If you’re going with Druidic Warrior and going VHuman or Custom Lineage one thing to consider is grabbing the Magic Initiate Feat right away to grab Shillelagh and a free use of Entangle. Then you can choose the Dueling fighting style instead which does apply to your damage with Shillelagh.
The other option is to take one level of Druid or Nature Domain Cleric at the start to get the starting cantrips and the rest of the levels as ranger (so fighting style at 3rd level)
Ive always felt that Beastmaster is such a fun and classic subclass that didnt get enough love from WOTC, even back in 3.5 it was relatively weak compared to options other classed would get with companion creatures. So glad you guys finally have a video about it, love the content and im looking forward to see your points of view on it
Fun fact: in case you go with the shilleleag build.. You can take crusher, round up a 15, and use it to push the enemy 5 feet and let your beast disengage freely and have it charge every turn. +1d6dmg and a ST against your maximised DC to knock prone the enemy. Every turn.. not bad. You can prioritize Con as 2nd Ability, wield a shield (19 AC with +2 dx and halfplate) and be a decent off tank. This build will have 3 opportunity attacks in case the enemy try move away without a disengage action. With a second summoning and Aid there is a decent hit point pool here.. Which may also be pumped up with other spells and combo with other party members. Thinkning about it you might combo it with the summoned fey that can cause a 5feet darkness every time it fey step.. The enmy is blined if it decide not to move, in case it does it takes 3 opprtunity attacks if doesn't disengage.. In case you choose to take the fey touched feat a good spell to choose might be dissonant wispers another way to generate 3 opportunity attacks along while controlling the enemy. I really like this sbuclass... The more I think about it the more I m growing to like it. Nice Vid!
The problem with using the Darkness with Summon Fey is that you need to be able to see the enemy to get an Attack of Opportunity. You could take Mounted Combatant and use the Mirthful Fey to Charm the creature. If they fail the save, they can't target you or they Fey with attacks, they can target your Companion but you can force them to target you which they then cannot attack. This leaves them with no option other than to move away or make a ranged attack at disadvantage.
Don’t forget that your Druidic warrior Beastmaster will also be more effective casting spells. Your DC will be as high as a Druid’s, which means more entangled enemies.
My goblin ranger in session 1 ended up with grass stains on his butt. Since my new nickname was Assgrass, I decided to ride my trusty donkey into battle.
i will say, one thing i've always thought would make the beast master from TCoE even more interesting would be to have more customizable primal companions. maybe each one has a small list of abilities that it can do, and at certain levels you can train them in those abilities so that you can either have a more clear vision of the type of creature it is or you can match it better to your character's fighting style. i don't even think it would have to be a huge list, but it would be an interesting way to make the primal companion feel more unique apart from just the three variants it already has
I really like this idea. Maybe level 7 is the best for this initially, considering the only benefit it gives for primal is magical damage for the beast (if you have an up-to-date phb), with a secondary grouping of stronger options at lvl 15? I think a good option for beasts of the land is giving it spiderclimb so people can roleplay a drow with a spider companion, while a good option for any of them is letting the beast companion grow 1 size larger, maybe 2 sizes at higher levels, for the bears, horses, giant eagles, elephants and big dinosaurs that people would undoubtably want. If the 2 sizes up is at lvl 15 that lines up with drakewarden, both giving a large sized flying creature
Right on! Yeah it would be nice to swap out the charge ability for pack tactics for flavoring a mastiff companion rather than a bear or whatever other flavor players use for the new companion
I’m playing a lizardfolk beast master (new rules/primal companion) an my companion is a small crocodile named bongo. I went with archery build and used all tashas new features an it’s a lot of fun. It feels very effective in an out of combat an having a swamp dwelling lizard with a mini swamp croc as a friend is so much fun
For the 4th level spell choice I really like Guardian of Nature selecting "Great Tree". Since you attack with Dexterity as a bow ranger and your primal beast attacks with your Wisdom, both of you attack with advantage. It's a great choice for the shared spells that comes up at level 15.
It's important to remind everyone, since this was a mistake made in the BM subclass review, that the primal companion still only has *one* attack action, and the way to use that action is to either give up your bonus action or to give up one of your attacks. The beast still only makes it 1-2 attacks *once,* but giving up one of your attacks is an option for when you need to use your bonus action.
There is an interesting interaction with Haste. If your beast is hasted, it technically has two actions it can take. So you could possibly command it to take the Attack action as part of your Attack and use your bonus action to command it to use its hasted action (only one attack for that one, though. So, three attacks from your beast or two attacks and dash/disengage/hide). I'm not totally sure on this one as the wording on Exceptional Training makes things complicated 😵💫.
this is something that a lot of people still mess up, thinking the wording means they get two attack actions. even a lot of the popular dnd youtubers made this mistake when talking about the primal companion
The Player's handbook's Beast master's level 11 "Bestial fury" feature gives the beast 2 attacks, which just need a bonus action from the ranger who can still use extra attack.
I love how you did a melee style build along with the "go to" Ranger Archer build almost all ranger builds you find on RUclips are Sharpshooter builds. Thank you for making a viable melee build that speaks to the flavor of the character so well.
This video really helped me. Sadly my dwarven barbarian was sadly slain yesterday part way through our campaign. I’m now in the process of getting ideas for a new character.
25:35 you can't do that. If you cast a spell as a bonus action, even a cantrip, the only other spell you can cast on your turn is a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action. Most people assume 1 leveled and 1 canteip is fine per turn, but the rule is a little more complex than that
Yup viva la dirt league even did their rules lawyer video on it, very funny. It's mainly to limit higher level sorcerers. Otherwise they could quicken cantrip and then Twin/whatever their main spell.
@@Grintock that is why I wrote higher level. As then they would still have plenty. Ad in the item that gives sorcery points on a short rest and they are fine.
It is really cool to see so much versatility in a class/subclass that really wasn't all that well thought of before Tasha's. Suggestion for a possible video idea: run through how you come up with a character for a game. Do you approach it from a particular concept, a race, a subclass? Do you go into it with a "combat plan" already, or is that something that develops as you play?
u don't really gain a whole lot from being a firbolg beast master. Your racial invisibility is on a bonus action which you will be using to command your beast. you get strength and wisdom boost and u really don't need the strength boost, plus everyone knows Firbolgs are iconic druids :P
I've been playing a wood elf Beastmaster for about a year-year & 1/2 now, currently level 16. I've had fun, but i will say this, particularly in regards to your average damage comparison: y'all are looking at best case scenarios where it is safe and prudent to have your companion in combat, and in my experience that is rarely the case. At level 16, my BotL (ape) has 85 hit points. That is squishier than any party member, and he is often the squishiest thing on the battlefield in any given combat. He gets 2-to-3-shot by monsters half our CR, so i usually have to have him sit back until there is a single enemy left to dog-pile onto, which means i am basically a generic subclassless ranger for the majority of combats. now i am sure this is very campaign/DM-dependent. Some DMs might be nice enough to never attack your pets, and in those cases your companion can put in some work. But in my experience, using my companion to attack in combat is often a liability (in my campaign in particular, my DM felt there wasn't enough risk involved in getting my pet into combat, so he made a house rule that if my companion dies, i get disadvantage on everything until i can bring him back, which is a nightmare if he goes down in combat, as even if you use a spell slot to rez your companion, it still takes a minute to come back, so i am always overly careful). Outside of combat, though, it offers a lot of versatility in terms of things like scouting and exploration, especially when you can swap out to a flyer or swimmer if the situation calls for it (albeit post-long rest). Just don't get caught on dry land with a Beast of the Sea! We were doing a quest on the Elemental Plane of Water, so i thought oh no-brainer, i'll bring an octopus. Well, wouldn't you know; the big fight ended up being inside a cave that was dry inside, and my octopus literally spent the whole fight trying to get to...anybody...5 feet at a time, never doing anything the entire encounter. Also, I feel like games like World of Warcraft and such have gotten us used to the fantasy/trope of archer ranger with a bear or some other beast tanking in melee for you; but sadly, the subclass doesn't really deliver on that fantasy, imho. they are far too squishy, particularly at higher levels of play, to realistically do much tanking. I mean, i have almost 3x the HP of my ape. I would almost always rather me take a hit than him (especially with shared spells in play, i can Cure Wounds myself and heal us both). P.S. I also realize that you do your comparisons under best case scenarios because that's how you have to do it to gather any meaningful data. but i just wanted to point out that when it comes to Companion damage and efficacy, YMMV!!
I just played a BM in a recent one shot and I was pleasantly surprised with how useful he was. Bringing the pet back with a single spell slot saved my snake twice. Really enjoyed it
The thing that really jumped to mind for me reading the beastmaster was to make a bounty hunter type character multiclassing with a monk of some kind and leaning in to shillelagh with a staff as a non-lethal way to take down your bounties and with a flying companion helping you track them. Have been playing with the idea for a while but have not been able to settle on the details well enough to actually try playing it yet.
your beasts hit point scales with your ranger levels. Idk if a monk multiclass would give you anything of value. You can pull off your idea with just going ranger.
The Druidic warrior ranger takes 3 rounds to get 5 attacks. Round 1 has 2 attacks, round 2 has 3 attacks: @25:23 You can't cast Shillelagh (bonus) and Summon fey/beast in the same round. When you cast a bonus action spell, the only other spells you can cast is a cantrip that takes 1 action (unless you have action surge). On turn 1 the Druidic warrior ranger beast master can cast Shillelagh and attack only 2 times (with quarterstaff), no primal companion attack or summoned attack. On round 2 can have the primal companion attack, but then the summon takes your action do you can't do a weapon attack, so only 3 attacks. Round 3 is the first time you get your 5 attacks.
Primal savagery is a better option especially at higher levels even if it is an inferior damage type. It doesn't benefit from hunters mark but u need ur bonus action for beast control. But favored foe still works with this spell. I wish the spore druid worked with this spell.
@@JoshuaSmith-hl1xj I'd disagree because you can combine Shillelagh with things like the dueling fighting style and the crusher feat. It does kinda suck that it requires a bonus action to set up, but it's just one turn for that. But you could say you've been casting it prior to battle, as it is a cantrip but it lasts an hour.
A clarification around the Primal companion, you are not locked into your choice around land, sky or sea, you can change them out after they die or at the end of a long rest.
Guardian of Nature is the best 4th level ranger spell for a Wisdom build. Not swift quiver. If you go Druidic Warrior the Great Tree gives advantage on Wisdom attacks for you and your Beast. Great Tree. Your skin appears barky, leaves sprout from your hair, and you gain the following benefits: You gain 10 temporary hit points. You make Constitution saving throws with advantage. You make Dexterity- and Wisdom-based attack rolls with advantage. While you are on the ground, the ground within 15 feet of you is difficult terrain for your enemies.
i'm using the TCoE template and it's so incredible !! right now my ranger is only a temporary character and she's leaving but i've had such a good time with my Velociraptor companion, getting to live the fantasy that until now only chris pratt got to live
Halfling/Gnome Beastmaster just gave me the idea of making one and going Druidic Warrior for the Shillelagh and wielding a quarterstaff like a lance. lol. Also, in terms of Druidic Warrior and the Shillelagh cantrip, I'd say to always go with a Quarterstaff and pick up the Polearm Master feat. Not necessarily for the d4 bonus attack, would likely command beast with Bonus action anyways, but rather the Opportunity Attack if an enemy comes within 5ft of you.
You guys the only ones that can make this work. To make Beastmaster what it should be. Beast training ability: that works like the Battle Master. These training skills would also include combos that require you and your companion. Also, new spellslot options that would enhance your beast or its form.. this would pull away from summoning other creatures to depend on and focus more on the class itself. I hope you get this and make this your own idea... to bring it to life.
I use a Beastmaster in most games that I play. I think shillelagh is kind of a trap build. A loss of an additional BA on top of hunters mark or a whole action from summon beast is a lot. I find that alternating Dex and Wis increases and taking the Sentinel feat along with resilient makes for a faster paced and more powerful build. Having your beast provoking AoO by jumping back to rush back in with a charge attack adds a ton of damage (if the enemy doesn't take the AoO then it's just free damage and knock downs).
i like the druidic a warrior for beastmaster. the only little issue is about choosing how to use bonus action either to activate shillelagh or else to command the beast companion. usually, the best decision by numbers is to activate shillelagh right away, but ... nothing should stop you from testing other druid cantrips without the bonus action, such as produce flame, thornwhip, etc. for less of your own damage overall but still fun and possibly useful in a particular situation. you might find a fun teamwork combination with your beast companion and your allies. extra fun = in Monsters of the Multiverse, all of the updated genasi options could be super interesting for druidic warrior ranger beast master
My BM Ranger befriended a mountain goat who later died to a dragon. My Summon Beast brings Gurt back to fight alongside me once again. Gurt will not be forgotten.
I actually recently played a BM Ranger! bc of the optional Tasha's rules, i was inspired to have my beast be a spirit companion that could shape shift into whatever animal i wanted it to be at the time since there was no mechanical change for the beast. also important to note is that if you're using Beast of the Land and/or flanking mechanics, it's SUPER easy to generate advantage on your melee attacks if you're going with the Shillelagh build which increases your chance to hit even more and i think might boost your average damage even higher than the sharpshooter.
Have been playing my BM's companion like that as well, and can have fun moments when the beast is in a mood and changes appearance without changing statblock
My 7 y/o son chose his first character to be a beast master ranger with a house cat as his animal companion. I asked if he wanted a panther, but insisted it was a house cat. This is going to be the most ferocious house cat ever.
Literally gonna host my first DnD night this Saturday just cause the idea of running a Leonin Beast Master who leads a pack of Lions into battle is just too cool not to do.
How are you going to get a pack (ps called a pride for lions)? Conjure Animals? If so would need to check with your DM if he runs Conjure Animals rules as written (DM decides + initiative role) or over strong but more fun and streamlined ( Player decides + turn after player).
@@Hyde_Hill beastmaster land animal plus conjure animal for a saber tooth, and I say pack cause like two cats plus a tamed Gryphon is a pack and not entirely overkill. A pride makes me think of like 6-7+ creatures. That's just too much. No DM would allow such shenanigans on a regular basis.
One other thing to consider with this is you can also use Druidic Warrior to grab damaging cantrips - specifically Produce Flame and Primal Savagery. These may fall behind in the early game, but they're somewhat competitive in tier3. And because they are both Target : Self, they actually duplicate with Share Spells - so as of level 15 you can cast Primal Savagery for 2x 3d10 attacks plus bonus action for your beast's attack for 2x 1d8+7 or so. Throw a 4th-level Summon Beast or Summon Fey on top of that, and you're putting up some very strong numbers.
Got to say, I've been really enjoying the "How to play" series. Here's a stupid though for a new one "What should i play". Like "what it takes to have fun with certain class". I could use it right now hahaha
@@dweebicusmaximus the drakewarden has enough distinction I could see a somewhat different playstyle but the DD are better at that kind of number crunching then I
Currently playing a BeastMaster in a campaign, and he has been really fun! I love the flexibility of switching around the beast to whatever fits best as we travel around, and the beast of the land (a bear named Talyur) has been a great asset and extra front-liner in the party. What I like so much about this Ranger is having him set up as a Swiss Army knife for the party, able to fill whatever roles needed. I can throw out a lot of DPS, off-heal, control the battlefield, and more with my spells as needed, and help support the rest of my party as they get crazy powerful spells. To that end, I actually took a 2 level dip into Druid, getting to basically buff my spellcasting and take some prepared spells for added flexibility. And the totems from Shepherd Druid have really come in handy! Overall I really like this character and how he’s fleshing out (even though I’ve postponed some nice Ranger features). My biggest problem now is deciding what feats/ASI’s to take for later levels now 😅
I know the video's old, but I just feel like sharing, because right now I'm running the archery fighting style version of beastmaster and he's absolutely a blast. I chose deep gnome as a race so as a small character I could ride my beast of the land (and also for the extra sneakiness), and with gunner feat I can use a musket, the only heavy-hitting ranged weapon that isn't heavy, while gunner also lets me use it point blank after my deep rothe mount charges the enemy and preferably knocks it prone. Also riding something that as a bonus action can disengage and dash gives you pseudo cunning action. Currently level 5, can't wait until level 8 to throw sharpshooter into the mix.
you can still command the beast to use one of your attacks to take the attack action. allowing for a bonus action shillelagh, command the beast to attack and with the land beast charge dealing more damage as it does 1d8+2+PB+1d6 damage which is more damage then your 1d8+wis can do. then with your attack and you can still attack yourself possibly with advantage from the target being prone. this is of course at and after 5th level.
Rangers are one of my favorite classes, and the first ever concept I’d had before knowing thr rules was a Tiefling Beast Master who was a Trick Shot artist for a traveling troupe. Just today was thinking about either. Goliath or V.Human who has the Lorehold Initiate Feat for some Cleric Cantrips, Magic Initiate feat for access to an extra cantrip and free 1st level spell, and the beast would always take the form of a local beast to allow for comfort and ease of travel. He isn’t a typical ranger, but rather more of an archaeologist who studies ancient ruins and civilizations.
I definitely plan to make a mounted character, but I've always been split on all the choices. Maybe you could rank all the mounted sub-class choices for a video?
I'm really enjoying my paladin with a lance and piercer. But a lance and piercer can be used by any mounted characters. Since a lance isn't heavy, small creatures can use them fine
@@dCash117 Well, I wouldn't recommend multiclassing ranger with paladin, since you'll need 13 STR, DEX, WIS, and CHA, making you quite multi-attribute dependent. You could mix either with Cavalier fighter to decent effect
In my opinion the best race for beastmaster is the kobold (not the monsters of the multiverse version) specially with the beast of the sky because you have more freedom to choose targets with flyby and 60ft flying speed. Also if you play with flanking rules the beast of the sky improves a lot.
I also love that if you get ahold of the Enlarge/Reduce spell, then as a kobold, you can ride your beast of the sky because it is now one size class larger than you.
Entangle and Spike Growth are great, and being able to cast them without using a spell slot is very useful for a class that has limited spellcasting - plus you can ride your land beast since you're a small creature.
@@bgdragon99 yup yup. Plus, they get druidcraft which isn't gonna help in a fight, but is nifty. Especially if you're doing the druidic warrior fighting style.
@UCuC5nv5h8X1h2eZxlrfcC1A nope. The rule is that when you cast a spell(including a cantrip) as a bonus action, you can’t cast another spells unless it’s a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action. The spell cast with an action has to be a cantrip, not just either spell.
I've been playing this wrong. You're absolutely correct. From PHB pg 202: "A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action."
I designed and played a one-shot with a Beast Master Ranger with a Giant Constrictor Snake. The Dm allowed the snake to wrap around my character's waist and move with me. I could attack then have the snake attack anyone that got too close from behind. It was super fun and really thematic.
Beast master melee 4th and 5th level good spells are guardian of nature at 4th level and steel wind strike at 5th level. Guardian of nature is self cast so your beast also gains the benefits for our melee wisdom build we will use the great tree, great great spell. And steel wind is 6d10 on up to 5 creatures within 30ft. That can be a lot of damage if your going against a big group of enemies.
I think it is worth noting that if you don't need to concentrate on something bigger at high levels and just need a little damage/utility, ensnaring strike and searing smite are both valid sharable spells that only need a 1st level slot. The downside is the bonus action casting, but if your encounter only needs a 1st level spell to whittle down the enemy, you will probably be fine either way.
Something to consider in the damage calculations is that the archery build will have lower AC due to lack of shield and possibly light armor (somewhat countered by higher Dex, but still).
I'd like to mention a new background that is the beastmaster's best friend: Simic Scientist. Not only would it be great thematically, but it gives you access to 2 spells that greatly help beast masters: enlarge/reduce, and polymorph. If you're a small race you can ride your flying companion as soon as you get access to 2nd level spells. And with share spells, you polymorph yourself and get a free polymorph on your companion as well.
Played one a ways back with a wolf companion. After some barding the wolf had a nice AC, and could stand with my character on the front line. That, plus I had war horse with barding as well. Lots of options, lots of fun.
I just started my second campaign alongside my first. And I decided to go with a Beastmaster Ranger, as a Kinku. Mostly because I found the gimmick of a bird with a bird to be pretty funny. Now I'm here trying to find out how to optimize it
People are mentioning Druidic Warrior (which is great for a Beast Master), but what if you went Bear Totem Barbarian + Wildhunt Shifter Druid…. (Bear Power….) *Also, couldn’t a Gator or Croc classify as a Beast of the Sea and be Amphibious?…*
I’m making a halfling ranger named Ivy, she multiclassed into warlock but is more about her animals. She has an adolescent owlbear for her animal companion (It’s just a reflavored black bear mechanically) that has fey runes on it and is real cute and she has a big corgi (It’s just a reflavored Mastiff I bought with starting gold, dm was nice and said she could have raised and trained them herself for half price) she rides on the corgi and uses him to help track down creatures and people that she’s having to hunt. She also has a couple of donkeys she travels with. She uses the donkeys to drag a wagon she sleeps in and uses to help travel, stores pelts, food, stuff she finds, loot, weapons etc in it, and sells minor healing potions she makes with her alchemy kit out of it on the road to make coin and help people. She learned how to use alchemist supplies, when she realized it was harder for commoners and people to go get the ingredients and things in the wildernesses. So she does that cause she’s like “if only so many people can I probably should”, sometimes she gives them out to people who’ve been hurt bad from orcs goblins and other entities like that. I made her a noble, her twin sister who’s another character of mine got lost in the feywild and she became a ranger originally because she had a connection to animals but also because she wanted to find her sister. (I wanted a pet so I decided I’d multiclass into warlock to represent that aspect of her backstory instead of going fey wanderer) she kinda does bounty hunting work and hunting and alchemy stuff to make coin on the side and help people and is trying to find a group of adventurers who wanna try to help people in the world like she does. It’s pretty simple and prolly not very good But I love her and Pookie the bear and Willy the Corgi.
One thing not mentioned that makes the melee version of this build quite a bit more potent is that you can flank with your companion for advantage on all three attacks. This would increase the dpr gap between the melee and archery builds quite a bit. You can also use the beast of the sea and a reach weapon so that you can take potshots against a grappled enemy while outside of its range which is a pretty funny and effective strategy.
If you are going Melee, you can mix in even a single level of a heavy armor cleric (nature?) and go Strength as another option. You could go grappler and get some good value out of that, as well as spells which interact well with grappling like spike growth, silence, etc. Also I think y'all are missing a great level 1 ranger spell in fog cloud. It is great utility in stopping ranged attacks and spells. In an encounter that is going to last more than a few rounds fog cloud also becomes amazing cover for you and party members to attack out of by walking out, making an attack, and then moving back into the fog cloud. Also you don't *have* to summon 8 creatures with conjure animals. A couple dire wolves are still pretty amazing value.
If you do want beast of the sky I would recommend the Archer build and definitely take spike growth. Both you and your beast will reliably be able to attack without issue and your enemy could become extremely limited in their options
Regarding the Wisdom Ranger's set up round, it's actually a bit worse than how it was presented it here. RAW, you can't actually cast Shillelagh and Summon Fey on the same turn. The rules regarding casting multiple spells in one turn state that if you cast a spell with your bonus action, the only other spell you can cast is a cantrip with a casting time of one action. As such, you would have to either cast Summon Fey or Shillelagh on the first turn, then cast the other on the second. Now chances are that your DM will just let you cast them both, but as with most things in D&D, make sure you talk to them first about it before just jumping into it.
This is correct according to RAW but I agree as a DM I would allow it as, to me, it doesn't seem OP in anyway as you are pretty much sacrificing damage in your first round to have stable l, but not OP damage, in the following rounds.
Well...You're even going to do more dmg by splitting the casts in 2 turns... 1° case) You cast both in first turn, doing only fey damage (~13 at lvl12 with maxed WIS), and start doing your full damage in second turn (~53 at lvl12 with maxed WIS) = 66 dmg in the first 2 turns 2° case) You cast Summon Fey and let both Beast of the Land (BA) and Summoned Fey attack in first turn (~34 at lvl 12 with maxed WIS), and in second turn just cast Shillelagh and then attack with one of your 2 attacks, sacrifice your second attack to let the Best of the Land attack, and then let the Fey attack (~43,5 at lvl 12 with maxed WIS) = 77,5 in the first 2 turns
I personally run a Firbolg Beastmaster. Druidic magic? Check. Initial boost to wisdom? Check. Being a lover of the forest and it’s mysticism? Check. Beast of the land feels perfect with a Firbolg as well. Very fun combo, I recommend it for sure.
An "archer" (ranged attacker) can make use of Magic Stone in a sling - eliminating the need for Dex above 14 for the ranged build as well (and why not grab Shillelagh as well to become a well-rounded versatile ranger, which has always been the point of rangers anyway). I've been playing a wisdom based ranger with both those options (using magic initiate) and it has been VERY effective. I'm playing Fey Wanderer, but works with any Ranger
They should have added alternate rules for action economy and reviving the Ranger's Companion PHB feature along with the new Primal Companion. It would have been a good option for people who still enjoyed the idea of the Ranger's Companion beast.
I really love the Druidic Warrior style for going all in on Wisdom, and I think you might have undersold the advantage you get from improved save DCs. For your level 12 Beastmaster, throwing down a DC 17 Entangle on the first round and having your Beast of the Sky flyby a stuck creature could be absolutely devastating. However, your setup round does have to contend with two conflicts: controlling the beast and Shillelagh both take a bonus action...and if you cast Shillelagh to get your weapon ready, you can't cast a leveled spell with your action like Summon Beast or Entangle. It's a good problem to have, too many good things coming on line at once, but it does lead to a traffic jam at the start of every combat.
I wonder if you could roleplay this in a way where you always keep up shillelagh, like the trope of the warrior who continuously sharpens his blade in preparation for battle.
@@bgdragon99 Definitely requires a conversation with the DM. Personally, I'd say the answer is situational. It only lasts a minute, so you'd have to be casting it very regularly; maybe roll a d10 to figure out how many rounds of it were left when combat starts, if you're allowing it. But sitting there casting a spell or sitting there sharpening a blade is definitely very threatening behavior; you might not get away with it wandering the streets of a big city, say. And without Subtle Spell, the implication is that you have to make gestures and clearly speak your spell -- that makes stealth difficult. And how long are you repeat casting? Should it get tiring? Personally, as a DM, my ruling would be that you can get away with it sometimes, but not all the time. Waiting to defend a city from a horde of undead? Sure, lots of prep spells, it's easy to see them coming. In a tense confrontation with the guards where drawing a weapon or casting would escalate matters? Are you sure you wanna do that?
I do love my Beastmaster. I use the 1/4 CR option. DM let me utilize the Tasha rewrite to have it attack on my BA. But, without the bumps it definitely has lagged behind other classes. We are now level 20 and starting at 18 I could use a 1/2 CR beast and it gave more options. To not overpower it I ensured the damage was around a panther or other typical damage dealer of a 1/4 Cr
I would not take swift quiver as a beastmaster archer. It is a waste of a 5th level slot to use your bonus action to NOT have your beast companion attack. However if you are going melee with the build, taking sentinel would be pretty fun since if you are up there bapping bad guys with your beast, you can get an extra hit if they go for your beast instead of you, although you may want to weigh the pros and cons of it if you want to keep up an important concentration spell
i disagree it's a waste to not attack with your companion because it is not always safe to have your companion in combat. i am currently playing a lv 16 BM. my BotL has 85 hit points. he is squishier than any member of the party and is likely to be the squishiest thing on the battlefield in any given combat. My DM let me have him wear Bracers of Defense for an AC of 20 (he is an ape, so actually has the anatomy to use them), and he still will get killed in 2-3 hits by a monster half our CR. Swift Quiver is hands down the best spell an archer build can get, even with the potential non-bo with your subclass feature. However, i suppose if your DM is super nice and never has enemies attack your companion, then yeah you're probably better off attacking with the pet.
@@herbalt My question why are you playing beastmaster ranger then? Sure your companion is down after 3 hits, but that is still 85-100 HP not being deducted from the party, and you can bring your companion back with a 1st level spell slot after combat. 1 spell slot for an 85hp is insane, you should WANT the dm to attack your animal companion. If you don't want to have your animal companion die, you are at 16th level, use Spell Share and twin zephyr strike or Ashardalon's Strideso your pal can weave in and out of melee, both of which are 1st level spells and 3rd level spells respectively, that also grant some bonus damage. Heck if you are the only one packing it, ask your DM if you can spell share your Aid spell, and give an extra 20 HP to yourself, your companion, and 2 other friends, make you all more powerful. Swift quiver takes a 5th level spell slot, and 1 bonus action to activate, and on subsequent turns you get 4 shots per round, or you can lose one of your attacks so you are making 3 attacks and your companion takes 2. For a 5th level spell slot, your concentration, and a bonus action (of which a beastmaster ranger in particular has plenty of options), for one minute, you can lose your entire subclass feature, or gain a single extra attack. Maybe if it lasted 10 minutes so you could cast it beforehand or use it in more than 1 fight, I could see it, but as is to me it is lackluster. I think swift quiver is the best *5th level spell* available to longbow-archer rangers, but you can always upcast a buff or summon spell which in my opinion is going to give you more bang for your buck in the vast majority of cases. All ranger summon spells last an hour, as does elemental weapon (and hey, BoTL technically reads "Maul: melee weapon attack" ask nicely and maybe your DM will let your twin it on your monkey pal so he can have +2 and 2d4 flaming fists per hit too), meaning you can cast it before combat, and it may last a whole dungeon (unless you have a warlock who needs a nap) rather than a single fight. I'm not saying it is NEVER going to be useful to have it in your back pocket (because it isn't tied to using your attack action there is some flexibility, for that one fight it is 2 extra chances for that +10 with sharpshooter is nice, maybe you got ambushed and your animal buddy is already down) I just think it is way more niche than people think. That being said, if summoning isn't your style, I'd seriously Guardian of Nature for a buff effective on a Beast Master archer ranger, because even if your ape-friend isn't attacking, and your DM locks you into having the same form as you pick, giving yourself and your companion Great tree still gives you both: advantage on all dex attacks, 10 temp Hp, advantage on con saves (it even helps you concentrate on it!) and difficult terrain for enemies only. Even if you park the ape to protect a location, is still slows melee attackers closing in on them, which again helps with survival. It isn't clear if Beast of the land uses strength or dex (Beast of the Air does dex if you want to switch up their forms), but you never know what a DM might say. Plus because it is a 4th level spell you can use it earlier, and more frequently than swift quiver making it more reliable.
Interesting to see you guys take a page from D4 and Treantmonk and going over the damage. It has become a bit helpful in the overall picture of potential. For a fun idea if I did this. Gnome and a badger and take Primal Savagery and just be two frenzied animals.
I'm playing halfling with a giant spider she rides. So much fun and using archery build. Now am giving side eye to druidic warrior style, sounds great!
So, how does battle work? Do you dismount and send the spider in while you hang back with the archery? Does it take you into combat and you somehow do archery in melee range? Do you stay on the spider and it serves as transportation, not as a combatant? I'm considering a Beastmaster Talenta Halfling with a dinosaur (Beast of the Land) mount, but can't quite figure it out, especially with an archer build. Investing in a companion but not taking them into battle seems weird. Taking an archer into melee range intentionally seems weird. Investing in a mount and then dismounting for combat also seems weird. One idea was using Crossbow Expert to be effective in melee range, but that means no Mounted Combatant until 8th level (we're starting at 4). Basically, I'm having trouble solidifying the character concept into something which seems like it would work and be fun, so I'm curious what you're doing.
I would add one special feature depend of the animal form that the primal companion takes because play for example a giant spider that can't spider climb is unrealistic. It's the bad thing about default stat blocks for summons and companions, it's more practical but with what cost. I imagine a gnome with the spell reduce maybe by an ally, a magic item or a potion and the beast of the sky and the mount feat.
I think you guys missed out on sharing something like guardian of nature for sharing spells. having said that, i'd still use a summon. Shillelagh can be pre-casted while walking around just repeat casting it every minute. most DMs allow this as it's RAW anyway and would rather minimize the annoyance of someone saying "i cast shillelagh" every minute. summon beast also does more dmg than summon fey and is more worthy of the upcast. dissonant whispers via feytouched is a great way to pump up dmg by allowing you to get 3 opportunity attacks with your summon, yours, and the primal companion. i've played my own version of the druidic warrior in the past and it puts great sustained dmg with disssonant whispers while putting alot of bodies on the field.
Can y’all do a video on multiclass dips that only takes 1 or 2 levels of a class and why you might take the dip, main inspiration for the idea is seeing a couple characters from critical role’s campaign three take a single level of rogue even if it doesn’t mesh perfectly with their original class
i think Ashley (Fearne) dipped into rogue mainly for RP reasons because it fit the style/personality of the character she is playing (she is a klepto, and she knew she was going to be trying to steal stuff all the time, so might as well be proficient at it). As for Chetney, i feel like his rogue dip might have primarily been to shore up the fact that the party initially thought he was a rogue before learning he was a BH and had therefore resulted in him falling into the role of being the party's de facto rogue for things like scouting and stealth ops. That one level dip gives him expertise in stealth, another skill proficiency, thieves' tools, and a little bit of extra damage here and there via sneak attack. Seeing as he and Orym are the only relatively dexterous members of the party, the rogue dip helps a little bit to shore up some of what the party was lacking. But this is all my speculation as i haven't heard anything straight from the cast members on their reasoning.
I'm currently playing a Changeling Arcane Trickster/Beast Master Ranger, and I took shield to help come alive with shared spell. My party now considers me the tank lol
You forgot to account, that melee build profits from enemy being knocked prone - which will happen A LOT with such high WIS. And you can use after lvl 11 Primal Savagery to deal average dmg almost the same as 2 attacks with Shillelagh - but you have no set-up round! And in spells section, you forgot the best spell to share - Guardian of Nature.
am playing a ranger and have considered adding beastmaster to this build I have had played a beastmaster before Tasha's cauldron was open to play and enjoyed this ranger type
I’m currently playing an Aarokocra Bm Ranger. His companion is a giant badger. I chose Druidic warrior and ritual caster at 4th. He is a bad ass Warrior, Healer and Scout
Guardian of nature for level four would work decently. Gives you advantage on either strength, dex, or wisdom based attack and is a self cast. If you take elven accuracy that would be procced by it. Gives other bonuses as well which can either work as extra damage or battlefield control.
I play a Beastmaster with a moros intrepidus(a smaller version of the T-Rex which if descended from) He does 4d6+6 damage on a bite and has solid stealth to boot. Let's just say I've one shotted quite a few people and I have managed to buff him quite a bit with spells as well
I discovered you guys channel about a month ago and l"ve been watching every sent and l subscribe you guys are awesome... l have a question I'm playing a Divine Soul Sorcerer that Haf-Elf Haf-Aasim and I will be leveling up soon to 3th level what would be a good class to add would be thankful for any help.
Simply looking to use my companion to give me the help function while I make my ranged attacks with advantage. Really need a definitive answer, as my DM seems to argue the point at every step. Watching your video, my takeaway is; I use bonus action to tell my companion to "help". I then have advantage for all of my attacks that round. Rinse and repeat the next round. If this is not correct, please let me know. Any criticism for my choice of style goes into file 13 😂
My dryad Fey Wanderer ranger uses Summon Fey (for free! with no concentration!) to summon the soul of her murdered lover. He teleports around the battlefield charming people, or triggering her Beguiling Twist. It's a pretty fun time. (Mentioned because of the similarity to monty's dead packmate.)
One thing I've noticed the lot of these bills type of The Beastmaster Animal Companions very few people mentioned Barding I think it might be because of the cost great way to boost the armor rating of your animal companion
One thing they forgot to mention is that shillelaghe requires you to be holding the weapon while casting, so if you're wearing a shield you'll need the warcaster feat to use it.
Tried the new Beast Master for a one-shot. Level 3 Firbolg, with his faithful Beast of the Sky hawk. Granted it was a fairly low level of play, but the birb was by far the MVP, consistently dealing 6-8 damage per round then retreating out of harm's way, even getting the killing blow on the boss. My only regret was not taking Shillelagh.
another great spell with share spells is guardian of nature great tree form as it gives advantage on wisdom and dexterity attacks, 10 temp hp, advantage on con saves (all not just for concentration) and while grounded the ground within 15 feet of you is difficult terrain for your enemies. great for beast of the air because it uses dexterity because the it does 1d4+3+PB with the 3 referring to its dex of 16. but for beast of the land and sea it is a bit tricky because its strength, dex and wisdom are all 14. so it could be strength which would be bad as then you would have to use primal beast to get the advantage and a d6 extra damage (nice bonus) but you don't get the advantage or it can be dex and wisdom which means not only your attacks but also your beasts attacks are with advantage if you are using the shillelagh build
If you’re going with Druidic Warrior and going VHuman or Custom Lineage one thing to consider is grabbing the Magic Initiate Feat right away to grab Shillelagh and a free use of Entangle. Then you can choose the Dueling fighting style instead which does apply to your damage with Shillelagh.
The other option is to take one level of Druid or Nature Domain Cleric at the start to get the starting cantrips and the rest of the levels as ranger (so fighting style at 3rd level)
@@Gomjibar
Druid dip is only worth it if you grab 2 levels tho. Shepherd would work the best, but Moon is a good choice as well.
@@Gomjibar With a more heavily armoured Ranger, the Druidic restriction of non-metallic armour might be a problem.
@@Gomjibar You can even try Arcana or Death domain for either wisdom based wizard cantrips or more potent necromancy cantrips respectively.
@@Gomjibar or 2 moon druid levels...
Ive always felt that Beastmaster is such a fun and classic subclass that didnt get enough love from WOTC, even back in 3.5 it was relatively weak compared to options other classed would get with companion creatures.
So glad you guys finally have a video about it, love the content and im looking forward to see your points of view on it
Fun fact: in case you go with the shilleleag build..
You can take crusher, round up a 15, and use it to push the enemy 5 feet and let your beast disengage freely and have it charge every turn. +1d6dmg and a ST against your maximised DC to knock prone the enemy. Every turn.. not bad. You can prioritize Con as 2nd Ability, wield a shield (19 AC with +2 dx and halfplate) and be a decent off tank. This build will have 3 opportunity attacks in case the enemy try move away without a disengage action. With a second summoning and Aid there is a decent hit point pool here.. Which may also be pumped up with other spells and combo with other party members. Thinkning about it you might combo it with the summoned fey that can cause a 5feet darkness every time it fey step.. The enmy is blined if it decide not to move, in case it does it takes 3 opprtunity attacks if doesn't disengage..
In case you choose to take the fey touched feat a good spell to choose might be dissonant wispers another way to generate 3 opportunity attacks along while controlling the enemy.
I really like this sbuclass... The more I think about it the more I m growing to like it. Nice Vid!
The problem with using the Darkness with Summon Fey is that you need to be able to see the enemy to get an Attack of Opportunity.
You could take Mounted Combatant and use the Mirthful Fey to Charm the creature. If they fail the save, they can't target you or they Fey with attacks, they can target your Companion but you can force them to target you which they then cannot attack. This leaves them with no option other than to move away or make a ranged attack at disadvantage.
Don’t forget that your Druidic warrior Beastmaster will also be more effective casting spells. Your DC will be as high as a Druid’s, which means more entangled enemies.
Idea on small race, you could easily also do a goblin wolfrider! Thats also a classic fantasy/dnd trope and could be fun!
I can't believe I didn't think of that! What a great option!
My goblin ranger in session 1 ended up with grass stains on his butt. Since my new nickname was Assgrass, I decided to ride my trusty donkey into battle.
Halfling Outrider on a big ol' mastiff.
My hillbilly halfling rode around on a hog, shooting a crossbow and throwing nets, with leather gator armor,
I actually have a goblin wolf rider character. Super fun, I play it in melee with shillelagh and a club.
i will say, one thing i've always thought would make the beast master from TCoE even more interesting would be to have more customizable primal companions. maybe each one has a small list of abilities that it can do, and at certain levels you can train them in those abilities so that you can either have a more clear vision of the type of creature it is or you can match it better to your character's fighting style. i don't even think it would have to be a huge list, but it would be an interesting way to make the primal companion feel more unique apart from just the three variants it already has
I really like this idea. Maybe level 7 is the best for this initially, considering the only benefit it gives for primal is magical damage for the beast (if you have an up-to-date phb), with a secondary grouping of stronger options at lvl 15? I think a good option for beasts of the land is giving it spiderclimb so people can roleplay a drow with a spider companion, while a good option for any of them is letting the beast companion grow 1 size larger, maybe 2 sizes at higher levels, for the bears, horses, giant eagles, elephants and big dinosaurs that people would undoubtably want. If the 2 sizes up is at lvl 15 that lines up with drakewarden, both giving a large sized flying creature
Right on! Yeah it would be nice to swap out the charge ability for pack tactics for flavoring a mastiff companion rather than a bear or whatever other flavor players use for the new companion
I’m playing a lizardfolk beast master (new rules/primal companion) an my companion is a small crocodile named bongo. I went with archery build and used all tashas new features an it’s a lot of fun. It feels very effective in an out of combat an having a swamp dwelling lizard with a mini swamp croc as a friend is so much fun
For the 4th level spell choice I really like Guardian of Nature selecting "Great Tree". Since you attack with Dexterity as a bow ranger and your primal beast attacks with your Wisdom, both of you attack with advantage. It's a great choice for the shared spells that comes up at level 15.
It's important to remind everyone, since this was a mistake made in the BM subclass review, that the primal companion still only has *one* attack action, and the way to use that action is to either give up your bonus action or to give up one of your attacks. The beast still only makes it 1-2 attacks *once,* but giving up one of your attacks is an option for when you need to use your bonus action.
Ohhh smart, so take the attack action yourself (lvl11+), give one attack to your companion & they can make two attacks, nicee
There is an interesting interaction with Haste. If your beast is hasted, it technically has two actions it can take. So you could possibly command it to take the Attack action as part of your Attack and use your bonus action to command it to use its hasted action (only one attack for that one, though. So, three attacks from your beast or two attacks and dash/disengage/hide).
I'm not totally sure on this one as the wording on Exceptional Training makes things complicated 😵💫.
this is something that a lot of people still mess up, thinking the wording means they get two attack actions. even a lot of the popular dnd youtubers made this mistake when talking about the primal companion
The Player's handbook's Beast master's level 11 "Bestial fury" feature gives the beast 2 attacks, which just need a bonus action from the ranger who can still use extra attack.
@@jack-4129 Yes...? And?
I love how you are taking inspiration from D4 and including hit chance and average damage output
I love how you did a melee style build along with the "go to" Ranger Archer build almost all ranger builds you find on RUclips are Sharpshooter builds. Thank you for making a viable melee build that speaks to the flavor of the character so well.
This video really helped me. Sadly my dwarven barbarian was sadly slain yesterday part way through our campaign. I’m now in the process of getting ideas for a new character.
25:35 you can't do that. If you cast a spell as a bonus action, even a cantrip, the only other spell you can cast on your turn is a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action. Most people assume 1 leveled and 1 canteip is fine per turn, but the rule is a little more complex than that
Yup viva la dirt league even did their rules lawyer video on it, very funny. It's mainly to limit higher level sorcerers. Otherwise they could quicken cantrip and then Twin/whatever their main spell.
@@Hyde_HillIt's funny became if a sorcerer did that, that's all their sorcery points for that day. And they have about 5 combats left.
@@Grintock that is why I wrote higher level. As then they would still have plenty. Ad in the item that gives sorcery points on a short rest and they are fine.
I like the unorthodox companions, so bring on the capybara!
It is really cool to see so much versatility in a class/subclass that really wasn't all that well thought of before Tasha's.
Suggestion for a possible video idea: run through how you come up with a character for a game. Do you approach it from a particular concept, a race, a subclass? Do you go into it with a "combat plan" already, or is that something that develops as you play?
Ok kk
I'm surprised Firbolg didn't get a mention; IMO they make a great ranger at least thematically, if not mechanically.
u don't really gain a whole lot from being a firbolg beast master. Your racial invisibility is on a bonus action which you will be using to command your beast. you get strength and wisdom boost and u really don't need the strength boost, plus everyone knows Firbolgs are iconic druids :P
@@kuropotato8097 Beast Master gives you the option of bonus action or sacrifice an attack to command the beast, so firbolgs can still synergise there!
I played the PHB version as my first PC in D&D ever. My DM was very gracious with the rules. He allowed me to switch to Tasha’s version immediately.
I've been playing a wood elf Beastmaster for about a year-year & 1/2 now, currently level 16. I've had fun, but i will say this, particularly in regards to your average damage comparison: y'all are looking at best case scenarios where it is safe and prudent to have your companion in combat, and in my experience that is rarely the case. At level 16, my BotL (ape) has 85 hit points. That is squishier than any party member, and he is often the squishiest thing on the battlefield in any given combat. He gets 2-to-3-shot by monsters half our CR, so i usually have to have him sit back until there is a single enemy left to dog-pile onto, which means i am basically a generic subclassless ranger for the majority of combats. now i am sure this is very campaign/DM-dependent. Some DMs might be nice enough to never attack your pets, and in those cases your companion can put in some work. But in my experience, using my companion to attack in combat is often a liability (in my campaign in particular, my DM felt there wasn't enough risk involved in getting my pet into combat, so he made a house rule that if my companion dies, i get disadvantage on everything until i can bring him back, which is a nightmare if he goes down in combat, as even if you use a spell slot to rez your companion, it still takes a minute to come back, so i am always overly careful).
Outside of combat, though, it offers a lot of versatility in terms of things like scouting and exploration, especially when you can swap out to a flyer or swimmer if the situation calls for it (albeit post-long rest). Just don't get caught on dry land with a Beast of the Sea! We were doing a quest on the Elemental Plane of Water, so i thought oh no-brainer, i'll bring an octopus. Well, wouldn't you know; the big fight ended up being inside a cave that was dry inside, and my octopus literally spent the whole fight trying to get to...anybody...5 feet at a time, never doing anything the entire encounter.
Also, I feel like games like World of Warcraft and such have gotten us used to the fantasy/trope of archer ranger with a bear or some other beast tanking in melee for you; but sadly, the subclass doesn't really deliver on that fantasy, imho. they are far too squishy, particularly at higher levels of play, to realistically do much tanking. I mean, i have almost 3x the HP of my ape. I would almost always rather me take a hit than him (especially with shared spells in play, i can Cure Wounds myself and heal us both).
P.S. I also realize that you do your comparisons under best case scenarios because that's how you have to do it to gather any meaningful data. but i just wanted to point out that when it comes to Companion damage and efficacy, YMMV!!
I just played a BM in a recent one shot and I was pleasantly surprised with how useful he was. Bringing the pet back with a single spell slot saved my snake twice. Really enjoyed it
The thing that really jumped to mind for me reading the beastmaster was to make a bounty hunter type character multiclassing with a monk of some kind and leaning in to shillelagh with a staff as a non-lethal way to take down your bounties and with a flying companion helping you track them. Have been playing with the idea for a while but have not been able to settle on the details well enough to actually try playing it yet.
your beasts hit point scales with your ranger levels. Idk if a monk multiclass would give you anything of value. You can pull off your idea with just going ranger.
@@kuropotato8097 Or you can just take the feat that gives you 1 spell level and take find familiar haha...
The Druidic warrior ranger takes 3 rounds to get 5 attacks. Round 1 has 2 attacks, round 2 has 3 attacks:
@25:23 You can't cast Shillelagh (bonus) and Summon fey/beast in the same round. When you cast a bonus action spell, the only other spells you can cast is a cantrip that takes 1 action (unless you have action surge).
On turn 1 the Druidic warrior ranger beast master can cast Shillelagh and attack only 2 times (with quarterstaff), no primal companion attack or summoned attack.
On round 2 can have the primal companion attack, but then the summon takes your action do you can't do a weapon attack, so only 3 attacks.
Round 3 is the first time you get your 5 attacks.
i am new to dnd and love playing a beastmaster ranger, now at level 5. thanks for all the suggestions and things to look forward to! love you guys!
One drawback of shillelagh is that casting it takes a bonus action, which are quite valuable as a beast master ranger.
Yes but it is a cantrip that lasts an hour so theoretically your character could be casting it all the time.
Primal savagery is a better option especially at higher levels even if it is an inferior damage type. It doesn't benefit from hunters mark but u need ur bonus action for beast control. But favored foe still works with this spell. I wish the spore druid worked with this spell.
@@JoshuaSmith-hl1xj I'd disagree because you can combine Shillelagh with things like the dueling fighting style and the crusher feat. It does kinda suck that it requires a bonus action to set up, but it's just one turn for that. But you could say you've been casting it prior to battle, as it is a cantrip but it lasts an hour.
@@snazzyfeathers Doesn't Shillelagh last one minute?
@@Icephantom573 Yup Shilelagh lasts a minute. It's the summons that last an hour. So those you have to pre cast.
A clarification around the Primal companion, you are not locked into your choice around land, sky or sea, you can change them out after they die or at the end of a long rest.
Guardian of Nature is the best 4th level ranger spell for a Wisdom build. Not swift quiver. If you go Druidic Warrior the Great Tree gives advantage on Wisdom attacks for you and your Beast.
Great Tree. Your skin appears barky, leaves sprout from your hair, and you gain the following benefits:
You gain 10 temporary hit points.
You make Constitution saving throws with advantage.
You make Dexterity- and Wisdom-based attack rolls with advantage.
While you are on the ground, the ground within 15 feet of you is difficult terrain for your enemies.
i'm using the TCoE template and it's so incredible !! right now my ranger is only a temporary character and she's leaving but i've had such a good time with my Velociraptor companion, getting to live the fantasy that until now only chris pratt got to live
I love this idea! I also recently played a BM ranger and this thought never crossed my mind. wonderful flavor choice
Halfling/Gnome Beastmaster just gave me the idea of making one and going Druidic Warrior for the Shillelagh and wielding a quarterstaff like a lance. lol.
Also, in terms of Druidic Warrior and the Shillelagh cantrip, I'd say to always go with a Quarterstaff and pick up the Polearm Master feat. Not necessarily for the d4 bonus attack, would likely command beast with Bonus action anyways, but rather the Opportunity Attack if an enemy comes within 5ft of you.
You guys the only ones that can make this work. To make Beastmaster what it should be. Beast training ability: that works like the Battle Master. These training skills would also include combos that require you and your companion. Also, new spellslot options that would enhance your beast or its form.. this would pull away from summoning other creatures to depend on and focus more on the class itself.
I hope you get this and make this your own idea... to bring it to life.
I use a Beastmaster in most games that I play. I think shillelagh is kind of a trap build. A loss of an additional BA on top of hunters mark or a whole action from summon beast is a lot.
I find that alternating Dex and Wis increases and taking the Sentinel feat along with resilient makes for a faster paced and more powerful build. Having your beast provoking AoO by jumping back to rush back in with a charge attack adds a ton of damage (if the enemy doesn't take the AoO then it's just free damage and knock downs).
i like the druidic a warrior for beastmaster. the only little issue is about choosing how to use bonus action either to activate shillelagh or else to command the beast companion. usually, the best decision by numbers is to activate shillelagh right away, but ... nothing should stop you from testing other druid cantrips without the bonus action, such as produce flame, thornwhip, etc. for less of your own damage overall but still fun and possibly useful in a particular situation. you might find a fun teamwork combination with your beast companion and your allies. extra fun = in Monsters of the Multiverse, all of the updated genasi options could be super interesting for druidic warrior ranger beast master
My BM Ranger befriended a mountain goat who later died to a dragon. My Summon Beast brings Gurt back to fight alongside me once again. Gurt will not be forgotten.
I actually recently played a BM Ranger! bc of the optional Tasha's rules, i was inspired to have my beast be a spirit companion that could shape shift into whatever animal i wanted it to be at the time since there was no mechanical change for the beast. also important to note is that if you're using Beast of the Land and/or flanking mechanics, it's SUPER easy to generate advantage on your melee attacks if you're going with the Shillelagh build which increases your chance to hit even more and i think might boost your average damage even higher than the sharpshooter.
Have been playing my BM's companion like that as well, and can have fun moments when the beast is in a mood and changes appearance without changing statblock
My 7 y/o son chose his first character to be a beast master ranger with a house cat as his animal companion. I asked if he wanted a panther, but insisted it was a house cat. This is going to be the most ferocious house cat ever.
Literally gonna host my first DnD night this Saturday just cause the idea of running a Leonin Beast Master who leads a pack of Lions into battle is just too cool not to do.
How are you going to get a pack (ps called a pride for lions)? Conjure Animals? If so would need to check with your DM if he runs Conjure Animals rules as written (DM decides + initiative role) or over strong but more fun and streamlined ( Player decides + turn after player).
@@Hyde_Hill beastmaster land animal plus conjure animal for a saber tooth, and I say pack cause like two cats plus a tamed Gryphon is a pack and not entirely overkill. A pride makes me think of like 6-7+ creatures. That's just too much. No DM would allow such shenanigans on a regular basis.
@@slikwill91 Ah ok and the DM is ok with you choosing the conjured animal and having a pet. Ok then enjoy.
One other thing to consider with this is you can also use Druidic Warrior to grab damaging cantrips - specifically Produce Flame and Primal Savagery. These may fall behind in the early game, but they're somewhat competitive in tier3. And because they are both Target : Self, they actually duplicate with Share Spells - so as of level 15 you can cast Primal Savagery for 2x 3d10 attacks plus bonus action for your beast's attack for 2x 1d8+7 or so. Throw a 4th-level Summon Beast or Summon Fey on top of that, and you're putting up some very strong numbers.
Got to say, I've been really enjoying the "How to play" series. Here's a stupid though for a new one "What should i play". Like "what it takes to have fun with certain class". I could use it right now hahaha
24:35 how do you have 2 attacks with shillelagh?
Because Rangers get extra attack and Shillelagh isn’t a spell attack, just a magical boost for a otherwise regular weapon
Such a good breakdown. I would love to see something similar for the Drakewarden since it has a fairly similar feel and look
Yeah, drakewarden is just a draconian beastmaster. Which, is rad, but I almost feel like they should be talked about together
@@dweebicusmaximus the drakewarden has enough distinction I could see a somewhat different playstyle but the DD are better at that kind of number crunching then I
That Tasha's update for beast master should have been a free update in general because the class was so lackluster
Currently playing a BeastMaster in a campaign, and he has been really fun! I love the flexibility of switching around the beast to whatever fits best as we travel around, and the beast of the land (a bear named Talyur) has been a great asset and extra front-liner in the party.
What I like so much about this Ranger is having him set up as a Swiss Army knife for the party, able to fill whatever roles needed. I can throw out a lot of DPS, off-heal, control the battlefield, and more with my spells as needed, and help support the rest of my party as they get crazy powerful spells. To that end, I actually took a 2 level dip into Druid, getting to basically buff my spellcasting and take some prepared spells for added flexibility. And the totems from Shepherd Druid have really come in handy! Overall I really like this character and how he’s fleshing out (even though I’ve postponed some nice Ranger features). My biggest problem now is deciding what feats/ASI’s to take for later levels now 😅
I know the video's old, but I just feel like sharing, because right now I'm running the archery fighting style version of beastmaster and he's absolutely a blast. I chose deep gnome as a race so as a small character I could ride my beast of the land (and also for the extra sneakiness), and with gunner feat I can use a musket, the only heavy-hitting ranged weapon that isn't heavy, while gunner also lets me use it point blank after my deep rothe mount charges the enemy and preferably knocks it prone. Also riding something that as a bonus action can disengage and dash gives you pseudo cunning action. Currently level 5, can't wait until level 8 to throw sharpshooter into the mix.
you can still command the beast to use one of your attacks to take the attack action. allowing for a bonus action shillelagh, command the beast to attack and with the land beast charge dealing more damage as it does 1d8+2+PB+1d6 damage which is more damage then your 1d8+wis can do. then with your attack and you can still attack yourself possibly with advantage from the target being prone. this is of course at and after 5th level.
Rangers are one of my favorite classes, and the first ever concept I’d had before knowing thr rules was a Tiefling Beast Master who was a Trick Shot artist for a traveling troupe.
Just today was thinking about either. Goliath or V.Human who has the Lorehold Initiate Feat for some Cleric Cantrips, Magic Initiate feat for access to an extra cantrip and free 1st level spell, and the beast would always take the form of a local beast to allow for comfort and ease of travel. He isn’t a typical ranger, but rather more of an archaeologist who studies ancient ruins and civilizations.
Great guide! It really helps getting an overall understanding for the strategy of a character.
Add being able to use beast sense without a spell slot a number of times equal proficiency bonus per long rest.
The Beast Sense spell from Primal Awareness is also useful in combination with all of the Beasts, depending on environment.
I definitely plan to make a mounted character, but I've always been split on all the choices. Maybe you could rank all the mounted sub-class choices for a video?
Ranger beast master mounted combatant and sharpshooter feats. Play a halfling.
I'm really enjoying my paladin with a lance and piercer. But a lance and piercer can be used by any mounted characters. Since a lance isn't heavy, small creatures can use them fine
Has anyone multi classed 2 mounted classes?
@@dCash117 Well, I wouldn't recommend multiclassing ranger with paladin, since you'll need 13 STR, DEX, WIS, and CHA, making you quite multi-attribute dependent. You could mix either with Cavalier fighter to decent effect
In my opinion the best race for beastmaster is the kobold (not the monsters of the multiverse version) specially with the beast of the sky because you have more freedom to choose targets with flyby and 60ft flying speed.
Also if you play with flanking rules the beast of the sky improves a lot.
I also love that if you get ahold of the Enlarge/Reduce spell, then as a kobold, you can ride your beast of the sky because it is now one size class larger than you.
Beast of the sea can also be a used to represent a constrictor snake (i have a pc bard/ranger snake charmer having a blast with this) or a giant frog
Druidic Warrior is like Survival Hunter from WoW - SO awesome!
I'm a fan of the idea of a lotusden halfling as a beast master. Lotusden gets a handful of druid spells to expand your spells known a bit
Entangle and Spike Growth are great, and being able to cast them without using a spell slot is very useful for a class that has limited spellcasting - plus you can ride your land beast since you're a small creature.
@@bgdragon99 yup yup. Plus, they get druidcraft which isn't gonna help in a fight, but is nifty. Especially if you're doing the druidic warrior fighting style.
You can’t cast Shillelagh and Summon Beast in the first turn, because of the Bonus Action Spell rule.
@UCuC5nv5h8X1h2eZxlrfcC1A nope. The rule is that when you cast a spell(including a cantrip) as a bonus action, you can’t cast another spells unless it’s a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action.
The spell cast with an action has to be a cantrip, not just either spell.
I've been playing this wrong. You're absolutely correct.
From PHB pg 202: "A spell cast with a bonus action is especially swift. You must use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven't already taken a bonus action this turn. You can't cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action."
I designed and played a one-shot with a Beast Master Ranger with a Giant Constrictor Snake. The Dm allowed the snake to wrap around my character's waist and move with me. I could attack then have the snake attack anyone that got too close from behind. It was super fun and really thematic.
Great break down Dudes.... love this
Beast master melee 4th and 5th level good spells are guardian of nature at 4th level and steel wind strike at 5th level. Guardian of nature is self cast so your beast also gains the benefits for our melee wisdom build we will use the great tree, great great spell. And steel wind is 6d10 on up to 5 creatures within 30ft. That can be a lot of damage if your going against a big group of enemies.
I think it is worth noting that if you don't need to concentrate on something bigger at high levels and just need a little damage/utility, ensnaring strike and searing smite are both valid sharable spells that only need a 1st level slot. The downside is the bonus action casting, but if your encounter only needs a 1st level spell to whittle down the enemy, you will probably be fine either way.
Something to consider in the damage calculations is that the archery build will have lower AC due to lack of shield and possibly light armor (somewhat countered by higher Dex, but still).
I'd like to mention a new background that is the beastmaster's best friend: Simic Scientist. Not only would it be great thematically, but it gives you access to 2 spells that greatly help beast masters: enlarge/reduce, and polymorph. If you're a small race you can ride your flying companion as soon as you get access to 2nd level spells. And with share spells, you polymorph yourself and get a free polymorph on your companion as well.
Played one a ways back with a wolf companion. After some barding the wolf had a nice AC, and could stand with my character on the front line. That, plus I had war horse with barding as well. Lots of options, lots of fun.
I just started my second campaign alongside my first. And I decided to go with a Beastmaster Ranger, as a Kinku. Mostly because I found the gimmick of a bird with a bird to be pretty funny. Now I'm here trying to find out how to optimize it
People are mentioning Druidic Warrior (which is great for a Beast Master), but what if you went Bear Totem Barbarian + Wildhunt Shifter Druid…. (Bear Power….)
*Also, couldn’t a Gator or Croc classify as a Beast of the Sea and be Amphibious?…*
I mean, it all sounds pretty neat and dope, like Ranger is actually viable class to play :D Great video, Dudes!
I’m making a halfling ranger named Ivy, she multiclassed into warlock but is more about her animals. She has an adolescent owlbear for her animal companion (It’s just a reflavored black bear mechanically) that has fey runes on it and is real cute and she has a big corgi (It’s just a reflavored Mastiff I bought with starting gold, dm was nice and said she could have raised and trained them herself for half price) she rides on the corgi and uses him to help track down creatures and people that she’s having to hunt. She also has a couple of donkeys she travels with. She uses the donkeys to drag a wagon she sleeps in and uses to help travel, stores pelts, food, stuff she finds, loot, weapons etc in it, and sells minor healing potions she makes with her alchemy kit out of it on the road to make coin and help people. She learned how to use alchemist supplies, when she realized it was harder for commoners and people to go get the ingredients and things in the wildernesses. So she does that cause she’s like “if only so many people can I probably should”, sometimes she gives them out to people who’ve been hurt bad from orcs goblins and other entities like that.
I made her a noble, her twin sister who’s another character of mine got lost in the feywild and she became a ranger originally because she had a connection to animals but also because she wanted to find her sister. (I wanted a pet so I decided I’d multiclass into warlock to represent that aspect of her backstory instead of going fey wanderer) she kinda does bounty hunting work and hunting and alchemy stuff to make coin on the side and help people and is trying to find a group of adventurers who wanna try to help people in the world like she does.
It’s pretty simple and prolly not very good But I love her and Pookie the bear and Willy the Corgi.
One thing not mentioned that makes the melee version of this build quite a bit more potent is that you can flank with your companion for advantage on all three attacks. This would increase the dpr gap between the melee and archery builds quite a bit. You can also use the beast of the sea and a reach weapon so that you can take potshots against a grappled enemy while outside of its range which is a pretty funny and effective strategy.
Advantage on flanking is an optional rule and I advise against it. Yet, it's commonly used.
If you are going Melee, you can mix in even a single level of a heavy armor cleric (nature?) and go Strength as another option. You could go grappler and get some good value out of that, as well as spells which interact well with grappling like spike growth, silence, etc.
Also I think y'all are missing a great level 1 ranger spell in fog cloud. It is great utility in stopping ranged attacks and spells. In an encounter that is going to last more than a few rounds fog cloud also becomes amazing cover for you and party members to attack out of by walking out, making an attack, and then moving back into the fog cloud.
Also you don't *have* to summon 8 creatures with conjure animals. A couple dire wolves are still pretty amazing value.
If you do want beast of the sky I would recommend the Archer build and definitely take spike growth. Both you and your beast will reliably be able to attack without issue and your enemy could become extremely limited in their options
Regarding the Wisdom Ranger's set up round, it's actually a bit worse than how it was presented it here. RAW, you can't actually cast Shillelagh and Summon Fey on the same turn.
The rules regarding casting multiple spells in one turn state that if you cast a spell with your bonus action, the only other spell you can cast is a cantrip with a casting time of one action. As such, you would have to either cast Summon Fey or Shillelagh on the first turn, then cast the other on the second.
Now chances are that your DM will just let you cast them both, but as with most things in D&D, make sure you talk to them first about it before just jumping into it.
This is correct according to RAW but I agree as a DM I would allow it as, to me, it doesn't seem OP in anyway as you are pretty much sacrificing damage in your first round to have stable l, but not OP damage, in the following rounds.
Well...You're even going to do more dmg by splitting the casts in 2 turns...
1° case) You cast both in first turn, doing only fey damage (~13 at lvl12 with maxed WIS), and start doing your full damage in second turn (~53 at lvl12 with maxed WIS) = 66 dmg in the first 2 turns
2° case) You cast Summon Fey and let both Beast of the Land (BA) and Summoned Fey attack in first turn (~34 at lvl 12 with maxed WIS), and in second turn just cast Shillelagh and then attack with one of your 2 attacks, sacrifice your second attack to let the Best of the Land attack, and then let the Fey attack (~43,5 at lvl 12 with maxed WIS) = 77,5 in the first 2 turns
I personally run a Firbolg Beastmaster. Druidic magic? Check. Initial boost to wisdom? Check. Being a lover of the forest and it’s mysticism? Check. Beast of the land feels perfect with a Firbolg as well. Very fun combo, I recommend it for sure.
An "archer" (ranged attacker) can make use of Magic Stone in a sling - eliminating the need for Dex above 14 for the ranged build as well (and why not grab Shillelagh as well to become a well-rounded versatile ranger, which has always been the point of rangers anyway).
I've been playing a wisdom based ranger with both those options (using magic initiate) and it has been VERY effective. I'm playing Fey Wanderer, but works with any Ranger
They should have added alternate rules for action economy and reviving the Ranger's Companion PHB feature along with the new Primal Companion. It would have been a good option for people who still enjoyed the idea of the Ranger's Companion beast.
I really love the Druidic Warrior style for going all in on Wisdom, and I think you might have undersold the advantage you get from improved save DCs. For your level 12 Beastmaster, throwing down a DC 17 Entangle on the first round and having your Beast of the Sky flyby a stuck creature could be absolutely devastating. However, your setup round does have to contend with two conflicts: controlling the beast and Shillelagh both take a bonus action...and if you cast Shillelagh to get your weapon ready, you can't cast a leveled spell with your action like Summon Beast or Entangle. It's a good problem to have, too many good things coming on line at once, but it does lead to a traffic jam at the start of every combat.
I wonder if you could roleplay this in a way where you always keep up shillelagh, like the trope of the warrior who continuously sharpens his blade in preparation for battle.
@@bgdragon99 Definitely requires a conversation with the DM. Personally, I'd say the answer is situational. It only lasts a minute, so you'd have to be casting it very regularly; maybe roll a d10 to figure out how many rounds of it were left when combat starts, if you're allowing it. But sitting there casting a spell or sitting there sharpening a blade is definitely very threatening behavior; you might not get away with it wandering the streets of a big city, say. And without Subtle Spell, the implication is that you have to make gestures and clearly speak your spell -- that makes stealth difficult. And how long are you repeat casting? Should it get tiring?
Personally, as a DM, my ruling would be that you can get away with it sometimes, but not all the time. Waiting to defend a city from a horde of undead? Sure, lots of prep spells, it's easy to see them coming. In a tense confrontation with the guards where drawing a weapon or casting would escalate matters? Are you sure you wanna do that?
@@craftsecond It would definitely be situational, but if you're exploring a dungeon or haunted forest, I think you could make the case to your DM.
@@bgdragon99 Agreed!
Firbolg's Disguise Self's unique effect may transfer over to your Beast through Share Spell, seemingly appearing 3 feet taller or shorter.
Notably for feats: eldritch adept for the beast speech invocation to speak with beasts at will
I do love my Beastmaster. I use the 1/4 CR option. DM let me utilize the Tasha rewrite to have it attack on my BA. But, without the bumps it definitely has lagged behind other classes. We are now level 20 and starting at 18 I could use a 1/2 CR beast and it gave more options. To not overpower it I ensured the damage was around a panther or other typical damage dealer of a 1/4 Cr
I would not take swift quiver as a beastmaster archer. It is a waste of a 5th level slot to use your bonus action to NOT have your beast companion attack.
However if you are going melee with the build, taking sentinel would be pretty fun since if you are up there bapping bad guys with your beast, you can get an extra hit if they go for your beast instead of you, although you may want to weigh the pros and cons of it if you want to keep up an important concentration spell
i disagree it's a waste to not attack with your companion because it is not always safe to have your companion in combat. i am currently playing a lv 16 BM. my BotL has 85 hit points. he is squishier than any member of the party and is likely to be the squishiest thing on the battlefield in any given combat. My DM let me have him wear Bracers of Defense for an AC of 20 (he is an ape, so actually has the anatomy to use them), and he still will get killed in 2-3 hits by a monster half our CR.
Swift Quiver is hands down the best spell an archer build can get, even with the potential non-bo with your subclass feature.
However, i suppose if your DM is super nice and never has enemies attack your companion, then yeah you're probably better off attacking with the pet.
@@herbalt My question why are you playing beastmaster ranger then? Sure your companion is down after 3 hits, but that is still 85-100 HP not being deducted from the party, and you can bring your companion back with a 1st level spell slot after combat. 1 spell slot for an 85hp is insane, you should WANT the dm to attack your animal companion. If you don't want to have your animal companion die, you are at 16th level, use Spell Share and twin zephyr strike or Ashardalon's Strideso your pal can weave in and out of melee, both of which are 1st level spells and 3rd level spells respectively, that also grant some bonus damage. Heck if you are the only one packing it, ask your DM if you can spell share your Aid spell, and give an extra 20 HP to yourself, your companion, and 2 other friends, make you all more powerful.
Swift quiver takes a 5th level spell slot, and 1 bonus action to activate, and on subsequent turns you get 4 shots per round, or you can lose one of your attacks so you are making 3 attacks and your companion takes 2. For a 5th level spell slot, your concentration, and a bonus action (of which a beastmaster ranger in particular has plenty of options), for one minute, you can lose your entire subclass feature, or gain a single extra attack. Maybe if it lasted 10 minutes so you could cast it beforehand or use it in more than 1 fight, I could see it, but as is to me it is lackluster. I think swift quiver is the best *5th level spell* available to longbow-archer rangers, but you can always upcast a buff or summon spell which in my opinion is going to give you more bang for your buck in the vast majority of cases. All ranger summon spells last an hour, as does elemental weapon (and hey, BoTL technically reads "Maul: melee weapon attack" ask nicely and maybe your DM will let your twin it on your monkey pal so he can have +2 and 2d4 flaming fists per hit too), meaning you can cast it before combat, and it may last a whole dungeon (unless you have a warlock who needs a nap) rather than a single fight. I'm not saying it is NEVER going to be useful to have it in your back pocket (because it isn't tied to using your attack action there is some flexibility, for that one fight it is 2 extra chances for that +10 with sharpshooter is nice, maybe you got ambushed and your animal buddy is already down) I just think it is way more niche than people think.
That being said, if summoning isn't your style, I'd seriously Guardian of Nature for a buff effective on a Beast Master archer ranger, because even if your ape-friend isn't attacking, and your DM locks you into having the same form as you pick, giving yourself and your companion Great tree still gives you both: advantage on all dex attacks, 10 temp Hp, advantage on con saves (it even helps you concentrate on it!) and difficult terrain for enemies only. Even if you park the ape to protect a location, is still slows melee attackers closing in on them, which again helps with survival. It isn't clear if Beast of the land uses strength or dex (Beast of the Air does dex if you want to switch up their forms), but you never know what a DM might say. Plus because it is a 4th level spell you can use it earlier, and more frequently than swift quiver making it more reliable.
Interesting to see you guys take a page from D4 and Treantmonk and going over the damage. It has become a bit helpful in the overall picture of potential.
For a fun idea if I did this. Gnome and a badger and take Primal Savagery and just be two frenzied animals.
I'm playing halfling with a giant spider she rides. So much fun and using archery build. Now am giving side eye to druidic warrior style, sounds great!
So, how does battle work? Do you dismount and send the spider in while you hang back with the archery? Does it take you into combat and you somehow do archery in melee range? Do you stay on the spider and it serves as transportation, not as a combatant?
I'm considering a Beastmaster Talenta Halfling with a dinosaur (Beast of the Land) mount, but can't quite figure it out, especially with an archer build. Investing in a companion but not taking them into battle seems weird. Taking an archer into melee range intentionally seems weird. Investing in a mount and then dismounting for combat also seems weird.
One idea was using Crossbow Expert to be effective in melee range, but that means no Mounted Combatant until 8th level (we're starting at 4).
Basically, I'm having trouble solidifying the character concept into something which seems like it would work and be fun, so I'm curious what you're doing.
I would add one special feature depend of the animal form that the primal companion takes because play for example a giant spider that can't spider climb is unrealistic. It's the bad thing about default stat blocks for summons and companions, it's more practical but with what cost. I imagine a gnome with the spell reduce maybe by an ally, a magic item or a potion and the beast of the sky and the mount feat.
I have actually been thinking of how to make this… good. I’m definitely a Ranger fan. (not the sports team)
I think you guys missed out on sharing something like guardian of nature for sharing spells. having said that, i'd still use a summon. Shillelagh can be pre-casted while walking around just repeat casting it every minute. most DMs allow this as it's RAW anyway and would rather minimize the annoyance of someone saying "i cast shillelagh" every minute.
summon beast also does more dmg than summon fey and is more worthy of the upcast. dissonant whispers via feytouched is a great way to pump up dmg by allowing you to get 3 opportunity attacks with your summon, yours, and the primal companion.
i've played my own version of the druidic warrior in the past and it puts great sustained dmg with disssonant whispers while putting alot of bodies on the field.
Can y’all do a video on multiclass dips that only takes 1 or 2 levels of a class and why you might take the dip, main inspiration for the idea is seeing a couple characters from critical role’s campaign three take a single level of rogue even if it doesn’t mesh perfectly with their original class
Highly recommend their video on Hexblade Warlock/Swords Bard if this is something you're interested in
i think Ashley (Fearne) dipped into rogue mainly for RP reasons because it fit the style/personality of the character she is playing (she is a klepto, and she knew she was going to be trying to steal stuff all the time, so might as well be proficient at it).
As for Chetney, i feel like his rogue dip might have primarily been to shore up the fact that the party initially thought he was a rogue before learning he was a BH and had therefore resulted in him falling into the role of being the party's de facto rogue for things like scouting and stealth ops. That one level dip gives him expertise in stealth, another skill proficiency, thieves' tools, and a little bit of extra damage here and there via sneak attack. Seeing as he and Orym are the only relatively dexterous members of the party, the rogue dip helps a little bit to shore up some of what the party was lacking.
But this is all my speculation as i haven't heard anything straight from the cast members on their reasoning.
I'm currently playing a Changeling Arcane Trickster/Beast Master Ranger, and I took shield to help come alive with shared spell. My party now considers me the tank lol
Very off topic, but I'm loving the Twilight Zone T-Shirt!
You forgot to account, that melee build profits from enemy being knocked prone - which will happen A LOT with such high WIS.
And you can use after lvl 11 Primal Savagery to deal average dmg almost the same as 2 attacks with Shillelagh - but you have no set-up round!
And in spells section, you forgot the best spell to share - Guardian of Nature.
I hope the new edition phb will have all the Tasha etc books in it so it’s easy to carry around and look up.
Guardian of nature is also awesome with shared spells
am playing a ranger and have considered adding beastmaster to this build I have had played a beastmaster before Tasha's cauldron was open to play and enjoyed this ranger type
I’m currently playing an Aarokocra Bm Ranger. His companion is a giant badger. I chose Druidic warrior and ritual caster at 4th. He is a bad ass Warrior, Healer and Scout
Guardian of nature for level four would work decently. Gives you advantage on either strength, dex, or wisdom based attack and is a self cast. If you take elven accuracy that would be procced by it. Gives other bonuses as well which can either work as extra damage or battlefield control.
I play a Beastmaster with a moros intrepidus(a smaller version of the T-Rex which if descended from) He does 4d6+6 damage on a bite and has solid stealth to boot. Let's just say I've one shotted quite a few people and I have managed to buff him quite a bit with spells as well
I discovered you guys channel about a month ago and l"ve been watching every sent and l subscribe you guys are awesome... l have a question I'm playing a Divine Soul Sorcerer that Haf-Elf Haf-Aasim and I will be leveling up soon to 3th level what would be a good class to add would be thankful for any help.
Simply looking to use my companion to give me the help function while I make my ranged attacks with advantage. Really need a definitive answer, as my DM seems to argue the point at every step.
Watching your video, my takeaway is; I use bonus action to tell my companion to "help". I then have advantage for all of my attacks that round. Rinse and repeat the next round.
If this is not correct, please let me know.
Any criticism for my choice of style goes into file 13 😂
"Go for the eyes, Boo"- Minsc, Beloved Ranger
or you can go Halfling with a Corgi companion as a mighty steed
My dryad Fey Wanderer ranger uses Summon Fey (for free! with no concentration!) to summon the soul of her murdered lover. He teleports around the battlefield charming people, or triggering her Beguiling Twist. It's a pretty fun time. (Mentioned because of the similarity to monty's dead packmate.)
One thing I've noticed the lot of these bills type of The Beastmaster Animal Companions very few people mentioned Barding I think it might be because of the cost great way to boost the armor rating of your animal companion
Going forward Level 5, first round of combat,
Cast Shillelagh, attack yourself and command your Beast to attack with Extra Attack.
Maybe attack an enemy instead of yourself? :p
@@iododendron3416 Huh, never thought of that, good point.
@@jf_kein_k8590 better yet, choose Druidic warrior, get a cantrip and once you reach 15th level, attack yourself with it to also attack your beast.
One thing they forgot to mention is that shillelaghe requires you to be holding the weapon while casting, so if you're wearing a shield you'll need the warcaster feat to use it.
Tried the new Beast Master for a one-shot. Level 3 Firbolg, with his faithful Beast of the Sky hawk. Granted it was a fairly low level of play, but the birb was by far the MVP, consistently dealing 6-8 damage per round then retreating out of harm's way, even getting the killing blow on the boss. My only regret was not taking Shillelagh.
This helped me build a Svifnerblin gnome who mounts a spider and climbs along while bonking people in the head with a staff haha.
another great spell with share spells is guardian of nature great tree form as it gives advantage on wisdom and dexterity attacks, 10 temp hp, advantage on con saves (all not just for concentration) and while grounded the ground within 15 feet of you is difficult terrain for your enemies.
great for beast of the air because it uses dexterity because the it does 1d4+3+PB with the 3 referring to its dex of 16. but for beast of the land and sea it is a bit tricky because its strength, dex and wisdom are all 14. so it could be strength which would be bad as then you would have to use primal beast to get the advantage and a d6 extra damage (nice bonus) but you don't get the advantage or it can be dex and wisdom which means not only your attacks but also your beasts attacks are with advantage if you are using the shillelagh build