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October 20, 2008

Word of Wizards - Excerpts: Beastmaster Ranger



Martial Power Excerpts: Beastmaster Ranger

So to everyone who are still waiting for rules for animal companions, your prayers are finally answered!

The new Beastmaster build comes with a new class feature which replaces Prime Shot and allows the ranger to chose one animal companion from 8 categories (bear, boar, cat, lizard, raptor, serpent, spider, or wolf).

Hunter's Quarry is extended to both you and your animal companion but only one of you can deal the extra damage for that round.

Your animal companion is treated in all respects a seperate entity but it is treated as a creature and an ally in terms of powers. Therefore, your animal companion can benefit from powers used by Warlords or Clerics.

This excerpt also showed the 1st level powers for the Beastmaster but I'm wondering what does [B] damage mean. The cool thing about these powers is that they can have additional effects on your power depending on which category of animals you chose.

For example, Enclose the Prey is an encounter power that let's you and your animal companion shift 2 squares and make an attack that deals 2[W]+Str damage. If your animal companion is a cat, spider or wolf, the attack deals an additional damage equal to your Wis mod.

Although there are still missing rules here and there ('Commanding a Beast','Gaining a New Companion' & how the progression of animal companions work) but I like how they have intergrated the design of powers with animal companions.

Another interesting thing pointed out in this excerpt is the paragon paths that we'll see for rangers. Here's a quote,
New Paragon Paths: Focus your training in one of a dozen ways, even shoring up quirky ranger techniques such as throwing or using a crossbow. Focus on slaying a particular sort of enemy, absorb the magic of the lands you walk, or run with the pack.

A throwing weapons and crossbow ranger. This should be interesting.

This is looking to be promising for rangers indeed. Anyone playing rangers should be excited.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

[B] is, more than likely, Beast damage. If you look, the at-will is an attack by your beast companion.

I also like the fact that you can get a spider as an animal companion.

Questing GM said...

Thanks for the tip, mudbunny!

Although I wonder how will they determine animal companion damage. It does give the impression that we won't be having stats for the animal companion.

Anonymous said...

I think that they will, but it will be more generic. Of the style - All lizard companions do X damage and can do this; all spider companions can do this; and so on. Ther will also more than likely be adidtional effects tied to the various creature types.

Mike said...
This comment has been removed by the author.

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