Since someone answered what the DM should do and how he should think about the ranger's animal companion VS other, normal, beasts, let me tell you what I would do as a player since that's the actual question here.
I believe that a lot of the "fun of RP" (for lack of a better term) is up to the p...
The problem with this is that the basic ranger pet is rubbish at everything you suggested. Sending a panther to scout is going to end up with a dead panther and no information and no real way of knowing the panther is dead.
@SeriousBri metagaming-ly speaking you are totally right. But this is also a "RP" question. Here we are not being asked if the options are good or rubbish, we are asked "what could be done to correct this feeling a player has about her animal companion".
@NautArch not in this specific situation (aka a ranger's animal companion) but this is generally something I tried to do in all my games ... ie. try to play off of other PCs, give them opportunities to shine, include them in my RP by asking their help/opinions, etc. It usually works as it makes the game funner for everyone around the table and my fellow players usually repay me in kind.
Hey Catar4! I see you've been a member for a little while, but I just wanted to drop you a line and let you know (or remind you about) our RPG general chatroom that you have the reputation to post in. If you ever need help or clarification or if you just want to hang out and talk about RPGs and other random stuff feel free to drop in. :)
Please note that you assumed the DM is male, whereas the gender was not specified in the OP; indeed a comment by the OP seems to indicate that the DM is female. We should guard against this kind of implicit bias (which we all carry); when we allow it to manifest, it makes RPGs even less welcoming towards women.
This answer requires a bit more research - it demonstrates a lack of knowledge of what a Tressym is, and what it can do. It is more than just a winged cat.
@T.J.L. The details of what a tressym can do are irrelevant, because what it can do and what it will do within the context of an adventuring party are to entirely different stories. The relevance of the panther being smarter, stronger and more skilled than that flying cat will ever be is that the tressym, for all its innate intelligence, is still an untrained animal with no particular bond with the bard. The panther, on the other hand, shares a mystical bond with the ranger, and therefore will be willing to take a much more active role.
Discussion on answer by Catar4: How c…
Discussion on answer by Catar4: How c…