Animal Companion

Companion’s Bond

Your animal companion gains a variety of benefits while it is linked to you.

• • The animal companion loses its Multiattack action, if it has one.

  • The companion obeys your commands as best it can. It rolls for initiative like any other creature, but you determine its actions, decisions, attitudes, and so on. If you are incapacitated or absent, your companion acts on its own.

  • When using your Natural Explorer feature, you and your animal companion can both move stealthily at a normal pace.

  • Your animal companion has abilities and game statistics determined in part by your level. Your companion uses your proficiency bonus rather than its own. In addition to the areas where it normally uses its proficiency bonus, an animal companion also adds its proficiency bonus to its AC and to its damage rolls.

  • Your animal companion gains proficiency in two skills of your choice. It also becomes proficient with all saving throws.

  • For each level you gain after 3rd, your animal companion gains an additional hit die and increases its hit points accordingly.

  • Whenever you gain the Ability Score Improvement class feature, your companion’s abilities also improve. Your companion can increase one ability score of your choice by 2, or it can increase two ability scores of your choice by 1. As normal, your companion can’t increase an ability score above 20 using this feature unless its description specifies otherwise.

  • Your animal companion gains the benefits of your Favored Enemy feature, and of your Greater Favored Enemy feature when you gain that feature at 6th level. It uses the favored enemies you selected for those features.

Your companion shares your alignment, and has a personality trait and a flaw that you can roll for or select from the tables below. Your companion shares your ideal, and its bond is always, “The ranger who travels with me is a beloved companion for whom I would gladly give my life.”

d6 Trait

1. I’m dauntless in the face of adversity.

2. Threaten my friends, threaten me.

3. I stay on alert so others can rest.

4. People see an animal and underestimate me. I use that to my advantage.

5. I have a knack for showing up in the nick of time.

6. I put my friends’ needs before my own in all things.

d6 Flaw

1. If there’s food left unattended, I’ll eat it.

2. I growl at strangers, and all people except my ranger are strangers to me.

3. Any time is a good time for a belly rub.

4. I’m deathly afraid of water.

5. My idea of hello is a flurry of licks to the face.

6. I jump on creatures to tell them how much I love them.

• Keeping Track of Proficiency: When you gain your animal companion at 3rd level, its proficiency bonus matches yours at +2. As you gain levels and increase your proficiency bonus, remember that your companion’s proficiency bonus improves as well, and is applied to the following areas: Armor Class, skills, saving throws, attack bonus, and damage rolls.

• Expanding Companion Options: Depending on the nature of your campaign, the DM might choose to expand the options for your animal companion. As a rule of thumb, a beast can serve as an animal companion if it is Medium or smaller, has 15 or fewer hit points, and cannot deal more than 8 damage with a single attack. In general, that applies to creatures with a challenge rating of 1/4 or less, but there are exceptions.

Ape

Armor Class 14 (dexterity +2, proficiency +2)

Hit Points 19 (3d8+6)

Speed 30 ft., climb 30 ft.

Abilities: Str 16 (+3), Dex 14 (+2), Con 14 (+2), Int 6 (-2), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 7 (-2)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+5, Dex+4, Con+4, Int+0, Wis+3, Cha+0

Skills (using Proficiency +2): Athletics +5, Perception +3, 2 chosen skills

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Fist +5 (1d6+5 bludgeoning) or Rock +5 (range 25/50 ft., 1d6+5 bludgeoning).

Black Bear

Armor Class 13 (natural armor +1, proficiency +2)

Hit Points 19 (3d8+6)

Speed 40 ft., climb 30 ft.

Abilities: Str 15 (+2), Dex 10 (+0), Con 14 (+2), Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 7 (-2)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+4, Dex+2, Con+4, Int-2, Wis+3, Cha+0

Skills (using Proficiency +2): Perception +3, 2 chosen skills

Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Keen Smell: The bear has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Bite +4 (1d6+4 piercing) or Claws +4 (2d4+4 slashing).

Boar

Armor Class 13 (natural armor +1, proficiency +2)

Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)

Speed 40 ft.

Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 11 (+0), Con 12 (+1), Int 2 (-4), Wis 9 (-1), Cha 5 (-3)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+3, Dex+2, Con+3, Int-2, Wis+1, Cha-1

Skills (using Proficiency +2): 2 chosen skills

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Charge (using Proficiency +2): If the boar moves at least 20 feet straight toward a target and then hits it with a tusk attack on the same turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 slashing damage. If the target is a creature, it must succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone.

Relentless (Recharges after Rest): If the boar takes 7 damage or less that would reduce it to 0 hit points, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead.

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Tusk +3 (ld6+3 slashing).

Giant Badger

Armor Class 12 (proficiency +2)

Hit Points 13 (2d8+4)

Speed 30 ft., burrow 10 ft.

Abilities: Str 13 (+1), Dex 10 (+0), Con 15 (+2), Int 2 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 5 (-3)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+3, Dex+2, Con+4, Int-2, Wis+3, Cha-1

Skills (using Proficiency +2): 2 chosen skills

Senses darkvision 30ft.

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Keen Smell: The badger has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Bite +3 (1d6+3 piercing) or Claws +3 (2d4+3 slashing).

Giant Weasel

Armor Class 15 (dexterity +3, proficiency +2)

Hit Points 9 (2d8)

Speed 40 ft.

Abilities: Str 11 (+0), Dex 16 (+3), Con 10 (+0), Int 4 (-3), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 5 (-3)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+2, Dex+5, Con+2, Int-1, Wis+3, Cha-1

Skills (using Proficiency +2): Perception +3, Stealth +5, 2 chosen skills

Senses darkvision 60ft.

Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Keen Hearing and Smell: The weasel has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Bite +5 (1d4+5 piercing).

Mule

Armor Class 12 (proficiency +2)

Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)

Speed 40 ft.

Abilities: Str 14 (+2), Dex 10 (+0), Con 13 (+1), Int 2 (-4), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 5 (-3)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+4, Dex+2, Con+3, Int-2, Wis+2, Cha-1

Skills (using Proficiency +2): 2 chosen skills

Challenge 1/8 (25 XP)

Beast of Burden: The mule is considered to be a Large animal for the purpose of determining its carrying capacity.

Sure-Footed: The mule has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone.

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Hooves +4 (1d4+4 bludgeoning).

Panther

Armor Class 14 (dexterity +2, proficiency +2)

Hit Points 13 (3d8)

Speed 50 ft., climb 40t.

Abilities: Str 14 (+2), Dex 15 (+2), Con 10 (+0), Int 3 (-4), Wis 14 (+2), Cha 7 (-2)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+4, Dex+4, Con+2, Int-2, Wis+4, Cha+0

Skills (using Proficiency +2): Perception +4, Stealth +6, 2 chosen skills

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Keen Smell: The panther has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on smell.

Pounce (using Proficiency +2): If the panther moves at least 20 feet straight toward a creature and then hits it with a claw attack on the same turn, that target must succeed on a DC 12 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone. If the target is prone, the panther can make one bite attack against it as a bonus action.

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Bite +4 (1d6+4 piercing) or Claw +4 (1d4+4 slashing).

Wolf

Armor Class 15 (natural armor +1, dexterity +2, proficiency +2)

Hit Points 11 (2d8+2)

Speed 40ft.

Abilities: Str 12 (+1), Dex 15 (+2), Con 12 (+1), Int 3 (-4), Wis 12 (+1), Cha 6 (-2)

Saves (using Proficiency +2): Str+3, Dex+4, Con+3, Int-2, Wis+3, Cha+0

Skills (using Proficiency +2): Perception +3, Stealth +4, 2 chosen skills

Challenge 1/4 (50 XP)

Keen Hearing and Smell: The wolf has advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell.

Pack Tactics: The wolf has advantage on attack rolls against a creature if at least one of the wolf's allies is within 5 feet of the creature and the ally isn't incapacitated.

Attack (using Proficiency +2): Bite +4 (2d4+4 piercing, succeed on a DC 11 Strength saving throw or be knocked prone).