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Ranger of the Beast Master Conclave

Tier B

Ranger · Beast Master · Human · levels [1,21)

Ranger + beast companion = two-attack-action-per-turn baseline. Good skirmisher with class flavor.

Why this tier

Beast companion = +1 attack per turn; falls off at level 11; bad scaling in tier 4.

Estimated single-target DPR

60/100 — Loremaster estimate, not measured in play

Feat progression

  1. L4Sharpshooter — -5 attack, +10 damage
  2. L8Crossbow Expert — Bonus action hand-crossbow
  3. L12Sentinel — Speed 0 on reaction attack

Loremaster’s notes

The Beast Master Ranger is the "I have a pet" build. The companion acts on your initiative (loses the "turn after you" weakness in 2024 rules). Use your action to attack (or cast a spell) and your bonus action to command the companion to attack. The best companion choices: - Wolf (1/4 CR): +4 to hit, 2d4+2, and Pack Tactics (advantage on hits within 5 feet of an ally). - Spider (1/4 CR): climb speed, poison bite, web. - Pseudo-dragon (1/4 CR): fly speed, magic attacks. - Brown Bear (1/2 CR, level 2): 2 attacks, +5 to hit, 1d8+4. The signature problem: the companion scales by your proficiency bonus, not by your Ranger level. At level 5-10 it's the best "two attack" chassis. At level 11, you get Volley / Whirlwind, but the companion has fallen behind. At level 15, the companion has +4 to hit, not enough. Race: Human or Half-Elf for the +1 to WIS, or Lightfoot Halfling for the bonus Stealth.

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