Pet Partner (5A)

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This is a Rogue subclass for 5A.

A pet partner is a rogue that has a pet as a partner on adventures. This partner appears as an unusually intelligent animal, and most pet partners believe their pet to be an animal until it reveals itself as a fey. Pet and partner are highly coordinated and able to help each other. Together they can access the most unusual places.

Subclass Features

Bonus Proficiency

At 3rd level when you pick this archetype, you gain proficiency with Animal Handling. If you are already know that skill, you can pick any skill of your choice.

Tiny Partner

At 3rd level you gain a tiny partner. This companion uses the tiny partner stat block, which uses your proficiency bonus (PB) in several places. The creature is friendly to you and your companions and obeys your commands.

The tiny partner is a fey creature, but appears as a tiny animal to all inspection, even magic. This is typically a cat, magpie, monkey, parrot, rat, or tiny dog. It is unusually clever and understands all the languages you speak but does not itself speak. In addition you can choose one of these abilities for your pet to have.

• It gains a fly speed of 40 feet. It cannot hover. (example: bar, parrot, raven)
• It gains a climb speed of 20 feet and articulate hands. (example: monkey, racoon)
• It gains a climb and swim speed of 20 ft (example: rat, weasel)
• It gains a land speed of 30 feet and a climb speed of 20 ft. (example: cat)
• It gains a land speed of 30 feet and advantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on hearing or smell. (example: fox, dog)

In combat, it takes its turn on your initiative. It can move and use its reaction on its own, but the only actions it can take on its turn is Ubiquitous Dodger (see the stat block below), unless you take a bonus action on your turn to command it to take another action. That action can be one in its stat block or some other action. If you are incapacitated, the tiny partner can take any action of its choice, not just Ubiquitous Dodger.

Tiny Partner

Tiny fey

Armor Class: 13 + PB

Hit Points: 5 times your rogue level (d4 Hit Dice equal to your level)

Speed: 20 ft.

STR 10 (+0) DEX 16 (+3) CON 16 (+3) INT 10 (+0) WIS 10 (+0) CHA 14 (+2)

Senses: darkvision 30 ft., passive Perception 10 + PB

Saving Throws: Dexterity +3 + PB

Languages: understands Sylvan and all languages you speak.

Skills: Athletics 0 + PB, Acrobatics +3 + PB, Deception +2 + PB, Perception +0 + PB, Sleight of Hand +3 + PB, Stealth +3 + PB.

Challenge: —

Proficiency Bonus (PB): equals your bonus.

Condition Immunities: charmed, unconscious.

Evasion The tiny partner can nimbly dodge out of the way of certain area effects, such as a red dragon's fiery breath or an Ice Storm spell. When subjected to an effect that allows a saving throw to take only half damage, the tiny partner instead take no damage if it succeeds on the saving throw, and only half damage if it fails.

Beast Mask. The tiny partner appears as a natural beast to all inspection, including magic. Speak with Animals allows conversation with the tiny partner.

Ubiquitous Dodger. The tiny partner has advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks. When it does the Dodge action and ends its movement in a suitable spot, the partner can make a Stealth check to Hide as a bonus action.

Fey Escape. When running out of hit points or when you give the order, the tiny partner can disappear. It appears to hide, but in fact it returns to the Feywild. This allows the tiny partner to avoid death, and to reappear later when you call it as an action. If the tiny partner has to escape because of loss of Hit Points, it can only reappear after you take a long rest.

Shared Space. The tiny partner can occupy the same space as a Small or larger ally, riding on and being moved as the ally moves. When it is not doing this, the the tiny partner takes up its own 5 ft. space.

Actions

Natural Attack. Melee Weapon Attack: +3 + PB to hit, reach 5 ft., one target you can see. Hit: 1d6 + PB slashing damage.

Reactions

Uncanny Dodge: When the tiny partner takes damage, it can use a reaction to gain resistance to all damage until the start of your next turn.

Partners in Crime

At 3rd level you and your tiny partner are coordinated, and can cooperate on Deception, Intimidation, Performance, Persuasion, Sleight of Hand, and Stealth checks.

If you use a bonus action to instruct your tiny partner and it is within 5 ft. of you, it can Help you with any of these tasks.

If you are within 90 ft. of your tiny partner and use an action (instead of a bonus action) to instruct it, it can use your skill modifier for these skills instead of its own. You can also give it complex orders to go to places within range, as if you were following along and instructing it.

Fey Partner

At 9th level you discover that your pet is in fact a fey creature. It teaches you to speak Sylvan. You and your tiny partner has telepathy up to a range of 500 ft., and this is now the range of the Partners in Crime ability.

Fey Exchange

At 13th level you and your tiny partner can teleport to each other. You can cast Dimension Door, but only to teleport to a spot within 5 feet of the other or to exchange locations.

Fey Form

At 17th level your tiny partner can Polymorph into any beast, fey, monstrosity, or plant creature you have met whose challenge rating is equal to or less than your level. It can use this ability once and it recharges on a long rest.

Designer's Notes

A waif with a clever pet is a classic, but adventuring is rough. To make this a functional subclass the pet has to have script immunity, and from there, making the pet a fey creatures seemed natural. The higher level abilities are extensions of the pet's magic.

Some thought had to be put into restrictions on Polymorph, or this could turn into an endless cycle of powerful polymorphs.