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quinron
2016-03-29, 11:33 PM
One of my players is planning to multiclass from Beast Master ranger into either Life Cleric or Druid; he wants to be a healer/combatant, and he's got the stats to fill both roles. However, the abilities that develop based only on levels in a specific class (particularly the throttle on the Ranger's Companion's HP) threaten to cripple him. So I've designed a feat for each build based on the 3.5 level-stacking feats, like Ascetic Mage and Daring Outlaw.

Prerequisite: Ranger level 3 (Beast Master archetype), Druid level 3
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your druid and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining your beast companion's HP and your qualification for Improved Companions.*
- Your druid and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining the spell slots you recover with Natural Recovery (if you chose Circle of the Land) or the maximum challenge rating of your Circle Forms (if you chose Circle of the Moon).

Prerequisite: Ranger level 3 (Beast Master archetype), Cleric level 3
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your cleric and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining your beast companion's HP and your qualification for Improved Companions.*
- You gain one additional use per rest of your Channel Divinity ability. Your cleric levels and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining the maximum CR of undead destroyed by your Destroy Undead ability.

At higher levels, a ranger may obtain companions stronger than those permitted at 3rd level, though he exhibits less expert control over them.
At 7th level, the ranger may gain beast companions of Large size or smaller and/or with a challenge rating of up to 1/2. When calculating the beast’s hit points and its bonuses to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws and skills with which it is proficient, consider the ranger to be half his current level (rounded down).
At 11th level, the ranger may gain beast companions of Large size or smaller with a challenge rating of up to 1. When calculating the beast’s hit points and its bonuses to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws and skills with which it is proficient, consider the ranger to be 1/3 his current level (rounded down).
At 15th level, the ranger may gain beast companions with a challenge rating of up to 2. When calculating the beast’s hit points and its bonuses to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws and skills with which it is proficient, consider the ranger to be 1/4 his current level (rounded down).

I put together the Improved Companion setup to mirror 3.5's Alternative Animal Companions, allowing stronger companions but giving smaller bonuses. I'd love feedback on that as well.

The thing I'm most uncertain about is the extra Channel Divinity; I'd be willing to lose it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it proves imbalanced. Since the single-class cleric gets their second CD at level 6, and that's the minimum for this feat, it seems okay, but not getting their 3rd until 18 makes me rethink it.

If it does turn out that I need to drop the bonus Channel Divinity, what should I swap it for? I think it needs something - Destroy Undead is way more situational than Natural Recovery and Circle Forms.

PoeticDwarf
2016-03-30, 10:04 AM
One of my players is planning to multiclass from Beast Master ranger into either Life Cleric or Druid; he wants to be a healer/combatant, and he's got the stats to fill both roles. However, the abilities that develop based only on levels in a specific class (particularly the throttle on the Ranger's Companion's HP) threaten to cripple him. So I've designed a feat for each build based on the 3.5 level-stacking feats, like Ascetic Mage and Daring Outlaw.

Prerequisite: Ranger level 3 (Beast Master archetype), Druid level 3
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your druid and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining your beast companion's HP and your qualification for Improved Companions.*
- Your druid and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining the spell slots you recover with Natural Recovery (if you chose Circle of the Land) or the maximum challenge rating of your Circle Forms (if you chose Circle of the Moon).

Prerequisite: Ranger level 3 (Beast Master archetype), Cleric level 3
- Increase your Wisdom score by 1, to a maximum of 20.
- Your cleric and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining your beast companion's HP and your qualification for Improved Companions.*
- You gain one additional use per rest of your Channel Divinity ability. Your cleric levels and ranger levels stack for the purposes of determining the maximum CR of undead destroyed by your Destroy Undead ability.

At higher levels, a ranger may obtain companions stronger than those permitted at 3rd level, though he exhibits less expert control over them.
At 7th level, the ranger may gain beast companions of Large size or smaller and/or with a challenge rating of up to 1/2. When calculating the beast’s hit points and its bonuses to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws and skills with which it is proficient, consider the ranger to be half his current level (rounded down).
At 11th level, the ranger may gain beast companions of Large size or smaller with a challenge rating of up to 1. When calculating the beast’s hit points and its bonuses to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws and skills with which it is proficient, consider the ranger to be 1/3 his current level (rounded down).
At 15th level, the ranger may gain beast companions with a challenge rating of up to 2. When calculating the beast’s hit points and its bonuses to AC, attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws and skills with which it is proficient, consider the ranger to be 1/4 his current level (rounded down).

I put together the Improved Companion setup to mirror 3.5's Alternative Animal Companions, allowing stronger companions but giving smaller bonuses. I'd love feedback on that as well.

The thing I'm most uncertain about is the extra Channel Divinity; I'd be willing to lose it, and I wouldn't be surprised if it proves imbalanced. Since the single-class cleric gets their second CD at level 6, and that's the minimum for this feat, it seems okay, but not getting their 3rd until 18 makes me rethink it.

If it does turn out that I need to drop the bonus Channel Divinity, what should I swap it for? I think it needs something - Destroy Undead is way more situational than Natural Recovery and Circle Forms.

Nice! for more classes would be nice too.

Just destroy the Improved Companion. Makes 3 levels dip worth it for every beastmaster and it was already nice. Make that a complete different variant and not for this feat. After removing that, it seems good. However, the Holy Hunter is too strong. +1 wisdom and an extra use of channel divinity would already EASILY be worth it for a feat. Doesn't add to the ranger/cleric feeling...

quinron
2016-03-31, 11:47 AM
Improved Companion was designed for my player - he chose a pteranodon, which ends up not being able to help them much on dungeon missions, so I wanted him to be able to gather some more animals and switch between them as his actual companions. I agree though, it needs some further tweaking to make it properly balanced against the normal companion. Using the DMG's monster building guide, I think I can get a better idea of how to balance.

I also agree about Holy Hunter; like I said, the extra Channel was my least certain point. What would be a good alternative to adding a Channel, then? Maybe cleric/rangers get the ability to Turn their favored enemies? Actually, I really like that, now that I've come up with it. Thoughts?

Also - does either feat need the +1 Wisdom? It works for both classes either way, but I only really put it in because every other feat that has more than one bonus has three. Is the class synergy good enough on its own? Does the Wisdom bonus make one or both too strong?