Return of the Wild Shape Ranger

[Arkhios]

Since the old thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?486207-How-broken-would-it-be-to-give-Wild-Shape-to-Rangers) still has people interested in this topic, I decided to make new thread.

Please let's continue in here.


Please excuse me if i seem ignorant of 5E , which i am . In theory this applies to any version .


It would probably be useless for combat situations . Druids cannot fight full stop . Transforming into anything is a big step up for them .

Rangers on the other hand are excellent fighters that are better than any wildshape on par with their level . More so if they packing magic weapons and armour .

In response to this from the old thread, essentially you're not wrong. However, magic items work a bit differently in 5th edition and magic items are less necessary for any character to be effective, so this concept can be made functional.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I'm not familiar with the old thread, but I wrote a wildshaping ranger (Primeval Conclave, using the Revised Ranger UA) in this book (https://store.magehandpress.com/products/tundra-update). Might be of interest.

It was actually a really tricky thing to balance. I'm still not 100% happy with it.

[Arkhios]

I'm not familiar with the old thread, but I wrote a wildshaping ranger (Primeval Conclave, using the Revised Ranger UA) in this book (https://store.magehandpress.com/products/tundra-update). Might be of interest.

It was actually a really tricky thing to balance. I'm still not 100% happy with it.

Unfortunately, I'm currently a bit broke and can't afford that (albeit reasonable) fee. I would've liked to see what you came up with.

[shmooel.yakov]

Arkhios, sorry for the rule breakage. I've just been trying to get someone willing to help me flesh out this idea. I like the idea of having an animal companion and being able to fight alongside it as an animal too. I think of it as Beast Boy/Animal Man, avatars of the Red.

[Arkhios]

Arkhios, sorry for the rule breakage. I've just been trying to get someone willing to help me flesh out this idea. I like the idea of having an animal companion and being able to fight alongside it as an animal too. I think of it as Beast Boy/Animal Man, avatars of the Red.

No need to apologize to me. It was just a friendly reminder.

Unfortunately, with 5e it's somewhat unlikely to be able to have both an animal companion and wild shape with just one class. You'd have to multiclass between druid and ranger to do that, but that would hurt the effectiveness of both.

You could, of course, use spells to emulate having an animal companion, but I realise it's not the same thing.

[Ninja_Prawn]

animal companion and wild shape with just one class.

You could buy a pet. Or write a druid circle with an animal companion - I'm sure I've seen some of those.

[shmooel.yakov]

The primary trigger for this is no spells

[Arkhios]

You could buy a pet. Or write a druid circle with an animal companion - I'm sure I've seen some of those.

Sure, you could buy one. But that wouldn't be same as an actual animal companion via class feature, which is what I believe was implied. :smallsmile:


The primary trigger for this is no spells

Hmm.. No spells? That makes it a bit more tricky to be honest. Let's see if I can come up with something. I suppose (without knowing what Ninja_Prawn did with his Primeval Ranger archetype) it could be made by using the first variant ranger UA which traded spells for superiority dice. Just replace those dice with wild shape and a companion that scales with your level.

[Theodoxus]

I think it would be easier to come up with a pure class that did what you want.

Wild shape for combat, following the moon druid's progression, with the revised ranger's beast master progression...

I'd probably start with not gifting it any archetypes - though I could see a "more WS" or "more BM" boon type archy.

I'd also make the in lore fluff super secretive and insular - these guys don't multiclass, believing in the superiority of their training, nor do they share their secrets with anyone else. When pushed, they simply say they're a fringe druidic sect... This keeps the need to balance it for multiclassing purposes out of the picture.

[Blackbando]

I won't give too much away about it (after all, I don't want Ninja_Prawn to lose sales or anything from me saying too much, I love the content the digits make), but the Primeval Conclave handles a wild shaping ranger pretty well. It has a set list instead of a CR restriction, so it might not fit the best in some settings, but it's honestly a really nicely done way to do wildshaping ranger.

[Citan]

Arkhios, sorry for the rule breakage. I've just been trying to get someone willing to help me flesh out this idea. I like the idea of having an animal companion and being able to fight alongside it as an animal too. I think of it as Beast Boy/Animal Man, avatars of the Red.
Hi :)

So, you want...
- Being good at fighting as an animal.
- Having an animal companion.
- And you don't care about spells?

Enter the Warden archetype.
You developed a special bond with one environment in which you spent most of your life, developing tight relationships with the "wild locals", studying Druidic arts to push your comprehension.

As such you were able to grasp a basic comprehension of how to use natural magic to alter yourself, and you dedicate your like into further mastering it.

Lvl 2: Right Hand Beast: you gain a companion, which can be chosen among any 1/2 CR beast. It acts on its own Initiative and during its own turns, but it gains a bonus to HP equal to twice your Ranger level and a bonus to every stat (attack roll, damage roll, checks, AC) equal to your proficiency bonus.
You know a specially designed version of the ritual Gentle Repose, which you can use to preserve the beast in case it is slain.

Lvl 3: You gain the Altered Shape ability. For one hour, you can alter your body to adopt characteristics of some species. Choose one option:
- felines: your hair and nails grow and all your body structure becomes more flexible: you gain a bonus of +2 on any DEX check and save. Your nails have become claws, natural finesse weapon dealing 1d6 damage, that you are proficient with.
- canine: your head morphs to mimic some of the best attributes of the canine species: you are considered proficient whenever you can make a Perception check based on smell, and you are aware of the exact position of any creature within 5 feet of you, as long as it's on the same plane.
- massive: you densify your body: you lose 10 feet speed to gain a +2 bonus on any STR check and save, and every melee weapon attack you make deal extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
- maritime: you grow fins on back, arms and legs: you gain a swimming pool equal to your walking speed.
- flying: you sprout some kind of wings that help you sustain your weight: you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and the height of your high jumps is tripled.
You can use this Altered Shape feature a number equal to your WIS modifier. When you take a long rest you restore the use (I don't remember the usual writing, obviously copy it over my poor words).

Lvl 5: (Extra Attack).
Lvl 5: You permanently gain the benefits described into the Speak With Animals spell.
LVl 5: Shared Experience: your beast gain all benefits of your Favored Terrain and Favored Enemies features.

7th level
Morphed Shaped: when consuming one use of your Altered Shape, you are now able to fully morph into exactly the same kind of beast as your Right Hand Beast, with the following specificities:
- your size don't change.
- you must not wear any metal armor to be able to use your ability.
- if the beast form has some special senses, you gain their benefit.
- you retain all your attributes and proficiencies.
- you can still use all your class features.

9th level
Shape Communion: while you are under the effect of Morphed Shape and you and your beasts are not away from each other from more than 30 feet...
- Both gain a +2 bonus to AC as well as to every Dexterity and Wisdom check.
- Each can Help the other with a bonus action.
- Whenever one attacks a creature, the other can use its reaction to make a weapon attack against the same creature.
While you are in "normal" shape and in tactile contact with your beast, any magical effect of a 2nd or lower spells that affects you willingly will also affect it.

11th level
Improved Shapes: whenever you use your Altered Shape ability, you gain additional benefits based on the chosen form:
- feline: you are proficient in Acrobatics and gain darkvision up to 60 feet. Falling damage is divided by 4. Your claws now deal 1d10 damage.
- canine: you can now Grapple as a bonus action with your jaw. While you maintain this grapple, you can replace one of your weapon attacks to automatically deal damage equal to your STR modifier on that creature.
- massive: whenever you are dealt physical damage, this damage is reduced by an amount equal to your CON modifier. Whenever you deal bludgeoning damage with a melee weapon attack, you can push back the creature up to 5 feet.
- maritime: you can breathe underwater, and suffer no disadvantage when using melee weapons.
- flying: your wings's size is now equal to 2/3 of your height, and can fully support you: you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed.

13th level
Beast Communion: whenever you in Morphed Shape and your beast are no further than 30 feet from each other...
- You both roll Initiative with advantage.
- You both roll with advantage whenever you must save against any frightening, charming or confusing effect.
- You both can use a bonus action to make one additional weapon attack.
In addition, whenever your beast is less than 100 feet away from you, you can use your action to perceive everything it senses.

15th level Rally Howl: once per short rest, you can replicate the effects of a Conjure Animal spell cast as a 4th level spell, without any components. If you use this ability while under the Morphed Shaped form, only beasts of the same kind will answer the call.

17th level. Pick one feature.
Pack Leader: when you use the Rally Howl feature, the effects are now equal to a Conjure Animals cast as a 6th level spell, and its duration is two hours.

Flanking Beasts: when you are in Morphed Shaped, you can choose to have your beast act on the same turn as you. If you do so and both of you attack the same and only target during your turn, all attacks are made with advantage.

Soul Bond: when you are in Morphed Shaped and your beast is within 10 feet, any magical effect that affects you willingly will also affect it, and both of you make Dexterity saves with advantage.

lvl 20 (replaces the classic one): Beast Fusion: once per long rest, you can undergo a special ritual that makes you and your companion fuse into a fearsome creature. You and your beast fuse into the one and same creature, which has the following characteristics.
- It is one size larger than you or your beast, whichever is the biggest.
- Its HP is equal to the sum of both your HP.
- You cumulate skills and save bonuses of both.
- Whenever you make a weapon attack against a creature during a turn, you can make another weapon attack against the same creature immediately after.
- Your natural weapons are considered +2 magical weapons.
- You gain a 20 feet speed bonus.
- You gain all benefits described in the Freedom of Movement spell.
- You can use all features of your Ranger class, as well as all features provided by the chosen beast form.
This transformation lasts up to 10 minutes, as long as you concentrate on it (as if you were concentrating on a spell).



Sooo...
This is a pretty rough draft: all fluff is missing, wording is poor, and there will be probably adjustements to make here and there to ensure power balance is in check every step on the ladder.

But before I undergo this kind of extra effort, please tell me if it's the right direction. ;)
Hope you like it, see you later.

(Note: you will probably notice I made a pretty ballsy choice: no "aww, my pet is dead, I'll just invoke another" kind of **** -imo-. If this is an animal you have bonded with and shared your life with, then it should just be considered as important, and as a great loss, as anyone else. That's also why, to soften the risk a bit, I made it clearly different in "starting power" than the normal Beastmaster. Except for the "sharing spells": that was one of the most interesting feature of Beastmaster, that came far too late to my taste. With that said, this has the potential to throw off the balance...)

[shmooel.yakov]

Hi :)

So, you want...
- Being good at fighting as an animal.
- Having an animal companion.
- And you don't care about spells?

Enter the Warden archetype.
You developed a special bond with one environment in which you spent most of your life, developing tight relationships with the "wild locals", studying Druidic arts to push your comprehension.

As such you were able to grasp a basic comprehension of how to use natural magic to alter yourself, and you dedicate your like into further mastering it.

Lvl 2: Right Hand Beast: you gain a companion, which can be chosen among any 1/2 CR beast. It acts on its own Initiative and during its own turns, but it gains a bonus to HP equal to twice your Ranger level and a bonus to every stat (attack roll, damage roll, checks, AC) equal to your proficiency bonus.
You know a specially designed version of the ritual Gentle Repose, which you can use to preserve the beast in case it is slain.

Lvl 3: You gain the Altered Shape ability. For one hour, you can alter your body to adopt characteristics of some species. Choose one option:
- felines: your hair and nails grow and all your body structure becomes more flexible: you gain a bonus of +2 on any DEX check and save. Your nails have become claws, natural finesse weapon dealing 1d6 damage, that you are proficient with.
- canine: your head morphs to mimic some of the best attributes of the canine species: you are considered proficient whenever you can make a Perception check based on smell, and you are aware of the exact position of any creature within 5 feet of you, as long as it's on the same plane.
- massive: you densify your body: you lose 10 feet speed to gain a +2 bonus on any STR check and save, and every melee weapon attack you make deal extra damage equal to your proficiency bonus.
- maritime: you grow fins on back, arms and legs: you gain a swimming pool equal to your walking speed.
- flying: you sprout some kind of wings that help you sustain your weight: you gain a climbing speed equal to your walking speed, and the height of your high jumps is tripled.
You can use this Altered Shape feature a number equal to your WIS modifier. When you take a long rest you restore the use (I don't remember the usual writing, obviously copy it over my poor words).

Lvl 5: (Extra Attack).
Lvl 5: You permanently gain the benefits described into the Speak With Animals spell.
LVl 5: Shared Experience: your beast gain all benefits of your Favored Terrain and Favored Enemies features.

7th level
Morphed Shaped: when consuming one use of your Altered Shape, you are now able to fully morph into exactly the same kind of beast as your Right Hand Beast, with the following specificities:
- your size don't change.
- you must not wear any metal armor to be able to use your ability.
- if the beast form has some special senses, you gain their benefit.
- you retain all your attributes and proficiencies.
- you can still use all your class features.

9th level
Shape Communion: while you are under the effect of Morphed Shape and you and your beasts are not away from each other from more than 30 feet...
- Both gain a +2 bonus to AC as well as to every Dexterity and Wisdom check.
- Each can Help the other with a bonus action.
- Whenever one attacks a creature, the other can use its reaction to make a weapon attack against the same creature.
While you are in "normal" shape and in tactile contact with your beast, any magical effect of a 2nd or lower spells that affects you willingly will also affect it.

11th level
Improved Shapes: whenever you use your Altered Shape ability, you gain additional benefits based on the chosen form:
- feline: you are proficient in Acrobatics and gain darkvision up to 60 feet. Falling damage is divided by 4. Your claws now deal 1d10 damage.
- canine: you can now Grapple as a bonus action with your jaw. While you maintain this grapple, you can replace one of your weapon attacks to automatically deal damage equal to your STR modifier on that creature.
- massive: whenever you are dealt physical damage, this damage is reduced by an amount equal to your CON modifier. Whenever you deal bludgeoning damage with a melee weapon attack, you can push back the creature up to 5 feet.
- maritime: you can breathe underwater, and suffer no disadvantage when using melee weapons.
- flying: your wings's size is now equal to 2/3 of your height, and can fully support you: you gain a flying speed equal to your walking speed.

13th level
Beast Communion: whenever you in Morphed Shape and your beast are no further than 30 feet from each other...
- You both roll Initiative with advantage.
- You both roll with advantage whenever you must save against any frightening, charming or confusing effect.
- You both can use a bonus action to make one additional weapon attack.
In addition, whenever your beast is less than 100 feet away from you, you can use your action to perceive everything it senses.

15th level Rally Howl: once per short rest, you can replicate the effects of a Conjure Animal spell cast as a 4th level spell, without any components. If you use this ability while under the Morphed Shaped form, only beasts of the same kind will answer the call.

17th level. Pick one feature.
Pack Leader: when you use the Rally Howl feature, the effects are now equal to a Conjure Animals cast as a 6th level spell, and its duration is two hours.

Flanking Beasts: when you are in Morphed Shaped, you can choose to have your beast act on the same turn as you. If you do so and both of you attack the same and only target during your turn, all attacks are made with advantage.

Soul Bond: when you are in Morphed Shaped and your beast is within 10 feet, any magical effect that affects you willingly will also affect it, and both of you make Dexterity saves with advantage.

lvl 20 (replaces the classic one): Beast Fusion: once per long rest, you can undergo a special ritual that makes you and your companion fuse into a fearsome creature. You and your beast fuse into the one and same creature, which has the following characteristics.
- It is one size larger than you or your beast, whichever is the biggest.
- Its HP is equal to the sum of both your HP.
- You cumulate skills and save bonuses of both.
- Whenever you make a weapon attack against a creature during a turn, you can make another weapon attack against the same creature immediately after.
- Your natural weapons are considered +2 magical weapons.
- You gain a 20 feet speed bonus.
- You gain all benefits described in the Freedom of Movement spell.
- You can use all features of your Ranger class, as well as all features provided by the chosen beast form.
This transformation lasts up to 10 minutes, as long as you concentrate on it (as if you were concentrating on a spell).



Sooo...
This is a pretty rough draft: all fluff is missing, wording is poor, and there will be probably adjustements to make here and there to ensure power balance is in check every step on the ladder.

But before I undergo this kind of extra effort, please tell me if it's the right direction. ;)
Hope you like it, see you later.

(Note: you will probably notice I made a pretty ballsy choice: no "aww, my pet is dead, I'll just invoke another" kind of **** -imo-. If this is an animal you have bonded with and shared your life with, then it should just be considered as important, and as a great loss, as anyone else. That's also why, to soften the risk a bit, I made it clearly different in "starting power" than the normal Beastmaster. Except for the "sharing spells": that was one of the most interesting feature of Beastmaster, that came far too late to my taste. With that said, this has the potential to throw off the balance...)

I like where this is leading, even though it has a bit of Were-animal in it more than straight wild-shape. I'm assuming this follows the basic Ranger characteristics otherwise? It feels like the companion animal needs some scaling improvement, but that just might be unbalancing it(I'm not sure). I like wild-shape more because it allows for more of a connection to the animals(maybe remove elementals and replace with dire-equivalents or something). I love the synchronicity of the bond with your animal companion(I just don't want it dying all the time, maybe being able to also increase it's own HP outside just the normal bonus? I could easily just be balancing improperly though. Please point out any flaws in my logic so I can learn this too. But seriously, thank you for looking into this.

[shmooel.yakov]

Just wondering if anybody has had a chance to roll forward with this. I know I'm a lowly beggar.

[Bringer]

Multiclassing will be your best bet, unfortunately, unless you want to homebrew an entirely new class.

Ranger 3(Beastmaster)/Druid 2(Circle of Moon) will get the ball rolling.

I saw that you don't want to have any spells, and that is a fixable issue. Simply dump all of your Druid/Ranger spell slots into this Moon Druid feature. "Additionally, while you are transformed by Wild Shape. You can use a bonus action to expend one spell slot to regain 1d8 hit points per level of the spell slot expended."

At hypothetical level 20, you should go for a Ranger 14(Beastmaster)/Druid 6(Circle of Moon) end result. If you want to be able to turn into flying animals, then go Ranger 12/Druid 8 instead(as you must be level 8 to turn into animals with flying speed).


You'll get 4 ASI whether you go for Ranger 14/Druid 6 or Ranger 12/Druid 8. Since you won't be relying on magic, you won't have to focus on increasing your wisdom, and thus, you can focus your ASI on getting feats that will make you more potent in combat.


Another potential suggestion would be shaving off a few levels of Ranger and doing a 3 level dip into Barbarian, and go Path of Totem Bear. You can rage in wildshape, and get resistance to all damage except psychic if you go with Bear totem archtype.

So either

Ranger 14/Druid 6(4 ASI)
Ranger 12/Druid 8(5 ASI)
Ranger 11/Druid 6/Barbarian 3(3 ASI)
Ranger 9/Druid 8/Barbarian 3(4 ASI)

Obviously, you won't be super optimized for combat, but this does make for a super flavorful play style.

Consider what race you pick, as it can add even more effectiveness to your character. Variant Human for a free feat that keeps you from lagging behind the team? Aasimar for their once per long rest transformation mode(which should work while your in wildshape)?

Yuan-ti for that magical resistance saving throws, allowing you to not suffer as much from focusing on feats over stat increases?

Also, consider what feats you pick. Since you aren't going to be using your spells for anything other than your moon druid heal feature, you won't have to pay the Warcaster of Resilience feat tax. Instead, you can focus on feats that'd aid your wildshapes in combat or hell, out of combat feats.

You can never go wrong with the Lucky feat.
Mobile is a good feat to grab.
Grappler feat is good.
Sentinel is another good one.
Alert for using wildshapes out of combat.
Mage Slayer to deal with those pesky mages.