New Ranger: what animal companions do you like?

[Foxhound438]

So now that we have a more mechanically interesting ranger, I want to explore some of the options that we have, starting with beast companions, for those who decide to follow that path

For me it's pretty simple: if i want to build a ranged ranger, get an ape. it throws rocks, and has a +5 to attack rolls out the gate. You lose value on the 5th level feature if your plan is to have both sit back and do ranged attacks, but it's still fine to have Harambe run in while you shoot arrows from the back row. For a melee build, a wolf would probably take the cake, dealing significant damage by having advantage basically all the time, while my PC would probably dual wield for an extra swing. I know, dual wielding is soooooooo bad, but it's the best damage you'd get for a melee dex fighter.

[Oramac]

For fluff purposes and general personal preference, I like the Panther and Bear.

Mechanically, I think the Wolf will probably be best overall, with the Ape a close second for pure ranged damage, as you say.

[BDRook]

With the Ape having a ranged natural weapon, it begs the question; what if the party is in an area where there aren't any rocks? Personally I'd have it they just find something random on the ground to chuck, but I could see meaner DMs just say they have to go melee.

[atlas_hugged]

I'm not too interested in any of the default companions.

I like the concept of an urban ranger, who relies on his skills to survive and thrive in an unforgiving urban environment.

For that purpose, I really like the idea of a Bat or Raven companion. Mimicry seems like it would be pretty useful in an intrigue type campaign. Having blindsight available to you with the bat also seems really useful.

Outside of that, Owls for flyby (even more companion safety), Constrictor Snakes, Giant Frogs and Giant Crabs for really good grappling (a ranger grappler can have 3/3/4 targets grappled at a time with the constrictor snake/giant frog/Giant Crab+himself), Poisonous Snakes (or the superior Flying Snake) for poison shenanigans, Tressym for detecting of invisibility and poisons.

Stirges are cute, and I've seen players do interesting things with the blood drain.

Giant Centipedes are just really cool.

I didn't check these to see if they violate the damage per turn rules or anything like that. Just CR.

[JumboWheat01]

Probably a bear. I'm a sucker for bears. Though if I, for whatever reason, make a Drow Ranger, clearly it must be a panther.

I've been playing Neverwinter a lot lately, WAY too many Drow Hunter Rangers...

[Temperjoke]

I like the Giant Badger. It can dig, which can provide different opportunities than the others.

[D.U.P.A.]

Mule. If I cannot ride it, I can still ride a cart (maybe a chariot), since it has double carrying capacity of having Beast of burden train (like being large).

[Kushina43]

I like the flavor of the Ape, though the ranged natural weapon is of course nice. The Beast companion is what makes me want to try the class, but until now i thought the animal too weak. Now i get to have a chimp pal

[Specter]

Something I don't think was made clear: can the companion get a feat instead of an ASI? If so, I need to play with sword-wielding ape.

[Sigreid]

Something I don't think was made clear: can the companion get a feat instead of an ASI? If so, I need to play with sword-wielding ape.

I was thinking of a ranger with a sailor background and trying to talk the group into allowing pilot water craft instead of a skill. "Raise the sail Mr. Tibble!"

[Naanomi]

Centipede (and most of the poison guys) break the damage limit. A few break the HP cap as well (giant frog)

I'm excited about Giant Crab with increased strength; and a ranged halfling riding an ape

[JumboWheat01]

...and a ranged halfling riding an ape

Halflings can already do that, it's called having a Barbarian friend. :smalltongue:

[Belac93]

Mule with increased Intelligence, on a character who started with 5 in intelligence.

[MasterMercury]

Ape with increased intelligence and charisma, with persuasion and investigation as skills. Name: Caesar

[Naanomi]

Along those line, take a CHA 7 animal, pump the Charisma, and take social skills... "Yes, the Bear is in fact our party face, why?". Note that as written, you can get more stat gains as a Ranger/Fighter or Ranger/Rogue than as a basic Ranger, allowing you to get up to 20 INT or CHA if you really want to

Another aside, Ape and Bear both break the 'rules' by having too much starting HP, and if you put points into their Constitution you could end up with 19+16d8+100 HP... just a bit more survivable than before ;)

[Sigreid]

Along those line, take a CHA 7 animal, pump the Charisma, and take social skills... "Yes, the Bear is in fact our party face, why?". Note that as written, you can get more stat gains as a Ranger/Fighter or Ranger/Rogue than as a basic Ranger, allowing you to get up to 20 INT or CHA if you really want to

Another aside, Ape and Bear both break the 'rules' by having too much starting HP, and if you put points into their Constitution you could end up with 19+16d8+100 HP... just a bit more survivable than before ;)

I think the real point of the limited list is they wanted the beast to by default not have access to things like poisons and webs and such. Just a theory.

[Naanomi]

I think the real point of the limited list is they wanted the beast to by default not have access to things like poisons and webs and such. Just a theory.
Probably, technically you can still get poison (from a few sources, depending on how one interprets the '8 damage cap'... a scorpion is safe either way off the top of my head). Sad to see Giant Frog go, but it was a weird one rules-wise anyways.

I'm glad to see Giant Crab and Bloodhawk still make the 'secondary list', and vulture is still a viable flying mount after some strength ASIs

[Sigreid]

Probably, technically you can still get poison (from a few sources, depending on how one interprets the '8 damage cap'... a scorpion is safe either way off the top of my head). Sad to see Giant Frog go, but it was a weird one rules-wise anyways.

I'm glad to see Giant Crab and Bloodhawk still make the 'secondary list', and vulture is still a viable flying mount after some strength ASIs

I was referring to the default list. Not the "if your DM is amiable he can let you have something else that meets these criteria." As it's written, anything but those few beasts is an optional rule. Though I would expect most DMs to allow other creatures, within reason.

[Finback]

I'm hoping we will see some new DMs Guild animal companions that are balanced, but allow for a broader range. It's easy enough to do a cursory reskin (eg if a player said they wanted a hyena, I'd say "use a wolf, file off the serial numbers"), but when it comes to things like players wanting a raven or an owl (as mentioned above), or something more diverse like a sea lion (the pinniped, not that weird MM thing) or an alligator, I don't want to have to say "no". Balancing a creature out to give more diversity is the way to go forward, I think. Because damned if I don't want to be able to have a Velociraptor, even if it means being reduced to a single bite attack.

[famousringo]

I've long wanted to play a gnomish frog knight, but since frogs aren't on the pre-approved list anymore, I'd probably grab a panther as a second choice. Good mobility, good senses, nice attack rider.

[Foxhound438]

crab honestly sounds great for reasons outside of optimization

my playgroup jokes around a lot, and a giant crab companion is perfect fuel for our BS.

So obviously split ASI 1 between str and con, get to +2 and +1 mods, respectively, put 3 more in str and a last one in con at the end. Best part, it ends up with AC 21.

Or perhaps you use it as the group's tank, since it auto-grabs on hit, and pump con twice and dex 3 times, end up AC 24 and okay HP.

Edit: yep, sorry Harambe, but my next character is going to be some sort of crab master.

more editer: the more I think of this the better it gets.

1) be a Vuman with magic initiate: druid for create bonfire to abuse the s*** out of that free, consistent grapple;

2) the 5th level feature stacks with extra attack. So after a long while in ranger (11 at least for me, the flurry of claws seems good with grapple claws) take 5-9 levels in either monk or fighter. Fighter could get you (and Mr Kraben Hauser) an extra ASI and action surge, with some maneuvers tossed in for kicks, while monk gives a pretty solid boost to mobility and melee damage in a pinch (no pun intended). Shadow step is a particularly enticing option, although the shadow arts spells aren't particularly useful to you.

3) alternatively to going for an extra attack out of a multiclass, it may be worth being a bit more MAD and get 3 levels of sorc or wizard to enlarge Kraben Hauser, thus allowing it to grapple things as large as huge. Some metamagic for bonus action bonfires might be nice as well, or alternatively the ever-potent portent.

[ad_hoc]

http://myminiaturesite.altervista.org/immagini/War%20of%20the%20Dragon%20Queen/WarApe.jpg

[Finback]

I've long wanted to play a gnomish frog knight, but since frogs aren't on the pre-approved list anymore, I'd probably grab a panther as a second choice. Good mobility, good senses, nice attack rider.

Is he armed with just a spear and shield?

'cause then he can be a hop-lite.

[Asmotherion]

Probably a bear. I'm a sucker for bears. Though if I, for whatever reason, make a Drow Ranger, clearly it must be a panther.

I've been playing Neverwinter a lot lately, WAY too many Drow Hunter Rangers...

And few thousand too many with the name Drizzt Do'Urden (and variations of the spelling)... >_>

[Maxilian]

I like the Giant Badger. It can dig, which can provide different opportunities than the others.

I agree with you here, but they always makes me want to make my ranger a Dwarf :P

Also the Giant Crab is quite nice, it grapple any creature that it hits that is smaller than it (That's quite nice!)

and a Frog Knight, i have been dreaming on making one! (I still kind of prefare it for a Paladin, but that would depend on the DM -if he/she accepts the Giant Frog as a Find Steed)

Note: Sadly the new limitation to the ranger pet make me sad

[Belac93]

I'm going to make Jumpy the halfling, and his orangutan mount, Git. He has very low intelligence, and relies on Git to chuck him around at his enemies.

[Sir cryosin]

Get a ape up his wisdom and get him the cantrip magic stone. Then give him a fan pack full of rock to sling.

[Foxhound438]

I agree with you here, but they always makes me want to make my ranger a Dwarf :P

Also the Giant Crab is quite nice, it grapple any creature that it hits that is smaller than it (That's quite nice!)

and a Frog Knight, i have been dreaming on making one! (I still kind of prefare it for a Paladin, but that would depend on the DM -if he/she accepts the Giant Frog as a Find Steed)

Note: Sadly the new limitation to the ranger pet make me sad

giant crab can grab anything as normal, so up to one size up.

[EvilAnagram]

A Gnome Boar rider with Beast Bond is suddenly a major threat.

[Temperjoke]

A Gnome Boar rider with Beast Bond is suddenly a major threat.

https://youtu.be/XH3Xu1-cvII

>_>

[LostHanyou]

Is there a way to get the ape proficient in simple or martial weapons? Because the idea of a fully outfitted ape is too much to resist.

[8wGremlin]

There is a feat that gives you proficiency in 4 weapons.

[JumboWheat01]

We still don't know if animals are only allowed to use their ASIs on stats or if they can snag feats as well. I know my DM says stats only, but your mileage may vary.

[Naanomi]

I hope it is stats only really, feats open up options yes but start stealing thunder from actual players... Magic Initiate handing ranged attacks to wolves and the like, giant crab with Sentinel... It would also open the door for barding to require feats for the proficiency

[Oramac]

I hope it is stats only really, feats open up options yes but start stealing thunder from actual players... Magic Initiate handing ranged attacks to wolves and the like, giant crab with Sentinel... It would also open the door for barding to require feats for the proficiency

As much as I want to see an ape with a greatsword, I have to agree that allowing the companion to get feats would be a bad idea.

[Regitnui]

Outside the preapproved, anyone seen good aquatic companions?

[EvilAnagram]

Outside the preapproved, anyone seen good aquatic companions?

Giant Crab.

[Sianthus]

Ehh.. I'm leaning towards a panther. Refluff it to Jaguar. Then spice it up even more by making it a white jaguar.

Then call it "The most serendipitous Lady Cloudy Blanky Cuddlesalot Napbuddy the 2nd".

Perfect.

[Oramac]

Ehh.. I'm leaning towards a panther. Refluff it to Jaguar. Then spice it up even more by making it a white jaguar.

Then call it "The most serendipitous Lady Cloudy Blanky Cuddlesalot Napbuddy the 2nd".

Perfect.

In this case, the Ranger needs to be a British bad guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7gR7EYjcP8).

[Naanomi]

Given they can clearly throw rocks, how would an ape companion with a maxed wisdom and Magic Stone via magic initiate master work out?

[EvilAnagram]

Given they can clearly throw rocks, how would an ape companion with a maxed wisdom and Magic Stone via magic initiate master work out?

Magic Stone operates on the caster's spell attack, so it would work exactly as well as giving them to anyone else.

[Maxilian]

A Gnome Boar rider with Beast Bond is suddenly a major threat.

Ah, i want to be a Boar Rider, but i don't want to be a small race, i guess i could take a lvl in Artificer to be able to create Growth Potions -sight

[Naanomi]

Magic Stone operates on the caster's spell attack, so it would work exactly as well as giving them to anyone else.
Everyone else isn't also adding their proficiency bonus to the damage

[Maxilian]

Everyone else isn't also adding their proficiency bonus to the damage

True, but the maxed WIS for the Ape will do nothing, better use it in something else (Maybe to make sure its AC its high enough, maybe just push his STR to get plate barding or DEX for Leather barding and giving it a better chance to survive most area spells)

Note: IMHO i think the Magic Stone cantrip work quite well, its a way to improve your pet attack damage, sadly it only give you 3 rocks, so will have to cast it over and over again, and hand it over (So bonus action and free action)

[Naanomi]

Sorry I meant the ranger maxes wisdom and the ape spends its points in Con and Dex

[CursedRhubarb]

Could be fun to run a halfling ranger and go with a bear or black panther. Perhaps fluff your back story as being hunted by a tiger.

[Sianthus]

In this case, the Ranger needs to be a British bad guy (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7gR7EYjcP8).

Oh gosh yes. Yessssss. It's even a white jaguar! Maybe he'll even take some levels in Mastermind Rogue then muahahahaha :smallamused:

[Sigreid]

As much as I want to see an ape with a greatsword, I have to agree that allowing the companion to get feats would be a bad idea.

Yeah, but a wolf companion with a booming blade bite would be kinda full of awesome.

[EvilAnagram]

Yeah, but a wolf companion with a booming blade bite would be kinda full of awesome.

Knowing my dogs, he should probably take Poison Spray.