Gnome Beast Master Ranger Build Guide

As a Gnome Beast Master Ranger, your small size and natural cunning perfectly complement your loyal primal beast, making you an elusive, supportive team player.

4/10 Synergy Support Role Medium Difficulty

Build Your Gnome Beast Master Ranger

Free — no signup needed for the free tier.

Why Beast Master?

The Gnome Beast Master Ranger is a fantastic support character that blends defensive Gnomish traits with a loyal animal ally. With your Gnomish Cunning, you gain advantage on saving throws against magic, making you incredibly resilient against spells while you focus on directing the battlefield. Because Gnomes are Small-sized, you can even use your Primal Companion as a mount, giving you incredible mobility right from the start of your adventuring career.

Your primary jobs are battlefield control and supporting your allies. While your Primal Companion charges into melee to distract enemies and absorb damage, you can hang back using your high Dexterity for ranged attacks or Wisdom for spellcasting. Thanks to Darkvision, you can scout ahead in pitch-black dungeons without needing a torch, keeping your hands free for your bow.

As you level up, features like Exceptional Training allow your beast to take helpful actions on your turn, keeping your party safe. You act as the brains of the duo, shielding your beast with defensive spells while they lock down enemies.

Beast Master Features

Primal Companion

Level 3

You can summon the primal beast that is tied to your soul. As an action, you can summon or dismiss a Primal Beast that appears in an unoccupied space you can see within 30 feet of you. When you summon your Primal Beast, choose one of the following options for what appears: a beast that normally has a Challenge rating of 1 or lower, or a dinosaur with a Challenge rating of 3 or lower. On your turn, you can use a Bonus Action to command the beast to take the Dash, Disengage, or Dodge action.

Exceptional Training

Level 7

You can use a Bonus Action on your turn to command the Primal Beast to take the Attack action. You can also use a Bonus Action to command it to take the Dodge action.

Bestial Fury

Level 11

When you command the beast to take the Attack action, it can make two attacks as part of the action.

Share Spells

Level 15

When you cast a spell that targets only you and allows you to form a bond with an object or another creature (for example, Magic Weapon), you can extend the spell to your Primal Beast if the beast is within 30 feet of you and the spell doesn't have a range of Self.

Recommended Ability Scores

Strength

12(+1)

Dexterity★

15(+2)

Constitution

13(+1)

Intelligence

8(-1)

Wisdom★

14(+2)

Charisma

10(+0)

HP (Lv1)

Initiative

Passive Per.

Continue Building

Gnome Traits That Benefit Beast Master Ranger

Darkvision

Gnome Darkvision helps Rangers scout ahead and fight in darkness without needing a torch.

Gnomish Cunning

Extra saving throw advantages protect against debilitating spells and effects.

Combat Effectiveness

Level	HP	Melee DPR
Level 5	39	7.8
Level 11	81	7.15
Level 17	123	7.15

👉 Stop reading. Start playing.

Open builder

Strengths & Weaknesses

Strengths

♦ Beast Master grants Primal Companion at level 3
♦ High hit points for frontline durability
♦ Darkvision for dungeon exploration
♦ Good armor class and initiative

Weaknesses

♦ Low Charisma limits social interactions
♦ Small size limits heavy weapon usage

Pro Tips

Use your Small Gnome size to ride your Medium-sized Primal Companion, gaining extra movement speed and keeping yourself out of melee range.

Combine your Darkvision with a Beast of the Land companion to scout dark dungeons safely ahead of your heavier, louder party members.

Utilize Exceptional Training to command your beast to Help an ally as a bonus action, giving them advantage on their next attack.

Once you unlock Share Spells, cast defensive buffs on yourself to automatically protect your beast, doubling your spell efficiency.

Other Ranger Subclasses for Gnome

Gnome Fey Wanderer Ranger Support Gnome Gloom Stalker Ranger Striker Gnome Hunter Ranger Striker

Other Races for Beast Master Ranger

Aasimar Beast Master Ranger 6/10 Dragonborn Beast Master Ranger 6/10 Elf Beast Master Ranger 6/10 Human Beast Master Ranger 6/10 Dwarf Beast Master Ranger 4/10 Halfling Beast Master Ranger 4/10

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Beast Master a good subclass for Gnome Ranger?

Yes! Gnomes make excellent Beast Masters because their Small size allows them to ride Medium-sized Primal Companions as mounts. This synergy provides unmatched mobility on the battlefield. Additionally, Gnomish Cunning protects you from mental spells, letting you focus on supporting your beast and your party without being easily shut down by enemy spellcasters.

What makes Beast Master different from other Ranger subclasses?

Unlike other Rangers who fight entirely on their own, the Beast Master specializes in summoning and fighting alongside a loyal animal ally. Your Primal Companion acts as a physical shield on the battlefield, taking hits for your allies, executing coordinated strikes, and eventually sharing your spells to double your supportive magic's effectiveness.

Create Your Gnome Beast Master Ranger

Use Dice Will Decide's free character builder with optimized stats, spells, and equipment.

Create This Character