger's Beastmaster Archetype in lieu of a Druid Circle. IE Circle of the Beast. Sounds like something for an evil Cleric, no?

Actually the only part I see that would require alteration is the bit about allowing the Ranger (Druid in this case) to make an attack when issuing an Attack order to the beast once they unlock the Extra Attack feature, as the Druid does not get that. Alter that to something along the lines of "Once the Druid has reached level 5, when issuing an Attack Command to their Animal Companion, the Druid may also cast a Cantrip as a Bonus Action."

Something like that anyway.

I think it will be significantly less powerful than the other Druid Archetypes, but it should still be relatively playable. I am still of the thought that level 17 far to late for the spell sharing feature to have any shine to it, but you can also tweak other options as you see fit within your game.

[PoeticDwarf]

Another alternative would be to offer him a modified version of the Ranger's Beastmaster Archetype in lieu of a Druid Circle. IE Circle of the Beast. Sounds like something for an evil Cleric, no?

Actually the only part I see that would require alteration is the bit about allowing the Ranger (Druid in this case) to make an attack when issuing an Attack order to the beast once they unlock the Extra Attack feature, as the Druid does not get that. Alter that to something along the lines of "Once the Druid has reached level 5, when issuing an Attack Command to their Animal Companion, the Druid may also cast a Cantrip as a Bonus Action."

Something like that anyway.

I think it will be significantly less powerful than the other Druid Archetypes, but it should still be relatively playable. I am still of the thought that level 17 far to late for the spell sharing feature to have any shine to it, but you can also tweak other options as you see fit within your game.
A wolf with a wolf, who is creating wolves???

I don't think that's going to work. Just give him da beast, because wild shape is very nice too.
You can't do that many damage with the 1/4 beast. Less than an average cleric (also fullcaster).

[ImSAMazing]

A wolf with a wolf, who is creating wolves???

I don't think that's going to work. Just give him da beast, because wild shape is very nice too.
You can't do that many damage with the 1/4 beast. Less than an average cleric (also fullcaster).

Dont reply on something what is about you, you are the player who wants this. Dont reply to a thread about that, that will just confuse other Playgrounders.

[Easy_Lee]

I think swapping the circle for BM archetype, like Gurkha suggested, would be best. I'd let the druid cast one cantrip in place of making one attack when directing the beast to attack, no bonus needed. The average damage of a druid cantrip is not that much different from a magical weapon attack.

[Thisguy_]

Animal Friendship could suffice for this, actually, especially if you want the beast less for combat and more to have. Another option is using a feat to acquire Find Familiar, either Ritual Caster (YMMV) or Magic Initiate (Bonus cantrips from any class).

[Gurka]

I think swapping the circle for BM archetype, like Gurkha suggested, would be best. I'd let the druid cast one cantrip in place of making one attack when directing the beast to attack, no bonus needed. The average damage of a druid cantrip is not that much different from a magical weapon attack.

This is true. Druids have weaker Cantrips, and it would probably be fine; I would also allow for the druid to make a melee attack, if said attack is with shillelagh. Not technically a spell attack, but I think it still applies.

On another note, I'd say giving up wild shape for it is ok, since Wild Shape is (in my mind) a significantly stronger feature... then again you'd be spending most of your time as a humanoid if you're a Land druid anyway, so maybe not.

[eleazzaar]

This player, being the resourceful lad he is, suggested the following. His druid would lose Wild Shape and all related features, and instead gain all abilities of a beastmaster at the levels a beastmaster would normally gain those.

Since the most powerful (and arguably over-powered as a Moon Druid) single feature of the druid is Wildshape, if I were his GM, I'd be thrilled with the chance to make that swap. Since most of the min-maxers consider Beastmaster one of the few worst archetypes, I don't think the Druid will gain more power by this swap.

[PotatoGolem]

Seems relatively fair to me. Giving up a powerful class feature for a relatively weak feature from another class. As Gurka said, you'll have to adjust for lack of extra attack though.

EDIT: It's only fair if no one wants to play BM, obviously, because this character will be way better than a BM ranger.