(Another) Martial Power Excerpt Up, Beastmaster Ranger

[Asbestos]

Found here.

Not sure how I feel about it, but awesome that animal companions are back... sorta.

[Jokes]

Beast Mastery: You gain a beast companion, chosen from one of these categories: bear, boar, cat, lizard, raptor, serpent, spider, or wolf.

It looks like 4e has just peaked on awesomeness. It's all downhill from here.

[Asbestos]

It looks like 4e has just peaked on awesomeness. It's all downhill from here.

I feel like they must mean the conventional definition of a raptor. You know, a predatory bird.

[Townopolis]

While that is awesome, it's also a reference to birds.

So slightly less awesome than it could be.

[The New Bruceski]

Dinosaurs are birds...

EDIT: yes, I know, technically yadda yadda. If it means I can have a pet Deionychus they're birds, dangit!

[Asbestos]

Dinosaurs are birds...

Rather, birds are dinosaurs.


Edit: Just call it a lizard, it says you could have a drake if you went that route. And honestly, aren't drakes pretty much dinosaurs?

[Jokes]

*crawls into the corner, sobbing*

There's gonna be raptors *twitch* raaptoors...

Also the picture with the dragonborn, bear and an army of raptors probably got me thinking it.

[Kurald Galain]

I feel like they must mean the conventional definition of a raptor. You know, a predatory bird.

I hope it's a bird - a hawk companion would be very nice. Also, dinosaurs could be considered lizards, no?

Anyway, as seems par for the course so far with 4E, they're cool mechanics, with abysmally stupid fluff text. Well, I haven't played a ranger yet, guess I'll wait a few weeks for that book now.

[Lord Herman]

This is, as the French say, le awesome.

I'm happy with the way they decided to handle the different kinds of animals; broad categories you can fill in yourself. No longer can the DM stop me by claiming there are no stats for a sheep companion!

[Kaiyanwang]

/equip fire resistance gear

I wouldn't return on old grievances, but similarities are increasing each time

http://www.wowwiki.com/Beast_Mastery

[NPCMook]

/equip fire resistance gear

I wouldn't return on old grievances, but similarities are increasing each time

http://www.wowwiki.com/Beast_Mastery

I see what you did thar! and its not funny.

Its not like they couldn't technically do it before, and I remember a prehistoric druid in an old issue of dragon along with several dinosaur races for 3.x. The point is everyone takes ideas from everyone, get used to it. Its not like a Ranger in 3.x couldn't have a "Raptor" also... They must have stolen it from wow then also, right?

For once I'd like someone to say, "DnD did it first," instead of "they are just copying WoW."

[Kaiyanwang]

To clear up: I think that a Ranger with a pet is funny, and so a good idea.

And is not a matter of Dinosaur or not dinosaur. I start to see more and more a Marksmanship, Survival* and Beastmaster Hunter.

Anyway, I'm only shocked each time for similitudes, from the time I've seen the eyes of the "Eladrins" (sorry for the """ but for me Eladrins are CG ousiders from Arborea)

*Edit: survival would need more something like abilities on traps or similar.
And again, it does not mean it wouldn't be fun.

[KnightDisciple]

I see what you did thar! and its not funny.

Its not like they couldn't technically do it before, and I remember a prehistoric druid in an old issue of dragon along with several dinosaur races for 3.x. The point is everyone takes ideas from everyone, get used to it. Its not like a Ranger in 3.x couldn't have a "Raptor" also... They must have stolen it from wow then also, right?

For once I'd like someone to say, "DnD did it first," instead of "they are just copying WoW."

Ahem. *Points out 3.5 Druid shapeshifting/tanking, spellcasting for both damage and healing*
That's all.

[NPCMook]

Ahem. *Points out 3.5 Druid shapeshifting/tanking, spellcasting for both damage and healing*
That's all.

Touchè

FOCL.

[archmage45]

Can someone please be kind and post it for those of us stuck at work behind firewalls? Thanks!

[Raz_Fox]

If you heard something, that was just my triumphant scream of joy. I love animal companions, and missed them a lot.

Now I'm sad I lack the funds to obtain Martial Power until the 25th of December.

[bosssmiley]

Hmm. Looks like a definite improvement on the 3E animal companion rules from what little I can see. Set base stats with minor type differences. No more rooting through MMn+1 to find the cheesiest creatures possible.

The level one powers seem interestingly suggestive too. They nicely evoke the 'double team' aspect of the beastmaster archetype.

Predator Strike
Ranger Attack 1
Your enemy focuses its attention on you, allowing your beast to attack.
At-Will Beast, Martial
Standard Action Melee beast 1
Target: One creature adjacent to you
Attack: Beast’s attack bonus vs. AC
Hit: 1[B] + beast’s Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[B] + beast’s Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier at 21st level.

So you hit people in the face with you animal companion?

[Jokes]

So you hit people in the face with you animal companion?

Gonna have to get me a gator.

[Person_Man]

Spoiler please?

Some of us are blocked at work.

Thanks.

[Lord Herman]

It looks like 4e has just peaked on awesomeness. It's all downhill from here.

Don't be so sure. We still need stats for robot sharks who can fight those raptors.

Edit: Spoiler coming up. One moment please.

[Suzuro]

Spoiler

Show

The Ranger

“Keeping a pet lets me bring the wild with me wherever I go. I like it. Keeps me warm inside. Oh, and the wild packs one hell of a bite.”

Rangers are people of the wild frontier. They are bold wanderers who face the dangers that keep common folk living within walled cities and traveling along well-used roads. Every ranger is also a killer who uses terrain, keen senses, and hunt-honed strikes to end threats quickly. Where rangers differ is in their execution.

Blade and bow are typical ranger tools, but a few rangers forge a deeper alliance with the wilderness. Such a ranger calls a beast as a friend and a weapon. The affinity for a beast might grow from one of many roots. Legend speaks of those raised among wild animals, as well as of those with a supernatural affinity for wild creatures. For enigmatic reasons, Melora blesses a few with such a connection to animals. More often, however, a young would-be ranger befriends a beast or raises it from pup to warrior.

This chapter presents and supports such rangers. It also provides other sorts of rangers with ways to shape their capabilities. In it, you’ll find the following:

* New Ranger Build: The beastmaster ranger build lets you bring to life the fantasy archetype of hero and pet as a fighting unit.


* New Class Feature: Every beastmaster needs, well, a beast to master, and that’s what the Beast Mastery class feature is all about. You can choose a beast companion from one of eight categories designed to fit the style of your character.


* New Ranger Powers: With a specialized build such as the beastmaster, a whole new assortment of exploits is required. Rangers who favor the blade or the bow have new power options in this chapter, too.


* New Paragon Paths: Focus your training in one of a dozen ways, even shoring up quirky ranger techniques such as throwing or using a crossbow. Focus on slaying a particular sort of enemy, absorb the magic of the lands you walk, or run with the pack.

Beastmaster Ranger

A deadly hunter, you specialize in double-teaming your enemies with the aid of a beast companion. Your beast is an extension of you, and thereby it is an invaluable member of your group. No other is needed to help you flank your quarry. Melee combat with the aid of your beast is your focus, so you favor Strength.

You count on Dexterity for your AC and occasional ranged attacks, so your secondary focus is on that ability score. Wisdom, your tertiary ability score, makes you better at the Perception skill and gives you an edge with many ranger powers. The Beast Mastery class feature is designed to complement this build.

Suggested Feat: Lethal Hunter (Human feat: Improved Initiative)
Suggested Skills: Athletics, Heal, Nature, Perception, Stealth
Suggested At-Will Powers: circling strike,* predator strike*
Suggested Encounter Power: synchronized strike*
Suggested Daily Power: partnered savaging*
*New option presented in Martial Power

New Class Feature

The Beast Mastery class feature is available to any ranger who wishes to gain a loyal beast companion. To select this class feature, you must give up the Prime Shot class feature, and you do not select either the Archer Fighting Style or the Two-Blade Fighting Style.

Beast Mastery: You gain a beast companion, chosen from one of these categories: bear, boar, cat, lizard, raptor, serpent, spider, or wolf. These categories do not describe specific animals, but rather groups of similarly themed creatures in the D&D world. You decide the creature’s relevant details—its species, physical details, and so forth—making sure they are appropriate for its category and the campaign.

For example, if your character hails from a swampy region, your lizard companion might be a crocodile. The lizard companion of a ranger from a different region might be a giant monitor lizard or a drake. A beast companion’s species doesn’t affect its game statistics, which are based on its category and level.

You and your beast companion work so well together that the creature is almost an extension of you. Using your actions in combat, you control your beast companion by issuing it commands (see “Commanding a Beast Companion”).

Beast Mastery also alters your Hunter’s Quarry class feature. When you use Hunter’s Quarry, your quarry can be either the enemy nearest to you that you can see or the enemy nearest to your beast companion that you can see. You or your beast companion can deal the extra damage from Hunter’s Quarry, but only one of you can deal this extra damage per round.

Your beast companion is considered a creature and an ally and can be affected by powers. A cleric can heal it with healing word, a warlord can give it a melee basic attack with commander’s strike, and so forth. You and your beast companion are treated as separate creatures.

You can have only one beast companion at a time. You can dismiss your beast companion at any time, but gaining a new one isn’t a simple task (see “Gaining a New Companion”). The link between a ranger and his or her beast companion is not one of master and servant but of two close friends.

As part of the training you underwent that allowed you to form a close bond with a beast, you learned the Raise Beast Companion ritual, which allows you to raise your companion from the dead, even if you are otherwise unable to master and perform rituals.

Level 1 At-Will Exploits
Predator Strike
Ranger Attack 1
Your enemy focuses its attention on you, allowing your beast to attack.
At-Will Beast, Martial
Standard Action Melee beast 1
Target: One creature adjacent to you
Attack: Beast’s attack bonus vs. AC
Hit: 1[B] + beast’s Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[B] + beast’s Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier at 21st level.

Level 1 Encounter Exploits
Enclose the Prey
Ranger Attack 1
Your beast companion circles your quarry, gaining a better position just before you strike.
Encounter Beast, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon (beast 1)
Target: One creature designated as your quarry
Effect: Before the attack, both you and your beast companion can shift 2 squares.
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Beast: If your companion is a cat, a spider, or a wolf, the attack deals extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Level 1 Daily Exploits
Driving the Quarry
Ranger Attack 1
You fiercely assault your quarry, and your beast companion compels that same foe forward.
Daily Beast, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon (beast 1)
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: If the target is your quarry, you slide it 2 squares and slide your beast companion 2 squares, ending its movement adjacent to the target. If the target is your quarry and is also bloodied, you instead slide the beast 4 squares.
Beast: If your companion is a cat, a raptor, a spider, or a wolf, you can slide it to any square adjacent to the target.

Here ya go, sorry if it's a bit jarbled...


-Suzuro

[Lord Herman]

Ranger summary

Spoiler

Show

The Ranger
“Keeping a pet lets me bring the wild with me wherever I go. I like it. Keeps me warm inside. Oh, and the wild packs one hell of a bite.”

Rangers are people of the wild frontier. They are bold wanderers who face the dangers that keep common folk living within walled cities and traveling along well-used roads. Every ranger is also a killer who uses terrain, keen senses, and hunt-honed strikes to end threats quickly. Where rangers differ is in their execution.

Blade and bow are typical ranger tools, but a few rangers forge a deeper alliance with the wilderness. Such a ranger calls a beast as a friend and a weapon. The affinity for a beast might grow from one of many roots. Legend speaks of those raised among wild animals, as well as of those with a supernatural affinity for wild creatures. For enigmatic reasons, Melora blesses a few with such a connection to animals. More often, however, a young would-be ranger befriends a beast or raises it from pup to warrior.

This chapter presents and supports such rangers. It also provides other sorts of rangers with ways to shape their capabilities. In it, you’ll find the following:

* New Ranger Build: The beastmaster ranger build lets you bring to life the fantasy archetype of hero and pet as a fighting unit.

* New Class Feature: Every beastmaster needs, well, a beast to master, and that’s what the Beast Mastery class feature is all about. You can choose a beast companion from one of eight categories designed to fit the style of your character.

* New Ranger Powers: With a specialized build such as the beastmaster, a whole new assortment of exploits is required. Rangers who favor the blade or the bow have new power options in this chapter, too.

* New Paragon Paths: Focus your training in one of a dozen ways, even shoring up quirky ranger techniques such as throwing or using a crossbow. Focus on slaying a particular sort of enemy, absorb the magic of the lands you walk, or run with the pack.

Beastmaster Description

Spoiler

Show

Beastmaster Ranger
A deadly hunter, you specialize in double-teaming your enemies with the aid of a beast companion. Your beast is an extension of you, and thereby it is an invaluable member of your group. No other is needed to help you flank your quarry. Melee combat with the aid of your beast is your focus, so you favor Strength.

You count on Dexterity for your AC and occasional ranged attacks, so your secondary focus is on that ability score. Wisdom, your tertiary ability score, makes you better at the Perception skill and gives you an edge with many ranger powers. The Beast Mastery class feature is designed to complement this build.

Suggested Feat: Lethal Hunter (Human feat: Improved Initiative)
Suggested Skills: Athletics, Heal, Nature, Perception, Stealth
Suggested At-Will Powers: circling strike,* predator strike*
Suggested Encounter Power: synchronized strike*
Suggested Daily Power: partnered savaging*
*New option presented in Martial Power

New Class Feature
The Beast Mastery class feature is available to any ranger who wishes to gain a loyal beast companion. To select this class feature, you must give up the Prime Shot class feature, and you do not select either the Archer Fighting Style or the Two-Blade Fighting Style.

Beast Mastery: You gain a beast companion, chosen from one of these categories: bear, boar, cat, lizard, raptor, serpent, spider, or wolf. These categories do not describe specific animals, but rather groups of similarly themed creatures in the D&D world. You decide the creature’s relevant details—its species, physical details, and so forth—making sure they are appropriate for its category and the campaign.

For example, if your character hails from a swampy region, your lizard companion might be a crocodile. The lizard companion of a ranger from a different region might be a giant monitor lizard or a drake. A beast companion’s species doesn’t affect its game statistics, which are based on its category and level.

You and your beast companion work so well together that the creature is almost an extension of you. Using your actions in combat, you control your beast companion by issuing it commands (see “Commanding a Beast Companion”).

Beast Mastery also alters your Hunter’s Quarry class feature. When you use Hunter’s Quarry, your quarry can be either the enemy nearest to you that you can see or the enemy nearest to your beast companion that you can see. You or your beast companion can deal the extra damage from Hunter’s Quarry, but only one of you can deal this extra damage per round.

Your beast companion is considered a creature and an ally and can be affected by powers. A cleric can heal it with healing word, a warlord can give it a melee basic attack with commander’s strike, and so forth. You and your beast companion are treated as separate creatures.

You can have only one beast companion at a time. You can dismiss your beast companion at any time, but gaining a new one isn’t a simple task (see “Gaining a New Companion”). The link between a ranger and his or her beast companion is not one of master and servant but of two close friends.

As part of the training you underwent that allowed you to form a close bond with a beast, you learned the Raise Beast Companion ritual, which allows you to raise your companion from the dead, even if you are otherwise unable to master and perform rituals.

Powers:

Spoiler

Show

Predator Strike
Ranger Attack 1
Your enemy focuses its attention on you, allowing your beast to attack.
At-Will * Beast, Martial
Standard Action * Melee beast 1
Target: One creature adjacent to you
Attack: Beast’s attack bonus vs. AC
Hit: 1[B] + beast’s Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[B] + beast’s Strength modifier + your Wisdom modifier at 21st level.

Enclose the Prey
Ranger Attack 1
Your beast companion circles your quarry, gaining a better position just before you strike.
Encounter * Beast, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action * Melee weapon (beast 1)
Target: One creature designated as your quarry
Effect: Before the attack, both you and your beast companion can shift 2 squares.
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Beast: If your companion is a cat, a spider, or a wolf, the attack deals extra damage equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Driving the Quarry
Ranger Attack 1
You fiercely assault your quarry, and your beast companion compels that same foe forward.
Daily * Beast, Martial, Weapon
Standard Action * Melee weapon (beast 1)
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: If the target is your quarry, you slide it 2 squares and slide your beast companion 2 squares, ending its movement adjacent to the target. If the target is your quarry and is also bloodied, you instead slide the beast 4 squares.
Beast: If your companion is a cat, a raptor, a spider, or a wolf, you can slide it to any square adjacent to the target.

Edit: D'oh! Simu'd!

[KnightDisciple]

Don't be so sure. We still need stats for robot sharks who can fight those raptors.

Edit: Spoiler coming up. One moment please.

More accurately, we need stats for:
Sharks with frikkin' laser beams
Bears with Laser Eyes

[Person_Man]

Thanks Suzuro and Lord Herman for the spoilers.

Reading through it, this seems like a bad idea. Having a second mini-PC that you control will only lead to brokenness. It gives you an action advantage. It gives you battlefield control. It gives you another way to deal damage. It gives you a damage sponge to act as a defender. It didn't work well in 3.5, and I doubt it will work well in 4E.

[LCR]

It does seem to be necessary to be near your pet, though. Which means you can't have him attack archers, while you finish off brutes. Flying creatures (eagles etc) won't make much sense either since they would still have to be near you, which negates their primary advantage (flight).
All in all, it sounds a bit boring to me. It reads as if the ranger became some sort of mini-warlord, only you can exclusively command your companion.

[TwystidMynd]

/equip fire resistance gear

I wouldn't return on old grievances, but similarities are increasing each time

http://www.wowwiki.com/Beast_Mastery

Even if 4e copied off of WoW, we all know that WoW copied off of the original The Beastmaster which was, of course, based off of the even originaler (new word of the day!)The Beast Master.

The point is, of course, that the concept of a humanoid having a kinship with beasts is not really unique. If that's what your argument is, then it's a rather insightless. Please enlighten me if I'm missing a bigger picture.

Sure, 4e may not be original in its implementation, but that doesn't mean that you're right to compare it to WoW in a dismissive way. It'd be far more productive to comment on the actual content of the article, rather than meaninglessly posting a comparison which you yourself claimed you'd "rather not return on."

With regards to the article...
Personally, I've always felt that the bow-specialist, two-weapon fighting ranger, the spell casting ranger, and the pet-oriented ranger of 3.0 were all very different archetypes that were unartistically clumped together into a single loosely-tied-together class. I'm happy with the spin 4e has put on the class: regardless of whether you're a TWF/bow/pet ranger, you're a ranger, but you are never confused with the other types of rangers. You're distinct in your skills, but still can claim to belong to the same class. I don't really have time to get into how the balance of this new aspect feels, but it certainly looks nifty.

[skywalker]

It does seem to be necessary to be near your pet, though. Which means you can't have him attack archers, while you finish off brutes. Flying creatures (eagles etc) won't make much sense either since they would still have to be near you, which negates their primary advantage (flight).
All in all, it sounds a bit boring to me. It reads as if the ranger became some sort of mini-warlord, only you can exclusively command your companion.

Yes, what he said. I actually found it quite lackluster. So far, it's either "your companion attacks instead of you" or "you get to attack and your companion tacks on something marginally cool. I grant that it might give you an advantage against monsters who attack the closest target, by giving them another target to worry about, but besides that, it honestly made me say "meh," especially as far as how powerful it looks.

[Starbuck_II]

Thanks Suzuro and Lord Herman for the spoilers.

Reading through it, this seems like a bad idea. Having a second mini-PC that you control will only lead to brokenness. It gives you an action advantage. It gives you battlefield control. It gives you another way to deal damage. It gives you a damage sponge to act as a defender. It didn't work well in 3.5, and I doubt it will work well in 4E.

I'll give you battlefield control, but action advantage?
You use your action for the creature to do stuff in math that is called zero sum.
1-1=0.
You don't get another action for the creature: you are the creature's actions.

It does give damage sponge I guess. But remember, it can't hit without you not using your action to do something else.

[Fishy]

Reading through it, this seems like a bad idea. Having a second mini-PC that you control will only lead to brokenness. It gives you an action advantage. It gives you battlefield control. It gives you another way to deal damage. It gives you a damage sponge to act as a defender. It didn't work well in 3.5, and I doubt it will work well in 4E.

You and your beast companion work so well together that the creature is almost an extension of you. Using your actions in combat, you control your beast companion by issuing it commands (see “Commanding a Beast Companion”).

We can't really tell from just the partial spoiler, but that looks to me like maybe there won't be an action advantage this time.

[Asbestos]

Thanks Suzuro and Lord Herman for the spoilers.

Reading through it, this seems like a bad idea. Having a second mini-PC that you control will only lead to brokenness. It gives you an action advantage. It gives you battlefield control. It gives you another way to deal damage. It gives you a damage sponge to act as a defender. It didn't work well in 3.5, and I doubt it will work well in 4E.

I'm not sure it gives an action advantage (which was my biggest worry) because of the word choice here...
"You and your beast companion work so well together that the creature is almost an extension of you. Using your actions in combat, you control your beast companion by issuing it commands (see “Commanding a Beast Companion”)."

Edit: Darn you Fishy!


And yes, it gives another way to deal damage, but sort of takes away another. Sure you can still pick TWF powers, but your off-hand weapon is now... an off hand weapon and not another broadsword. You can also pick Archer-type powers, but no longer have prime shot. Also, you're now slightly squishier than a TWF ranger but still a melee guy. And, it still seems to take the same amount of actions to use that other damage source. The big difference is that it'll be easier for the ranger to get combat advantage. Also, there's more to defenders than HPs, but I see your point. If it turns out the beast can't make OAs or something, then it might be more balanced (though we really have no idea yet how unbalanced it may/may not be)

I'm interested in seeing how the choice of beast affects the build. My guess is that Bears and Boars act more like Brutes (high HP, low AC, high Damage) and that the others are more like soldiers/skirmishers (higher AC, lower damage, lower HP, higher movement)

Clearly all drow will have black cats or spiders though.