Monster Tamer

## The Monster Tamer

Art of Copper, a Monster Tamer, by Conceptopolis

The **Monster Tamer** is a custom Ranger archetype created by Matt Colville for Tom's character in the Chain, Copper. This archetype shares some similarities to the Beast Master, but focuses more on the companion itself.

## Archetype Features

### Keen Eye (replaces Favored Enemy)

You are an expert at discovering an enemy’s weaknesses. By remaining motionless and observing a creature, you discover the flaws in their strategy, patterns of behavior, and weak points in their fighting technique. The more you study them, the more you can exploit this.

Choose a target. If you do not move on your turn, you may use your bonus action to make a Wisdom (Perception) check against an enemy. The DC is 8 + the enemy’s Challenge Rating. If successful, you have *marked* the creature. Only one target can be affected by Keen Eye per battle.

Only one enemy can be marked at a time. Enemies are unaware they are marked, although they may notice the Ranger studying them and draw their own conclusions. Once you’ve successfully marked a creature, you can forgo moving on later turns to add an additional mark. You can place a total of three marks on a creature.

Hitting a marked creature consumes all your marks on them. You lose all your marks on a creature if you ever lose sight of them, or if they die or fall unconscious. Each mark is cumulative with the previous mark, which is reflected in the description.

**One mark** on a creature grants you an additional 1d8 damage if you hit.

**Two marks** on a creature and you have advantage on your next attack, and do an additional 1d8 damage if you hit.

**Three marks** on a creature and you have advantage on your next attack, do an additional 1d8 damage, and the target is stunned until the end of their next turn if you hit.

You are free to attack *other* creatures while you study your Keen Eye target. If you ever lose sight of your marked enemy, they lose all marks on them.

### Monster Tamer (replaces Ranger's Companion)

Choose a Monstrosity you can see within 30 feet that is aware of you **and not currently hostile toward you**. As an action make a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check opposed by the target’s Charisma. If successful, you have tamed the monstrosity. As long as you keep it fed, it will obey your orders, defend you, and otherwise treat you as a trusted companion.

Your tame monster loses its Multiattack (but see below) and any abilities or attacks that include a saving throw in their description. It retains all movement forms, senses, and abilities that do not require a saving throw.

In combat you may command your tame monster on your turn to either move or attack, but not both with the following exceptions:

* If you hit a creature with a weapon attack, your pet may use its reaction to move its speed toward the enemy.
* If a creature injures your pet, you may use your reaction to make a weapon attack against that creature immediately after its attack, provided that you can see the creature and they are in range.

Every time your pet is injured, it accumulates one point of Ferocity per dice of damage used in the attack. You may use your action to spend some of your tame monster’s ferocity allowing it to immediately use one of the following special abilities.

 Roar
 Charge
 Pounce
 Recover

### Wilderness Awareness (replaces Natural Explorer)

Your time spent living in the wilds, exploring, and fighting the monsters that live in the wood has gifted you with finely honed senses making it difficult to disorient or surprise you or hinder your movement.

* You always know which direction is north.
* You have advantage on saving throws against spells that would disorient you (*confusion*, *hallucinatory terrain*, *maze*).
* You have advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks made to avoid surprise.
* Non-magical difficult terrain does not affect you. If you are alone, you can move stealthily at a normal pace.
* You can spend two hours foraging and provide food for a number of people equal to your level.

At 6th level your allies can use your Dexterity (Stealth) result when moving stealthily as long as they remain within fifteen feet of you.

At 10th level your allies are not affected by non-magical difficult terrain while they are within fifteen feet of you.

### Relentless Tracker (replaces Land’s Stride)

Enemies cannot escape you. You can study the area around you to determine who has been there recently, what they did, where they went, and follow them.

As an action, make a Wisdom (Survival) check to look for tracks. The DC is 8 + 1 for every day that’s passed since the tracks were left. The 8 is replaced by the enemy’s Dexterity (Stealth) if they were attempting to move without leaving tracks. The GM may adjust the DC to account for differences in terrain or difficult weather. Tracks left recently in mud might be easier to follow, tracks left on stone might be much harder.

If successful, you know which creatures left the tracks, how many creatures passed this way, what type of creatures they were, and what they did. You might recognize that two groups met and talked, met and fought, that one group ambushed the other, or that one group subdued the other without a fight. If there was a battle, you know which weapons were employed and how the battle progressed, including who was victorious.

While following tracks, your speed increases by five feet. At 13th level, your allies also benefit from this increased movement as long as they remain within fifteen feet of you.

### Camouflage (replaces Hide In Plain Sight)

Starting at 10th level, you move as though you were wearing *boots of elvenkind* and any dark-colored cloak serves you as a *cloak of elvenkind*.