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Optional Core Class: Hunter w/Epic Progression

Ferrix

Explorer
Hunter

The hunter is the stalker in the shadows, walking the thin line between the feral wilderness and civilization. They are cunning, stealthy and deadly to those that fall under their ill-will.

Adventures: Hunters often take a role of protector of an area or those who travel the world alongside them. They are malign to creatures who threaten the natural order of things and will often go out of their way to obliterate these creatures.

Characteristics: The hunter mimics the greatest natural hunters in the wild, becoming one of them. He disappears into the wild growth, walking between the civilized world and the shadows of the inhuman. He is a master in tracking and eliminating his prey whomever they may be. As they grow more in touch with the feral world they take upon aspects of the wild and untamed.

Alignment: Hunters can be of any non-lawful alignment, most take up a neutral or good place in their paths.

Religion: Hunters do not often worship a specific deity, although they may occasionally pay homage to those who influence the natural order.

Background: Hunters are born, through and through. A special binding to the feral world keeps their numbers low and they learn from solitary masters who seek out the new brethren or through lone struggle.

Races: Ky'Atrah, Elves and half-elves are most often those connected to the natural order. Humans and half-orcs generally make up the rest of the Hunter community, although occasionally a halfling or dwarven hunter is encountered.

Classes: Hunters get along well with druids, rangers and in some manners barbarians. They feel a kinship to the rogue for their nature but often disdain rogues connection to the material. Spell casters other than the druid are viewed as just another creature. They often disdain those who obstruct the natural order, but otherwise get along well enough to deal with any other.

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Game Rule Information
Hunters have the following game statistics:

Abilities: The hunter must be able to survive within the natural environment, thus his Constitution of vital importance. Strength and Dexterity are those mechanisms by which he hunts. Wisdom is also of use to the hunter as understanding the natural order is a great boon to a predator.

Alignment: Any non-lawful.

Hit Die: d8

Multi-class Restriction: Cannot be multi-classed into, must be taken at 1st character level.

Class Skills: The hunter's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Primitive) (Int), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).

Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) x 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional Level: 4 + Int modifier

Class Features:

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: A hunter is proficient with dagger, club, shortspear, spear, quarterstaff, sling, bolas, dart and javelin. The hunter is particularly inept at using armor, and receives no proficiency in it. In addition the hunter incurs double the armor check penalties when wearing armor he is not proficient with, and even if proficiency is gained he still does not feel entirely comfortable and incurs half the standard armor check penalties. Note that armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Pick Pockets and Tumble. Also, Swim checks suffer a -1 penalty for every 5 pounds of armor and equipment carried.

Illiterate: The hunter grew up in the wild, they have no conception of written languages and must spend double the normal amount to achieve literacy.

Track: The hunter automatically receives the track feat for free at first level.

Wild Empathy: A hunter can use body language, vocalizations, and demeanor to improve the attitude of an animal (such as a bear or a monitor lizard). This ability functions exactly like a Diplomacy check to improve the attitude of a person (pg 72, PHB). The hunter rolls 1d20 and adds his hunter level and Charisma bonus to determine the wild empathy check result. The typical domestic animal has a starting attitude of indifferent, while wild animals are usually unfriendly.
The use wild empathy the hunter and the animal must be able to study each other, which means that they must be within 30 feet of one another under normal visibility conditions. Generally, influencing an animal in this way takes 1 minute, but, as with influencing people, it might take more or less time.
The hunter can also use this ability to influence a magical beast with an Intelligence score of 1 or 2 (such as a basilisk or girallon), but he takes a -4 penalty on the check. This is an extraordinary ability.

Natural Weapons: The hunters body has adapted such that the hunter may make natural attacks with their body. This is often precluded by more feral features, bone ridges, etc. becoming more pronounced. They are considered to have natural attacks, and thus do not provoke attacks of opportunity when fighting without a weapon. The damage their body deals is listed in parenthesis next to this ability. The type of natural attacks possible are as follows damage types in parenthesis: claw (slashing), slam (bludgeon), bite (piercing), head butt (bludgeoning), bone ridge (slashing/bludgeoning), and bone spike (piercing).
At 1st level they may make an extra attack is at their highest base attack bonus. At fifth level the hunter may make a third natural attack with their body, this third attack is at five less than their highest base attack bonus. At tenth level the hunter may make a fourth natural attack with their body, this fourth attack is at five less than their highest base attack bonus. When striking with natural attacks, they only gain iterative attacks at the above rates, the standard number of iterative attacks from BAB only counts when using weapons.
The hunters base damage is for a hunter of medium size, hunters of other sizes change the damage they do by the appropriate number of dice shifts from medium that a weapon would normally receive. Thus a large hunter inflicts a 1d8 to start and a small hunter inflicts 1d4 damage.
Hunters who possess natural weapons by race take the higher of the damages involved with their natural weapons. If the race possess more than two natural weapons, the hunter may take additional attacks during a full attack action at a -5 penalty for each of these additional natural weapons.

Natural Armor: The hunters disdain for armor and the harshness of their lives requires the need for some form of defense. This is manifested by the hunters body toughening, their skeletal structure becoming harder, and their skin becoming more resilient to penetration. They receive a natural armor bonus to their AC equal to their Constitution modifier plus one fifth of their level rounded down. This is an extraordinary ability.

Animal Affinity: Animals as well as magical beasts (Intelligence 1-2) are non-hostile to the character so long as he takes no hostile action towards them. This is an extraordinary ability.

Predatory Ambush: The hunter begins to learn how to take down their opponents quickly when they possess the element of surprise. When an opponent is flat-footed and the hunter is using their natural weapons to attack, the hunter may inflict +1d6 bonus damage. This bonus damage is not multiplied by critical hits and creatures immune to critical hits are not subject to this damage until the hunter achieves 17th level. This bonus damage increases to +2d6 at 7th level, +3d6 at 12th level, +4d6 at 17th level, +5d6 at 22nd level, and +6d6 at 27th level. This is an extraordinary ability.

Lope: The hunters body has adapted physically to allow the hunter to move at amazing speeds on all fours. When holding nothing in either of their hands and not wearing a shield, the hunter gains the listed bonus to their base speed. This is an extraordinary ability.

Feral Nature: The hunter becomes harder to read, their reactions and mannerisms continue to further themselves from the rest of their race however these reactions and mannerisms are more of a penalty when the hunter attempts social actions. The hunter receives a penalty to Diplomacy and Gather Information checks, but receives a bonus against Sense Motive checks made against them. The penalty or bonus is equal to the hunters level divided by three rounded down. This is an extraordinary ability.

Feral Mind: The hunter is no longer considered a humanoid but is instead treated as a monstrous humanoid. This is an extraordinary ability.

Bonus Feat: The hunter receives a bonus feat or feat-like ability chosen from this list: acrobatic, alertness, athletic, blind-fight, blindsense, blindsight, brachiation, burrow, cling, constrict, deadly poison, diehard, endurance, faster healing, great fortitude, greater mighty roar, improved grab, improved scent, improved trip, iron will, leap, lightning reflexes, mighty roar, poison immunity, poison resistance, poisonous attack, pounce, rake, rend, resist disease, resist poison, roll with it, run, scent, self-sufficient, stealthy, sprint, survival instinct, toughness, tremorsense, uncanny scent, unnerving gaze, virulent poison. These are extraordinary abilities. The hunter may also choose these feats/abilities in place of the feats normally granted to characters every three levels; the hunter must possess the correct prerequisites to gain these feats or feat-like abilities. An epic hunter may also choose any of the following epic feats or abilities: armor skin, blinding speed, epic prowess, epic roar, epic speed, epic toughness, extended life span, fast healing, perfect instinct, telling ambush, vicious rend.

Deadly Fang: The hunters body becomes able to penetrate magical resistances to most attacks. His body is considered to be magic for purposes of penetrating damage resistance. At 10th level the hunter is able to strike as if cold iron, at 14th level the hunter is able to strike as if silver, at 18th level the hunter is able to strike as if adamantine and at 21st level the hunter is able to strike as if epic. This is an extraordinary ability.

Versatile Strike: The hunter has adapted his natural attacks so that they are able to change the type of damage they deal with natural attacks. The hunter may opt to inflict bludgeoning, slashing or piercing damage with their natural attacks regardless of the standard damage type associated with a natural attack. This is an extraordinary ability.

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Feat-Like Ability Descriptions:

Blindsense: You must possess the alertness and blind-fight feat to select this ability. You gain blindsense out to 30 feet.

Blindsight: You must possess the blindsense ability to select this ability. You gain blindsight out to 15 feet. You may select this ability more than once, gaining an additional 5 feet each time.

Burrow: You gain a burrow speed of 20 feet per round. You may take this additional times, every time beyond the first that you take this increase your burrow speed by 10 feet per round.

Cling: You may take part of your movement action on a wall or other vertical or partially vertical surface so long as you begin and end your movement action on a horizontal surface. If you do not end on a horizontal surface, you may make a climb check against the normal DC associated with climbing the type of surface you are on. If you fail, you fall taking appropriate damage from the height at which you were at.

Constrict: You must have gotten a hold with the improved grab ability, you inflict twice your natural weapon damage against a creature your size or smaller you are grappling plus one and half times your strength modifier. You may not take any other attack actions when grappling but you may move.

Leap: During a charge you may make a jump check (DC 20), if successful you make two attacks at your highest base attack rating with natural weapons against a creature within range of your jump check. The attacks automatically inflict double damage, you end up adjacent to the creature you attacked. This jump does not have to be in the direction of the line of your charge. If you fail the jump check your leap attack fails, and you lose any benefits gained while charging but provoke an attack of opportunity from your target.

Poisonous Attack: You gain a mild poison in one natural weapon that you possess (claw, bite, etc.). The DC to save against this poison is 10 + Con Mod. + Level/4. The initial and secondary damage is 1d2 Dex. You may choose this ability more than once. When choosing this ability again you can either choose to increase the DC of the save by 2 or increase the damage dealt by one size (1d2 to 1d3, etc.) or change the type of ability damage dealt. Changing the ability damage to Constitution however reduces the damage dealt by one size (1d2 to 1) due to the deadly nature of Constitution poisons.

Rake: Tp select this feat you must have a base attack bonus of at least +3. You must have gotten a hold with the improved grab ability, you can then make two rake attacks at your highest base attack bonus inflicting your normal natural weapon damage, if you pounce or leap on an opponent you may also rake. Must possess either the pounce, improved grab or leap ability to select this ability.

Rend: To select this feat you must have a base attack bonus of at least +3. If you strike with your first two natural attacks you may automatically rend your opponent for additional damage equal to your listed natural attack damage plus one and a half strength bonus.

Survival Instinct: You may make a Sense Motive check in place of any Spot, Listen or Search check. The DC is reduced by ten, however you do not gather exact information but have a feeling of direction, general number, etc.

Tremorsense: You must possess the burrow and alertness ability to choose this feat. You gain tremorsense of 30 feet.

Unnerving Gaze: You may make a gaze attack against a single creature within thirty feet, they must make a will save dc 10 + half your level + cha modifier. On a failure, creatures with 4 or fewer HD become panicked for 2d6 rounds and those with 5 more more HD become shaken for 2d6 rounds. A creature that succeeds remains immune to the characters gaze for one day.

Epic Bonus Feats: These abilities are descriptions for those feats/abilities that may be gained once the character has achieved epic levels.

Epic Roar: You must possess the greater mighty roar feat to choose this ability. This functions like greater mighty roar, however it resonates for 5 + Con mod rounds and creatures within the area of affect must make a saving throw each round. This is an extraordinary ability.

Perfect Instinct: You must possess the Survival Instinct ability to choose this ability. Anytime you are threatened during a surprise round, you may automatically take a partial action before anyone else. This is an extraordinary ability.

Telling Ambush: When you successfully strike during a Predatory Ambush, any enemies witnessing the ambush and the target of your ambush must make a Will save (DC 20 + ½ class level + Cha mod) or suffer a penalty to attack equal to 1/3rd your hunter level when attacking the you. This is an extraordinary ability.

Disabling Rend: You must possess the Rend ability to choose this ability. Anytime you successfully Rend an opponent, they must succeed at a Fortitude save (DC 10 + ½ class level + Str mod) or suffer a -1 penalty to all rolls for the next minute. If you rend more than once within a minute, these penalties stack to a maximum of -20 to all rolls for a total of a minute. This is an extraordinary ability.
 

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Skade

Explorer
I would look at some of the animals is the MM and see if you could make feats of some of their abilities. A quick list of them, slightly modified for the situation, are:

Badger - rage

Bat- blindsight (not really appropriate)

Boar - ferocity (fight to -10 HP)

cat - +4 Bonus to Hide amd Move Silently

Cheetah - Trip
- Sprint

Crocodile - Improved Grab

Dog - +4 to wilderness Lore when tracking by scent

Eagle - +8 to spot checks in daylight

leopard _ pounce (in first round gets full attack even if it has moved)
- Rake (if pouncing may make double attack no modifiers, I would say only light weapons)

You would just have to modify them a little more to fit what you are looking for and assign them as class abilities.


-kane
edit: I just cannot get this post to look pretty. I give up
 
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Viktyr Gehrig

First Post
They should definitely gain natural attacks as a class feature, possibly increasing in damage.

Uncanny Dodge makes sense, as does an increasing Natural Armor bonus over class levels. Evasion and Improved Evasion are possible, but not necessary.

Look at the Animal Lord totem lists for good ideas for possible higher-level class abilities.

I think they should gain Track at first level, and should get Multiattack for free at some point in the class progression. Second or third level seem appropriate.

You could possibly give them a bonus feat list and the Psychic Warrior's bonus feat progression-- Multiattack, Weapon Focus, Scent, Alertness, Endurance, Run all seem appropriate. Masters of the Wild is a good source for appropriate feats, in general.
 

Ferrix

Explorer
I jotted down some ideas that popped into my head last night so I'll see what you all think.

Animal Affinity - you are treated as a normal natural predator by other animals. No big thing really, but would be interesting flavor.

Feral Nature - a number which gradually increases as you level, penalty to applicable social rolls the character attempts (diplomacy, gather information) but also applies as a bonus against sense motive (isn't there a penalty for attempting to sense motive on a creature not of your race).

Lope - increased movement when on all fours

Natural weapon (body) - Level 1-4: 1d6, 5-6: 1d8, 9-12: 2d6, 12-20: 3d6

Ability to make natural attacks with their body (legs, arms, teeth if you so choose, headbutt, etc) for the listed damage. Starts with 2 natural attacks at level 1, gains an additional natural attack at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th. 1st two attacks are at -2 penalties, next two are at -4, next two are at -8. These penalties are reduced with the multiattack feat by 2 reducing it to base/base/-2/-2/-6/-6.

Track at 1st level

Scent

Feral Mind: is no longer considered a medium humanoid but is instead treated as a magical beast (?) or something like that.

Something along the lines of ki strike so that their natural weapons can strike DR.

Natural armor bonus as they level, maybe something like Con modifier + 1/5 levels (like monk bonus but related to Con).

Choice of stuff like improved grab, rake, pounce, improved trip (like a wolf) and related abilities as they go up in level.

No armor proficiency. Proficient with dagger, club, halfspear, shortspear, quarterstaff, sling, bolas, dart and javelin.

I'm thinking serious predator here so that'd rule out boar, badger, bat. And i'm thinking more along the lines of lupine, feline and ursa attributes, ruling out eagles and crocodile as well. Keep them mammal related.

Now, how should I start spreading these out as they level?

~Ferrix
 
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Ferrix

Explorer
Some more ideas I had... I'll be probably posting something of a sketch over 20 levels in a bit.

Predatory Ambush: Opponent must be flat-footed. Natural weapons only. +1d6 at say 2nd, 7th, 12th and 17th, stacks with sneak attack.

Versatile Strike: able to change the damage they deal with natural attacks from bludgeoning to slashing or piercing.

Bonus feat/abilities selectable: multiattack, improved grab, pounce, sprint, improved trip, unnerving gaze (sort of like staring a dragon in the eye), survival instinct (able to use a sense motive check against as spot or listen but only gives a vague idea), rake, leap (sort of like the bulette's ability).
 

Ferrix

Explorer
Here's a basic work up so far, they're probably over-powered at the moment but that's the point of the board and revisions. Now I just need a decent name.

Hit Die: d8
BAB: Fighter
Good Saves: Fort & Refl
Bad Saves: Will

Skills: Balance, Climb, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Intuit Direction, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Sense Motive, Spot, Swim, Tumble, Wilderness Lore
Skills per level 4 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st)

Excluded skills (cannot be taken at 1st level as cross class) - alchemy, appraise, craft (anything but primative), decipher script, disable device, disguise, forgery, knowledge (any), open lock, profession (any), read lips, ride, scry, speak language, spellcraft, use magic device.

Must be non-lawful.

Incurs an experience penalty of 10% if they multiclass per additional class regardless of favored class.

Level 1:
Track

Natural weapon (body) - 1d6
Ability to make natural attacks with their body (legs, arms, teeth if you so choose, headbutt, etc) for the listed damage.
Can make 1 natural attack at highest BAB or 2 at a -2 penalty.

Natural armor = Con modifier + 1 per 5 additional levels

No armor proficiency, receives double non-proficiency penalty in armor, even if proficiency is gained receive half non-proficiency penalty regardless. Loses the lope ability and any ability (pounce, rend, leap, sprint) if wearing any armor or if encumbered.
Proficient with dagger, club, halfspear, shortspear, quarterstaff, sling, bolas, dart and javelin.

Illiterate as per barbarian

Level 2:
Animal Affinity - animals are non-hostile to the character so long as he makes no hostile action.

Predatory Ambush: Opponent must be flat-footed. Natural weapons only. +1d6 damage except creatures immune to crits.

Level 3:
Lope +10 ft. Run on all fours, can have nothing in either hand or a shield on either arm, cannot be in armor or encumbered.

Feral Nature = level/3
Feral Nature - a number which gradually increases as you level, penalty to applicable social rolls the character attempts (diplomacy, gather information) but also applies as a bonus against sense motive (isn't there a penalty for attempting to sense motive on a creature not of your race).

Level 4:
Feral Mind: is no longer considered a medium humanoid but is instead treated as an animal or beast (?) or something like that.

Bonus feat/ability selected from the following list: alertness, brachiation, endurance, faster healing, improved grab, improved trip, leap, multiattack, pounce, rake, rend, resist disease, resist poison, run, scent, shadow, sprint, surival instinct, unnerving gaze.

Level 5:
Deadly Fang - strike as if a +1 weapon

Natural weapon increases to 1d8

Third natural attack at -4

Level 6:
Lope +20 ft.

Level 7:
Predatory Ambush +2d6

Level 8:
Versatile Strike: able to change the damage they deal with natural attacks from bludgeoning to slashing or piercing.

Bonus feat/ability

Level 9:
Natural weapon increases to 2d6

Lope +30 ft.

Level 10:
Deadly Fang - strike as if a +2 weapon

Fourth natural attack at -4

Level 11:
Feral Mind II: is considered a magical animal/beast.

Level 12:
Predatory Ambush +3d6

Bonus feat/ability

Level 13:
Lope +40 ft.

Level 14:
Natural weapon increases to 3d6

Deadly Fang - strike as if a +3 weapon

Level 15:
Fifth natural attack at -8

Level 16:
Bonus feat/ability

Level 17:
Predatory Ambush +4d6 - can inflict predatory ambush damage against creatures immune to criticals

Lope +50 ft

Level 18:
Deadly Fang - strike as if a +4 weapon

Level 19:
Bonus feat/ability

Level 20:
Sixth natural attack at -8

Ability descriptions:
Leap - You may make a jump check with a +10 bonus, if successful you make two attacks at your highest base attack rating with natural weapons against a creature within jump range. The attacks automatically inflict double damage.

Rake - must have gotten a hold with the improved grab ability, you can then make two rake attacks at your highest base attack bonus inflicting your normal natural weapon damage, if you pounce on an opponent you can also rake.

Rend - if you strike with your first two natural attacks you may automatically rend your opponent for an additional 2d6 + strength bonus.

Survival Instinct - You may make a Sense Motive check in place of any Spot, Listen or Search check. The DC is reduced by ten, however you do not gather exact information but have a feeling of direction, general number, etc.

Unnerving Gaze - as a gaze attack against a single creature within thirty feet, they must make a will save dc 10 + half your level + cha modifier. On a failure, creatures with 4 or fewer HD become panicked for 2d6 rounds and those with 5 more more HD become shaken for 2d6 rounds. A creature that succeeds remains immune to the characters gaze for one day.
 
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Skade

Explorer
For the name, I would just use your screen name. FERRIX!
:D

could you make a chart of how the natural attacks work? I'm not quite following. Is it structured like iterative attacks for a monk?

-kane
 

Ferrix

Explorer
Okay, here is the way i see the natural attacks

Let's assume 20th level just for simplicities sake...

Now the standard BAB route would be in this manner
+20/+15/+10/+5

The natural attacks would be in this manner
+18/+18/+14/+14/+10/+10

with multi attack it'd look like this
+20/+20/+16/+16/+12/+12

Hrm... now that I look at it, it's sort of frightening. I figured pairing them would make it interesting. Let's see how else I could figure it.

-5 on the second set, -10 on the third
+18/+18/+13/+13/+8/+8

or with multiattack
+20/+20/+15/+15/+10/+10, now that almost looks like an example of two weapon fighting at it's peak almost... heheh... hrm...

Let me think... and do dishes... damn living in an apartment at college...

~Ferrix
 

Hashmalum

Explorer
Feral Mind: is no longer considered a medium humanoid but is instead treated as a magical beast (?) or something like that.
In one of the Ravenloft 3E books--IIRC, Champions of Darkness--there's a feat that indicates that the character was raised ferally. It changes the character's type to animal.

Mostly for "flavor", you could give the character the ability to mark territory by urinating. Predatory animals would avoid marked territory (unless they had previously marked as it as their own territory, in which case they'll likely hunt down the creature challenging their territory). You could use this either to create "safe zones" or to draw out lurking predatory animals for an attack.
 

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