PeteNutButter
2016-09-15, 11:20 AM
So it isn't abundantly clear in the pdf for the new Beast Master whether the beast pet gains hit dice when you go up in non-ranger levels, but I think that RAI the beast does not gain hit dice from non-ranger levels. Going off that the MC beast pets will still gain ASI boosts and the full benefit of proficiency when multiclassed.
In order to optimize this the multiclass beast master needs a good way to prevent his little pet from being targeted and exploded at higher levels. What better way than to ride him? Mounted Combatant gives your beasty effectively evasion and he cannot be targeted. So a new go at the Halfling Beast Master could look like this:
Stout Halfling
Stats: 8, 17, 16, 8, 15, 8
Classes: Beast Master 5/Champion 15
Battle Master would probably be better, but for this I'm going Champion for fun. TWF since its dex based. You could consider going DW lance cheese, but cheese aside the reach limitation is tough working with the pet attacks, and halflings don't get a bonus to str.
Grab Mounted Combatant at 4, bump dex and wis at 9. Bump dex again at level 11 to 20. From there take con, wis, feats etc. Maybe resilient con, and wis and pump each one point with the last 3 ASIs.
Your wolf pet has had 6 ASIs by level 20 to pump his str to 20 and con to 16. His bite will have +11 to hit and deal 2d4+11 damage once on his turn and once on yours as a reaction, average 32. His bite also has a str DC 19 (8+6[prof?] + 5[str]) chance to knock foes prone.
Once foes are prone you wail into them potentially dealing (1d6+1d6[mark]+5)x4 =48 but with advantage you have a 27.8% crit chance upping your average damage to 56 or 88 with the pet's added in. Not amazing, but not bad for a tanky little outrider.
Stout Halfling
Stats: 9, 17, 16, 13, 13, 8
Classes: Beast Master 5/Champion 6/Arcane Trickster 9
This build is similar to a standard rapier shield build, except instead of using shield master to knock foes prone it is relying on the much less reliable str save from the wolf bite. If that proves problematic, the build could still easily take shield master. If you are feeling extra ballsy you could start fighter, and wear heavy armor, since you needn't worry about your movement speed as long as you are on your mount. If you are going for stealth as well, you may find it difficult in plate.
Between Ranger and Fighter you get duelist and another fighting style. Might want to avoid defense style since you will end up having access to mage armor. AC will end at 20 with either studded leather and def, or mage armor, or 21 if you went with the ballsy heavy armor. AK gives you shield spell as well.
Grab mounted combatant, boost dex and int, then dex, two remaining ASIs are open.
Your pet will be the same same, giving you advantage when knocking foes prone, and permanent sneak attack since he will be of course within 5 feet of your foes.
Attacks will be (1d8+1d6[mark]+5)x2 +5d6 sneak attack, average ~53+32 from the pet is 85 avg DPR. Both attacks have a 19.1% crit chance with advantage. This might derail the thread, but the wording of sneak attack is like smite (you can deal... when you hit...), so I'd hold off on the sneak attack damage for the first attack in case you crit on the second. RAW I think it works, so if your DM allows it this build could also be TWF to maximize that chance at crit sneak attack. 3 shortsword attacks comes to ~40 avg dmg with a 3 shots of a 19.1% chance at landing that crit sneak attack for 10d6 = ~27.5, together that's 67.5 plus the 32 from the pet makes it 99.5. It's balanced IMO because if you hit with the first two attacks you and choose not to SA, you could miss with the third and be kicking yourself.
You also get cool AK abilities. If you and your pet are both skilled in stealth you can pull off some nice openers like hold person on your foe with disadvantage on their save. Better if you pump int later. With Ranger and EK you have slots as a 5th level caster, limited to second level spells in both though.
In order to optimize this the multiclass beast master needs a good way to prevent his little pet from being targeted and exploded at higher levels. What better way than to ride him? Mounted Combatant gives your beasty effectively evasion and he cannot be targeted. So a new go at the Halfling Beast Master could look like this:
Stout Halfling
Stats: 8, 17, 16, 8, 15, 8
Classes: Beast Master 5/Champion 15
Battle Master would probably be better, but for this I'm going Champion for fun. TWF since its dex based. You could consider going DW lance cheese, but cheese aside the reach limitation is tough working with the pet attacks, and halflings don't get a bonus to str.
Grab Mounted Combatant at 4, bump dex and wis at 9. Bump dex again at level 11 to 20. From there take con, wis, feats etc. Maybe resilient con, and wis and pump each one point with the last 3 ASIs.
Your wolf pet has had 6 ASIs by level 20 to pump his str to 20 and con to 16. His bite will have +11 to hit and deal 2d4+11 damage once on his turn and once on yours as a reaction, average 32. His bite also has a str DC 19 (8+6[prof?] + 5[str]) chance to knock foes prone.
Once foes are prone you wail into them potentially dealing (1d6+1d6[mark]+5)x4 =48 but with advantage you have a 27.8% crit chance upping your average damage to 56 or 88 with the pet's added in. Not amazing, but not bad for a tanky little outrider.
Stout Halfling
Stats: 9, 17, 16, 13, 13, 8
Classes: Beast Master 5/Champion 6/Arcane Trickster 9
This build is similar to a standard rapier shield build, except instead of using shield master to knock foes prone it is relying on the much less reliable str save from the wolf bite. If that proves problematic, the build could still easily take shield master. If you are feeling extra ballsy you could start fighter, and wear heavy armor, since you needn't worry about your movement speed as long as you are on your mount. If you are going for stealth as well, you may find it difficult in plate.
Between Ranger and Fighter you get duelist and another fighting style. Might want to avoid defense style since you will end up having access to mage armor. AC will end at 20 with either studded leather and def, or mage armor, or 21 if you went with the ballsy heavy armor. AK gives you shield spell as well.
Grab mounted combatant, boost dex and int, then dex, two remaining ASIs are open.
Your pet will be the same same, giving you advantage when knocking foes prone, and permanent sneak attack since he will be of course within 5 feet of your foes.
Attacks will be (1d8+1d6[mark]+5)x2 +5d6 sneak attack, average ~53+32 from the pet is 85 avg DPR. Both attacks have a 19.1% crit chance with advantage. This might derail the thread, but the wording of sneak attack is like smite (you can deal... when you hit...), so I'd hold off on the sneak attack damage for the first attack in case you crit on the second. RAW I think it works, so if your DM allows it this build could also be TWF to maximize that chance at crit sneak attack. 3 shortsword attacks comes to ~40 avg dmg with a 3 shots of a 19.1% chance at landing that crit sneak attack for 10d6 = ~27.5, together that's 67.5 plus the 32 from the pet makes it 99.5. It's balanced IMO because if you hit with the first two attacks you and choose not to SA, you could miss with the third and be kicking yourself.
You also get cool AK abilities. If you and your pet are both skilled in stealth you can pull off some nice openers like hold person on your foe with disadvantage on their save. Better if you pump int later. With Ranger and EK you have slots as a 5th level caster, limited to second level spells in both though.