Houndmaster

Whether on a lonely hunt in the deep forest or blazing a path through the battlefield, the image of a rugged figure moving as one with their faithful hound is an iconic one. Often taking work as bounty hunters, survivalists, or mercenaries, these fighters seek a bond with their companions far beyond that of beast and owner.

Hunting Companion

At 3rd, level, you gain a canine animal companion. You learn the Beast Friend ranger knack with the following changes:

• This feature only applies to dogs or wolves.
• Your hunting companion always has the stats of a wolf .
• Your hunting companion shares your initiative and acts after you.
• Your hunting companion’s Armor Class is increased by an amount equal to your proficiency bonus.

In addition, whenever you roll initiative, and at the end of a rest , your hunting companion gains temporary hit points of a number equal to your fighter level multiplied by your proficiency bonus.

Finally, as a bonus action, you can order your hunting companion to take an action on its turn, including the attack action. Your hunting companion adds your proficiency bonus to its attack and damage rolls .

Tracking Preparedness

Also at 3rd level, your hunting companion gains proficiency in Survival and gains advantage on all Survival checks made to track prey or forage for food. Your hunting companion also adds your proficiency bonus to its Perception and Survival checks.

Additionally, when you undertake a journey activity, you can direct your hunting companion to perform the Hunt and Gather journey activity on its own for the same amount of time, though it exclusively brings back game.

Fanged Tradition

At 7th level, your hunting companion’s attacks count as magical for the purpose of overcoming damage resistance. Additionally, your hunting companion gains a pool of exertion equal to your proficiency bonus and becomes proficient in the Tooth and Claw combat tradition. It may use its bite attack in place of any melee weapon and uses your maneuver DC in place of its own.

Your hunting companion learns a number of combat maneuvers equal to your proficiency bonus and one each time your proficiency bonus increases. It can only learn maneuvers of a degree you have access to and it must learn at least one maneuver of a degree before learning one of a higher degree.

You must use a bonus action to command your hunting companion to perform a maneuver on its turn, except for maneuvers that require a reaction, which require you to spend your reaction instead. You can only direct your hunting companion to use one maneuver per round. If the maneuver requires a bonus action, your hunting companion may also make an attack as an action if an enemy is within range.

Takedown

At 10th level, whenever you command your hunting companion to use a combat maneuver or attack a creature as an action, your hunting companion may use the Knockdown basic maneuver as a bonus action on the same turn if its attack hits. It uses your maneuver DC instead of its own.

Superb Training

At 15th level, your careful management of your hunting companion’s training, bloodline, or the like has yielded outstanding results. Your hunting companion now uses the statistics of a dire wolf . When you gain this feature, and whenever you prepare a new hunting companion, you may choose if your hunting companion is Large or Medium.

Team Effort

At 18th level, when you take the Attack action, you can forgo any number of attacks available to you to instead command your hunting companion to make the same number of attacks as its action.