Alt Rules for 5e Ranger Companion, Paladin Mounts, and Warlock Familiars, or How To Make Them Not Suck

   

   One thing that I like to do aside from video games is play Dungeons and Dragons, I'm relatively new to the game so fifth edition coming out about the time I started to find out about it was a great thing for me and I currently DM a game with a few of my siblings and cousins (noobs the lot of them)

     One of the bad things about 5e though is the ranger class is less than its potential especially the Animal Companion archetype and a lot of people have a house rules to make the ranger a bit better or just use the rules creatively and while thinking about this the other day I thought of the following idea, which I'm going to implement in my current game since I have a ranger in the party. Keep in mind this have not been play tested yet so could either lead to animals still being under powered or end up with them severely overpowered, we'll have to see.

    The idea is that the companion/mount/familiar is different from a regular animal allowing special training or magical powers beyond your control to effect your animal, which is why I have excluded wizard familiars.

    For example the three feats that give resistance are powered by your connection to something, a fey patron might want your familiar to spy for it, a god of life might see your connection to your mount, or your own concern for your companion combined with your pseu-drudic powers would all be reasons for the resistance.

Alt Rules

When you choose the Animal Companion ranger archetype, Pact of the Chain warlock pact boon, or are a paladin that summons a mount using the Find Steed spell every time you have an ability score in that class you may, in addition to your own improvements may now  choose to either increase two of your companion/familiar/mount’s stats by one point up to a maximum equal to the animal’s natural max (e.g. a Warhorse’s max would be 18 and a Mastiff's max would be 14) or you may choose an animal feat from the Animal Feat list.

Animal Feat List

Diver

Prerequisite: your animal has a swimming speed

Your animal has been trained in swimming enough that it is nearly as good in water as it is on land.

The animal now has the ability Hold Breath: the animal can hold its breath for 1 hour

Communicator

Prerequisite: animal has an intelligence of 6 or higher and you have an intelligence of 10 or higher.

You and your animal have special training that lets your animal communicate simple messages to others

You may cast animal messenger on your animal as a bonus action on your turn; the animal can be tiny, small, or medium but the other spell rules still apply.

Swift Flight

Prerequisite: your animal has a flying speed

Your animal is so fast that few can hit it even when it close to them.

Enemies have disadvantage on opportunity attacks against your animal.

Trained Attacker

You have trained your animal in the ways of offence

You can command your animal to make one attack against a creature as a bonus action on your turn.

Hellish Resistance

Prerequisite: You have a Warlock level of 8 or higher

Your deal with your patron extends to your familiar, protecting it from certain attacks.   

Your familiar gains a resistance to one of the following damage types:

• Fire
• Neurotic
• Acid
• Psychic

Blessed Resistance

Prerequisite: You have a Paladin level of 8 or higher

Your connection with your deity extends to your mount, protecting it from certain attacks.

Your mount gains a resistance to one of the following damage types:

• Slashing
• Radiant
• Poison
• Force

Earthen Resistance

Prerequisite: You have a Ranger level of 8 or higher

Your connection with the earth extends to your companion, protecting it from certain attacks.

Your Companion gains resistance to one of the following damage types:

• Thunder
• Piercing
• Cold
• Lightning

Dodger

Your animal is used to being in battle and can foresee some attacks

Your animal gains a bonus to its armor class based on its size:

• Tiny: + 4
• Small: + 3
• Medium: + 2
• Large: +1

Watch-Animal

You have trained your animal to be alert at all times and to warn you of possible attacks.

You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks provided your animal is within 10 feet of you and can see or hear at least as much as you can.


What do you guys think? What do you do to improve the ranger or do you like to leave it as is. I'd love to hear about it.

Until next time :)

Picture from hackslashmaster.blogspot.com