Let's make this work! Halfling Ranger Beedrill style.

[Dualswinger]

So with Revised Ranger, I'm trying to make some kind of Halfling beast rider that dual wields Lances, however I'm running into a few problems making all the features fit together. Right now I'm leaning towards using the Panther as my mount of choice.

Lances are reach weapons, and are specifically mentioned as forcing disadvantage on anyone trying to hit an adjacent enemy with them.

Beast Bond spell grants advantage to my mount if I am within 5 feet of the target of their attacks.

Coordinated Attack requires the beast's reaction to make an attack when I use the Attack action on my turn.

Is there a way for me to do the following in order?

1. Ranger: With my 2 lances ready, use the Ready Action to prepare an attack action.
2. Panther: On mounts turn, panther moves towards target.
3. Ranger: Once at 10ft, use reaction to make attack and offhand bonus attack.
4. Panther: Once at 5ft get to make a extra attack due to the Coordinated Attack feature.
5. Panther: Makes regular pounce attack action.
6. Panther retreats.

Mostly this boils down to the following three conflicts

1. Can a Ready Action include the bonus action offhand attack if a bonus action wasn't used in the main turn.
2. Does the Readied Action count as an attack action for the purposes of Coordinated Attack.
3. Can my mount "delay" their reaction to let me attack at 10 ft and allow it to attack at 5ft?

Also, not strictly related, when gaining an ASI, can a beast companion gain a feat?

[Shaofoo]

You can't have use the offhand attack outside of your turn because you don't have a bonus action to use outside of your turn, you only have a reaction which is used for the main attack.

Likewise Coordinated Action only activates when you use the Attack option on your turn, not the beast's turn.

Also beasts never get ASI they get direct increases to their stats which are never mentioned to be ASI.

[Dualswinger]

Thanks for the reply. Shot down on all three counts :(.

With that in mind it seems that a single or great weapon is the superior choice.

[lonewulf]

Thanks for the reply. Shot down on all three counts :(.

With that in mind it seems that a single or great weapon is the superior choice.

May be superior but "Beedrill Style" wins Rule of Cool, hands down! (I plan to build something very similar in the near future)

[MinotaurWarrior]

There's no way to do that thing, but beedrill can still be good. The thing is just that you care more about initiative than most other people. You want either:

Panther - You - Enemy
You - enemy - panther
Enemy - panther - you

With any of those, you can get two Lance and two panther attacks. Now, it's conditional, but that's just how rangers work. Initiative position matters to you just like spacial position matters to Hunters.

... Except that you have a few extra edges:

1) You can pick up more feats to make it much less conditional. Sentinel Sentinel Sentinel.

2) You can MC to another martial class, and get regular strength extra attack.

In particular, if you either use UA or there is a PHB 2 coming out, it seems like BM / Knight might be damned good.

[Dualswinger]

There's no way to do that thing, but beedrill can still be good. The thing is just that you care more about initiative than most other people. You want either:

Panther - You - Enemy
You - enemy - panther
Enemy - panther - you

With any of those, you can get two Lance and two panther attacks. Now, it's conditional, but that's just how rangers work. Initiative position matters to you just like spacial position matters to Hunters

I'm sure I reveal my ignorance here but I don't really understand how my mount grabs his second attack because of turn order?

Edit: For more on flavour mechanics, let's look at another mount. Dms! Would you allow the ranger to select the giant wasp as a mount.

The rules on mounts being: no bigger than Medium size, 15 hp or less and no more than 8 damage in a single attack. If you removed the poison part, the giant wasp is a perfect choice for this build. :p

[jaappleton]

First, if you're going to be Beedrill, you have to be named Buntd,

(Serious props to anyone who gets the reference)

Second, I'd allow a beast companion to be reflavored as a giant wasp or something, but with limitations. You wouldn't be able to fly over 5ft above the ground, for example. (Too Heavy to fly higher?)

Make the "lances" into Spears that deal d6 damage. No Reach, since you're a Halfling (or any Small race).