DnD Next Beast List and Recommendations

Name (size, armor class, hit points, movement modes, skills, senses (PP=Passive Perception), special abilities (if any), attacks (damage and damage type))
Baboon (Small, AC:12, HP:3, Spd 30 Climb 30, Skills: None, Senses: PP11, Pack Tactics, Bite +1 (1 prc))
Badger (Tiny, AC:10, HP:3, Spd 20 Burrow 5, Skills: None, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP11, Keen Smell, Bite +2 (1 prc))
Bat (Tiny, AC:12, HP:1, Spd 5 Fly 30, Skills: None, Senses: Blindsight 60ft. PP11, Echolocation, Keen Hearing, Bite +1 (1 prc))
Blood Hawk (Small, AC:12, HP:7, Spd 10 Fly 60, Skills: Perception +4, Senses: PP14, Keen Sight, Pack Tactics, Beak +4 (4 prc))
Boar (Medium, AC:11, HP:11, Spd 40, Skills: None, Senses: PP9, Charge, Relentless, Tusk +3 (4 slash))
Cat (Tiny, AC:12, HP:2, Spd 40 Climb 30, Skills: Perception +3 Stealth +4, Senses: PP13, Keen Smell, Claws +0 (1 prc))
Crab (Tiny, AC:11, HP:2, Spd 10 Swim 20, Skills: Stealth +2, Senses: Blindsight 30ft PP9, Amphibious, Claw +0 (1 bldgn))
Deer (Medium, AC:13, HP:4, Spd 50, Skills: None, Senses: PP12, Bite +2 (2 prc))
Eagle (Small, AC:12, HP:3, Spd 10 Fly 60, Skills: Perception +4, Senses: PP14, Talons +4 (4 slash))
Flying Snake(Tiny, AC:14, HP:5, Spd 30 Fly 60 Swim 30, Skills: None, Senses: Blindsight 10 PP11, Flyby, Bite +6 (1 prc + 7 poison))
Frog (Tiny, AC:11, HP:1, Spd 20 Swim 20, Skills: Perception +1 Stealth +3, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP11, Amphibious, Standing Leap, no attacks)
Giant Badger (Medium, AC:10, HP:13, Spd 30 Burrow 10, Skills: None, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP11, Keen Smell, Multiattack Bite +3 (4 prc) Claws +3 (6 slash))
Giant Centipede (Small, AC:13, HP:4, Spd 30 Climb 30, Skills: None, Senses: Blindsight 30 PP8, Bite +4 (4 prc + DC11 Constitution of 10 Poison + Special))
Giant Crab (Medium, AC:15, HP:13, Spd 30 Swim 30, Skills: Stealth +4, Senses: Blindsight 30 PP9, Amphibious, Claw +3 (4 bldgn + DC11 Grapple))
Giant Fire Beetle (Small, AC:13, HP:4, Spd 30, Skills: None, Senses: Blindsight 30 PP8, Illumination, Bite +1 (2 slash))
Giant Frog (Medium, AC:11, HP:18, Spd 30 Swim 30, Skills: Perception +2 Stealth +3, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP12, Amphibious, Standing Leap, Bite +3 (4 prc + DC11 Grapple, Swallow Attack))
Giant Poisonous Snake (Medium, AC:14, HP:11, Spd 30 Swim 30, Skills: Perception +2, Senses: Blindsight 10 PP12, Bite +6 (6 prc + DC 11 Constitution or 10 poison))
Giant Rat (Small, AC:12, HP:7, Spd 30, Skills: None, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP10, Keen Smell, Pack Tactics, Bite +4 (4 prc))
Giant Weasel (Medium, AC:13, HP:9, Spd 40, Skills: Perception +3 Stealth +5, Senses: Darkvision PP13, Keen Hearing/Smell, Bite +5 (5 prc))
Giant Wolf Spider (Medium, AC:13, HP:11, Spd 40 Climb 40, Skills: Perception +3 Stealth +7, Senses: Blindsight 10 Darkvision 60 PP13, Spider Climb, Web Sense, Web Walker, Bite +3 (4 prc + DC11 Constitution or 7 Poison + Special))
Goat (Medium, AC:10, HP:4, Spd 40, Skills: None, Senses: PP10, Charge, Sure Footed, Ram +3 (3 bldgn))
Hawk (Tiny, AC:13, HP:1, Spd 10 Fly 60, Skills: Perception +4, Senses: PP14, Keen Sight, Talons +5 (1 slash))
Hyena (Medium, AC:11, HP: 5, Spd 50, Skills: Perception +3, Senses: PP13, Pack Tactics, Bite +2 (3 prc))
Jackal (Small, AC:12, HP:3, Spd 40, Skills: Perception +3, Senses: PP 13, Keen Hearing/Smell, Pack Tactics, Bite +1 (1 prc))
Lizard (Tiny, AC:10, HP:2, Spd 20 Climb 20, Skills: None, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP9, Bite +0 (1 prc))
Mastiff (Medium, AC:12, HP:5, Spd 40, Skills: Perception +3, Senses: PP13, Keen Hearing/Smell, Bite +3 (4 prc + DC11 Strength or Prone))
Mule (Medium, AC:10, HP:11, Spd 40, Skills: None, Senses: PP10, Beast of Burden, Sure Footed, Hooves +2 (4 bldgn))
Octopus (Small, AC:12, HP:3, Spd 5 Swim 30, Skills: Perception +2 Stealth +3, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP12, Hold Breath, Underwater Camouflage, Water Breathing, Tentacles +4 (1 bldgn + Grapple), Ink Cloud
Owl (Tiny, AC:11, HP:1, Spd 5 Fly 60, Skills: Perception +3 Stealth +3, Senses: Darkvision 120 PP13, Flyby, Keen Hearing/Sight, Talons +3 (1 slash))
Panther (Medium, AC:12, HP:13, Spd 50 Climb 40, Skills: Perception +4 Stealth +6, Senses: PP14, Keen Smell, Pounce, Bite +4 (5 prc) Claw +4 (4 slash))
Poisonous Snake (Tiny, AC:13, HP:2, Spd 30 Swim 30, Skills: None, Senses: Blindsight 10 PP10, Bite +5 (1 prc + DC10 Constitution or 5 poison))
Pony (Medium, AC:10, HP:11, Spd 40, Skills: None, Senses: PP10, Hooves +4 (7 bldgn))
Pteranodon (Medium, AC:13, HP:13, Spd 10 Fly 60, Skills: Perception +1, Senses: PP11, Flyby, Bite +3 (6 prc))
Quipper (Tiny, AC:13, HP:1, Spd 0 Swim 40, Skills: None, Senses: Darkvision 60 PP8, Blood Frenzy, Water Breathing, Bite +5 (1 prc))
Rat (Tiny, AC:10, HP:1, Spd 20, Skills: None, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP10, Keen Smell, Bite +0 (1 prc))
Raven (Tiny, AC:12, HP:1, Spd 10 Fly 50, Skills: Perception +3, Senses: PP13, Mimicry, Beak +4 (1 prc))
Scorpion (Tiny, AC:11, HP:1, Spd 10, Skills: None, Senses: Blindsight 10 PP9, Sting +2 (1 prc + DC9 Constitution or 4 poison))
Sea Horse (Tiny, AC:11, HP:1, Spd 0 Swim 20, Skills: None, Senses: PP10, Waterbreathing, no attacks)
Spider (Tiny, AC:12, HP:1, Spd 20 Climb 20, Skills: Stealth +4, Senses: Darkvision 30 PP10, Spider Climb, Web Sense, Web Walker, Bite +1 (1 prc + DC9 Constitution or 2 poison))
Stirge (Tiny, AC:14, HP:2, Spd 10 Fly 40, Skills: None, Senses: Darkvision 60 PP9, Blood Drain +5 (5 prc + blood drain)
Weasel (Tiny, AC:13, HP:1, Spd 30, Skills: Perception +3 Stealth +5, Senses: PP13, Keen Hearing/Smell, Bite +5 (1 prc))
Wolf (Medium, AC:13, HP:11, Spd 40, Skills: Perception +3 Stealth +4, Senses: PP13, Keen Hearing/Smell, Pack Tactics, Bite +4 (7 prc + DC11 Stength or prone))

Read more: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?358676-Beast-Master-Ranger-List-of-Animal-Companions#ixzz3Dd8nvfEZ

This is an important list for anyone who likes to play a Ranger with an Animal Companion and all thanks should be given to Moorcrys on the ENWorld boards for compiling it.  The current rules for Ranger only allow Beasts that are Medium or smaller with a Challenge of 1/4 or less.  Now, as your Beast Master grows in levels, you gain better abilities to control your companion as well as having them grow in HP and gain the use of your proficiency bonus. I also recommend considering buying barding for your animal companion (if your DM allows it) as soon as you can afford it to extend the life of your companion.  Some, like the Giant Crab won’t need barding (Giant Crab is a nice option for the ability to Grapple two targets at once also) but you should always keep these sorts of things in mind.

Beast Masters are regarded as the “worst off” of the sub-classes and rightfully so.  All of their class bonuses are tied up in making their pet shine.  That said, understanding your Beast Master’s role in group is very important.  Your pet will dictate how you fight and what role you are capable of filling.  A Gnome riding the back of a giant badger that has multiattack and burrow will play very differently than a Drow stalking through the shadows waiting for their giant wolf spider to pounce.

DnD Next: Lethality - Warm-Up

Disclaimer: This is a short version of a discussion that will happen in greater length farther down the road.  This is based purely off the monsters in the first two adventures, the free basic Dungeon Master’s Guide, the Player’s Handbook, and the downloadable preview pages.

Well, DnD Next continues to throw around some pretty groovy flavor in its initial offerings.  Here’s the thing to know though: If you REALLY REALLY liked 4th Edition, you may want to stick with it. Next takes some of the smart things 4E did and applies them directly to 3rd Edition. This results in monsters that can absolutely turn you into paste at 1st and 2nd levels.

For example, a preview monster released is the Intellect Devourer. These little nasties have always given players a case of the heebie jeebies if they knew what was good for them. This hasn’t changed. In fact, it’s gotten worse. Now considered a Challenge 2 Monster (450 xp), the Intellect Devourer can feasibly kill a character in two rounds by reducing their Intelligence to 0 (essentially making them comatose) and then stealing their body by teleporting inside their head and eating their brain.  A fighter with an Intelligence of 10 will get turned comatose roughly 1/3 of the time with the probabilities at hand. If turned comatose, the Intelligence contest between the ID and the target to have their brain eaten is very hard to win if at Int 0.

That being said, a lot of emphasis has been placed that #1: Challenge is not the old standard of CR and #2: That XP is the proper way to build an encounter.  With this in mind, if we look at the ID’s XP value of 450 and compare it to the Encounter Building section of the Basic DMG, we find that for a party of four, the Intellect Devourer is in the “Hard” encounter range, damn near the “Deadly” mark. This should be the DM’s warning that while this large housecat sized brain may be eminently squishy, a game of rocket tag might just get underway if not handled carefully. Further, this creature, at level 2, could well be the entire point of a short adventure.  At this level of XP, it is a boss monster or at least a plot pusher.

So, what does this mean? Taking into consideration some of the other monsters at low Challenge Ratings (Allosaurus, Ogres, Cocktrices) high lethality is back. It can absolutely be circumvented through teamwork and DM’s are being reminded time and time again to not be sadists, and instead to be enablers of fun.  With these two points in mind, this should be a great edition for gaming.  Just don’t be surprised if player characters do get picked off on occasion. (And don’t you DMs out there be the dickhead who revels in TPKs either. You make us all look bad.)

Whirling Dervish of Halfling Fury

I said I was going to put together some Dungeons and Dragons: Next characters and I meant it. I have several sheets but tonight I saw someone talk about one of their favorite class/race combinations and I decided to give it a go. So, without further ado, Portia Gallowsgreen, Stout Halfling Barbarian.
Now, with DnD Next, I have some options. First level characters don’t always get to choose their class specialization right off the bat. That typically happens at third level. As such, we’re just going off customizing a Level One PC (player character). We already know we want a Halfling Barbarian, so let’s get the class/race features down first.

A Note on Terms: Advantage means you roll a d20 twice and take the best number. Disadvantage means roll twice and take the lowest number. You may take one Bonus Action per turn if you have abilities that allow such a thing. Resistance means you take half damage from that kind of damage. Proficiency means you add your level’s Proficiency Bonus to your roll. At level one, this is a +2.

Halfling

• +2 to Dexterity Ability Score
• Small size
• 25 ft. walking speed
• Lucky: You get a single reroll of any die that comes up 1. You have to keep the second roll.
• Brave: You have Advantage on all rolls to resist Fear.
• Nimbleness: You can freely move through the space of any creature a size larger than you.
• Languages Known: Halfling and Common

Now we choose sub-race. Halfings can choose between Stout and Lightfoot. Stout are tough, Lightfoot are naturally charismatic and sneaky. We’ll be going Stout. So we also add to our features list

• Constitution +1
• Poison resistance (half damage) as well as Advantage on poison saving throws.

Barbarian

Now, we’ll add our Barbarian 1st level goodies into the mix.

• Our Hit Die is a d12. (We’ll roll one of these every time we level up and add it to our hit points. Also, our initial HP is equal to our Hit Die max (12) + our Constitution modifier. One more reason to be Stout.
• You’re proficient in Light Armor, Medium Armor, and Shields.
• Also proficient in all Simple and Martial weapons. (Essentially the entirety of our starter weapons catalog.)
• You have no tool proficiency.
• You have proficiency in both Strength and Constitution saving throws.

Now we get to pick two skills from a list of six: Animal Handling, Athletics, Intimidation, Nature, Perception, and Survival. We’ll pick Perception and Intimidation. We don’t normally get any social bonuses other than this for our Barbarian and so Intimidation could save our butt. Also, Perception is a relatively difficult skill to gain proficiency with and is very important.

Now, for starting equipment, we get to choose between a Greataxe or any other Martial weapon. We’ll take a Warhammer instead. Halflings, being Small in size, have Disadvantage when wielding Heavy weapons. Warhammers can at least be wielded two-handed for d10 damage. Not a bad deal and we’re still proficient in it. We also get to choose between having two handaxes or any simple weapon. The two handaxes will work fine. Dual-wielding in this edition is very easy. It lets you take a Bonus Action to make a second attack once per turn. There are Feats and Fighting Styles that can make it even more effective, but that’s beyond our scope here. They do 1d6 slashing damage and we can use them as throwing weapons that can be thrown 20 ft. without penalty or 60 ft. with Disadvantage. We also get an Explorer’s Pack (bedroll, rations, 50 ft. rope, etc.) and four javelins that do d6 Piercing damage and can be thrown 30/120.

As a Barbarian, we can Rage. Rage lasts for one minute at level one, gives us Advantage on all Strength checks and saving throws. It also gives us Resistance to all Bludgeoning, Piercing, and Slashing damage. Finally, it adds +2 to all our Damage rolls. We can Rage twice before needing a long rest (8 hours) to regain our capacity for Raging.

We also have Unarmored Defense. Our AC (Armor Class, or the number someone has to roll higher than to hit us) is equal to our Dexterity Ability Modifier + Constitution Ability Modifier + 10. Don’t glaze over yet. There’s a handy table to help us. Right now, we’re just trying to dodge the math.
So, with all this in mind, let’s summarize. We have a Halfling who is strong and tough, has a warhammer that looks like a buster sword when she carries it, a pair of axes with dried blood on the handles, and a propensity for Hulk-smashing.

Ability Scores

Now, let’s choose her Ability Scores. We could roll them by rolling four six sided dice per score and dropping the lowest die. We could get into complicated math and point buy our scores. For this, we’re keeping it easy and going with the recommended method of standard deviation. We have a 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, and an 8 to assign our Halfling in each of her six Abilities; Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. The score limit (without serious advancement) caps at 20 for player characters. Every two points up or down, your modifier changes. i.e. 10-11 you get no bonus or penalty. 12-13 you have a +1 to relevant rolls, 8-9 you have a -1. So, we’ll go down the line in order of importance. Portia is a physical person that likes to smash opponents into a fine paste. We’ll give her a 15 in Strength. Next, we’ll give her that 14 in Constitution because she’s tough as nails. Her Stout Halfling heritage raises that to 15 for her. 13 goes into Dexterity, where she gains a +2 from her Halfling heritage as well, bringing the total to 15. With all 15s in these physical scores, she has +2 as her modifier in each. Recalling her Unarmored Defense, that means she has an AC of 14. Not too shabby for not actually wearing armor.

However, we’re now left with the weaker stats to distribute between Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma. As a Barbarian, living off the land, we’ll guess Portia has decent “common sense” and perception. Thus, we’ll give her the 12 in Wisdom for a +1. Now, we can choose between her being less intelligent or less charismatic. Since we know she’s spent some time refining her ability to scare the pants off of people with Intimidation, we’ll put her 10 in Charisma (for a +0) and her 8 in Intelligence (and a -1 penalty. So, while she isn’t book smart, she can thrash you soundly if her frightening demeanor didn’t warn you to back off already.

Backgrounds

Now, the last bit of fun. Backgrounds. Backgrounds let us choose a bit of history, and if we want, randomly pick a personality for our character. We can choose from Acolyte, Charlatan, Criminal, Entertainer, Folk Hero, Guild Artisan, Hermit, Noble, Outlander, Sage, Sailor, Soldier. While I would normally pick something like Outlander or Folk Hero for a Barbarian, let’s have some fun and assume our Halfling Barbarian is actually a Charlatan; a con artist familiar with running scams and forging documents. How else would Portia wander through borders so freely?

Now, Charlatan gives Portia a second identity as well as the ability to forge whatever papers for that ability she needs as long as she has seen the handwriting and document type necessary before. She also gains proficiency in the skills Sleight of Hand and Deception, as well as disguise and forgery kits. She also has on her person a set of expensive clothes, a gaming set weighted for cheating or the signet ring of imaginary royalty, and other artifacts for pulling her con of choice, and 10 gold pieces.

Speaking of which, let’s roll a d6 and see what her preferred con is. Our d6 rolled a 1 meaning… Portia prefers to cheat at games of chance. Next, we’ll roll a d8 for her defining Trait, and well as three d6s for her Bond, Ideal, and Flaw.

d8 = 3. Her personality Trait declares that Portia prefers to try to use flattery to get what she wants first.
d6 = 4. Her Ideal states that she believes in creativity. She believes in never running the same con twice.
d6 = 5. Her Bond reveals that someone powerful killed a loved one of Portia’s and that she means to have revenge soon.
d6 = 2. Portia’s Flaw shows that she is always in debt. Her taste for decadent luxuries keeps her spending wealth long before she’s ever acquired it.

Now, we could go into further numerical detail on weapon attacks, Initiative, and exact damage numbers, but this is a pretty damn good example of what DnD Next excels at; giving you a character to play. After all, we’ve just met Portia Gallowsgreen, a Halfling gambler with expensive tastes, deceptive manners, an axe to grind, and enough muscle to back it all up. I’ll do my best to answer if you have any questions.