I am a D&D 5e newbie and I decided to play as a Ranger. My DM recommended the Hunter archetype over the Beastmaster but said I could still have a wolf as a pet.
But in combat, the DM said I would still be required to lose a turn in order to command my wolf to attack. Even in the next round, I would still be required to lose a turn to tell the wolf to attack, even if it is fighting the same foe.
For me this rule does not make much sense. Rationally speaking once an animal is attacking an enemy, why do I need to lose my turn to keep telling it to attack? The wolf should know at that point what its master wants from it, it doesn't need to be told again and again.
This post suggests that if this rule is not in place then it makes the Ranger class too powerful. While this answer seems to suggest a DM could make a "house rule" which allows the animal companion to attack on its own, with only the initial attack requiring the Ranger to lose a turn.
What are your thoughts on animal companions being allowed to attack without their master losing a turn?
