Breaking the Speed Limit, Primeval Guardian Multiclassing.

[SleeplessWriter]

So I was thinking of way to get around the disadvantages of the Primeval Guardian's Guardian Soul feature, going with the strictest interpretation, that your speed cannot be increased in any way while in tree mode. So that left some kind of teleportation, since the best you'll get with rogue is 10 ft a round with bonus action. I doubt you want to burn a spell slot every turn for misty step, so that left two options open (unless there are any I've missed or that are in the new UAs I haven't read).

The first is warlock's relentless hex, which allows a bonus action 30 ft teleport up next to your hex's target, but it has a level requirement of 7th level in warlock. Ouch. And you gotta hope your prey doesn't decide to dash out of your range, or misty step if they have that, leaving you a useless weed in the middle of nowhere. Also kinda MAD since warlock needs charisma while ranger needs strength/dex and wisdom.

The other option is six levels into shadow monk. Bonus action teleport between areas of dim light or darkness. 30 ft range. Monk relies on dexterity and wisdom, just like ranger. Could go strength, too, if you really wanted. Lizardfolk get an unarmed strike that's 1d6 + strength mod (they don't have to use their racial ability to use the unarmed strike), and it's a bite so they could use it while grappling. Two levels into barbarian, maybe three for bear totem or ancestral guardian, and you have a ten foot reach grapple and attack, advantage on strength checks for grapples, reckless attack for flurry of bites, and a regenerating pool of temp hp that's pretty much doubled by rage halving damage against you. Throw in Sentinel for good measure and you have yourself a monster.

Is it optimal, probably not, but you get to be a scary tree lizard that lurks in the shadowy forest while stalking its prey. Certainly lots of fun role-play potential.

Any other suggestions for either this or another build using the primeval guardian?




Guardian Soul

Starting at 3rd level, you gain the ability to temporarily grow and take on the appearance of a treelike person, covered with leaves and bark. As a bonus action, you assume this guardian form, which lasts until you end it as a bonus action or until you are incapacitated.

You undergo the following changes while in your guardian form:

• Your size becomes Large, unless you were larger.

• Any speed you have becomes 5 feet, unless the speed was lower.

• Your reach increases by 5 feet.

• You gain a number of temporary hit points at the start of each of your turns. The number equals half your ranger level. When the form ends, you lose any temporary hit points you have from it.

[Dork_Forge]

This is a UA Ranger ability right?

Nothing about it says you can't be on a mount, go small race and ride a Mastiff or something similar, or even ride the Druid.

[TigerT20]

This is a UA Ranger ability right?

Nothing about it says you can't be on a mount, go small race and ride a Mastiff or something similar, or even ride the Druid.

"Your size becomes Large"

Now, unless you are playing in a jungle or somewhere else where elephants are available on the market, you're going to have to roll 4s on every d4 you roll - and that means you don't get any other equipment.

Or in other words: If you start at levels 1-4, in a region without an elephant market, the only real method of using a mount from the get-go would be to play a ranger with no focus/component pouch, no weapons, no armour. Just an elephant. (At least until you complete your first dungeon - how you will live through a dungeon without even any clothes on your back, I do not know, as dungeon corridors are not normally built for elephants)

Sorry if this is a bit harshly worded.

[Damon_Tor]

Note that size restrictions placed on riding mounts don't apply to a vehicle being pulled by an animal, which is restricted only by weight. Notice that your weight doesn't actually change when you assume the Guardian Form, so it should be possible to have a draft horse (cheap, well within 1st-level gold guidelines) or a war horse (when you have money to spend) pulling a cart which you ride in. This works even better if you can get some paladin levels to get Find Steed for the telepathic link and ability to resurrect it if it dies.

[Dork_Forge]

"Your size becomes Large"

Now, unless you are playing in a jungle or somewhere else where elephants are available on the market, you're going to have to roll 4s on every d4 you roll - and that means you don't get any other equipment.

Or in other words: If you start at levels 1-4, in a region without an elephant market, the only real method of using a mount from the get-go would be to play a ranger with no focus/component pouch, no weapons, no armour. Just an elephant. (At least until you complete your first dungeon - how you will live through a dungeon without even any clothes on your back, I do not know, as dungeon corridors are not normally built for elephants)

Sorry if this is a bit harshly worded.

I didn't actually remember the Large part, I haven't looked at this UA properly in a while seeing as it was never taken up (and presumably straight up replaced with Guardian of Nature) but for your Gold topic:

Presumably you'd complete a dungeon in levels 1-2, or a DM would compensate you for starting at 3rd level or higher, otherwise most of your time you won't be large and what party wouldn't want an elephant?

Damon_Tor has a good point that you could just be dragged in a cart by a horse or something.

Or another solution: You don't even get your sublcass until casters get access to the Enlarge/Reduce spell, if speed is important to you just get reduced for the combat, or hell, made even bigger and then just dominate the battlefield based on your sheer size and reach.

Then there's other cooperative solutions like someone casting levitate on you (also available the same time you get your subclass) available too. Being Large is inconvenient for the purposes of getting around faster but more a speedbump (heh) than a roadblock.