Best way to get "Find Familiar" as a Ranger?

[Wasp]

Hi everyone!

What would be the best way to get a familiar as a (Beast Master) Ranger? Would Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster be the better choice? Or even multiclassing into wizard?

I know this is not the "optimal" choice, but under the restriction that I just want a familiar, what would be the most efficient way to do so?

Rules: 27 point buy, free feat on first level for everyone, no variant human, (at least 3 levels of) beastmaster ranger

Cheers

Wasp

[qube]

In my experience, Magic Initiate: prestidigitation, minor lilusion & find familiar is the best combination of power, versitility & utility.

[Vogie]

You're a ranger, so you should already have the 13 Wis requirement for the ritual caster, and the ability to pick up Find Familiar & other wizard rituals essentially for free is fantastic, since you'll be spell-slot starved until higher levels.

[CTurbo]

Both Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate are good choices for a Ranger.

[GlenSmash!]

Both Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate are good choices for a Ranger.

Indeed.

To me the question is: do you have a reasonable expectation of picking up more rituals in game, or a good use for two cantrips, or another ritual that would be better for you than 2 cantrips even if you did have a good use for them?

I'd probably go with Magic Initiate for utility cantrips as I've seen how useful those could be and it's something in my control as a player. But that's just my preference.

[MrStabby]

Also, depending on stats, you could add a level of wizard.

Yes, it looks inefficient but you get your familiar, you boost your spell slots, you get access to more rituals, you get some great spells like shield, absorb elements, you get some utility cantrips. Oh, and high level ranger might not have a lot of stuff you want.

At higher levels if you tip back to wizard later you get more spells, wizard subclass features, can boost your conjure animals...

[Toofey]

Ritual caster is probably the best option here, but mending and minor illusion both pack a ton of versatility (I say mending because of the likelihood a ranger uses ammunition) so Magic Initiate a pretty good pick too. Up to you which feels right for your character.

[Wasp]

I think I would go with Magic Initiate then. Ritual Caster seems to be too much dependent on party constellation and fiat in regards to additional rituals available.

Maybe I should just ask the DM to put FF on the Ranger Spell List... :smallbiggrin:

[Crgaston]

Ritual caster is probably the best option here, but mending and minor illusion both pack a ton of versatility (I say mending because of the likelihood a ranger uses ammunition) so Magic Initiate a pretty good pick too. Up to you which feels right for your character.

Mending is fantastic for an archer.

Message is also a strong contender for tactical communication while scouting.

[strangebloke]

Ritual caster if there's no wizard.

Magic initiate if there is.

I'm really partial to control flames and mold earth as a ranger. Control flames to give yourself darkness to hide in, and mold earth to make your own dugout.

[Talionis]

I will vote for Ritual as a Ranger the cantrips from Wizard won’t out weigh the rituals unless your DM never gives you any rituals to put into your spellbook. A level of Wizard might be better but most Ranger will dump Intelligence and I wouldn’t hurt your other Stats to have 13 in Intelligence but if you rolled and have 13 Intelligence anyway you do get enough from a level or two of Wizard to justify weighing a level of Wizard but I wouldn’t waste 13 on Intelligence in point buy.

If for some reason you have really high Intelligence I would consider two levels of Wizard and look at War Wizard from XGtE or Bladesinger from SCAG both give relevant abilities at level two and two full caster levels do help a Ranger with spell slots.

[Chronos]

It can depend on who else is in your party. A lot of rituals, it's no difference if you have one person able to cast them, or everyone able to, so if you already have a wizard in the party (or a tome warlock, or someone else with the Ritual Caster (Wizard) feat), Ritual Caster becomes a lot less valuable.

As for mending arrows, just how long do you spend away from civilization? Arrows are cheap and lightweight.

[ZorroGames]

Snip
As for mending arrows, just how long do you spend away from civilization? Arrows are cheap and lightweight.

And does your DM even track arrow attrition? I play/DM AL and it never has come up unless I raise it. I expect non-AL DMs Hand wave stuff also, possibly including this factor.

[Arkhios]

Both Ritual Caster or Magic Initiate are good choices for a Ranger.

As far as I'm concerned, I'd take both as a ranger :smallbiggrin:

...although, to be fair, I'd use Magic Initiate to take something that can't be cast as a ritual. Find Familiar can be, and it's hardly a spell that one would cast in combat anyway (so the action it takes to cast it is mostly irrelevant). If a spell is potentially a Ritual, why bother taking it with Magic Initiate when you can take it with Ritual Caster, which allows you to learn more than just one Ritual spell over time.

[monkey3]

If you don't want to spend the feat, there is always Ring of Spell Storing (there is also an ION stone equivalent). This one is of course campaign/DM dependent. You never know what you get, or if there are magic shops...

Interestingly, as soon as any of our campaigns get one of these items, everyone in the group ends up with a familiar, and a Pegasus mount (Paladin Steed from Xanathar). Not sure if that is a good thing or bad.