D&D 5E Interpreting "normal maximum" for Ranger's Companions

[jodyjohnson]

Ranger's Companion
At 3rd level, you gain a beast companion that
accompanies you on your adventures and is trained to
fight alongside you. ... Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or four
times your ranger level, whichever is higher.

I had been interpreting this as Maximum hit points for a normal creature of that kind, but now I'm thinking "maximum" is reference to full hit points.

For example, "Tough: Your hit point maximum increases .... " an obvious reference to full hit points.

Which do you play it as?

 

[DEFCON 1]

Not exactly sure I understand the differences you spoke of in your post, but I play it as I look at the hit point number the animal has in the Monster Manual (the single number listed, *not* the potential maximum you'd get from rolling out the hit dice and getting the highest number on each roll)... and compare it to four times the ranger's level. Whichever number is higher, that's the companion's hit points.

So for instance, the Wolf has listed as its hit points: 11 (2d8+2)
So I would take 11 to be its hit point maximum (and not 18-- 8+8+2) and compare it to the Level 3 ranger times 4 [12].
Thus, the wolf would have 12 hit points maximum (as the ranger level x 4 is higher [12] than the wolf's normal hit point maximum [11].)

 

[steeldragons]

I'm afraid I'm not following where you think there's a distinction...

Yes. It refers to: they have the most hit points for a creature of their type...or 4 times the ranger level [= companion's hit points], whichever is higher.

So a "standard" wolf you'd meet on the street, as it were, has 12 HP.

A ranger's animal companion wolf has 18...until the ranger is 5th level, when 4 X ranger level = 20. So then the animal companion has 20 hp [+4 each ranger level after 5th].

I don't really understand what you are asking as any other way to play it.

 

[Minigiant]

It's whatever your DM uses as it's maximum for monsters or PCs

If your DM rolls monster and PC HP, the ranger's companion's maximum HP is the higher of the rolled amount for it's HD + Con bonus or 4*rangerlevel.

If your DM uses averages, then the ranger's companion's maximum HP is the higher of the average max HP or 4*rangerlevel.

 

[seebs]

It would be 12, until you made level 4 at which point it'd be 16. "Hit point maximum" refers to the point at which healing stops taking effect. You don't get maximized hit point rolls.

 

[Skyscraper]

I admit that the rules text is unclear and could be interpreted either way IMHO.

I would probably use the average value as its maximum HP value in light of the responses in this thread.

 

[Mercule]

I interpreted that as though all hit dice came up max. Either way seems a reasonable stance, though.

 

[Gimul]

I max out the hit point dice. It's going to get outpaced by the 4xlevel eventually anyway (usually by level 5 or 6), and it makes it less likely I'll one shot it. Beastmaster already has enough quality of life issues.

Of course, for "named" or elite npcs I tend to max out their hit point dice as well. YMMV.

 

[devincutler]

Maximum hit points is a pretty defined term in 5th edition. It means YOUR (i.e. whatever creature is being discussed) maximum hit point total without magic and when fully healed. In fact, the 5th edition character sheet that comes with the starter set has a space called hit point maximum.

So I think it is clear the rule means the above, and not the assumption that the animal rolled all 8s (assuming it rolls d8s for hp) for all of its HD.

 

[Li Shenron]

It refers to: they have the most hit points for a creature of their type...

...

A ranger's animal companion wolf has 18...

It's whatever your DM uses as it's maximum for monsters or PCs

I admit that the rules text is unclear and could be interpreted either way IMHO.

I interpreted that as though all hit dice came up max.

I max out the hit point dice.

You are all wrong by the RAW, which is very clear:

"Its hit point maximum equals its normal maximum or four times your ranger leveI, whichever is higher."

Sadly the RAW is clearly talking about maximum HP i.e. "fully healed", and normal maximum cannot mean anything else than "normal HP of a fully healed creature". It doesn't mean "the maximum of its normal maximum".

Unfortunately the word maximum does not refer to the statistically highest possible value here, but just the fully-healed. Otherwise, if the second part did really referred to statistical highest possible value (of a creature of its type), then also the first part of the sentence "hit point maximum" would similarly mean the statistically highest possible value (of all animal companions of this type), which really tells you nothing about your own. Both terms mean the same thing, either way.

Whether this is fair is another matter, and the RAI could be different.