Circle of the Primeval : Primeval Companion

[Ogun]

So I wanted to ask your opinions on this class feature.
Obviously this is UA stuff, and is liable to never become official, but its fair game for a lot of groups right now.
I love pets, and this this gives permanent, easily restored pet AND full casting.

It seems to me a way to gain a stack of hit points and mobile cover while still being able to cast.
It can also be a mount for a small character, though it isn't very fast, it renews on short rest.
One of my favorite things is the vague nature of the beast, because it could look like almost anything.


An obvious choice for me would be an ape, so it has hands, but I'm not sure if that's within the scope of the feature.
Even without proficiency, it might be work it to give it a armor and shield, since I'm looking at it as walking wall of meat.
If I'm not going to armor it, a shoggoth looking thing would be even more primeval, and serve the same purposes.
Giant Mushrooms, or something that looks like a shambling mound, or even just a motile hollow tree, all of these things have their appeal.
A medium version of the small druid that summoned it would be a creepy twist.
I'm not even sure it would have to stay the same all the time, which would be best of all.
So what, in your opinion should the limits look like?

[Dualight]

As long as you do not assume features that are not available to the statblock, anything goes, really. Have the appearance depend on the rest of the theming of the PC and the campaign environment.

[Ogun]

Do you think hands count as feature?

[Seekergeek]

I’m not sure hands for the purpose of using a shield would be on the table with my group. Barding, however, should be perfectly acceptable RAW.

[Psyren]

1) Even if you pick a form like ape that has "hands," they don't have proficiency so it would be a bad idea, your pet would eat a lot of penalties. You'd also need to adhere to the time requirements to put the armor on them, which would make resummoning the pet in combat a chore, and you would need special armor/barding that fits it.

2) As for the companion itself, it's nice but unlike most pet classes it doesn't give your pet any magical attacks as it levels, which hurts its offense in higher tiers tremendously. Hopefully that changes in the release version.

[Ogun]

The penalties for not having proficiency are...largely acceptable.
I'm looking at this thing as a walking chunk of hit points and mobile cover.
The the idea of using armor and/or shield on it is to save those hit points for when they count.
Back in the wild west of 3.5, my cleric used skeletons in platemail carrying a tower shield.
Animate Dead and clerics have both been given much needed nerfs but the principle of hardening your disposal minion still has merit.
Getting them dressed every time I summon them would be a drag.
Thinking about it, I maybe I could just give it a door to carry around.
Doors are also "renewable on a short rest" of you know where to look.

[Psyren]

Thinking about it, I maybe I could just give it a door to carry around.

It's entirely up to your DM what benefit this would confer, but provided the form you summon can physically hold it then it could understand your instructions to do so.

[Ogun]

Yeah, the door would be to provide cover for both me and the companion.
Tower shields are not a thing in 5e, but Cover still is.
A door is big enough to take cover behind and more portable than a lot other objects that could provide cover.